Happy Birthday Mom!

I wish I could be there with you this morning to have birthday "hot coco" (even if I don't like it!).  Thanks for being you.  I used to think it was odd growing up when people said their mom was their best friend, but I totally get it now!  Thanks for always being there for me.  I feel very blessed to call you my mom.  I love you!  I hope you have an amazing day!!!

An update on us...

This have definitely changed around here since August when we officially started having a little one in care.  It's been different, but good.  Doug told someone the other night  that our little one has been a huge blessing to us and it's so true!  I think all 4 of us have learned something in this journey.  

Everyone is adapting to our new normal really well.  Marissa and Madalyn haven't skipped a beat and are doing great with their school...amidst some challenges that 7th grade has brought with it.  Even the animals have grown fond of another little one and are no longer startled by the new noises and such.  Doug and I are both starting to sleep through the night again ;)  We have been getting roughly 7-8 hour stretches at night, sometimes even 10.  I'm trying not to get used to it in case it doesn't stick around.  

Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, and items.  We have been so blessed by clothes, toys, blankets, finances, babysitting...God is good!  Thank you all!  We couldn't do this alone!  Not a day goes by that we don't think about how blessed we really are.

A handmade blanket to snuggle

A basket of toys

Then last week I received this package in the mailbox.  Seriously brought tears to my eyes.  She is such a blessed little girl, who has impacted so many lives at such a young age.  We feel very blessed to be a part of this!

Chloe's Bi-Annual Strip

I'm always so surprised by how much actually comes off her!

I thinks she actually lost real weight this time!!!  HAHA

She always acts like a puppy again when she gets stripped.  If she actually does drop as much as it looks like she does, I guess I can understand why!!!  It's nice to have a puppy back again instead of the yak I've been living with!

Holiday Cookies

I dropped the ball this year.  Fall has really crept up on me!  We didn't get to carve pumpkins this year, even though we grew 9 of them in the compost pile!  Oh well, they made for pretty decorations on the front porch!  :)  To make up for it, we opted to make sugar cookies.  The girls took it as a good fill in!

Doug even got to be home for it!  

A special treat!

When we stopped into Buffalo on our way back from Michigan, Grandma and Grandpa has these for us!  Man I miss having these!!!  Marissa has tried them one other time, but she couldn't understand how to eat them.   They are both old enough now and they loved them!

It's crazy the memories that a bowl of grapes and bring back!!!

A trip and some time away...

A couple weeks ago, one of the teens from our youth group got married in Michigan.  I would say Doug and Abraham are pretty tight, so we of course made the trip down.  It was nice to get away and spend some time in the camper on our last trip before it gets stored for the winter.  We stopped and saw my twin brother and his family on the way down.  It worked out so good.  It was perfect timing for the baby to be ready to eat.  It was nice to be able to visit with the family, and meet the newest member!  It's also the 1st time that I have seen the new house in person.   I was really bad and didn't get the camera out though :(  

We spent a couple days in Michigan at a really cute campground.  We even got to test out their corn maze!  We had a great time and scored on another friendly place to stay.  We have been very blessed on our RV parks!  On the way back home, we stopped in Buffalo and saw some more family.  We stayed at my cousins place with her family,.  She had a bonfire that night and invited a bunch of my aunts.  It was last minute so not many came, but it was nice to see those that did.  I got to see one of my cousins that I haven't seen in YEARS, and meet his soon-to-be-wife!  It was really nice to spend time with family that we never see.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures while we were here either....I definitely need to get back into taking pictures!  We ended our visit with breakfast with my grandparents and a few hands of cards along with pie at their house.
The trip was short, but it was so nice to get away!  We needed some check out time for sure!  

Fun with Playdough

A few weeks back, Doug and Marissa headed to Maine for my Aunt Maria's funeral.  Baby girl was not feeling 100%, and it was going to be a very quick trip so we opted to stay back.  Madalyn made the decision to stay with me and my mom surprised us by coming down and spending the day with us!  We had such a good time and I really enjoyed our afternoon.  It was way too short as always, but it was really nice.  

This is how baby girl falls asleep most of the time now <3

It wasn't long before we broke out the playdough!  That stuff is the BEST!

We made creations and sold them to each other for money that we made. 

Pizza

 Fish and sticks...

Mom's super impressive mouse!

I love this kid to pieces!  You never know what is going to come out of her!  

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to my BEST FRIEND!  I think back to that monopoly game in my dorm room, fast forward to our 1st kiss, our wedding day...I thought I loved you so much then.  Boy was I wrong!  If it keeps growing like it has, I can't imagine what it will be like when we are old!  I'm so thankful for you, for your heart, for how on spot we are with each other!  I love you!!!  (P.S. I think his birthday should land on a Friday every year...I'm not sure if it's just because its a Friday, or if its because he has been gone all week, but I'm so excited for him to get home!)

One of those moments...

Marissa was working on Math today and she is starting Algebra beginnings.  She needed to write the correct algebraic expression for each word phrase.  Her problem was the difference when a number n is subtracted from 15.  She wrote n-15 and I was trying to explain to her that that was incorrect.  That problem would be worded as 15 is subtracted from a number n.  We went back and forth a couple times and Madalyn finally piped up with her words of wisdom.  She says, "It's pretty easy Marissa!  If you take "n" away from fifteen, it makes it fiftee!"  At first I just thought she was being a smarty, but then I realized she was being 100% serious!  LOL  

Algebra should be fun with her!

October Field Trip

For our field trip this month, we headed back to our local state park and hiked the small trail they have.  The kids love it, and it's great for a wide range of ages.  

Madalyn and her hiking buddy ;)

It didn't take long for Marissa to get a walking buddy ;)

This tree was pretty cool!

We finished off the day with lunch and playing on the playground.  

Marissa and Madalyn on are that far bench. 

We had a great day with amazing weather!  

We are looking forward to November's trip!

Can you guess...

...who tried to come visit us?  

We expected to see it lying on the ground, but either something came and took it, or it lived through this!  I can't get over the detailed print that it left on the window!

Projects with Grandma and Grandpa

During our day in Old Forge, Grandma and the girls were on the hunt for some pretty leaves for a project.  We did this project as kids, but Mom and I both decided that we think the wax paper is different now than it was so they didn't turn out perfect, but the girls had fun regardless!  

Ironing the leaves between two pieces of wax paper....

She loved it!

Marissa's turn...

 They loved it!  

The best part is, they don't know what they used to be like finished ;)

The girls had to show Grandpa and Grandma their "pumpkin patch".  

We composted a pumpkin last fall and we ended up with 8 good size pumpkins!  

The girls are pretty proud of them! ;)