Happy Halloween

Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween. The kids had a blast trick or treating. Liam did not want to stop...Reilly complained his bag was too heavy and Natalie got on quick. She actually walked to the door, got a piece of candy and said "tank too".

We went with our good friends the James Kids and Kileen to our old neighborhood in Maple Valley. It was fun to see the "hood" and all old neighbors.

We were home and in bed by 8:30pm (the kids anyway).

On to decorating for Thanksgiving MY FAVORITE time of year!

Love,
Jess

October 31st

Happy Halloween!

Todays Top 10

10. Carving Pumpkins with the kids
9. Watching the kids color and play together - nicely
8. Getting to see my God Children
7. Natalie took a 3 1/2 hr nap
6. I took a 2 hr nap
5. Going Trick or Treating with friends
4. Seeing my kids in their costumes
3. Seeing the excitement when they get candy
2. Natalie on the kitchen table
1. When my head hits the pillow tonight I will be out!

Our Soccer Boys

Okay so it was a fun fall season. We only got rained on once. Almost all our games were in the sun ~ it was great. Liam has improved so much since the summer. He is awesome on defense and is still a hustler. He plays a ton and runs like crazy for 45 min. He got 4 goals in the last game on Saturday. I tried to get video but kept missing the goals. Liam even learned how to play goalie this season and was really good at it. I can not help to brag he got his mom and dads athletic comeptitive spirit.

Reilly was not so good at soccer, but that is just fine atleast we know it is not his thing. He would walk the line, suck on his shirt and look at the sky. He just wanted his "golden medal" at the end and he was happy.

The boys really did great!

Pumpkin Patch in Yakima

We went to Yakima on Thursday for our annual Pumpkin Patch field trip with the kids cousins Jack, Grant, and Madeline and of course my SIL Laura. It was a beautiful day ~ the drive over was all sun shine and then on the way home the sky was lite up from the Harvest moon.

The kids had so much fun on the Hay ride, the corn maze, petting zoo and the slide of course. Natalie just wanted to run free the entire time. It was a good visit with my SIL.

Of course the end of the day Laura sprained her ankle at my moms house and we thought for sure she broke, but PTL it was just sprained. I was really worried about her. The kids too!

Have a great day!

A Girl & Her Dog

Who said a dog had to be mans bestfriend. Natalie and "Baya" as she calls her (Bailey is her name) are the best of friends. Natalie loves "Baya" so much she spends a lot of time in her crate. I think the feeling is mutual.

Have a great day!

Congrats to my friend Tricia for having her little girl Ava today at 11:15am. She was 5lbs 6oz and 19in long. She came by way of c-section. Mom and baby are happy and healthy!

Liam's Weekend Top 10

10.Finding my "wing nut" from Papa Goobs in a pair of pants Reilly handed down to cousin Nathan.
9. The Maple Valley Train Show with my friend Shane
8. Playing with my dog Bailey
7. Rootbeer floats with mom at 9:00pm at night
6. Pizza & a movie with my best bud Shane
5. Playing soccer in the rain & Big Olivia came to watch
4. Breakfast with mom and out to coffee & hot cocoa
3. Snuggling with my mom and getting my back tickled all night long
2. Ducks game with Uncle Icky, Aunt Jodi, cousin Nathan, Uncle Mike, mom and dad - Whose house...Duck's House! We won!
1. Getting to ride on a city bus not once but twice! (we even got to see a robot (i.e., the Space Needle).

What Is Your Inner Desire?

Love Your soul reveals love.You love this world,whats in it,and your family+friends.You would do anything for them.You more than likely have a load of friends,and you love it =).

