Hello November!!

I am sure there are a million mom blogs today that have post very similar to this one.

Lots of fun family photos of a fun packed weekend.

 These pictures don't show the behind the scenes work that goes into pulling off so much fun.

 Each picture could be watermarked with the phrase.."This great weekend brought to you by a really tired mama and daddy!"

A mama and daddy who happen to love the fun of Halloween.  And can you believe I got my picture taken?   

 And with this cute little boy ??  That's because my mama is here.  So we get to have double the fun.  And my mom...

 She is the cutest thing EVER!!  She got a costume to trick 0' treat in.  My mama is a Halloween lovin' gal herself...so she was thrilled when she got to do the whole Halloween weekend with us.

 I would like to tell you that I cooked a spooky themed meal...with fun names. Or that I hand made anything for this fun day...but that would be totally false.

 We crammed in hot dogs and applesauce and hit the high road in search for the heaviest bag of candy.

 And when you have 5 kids collecting..you get a REALLY heavy bag!!

And this is one of those times in life that I love being a Catholic..

Because tomorrow we get to celebrate the feast of All Saints....

 And my homeschool group really throws down for this feast...

 So tomorrow we pack in more candy, games and fun.

And usually I am not a "This is what I did yesterday" type blogger.  But I wanted to get a post up tonight and I really wanted to see all these pictures.  So I just did the 2 things at the same time.

 But I really have to go to bed because I have been up late 2 night in a row trying to figure out my 2nd hat that I am trying to knit.  I am 3/4 way done with the first one , but  I have to wait for my lesson on Tuesday before I can decrease the stitches at the top.  So, me not wanting to go the whole week with NO NEW KNITTING project, I decided to start a new hat for Jack and then I could just finish both hats Tuesday night. Well..let's just say I had a really hard time getting hat #2 started and I was up way to late trying to work it out. 

I am happy to report that I think all is well with hat #2 ..I think.  But since I know NOTHING about knitting I am not totally sure I did everything right. 
I am looking for a really easy hat pattern for a new knitter.  I am doing the hat in the round and using double point needles to close the hat.  I am trying to figure out how to play around on Ravelry.  But I am so new to all of this that I am not always sure what my ability level is and what patterns I should try..

I correct myself..I do know my ability level..
Not High Hoping To Learn More Quickly...
But what does this have to do with a Halloween picture post?  Nothing, except all I could think about all weekend was trying to steal away a few moments to watch tutorials on you-tube on how to join knitting in the round.
Anyway..goodbye October.  I will miss you.  I love you and I can't wait until next year because we always have so much fun when you come around!!
Hello November!!

3 Days And Counting

 I am amazed at the level of energy that comes with Halloween anticipation....

 My kids are bouncing off the walls just waiting to fill sacks of candy.

I am trying to figure out how I can allow them to collect all the candy they can...but not eat any of it!!

I Just Want To Let You Know

These ten things I think you should know before proceeding with this friendship.

In no particular order....

#1 When we had our storage fire and lost EVERYTHING we owned I was not sad at all about loosing the 300 totes I had filled with different clothes for different children and different seasons.  I realize this was a financial set back and I may live to miss some of those items.  But I have to say NOT having 8 years of back logged clothes was OK with me.

 #2 I try to pray the rosary as much as I can.  I often feel guilty when to many days has gone by and I have not prayed one(or prayed a full one without falling asleep during).  I have even more guilt that I do not include my children in the praying of the rosary.  However, the other day at mass a priest said, "If I have a choice between praying the Rosary or reading scripture, I would choose scripture."  He got me thinking,  if I pray through the daily readings and don't pray a rosary should I feel like I did less that day??  I don't think so...
So, I'm cutting myself some slack here. Just lettin' you know!!

 #3 I like to dress my girls in matching clothes.  I would like us all to wear matching clothes (the girls including me that is).  I realize that may be a bit extreme..but I think it would be fun.  My 2 older girls wore matching outfits all the way until last summer when they were 8 and 6.  I sadly let it go for them. Not because they asked, just because it was getting hard to keep up with.  But lucky for me I have 2 more little girls more that I can match.  Sometimes I feel bad for Priscilla, because some outfits I have she will be wearing until she is 8 years old. 

#4 I have a hard time drinking coffee.  Pete is not even sure I should call it coffee, more like a warm coke.  I use a splash of coffee with my cream and sugar.  Not exactly gonna get me into any "skinny" jeans if you know what I mean.  But the real problem is the caffeine.  It make me go nuts...like shaking and wanting to run on a hamster wheel nuts.  And if the people around me don't have the same reaction time..I go a little more nuts. So I have decided to switch to decaf.  So now I am consuming a 200 calorie drink because why??? Not to sure on this one.  Still thinking this over and you would be surprised to know how much I allow myself to think of such nonsense.  And poor Pete..he usually hears a great deal of my personal deliberations.