How do you compare? Take this test! | Tests from Testriffic

This Weeks Top 10

10. Listening to Natalie say "I wuv you" and "Tank Too" for the first time.
9. Our new kids castle from Little Tykes we got in great condition and for FREE this will be my life saver this Winter (Yes it is in my living room).
8. 2 parties this week and great sales and lots of fun!
7. Watching my friend Jenny's son Will twice a week and having a lot of fun...he is WAY easy and has so much fun with the boys and Natalie.
6. Had a broken moment with God this week that I think will forever change the course of my walk with Him.
5. We are on the mends from a icky cold.
4. Natalie is sleeping better at night.
3. Jason is busy with work, but able to be home a lot with us and we love it!
2. My Grandpa is doing good and his gall stone and kidney stone are gone and he got the clear to go Elk Hunting. PTL!
1. Blessing we paid off 2 out of 3 credit cards and are saving money finally - and out of the red...it is a miracle!

Cherish Every Moment..a Mothers Prayer

When the laundry is piled up, there are rings around your toilet, the fridge is nearly empty and it is 10 minutes to dinner but you have nothing started and all you want to do is scream...cherish the moment and cry out to God.

I have been doing a bit of self healing these days. Trying to figure out how to be more patient and less agitated. To find time to make cookies, play games, build a fort, and indulge in being a mom with my kids. Life can be so demanding and I wish we could stop time, but we can't.

I swim in a sea of guilt when I miss the opportunities with my kids. They will only be this young once. I pray for their saftey and for their futures, but what about now. A friend of a friend is dealing with neroblastma cancer with her 2 year old and I am devasted to think of what that might be like. Children are so precious. I ask the questions, but only God knows the answer. I pray and meditate on Psalms 139. He has formed me and made me and He knows all the days of my life.

He knew I would be right where I am today even in this very instance. He knows my heart and He knows my thoughts. He knows my every move even before I do. So with that HOPE I clinge to Him in prayer. I lay prostate at His feet and ask for forgiveness for all that I have missed in my selfish desires, eagerness to please, and pridefulness. I lay down my bitterness, anger, resentment, impatients, laziness, frustrations - I lay it all down and I take up His love, grace, mercy, hope, and desire for me to be broken in spirit and be humble in my actions.

I cry just thinking about how many years I have wasted trying to figure it all out and control the outcome. I feel foolish for thinking I had it under control.

He knew today would be the day I opened my heart back up to Him and TRUSTED.

If you are reading this ~ there was a reason for it. Pray for me as I continue on this path of motherhood, being a daughter, a wife and a friend.

With Love,
Jess

Mommy God does not like it when you yell.

Yes, the day has finally arrived when my little "holy spirit" Liam has reminded me of how God wants me to act. In one hand it is neat to see that he actually understands the things we are teaching him and then on the other it is annoying that he has to call me out (especially when I know I am in the wrong)!

Well life is busy as usual around our house. We are homeschooling Liam this year and it is getting to be fun. The first few weeks were a bit hard and I thought of throwing the towel in. He is so smart and so strong willed and it does not help when mommie is strong willed either. We are working it out and finding our nitch.

Reilly is busy and growing up so fast. He and Liam are playing good together but gangin up on me now! I am now understanding the things Jacquie (Jason's) mom felt with two boys 18 months apart.

The boys are in soccer this fall together on the same team - now that is hilarious!!!

Natalie climed out of her crib yesterday. I moved it down to the lowest lever and it was much better last night. She is so with it! She loves her brothers and is back to sleeping better at night.

We have a new dog named Bailey. She is Autralian Shepard/Chocolate Lab Mix. She is 9 month old and very sweet. She is house trained and crate trained, but needs some obedience (basic) training. We have a lady coming on Wednesday to help us. She is going to be our inside dog. Henry and Scout love to chase her around and she loves them.

Jason is still working two jobs with his business and part time at the church. He is doing such a great job finding time to balance it all.

I am busy with working out again, Tastefully Simple, the normal stuff, and I am watching Mon & Fri my neighbors son Will. He is a doll and is amazingly easy to watch. The extra money will be nice!

Just thought I would update you on what is new. Have a great Monday!

Love,
Jess

"My Life Unscripted" by Tricia Goyer

If you get a chance to read this book it is amazing. If you are anything like me it reminds me of the same mistakes I made as a teenage girl. I was profoundly reminded about my walk with Christ and his forgiveness for me. This is not just a book about teen pregnancy or about teen in general. It is about making the right choices to follow Christ and trust and hope in Him. We are all faced with tough decisions and sometime we fail, but with Christ we are given the chance to repent and to have a renewed hope. Tricia makes the book easy to read. Many times I was brought back to times in my life that I would rather leave in the past to be reminded of where I am today.

This book is a great book for teenage girls. I will pass my copy along.

"My Life Unscripted" by Tricia Goyer published by Thomas Nelson BUY IT TODAY!

Home at Last

A full tank of gas $120

Over 1000 miles of driving

Everything from the house BUT the kitchen sink

A little one teething and with an ear infection

Making family memories...PRICELESS

Yes, I took all three kids with me on our annual trip to Oregon. Lets be reminded I have been doing this since Reilly was 3 weeks old. Yes, I am crazy! But I love every minute of it.

This year we headed out on Tuesday, September 4th. Our first stop my great grandmothers, Mrama who is 97 years old. The kids got a chance to see her and she really enjoyed the visit. Liam wants to know why she is so old. Natalie was very curious about Mrama. While her health may be failing and it is hard to see why she is still living. I am very thankful that my children have had the opportunity to see her and be around her. She is an amazingly strong and might I say stubborn woman (that must be where I get it). We try and visit whenever we can. It is often short as she can not hear and has a hard time reading lips anymore. I will never forget this visit - it meant so much to me.

Curious or Scared?

This warms my heart!

Me & Mrama

Next we met up with Uncle Mike at Caboose Pizza in Tigard and we stayed the night at his apartment in Lake Oswego. Liam prayed about this place the day before. "Mom in all of these days will we go to the Caboose Pizza place" Liam said "Yes Liam we are going tomorrow" I said. "I prayed about that...(a few minutes of silence) God answered my prayer". I chuckled as I thought how funny that he would get that concept. I guess they know more then we think. Liam thought he wanted to go for a swim until he dipped a foot in. We tried the hot tub but 104 degrees was to hot so we settled for Uncle Mike's bath tub. We stayed up watching the Singing Bee and left early the next morning.

My "Creative Illusion"

"Okay so I look good anyway"

Wednesday, September 5th we packed up from Uncle Mikes and headed out. Our first stop - Starbucks of course...mommy needs her coffee! Then we were on the road again. I could not believe it but we actually go on the road by 8:53am. I decided to drive as far as I could before the kids asked to stop. Everyone fell asleep (but Liam of course) only to be awakened by Liam yawning with his high pitched yawn that he feels is necessary to do when everyone is sleeping. Might I add that I had all the kids in the middle seat so that I had more room for all our stuff.

At 11:45am everyone was done in the car, so we took Exit 119 towards the Wildlife Safari. This turned out to be a fun adventure. We ate our lunch in the car and then $14.00 later headed in to see the wildlife. I was a bit scared by the fluorescent Orange piece of paper that warned "we are not responsible for punctured tires or dents from Rhino attacks". Needless to say I was overjoyed when we did not see the Rhino's anywhere.

Liam's favorite part...getting to sit on moms lap and steer the car and navigate us with the map. Reilly's favorite party...getting to buckle the seat belt in the front seat and seeing a giraffe and monkeys. Natalie's favorite part...not having her brothers bug her while she rested. Moms favorite part...watching the boys and just enjoying the moment.

Lunch Break

Me & My Boys

Once we arrived we had so much fun. The first day we spent with Grandma Great. We went to the Science Works Center in Ashland with the kids. It was so much fun and geared towards younger kids. I loved the bubbles! We then had lunch at grandmas and back to Jan's for naps.