#5 On the same note of coffee, I would like to own a sweet little coffee shop business one day.  Granted I can't drink the stuff, but having a cute little shop where moms could come and knit, kids can play in a courtyard type area would be really fun.  I could school the kids throughout the day and have little groups that come and meet and eat all my sweet treats.  It just sounds so...sweet!

#6 My little guy LOVES Spiderman  and I think that is cool!!

#7  I want this type of truck to be Emily's first car.  I just think it would be so cute to see a sweet little girl scoot around town in this classic 1965 Chevy!!  OK..maybe I want to be the girl scooting around town in this truck..but I'm sure she'll share.

 #8  When it comes to money I have a hard time.  I have changed a lot in this area.  When Pete and I first were married I would have us over drawn every month.  I just thought, "It will eventually all catch up...right?" Not the case anymore.  I have changed my wicked ways...mostly.  I am not over drawing us..but I am girl with wants and needs and sometimes I have a hard time knowing the difference.  But I have also become a girl who likes a fat bottom line...so I drive myself crazy in the money department and I would like to stop!!

#9 This is my mom and I get to see her today.  She is coming to visit for 1 week and I am so excited.  I just have wanted my mom so  much lately and now she is here..almost!!

#10 I don't like hot fruit.  I am not a fan of fruit pies..or cooked fruit in any way.  If I bake a pie with fruit involved it is only out of my deep love and devotion to that person.

Now that you know these 10 things I feel much closer to you all.  I think honesty is always best!!

I Was Going To Do A Blog Post About

This really fun Halloween party we got invited to this past Saturday.  I was going to start by saying how amazing people are when they open their house to families and show everyone a really good time.

I was going to write about Pete and I having to dress up and how the kids were so excited.

(Notice..no picture of me...I promise I do exist...and I did dress up)

I was probably going to let it slip that I let Molly wear mascara and I thought she looked amazing even though I am supposed to want her to look like a little girl for as long as possible.  I could not help but be impressed with those lashes with mascara on them.

I wanted to tell you all that this family who hosted the party is amazing.  They own 25 horses because they want to.  They just love having them and they have built a home to allow for this love to be center of their world.  Amazing!!

If I were not so tired I would write about Pete and how he is such a good sport and how I never tire of being his date.

 And then I would write something about this pack of sweet girls who give me such hope.  They make me hope for fun things in my girls future.  These girls are fun, beautiful and in love with their faith...oh yeah, they like horses a bit too.  If I had enough energy I would tell you that when I see girls like them I am so encouraged to keep homeschooling.  These girls INSPIRE me!!  I wish I had enough brain power left to tell you why. 

 And before I would have ended this post I would have said something about it being hard to be a military family...

Because you never get to stay....

But I am way to wore out tonight to go into all that..so let's just say...

Good Night!

Some Days I Just....

 ....play with my camera.  I just look around and take things off my shelves and start playing around.

One hot day last week I got a Pottery Barn catalog in the mail.  I looked at the cover and felt an immediate need to eat some turkey with extra gravy and stuffing with cranberries..and I don't even like cranberries.

Then I felt the need to order one of everything I saw.

But, instead I grabbed my camera, and some lollipops.  The camera was for me, and the lollipops were for the little people to be occupied while I took 300 pictures of my cross and bowls...inspired by the Pottery Barn catalog.

I looked at some of the smaller pictures in the catalog and tried to recreate what they shot using what I had.  I love the pictures in that catalog and thought.."I wanna try!!"

It was fun!!  It put a pep in my step for the rest of the day.  I was having a great time taking the pictures, staging the objects and keeping Lucy from destroying it all in the blink of an eye. 

And that brings me to the point of telling you all

I LOVE THIS BLOG!!!

Getting to take pictures, sharing stories, and meeting some great gals, has made this blog so fun for me...

 So...thanks....

And keep reading!!!

Our New Baby Love

Meet our baby Luke!!

Well, he is not REALLY ours..he belongs to that adorable couple lovin' on him.  What cute parents!!..and baby!!

 We have not met little Luke yet.  It is KILLING us .  We will finally get to hold our new nephew in November. 

                                           His daddy is a pretty special guy, and we can't wait to hug on him too!!

And I can tell you one thing...

When I get my lens on this little baby..you all will know.  Until then I have to survive on pictures from Rob's phone..and finally this new batch that I could post for all the world to see.
We can't wait to meet you Luke!!