Grandma Great & The Kids

Bubble Boy

That night we had dinner at grandma and grandpas house. Chucker and the boys were having a good time while Natalie just kept looking at herself in the mirror (the same mirror I used to look at when I was a little girl). We also measured ourselves on the closet door. Liam has grown 2 1/2 in since we went last year. I guess I have shrunk since 1992 by 1 in according to the closet...hmmmm. If it is true I am in trouble.

The next day (Friday) we headed to Beer Creek Park to play in the morning and did a bit of shopping. Then lunch and naps. It was beautiful out and the kids loved the park!

We always enjoy our trip to Medford. The best part is the great park behind my aunts house. We go on long walks at night (I just love it) and in the morning. The sidewalks are big and the kids can ride their bikes. It is just great..I would love to move there.

Natalie & Her new friend

We spent Saturday evening in Grants Pass, OR visiting a good friend of mine from High school at Brookings-Harbor. It was so great to catch up and meet his wife and kids. It was so fun...we meet for pizza and then we headed to their house and the kids played on the trampoline and had a blast. It was great to catch up! Here is a picture of Josh and I and all our kids. We look like the Brady Bunch! WOW how life changes after 15 years.

Besides long walks, lots of food and beautiful weather. We acted like tourists. We spent the day at the Family Fun Center. The kids loved this and so did the adults. What a perfect time to go as the kids are in school and we had the place to ourselves. The boys loved Captain Jack's Playhouse and jumping in the balls. The best part was Jan and I could go with them because they were to young - we were supposed to be watching them, but I could not resist jumping myself. Jan got stuck up top! We raced go carts, got soaking wet in the bumper boats and Liam even got to drive his own go cart. It was to slow for him and he was more then disappointed. Natalie loved running around and touching everything. She was not feeling very good this day, but as always still wants to play.

The highlight of our trip each year is the day we get to go to the Train Park. This is a volunteer organization that runs a train park with miniature ride on trains for the kids and adults. It features a 3mi ride over bridges, through tunnels, crossings, bends and then back to the station. Did I mention it was FREE! It runs the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month until Oct. It is really the neatest thing I have ever seen. They even had snow cones this year. The boys just loved it!!!

Okay so on the days we did not go out and about we hung out at aunt Jan's or and G & G's. We really had so much fun and I cried when we left. It did not sink in until the morning we left, but I really miss being near my family. It is such a great joy to have the relationships I do with my entire extended family. It is a true blessing and I hope that will pass down to our children. The value of family is indescribable.

We headed home on Wednesday, September 12th. I wanted to try and drive the entire way, but we were tired. Natalie had me up late the two nights before with her ears and up early. We made it all the way to Albany before we stopped. We hit McDonald's playland for some food and to let loose some energy. The kids had fun and met a new friend.

We then headed to spend the night with Uncle Phil & Aunt Kim. The kids loved their place. We even got pumpkins out of Aunt Kim's garden. Natalie loved Bailey and Sadie. It was a nice break in the trip home. We also got a hold of Jamie & Jodi (Jason's cousin and his wife) and went to visit them. It was so much fun for the kids to play and hang out. Everytime we get together with them we have fun...to bad we do not live closer.

We got up early on Thursday morning loaded up and headed home. We were home by 10:30am and the kids were immediatley playing with all their toys. Natalie even was over joyed by being in her home and with all her things. Daddie came home and got BIG HUGS from us all. We had so much fun, but we missed him.

BTW...daddie went hunting while we were gone and got his first deer. Yahoo! No pictures to show yet.

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day Weekend at our friends Kevin & Michele Hill's enjoying the weather, playing, games, laughing and eating a lot of food. The Weavers came and we had so much fun 8 kids and all. I will post pictures when the blog wants to work.

Here is an e-mail from a dear friend (not a hoax) a real friend...worth the read.

Dearest Family and friends,

Today I attended the first military funeral that I pray I will never have to go to again but I know that it may not be. I escorted my friend Sarah, whose husband Jarod is currently serving in Iraq.

You may have heard of the accident. 14 soldiers died in a helicopter crash that was due to mechanical failure. 4 of these men were stationed at Fort Lewis here in Washington.

As I entered the auditorium there were four helmuts with night vision goggles staring at me, with pictures of the soldiers. Beneath that was their boots. That was all that was there to represent these men who were husbands, sons, fathers and brothers. I sat for a while, and while people got seated, I was able to watch a slide show of the lives of these four men. Sarah then brought it to my attention that the auditorium was mainly filled with women and that during the funeral that they had in December there were more people able to attend because the troop was able to be there. Many of the friends of these four men are still serving faithfully in Iraq, putting off their mourning until they are able to do so in a place where that kind of distraction will not cost them their life. When the ceremony began we sang the National Anthem, heard men choke back their cries as they remembered their friends through old stories, and heard Amazing Grace played on the bagpipes. (I will never be able to hear that again without crying). After the remarkable ceremony that was filled with tradition and honor, I sat and watched as one by one soldiers went before each set of flight gear and picture and saluted their fallen brother.

After the ceremony we went into a reception hall and had cookies and punch. Sitting I watched a beautiful little boy who had to be the same age as my Eli (1 1/2) run around completely oblivious to why he was there and if he was anything like my little man maybe wondering why everyone was crying and hugging his mama. Then two soldiers approached the widow of one of the soldiers and handed her a framed flag with her husband's picture and his rank. As she sat down almost taken aback by the gift, this same little man with his blond hair, button down shirt, khaki pants, and the chubbiest little hands and fingers came running up to his mom took one look at the framed picture and yelled "Dada". That was it. My heart was broken in two. Knowing that this little precious man would never know his father. Knowing that this family made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Knowing that although they would heal and move on, that their lives would never be the same again. This precious family paid it all for MY freedom.

Why am I writing this you may ask? Because I want us normal civilian people to remember what is being played out while we continue with our normal lives. I want, regardless of your political stance, for us to pray for the wisdom of our leaders and the direction of our country. I want the people I love and care about to thank our military and their families for the incredible sacrifice that they make for us to be able to live in a free country. I want people to quit complaining about what is going on and start voting differently if they don't like what is going on. I want these soldiers to be remembered as the individuals that they are instead of being faced with the fact that we have suffered greater losses in the past. Every soldier that has made the ultimate sacrifice deserves to be remebered that way. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican I believe that you can appreciate the fact that our military serve in their jobs wholeheartedly, with courage and bravery.

I can't help but think of the people I have worked with in the past that were horrible workers. They had no work ethic. They wouldn't do what they were asked to do. They were disrespectful to our boss and those around them. They were incredibly frustrating people to work with. What kind of country would we live in if our military acted this way? Instead of protesting what the military is being asked to do maybe we should thank them for, if nothing else, having an incredible work ethic and doing exactly what is being asked of them. Maybe we can all see beyond that and thank them for their incredible service instead.

Yes, I am an emotional person and maybe most of you won't even read all of this but I just felt that it needed to be said. I love this country that I live in. I am grateful for every freedom that is given me. Even freedom of speech for without that I wouldn't be able to write this to you today.

Please, I ask that all of you remember daily our men and women who are serving in our military. Do not become hardened to the news that you hear of another death. Please know and remember that there is a family behind that death or injury. Please do not let your political standing remove you from being respectful to our men and women in the military. Pray that those who survive physically will be able to survive emotionally and spiritually as well.

Thank you for reading this. Please send on to others who may need to remember what a blessing it is to live in America. I promise that if you forward this to ten people in the next 30 minutes you won't find true love, get a good job, or make a lot of money, but maybe like me you will have a moment of resurging patriotism that I have not felt for a long time. I pray that I never forget. May we never forget.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Update

What have we been up to? Just playing outside when it is not raining. We took the kids bowling on Sunday night - that was a lot of fun.

I have a TS party tonight my first since June really. I kind of took a vacation after 5 parties in June. It has been nice but I am looking forward to getting back into it.

Nothing really exciting has been happening here - will post some new pics.

Love,
Jess