OcToBeR 3l

Our week and weekend has been...

AC on the camper... broken. (btw Would anyone would like a Pop-Up camper?;) Computer Router...broken. Vacuum cleaner...broken. DVD player...broken. Mower...flat tire so I consider it.... broken. So I try and crank the push mower...broken. I text my sweet husband who is working seven days a week at the moment...."Why does everything break all at once?" And several hours later I text him this..."I am ready for your manly help PLEASE." He texted me back..."Take a deep breath:) I'll be home soon. Love you" He gets home at 5 and he replaces the broken router, replaced the belt on the vacuum (we happen to have one that fit. Thank you Lord) fixed the flat on the mower and with a little starter fluted gets the push mower started. Thank you so much hunny. Do you all ever feel like, okay what next? And your spouse is calm... and just takes care of it. This happens to us a lot in our 14 years of marriage, one of us is upset and the other calms us down. I think this is wonderful and Gods way of keeping balance in our home and in our marriage.

With Jeff working today, we were not sure if we would make it to the Farm Fair. He made it home 30 minutes before we were to leave! Yay!

Our Wolf, Ranger and Princess.

Looks like Jared is "saying" don't mess with my brother and sister!

We had a fun visit with Nenaw and Papaw before going to the

Farm Fair.

I really like this one... and I'm not sure why.

Cool. But kinda creepy too. ;)

Grace loved the Fire Truck. We told the kids that Papaw Cornett used to drive one of those and the boys thought that was really COOL!

No Grace don't clean the pig with the sponge, throw it at the pig! This was hilarious!!! Caden enjoyed this game station so much he stayed and helped work it for awhile.


They loved this one too!

Snow White was sleeping by 7 and in bed by 7:30. Thank you Fellowship Bible Church we all had a wonderful time tonight!

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Multi-Tasking

On Monday, I asked Caden if he would turn on the shower for Grace. A few minutes later I asked him if the shower was running for her and he said "Yea she's gettin in" I walk in to check on her and this is what I find.

Grace Elizabeth we never know what you will do next. ;)

“The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” Proverbs 27:9

Answer to Prayer

Thankful for Dad's good report from the doctor yesterday! His heart is functioning close to where is was before the heart attack in August! This is a much different report from only 3 months ago. God is so good!!!

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalm 37:7

A Weekend Filled With Firsts

Not long after dropping the boys off at school it was time for me to hook up to the camper for the first time by myself. :) We decided I would head out to the campsite early to start setting up camp and after Jeff got off of work he would pick up the kids and meet us there.

Yay! I did it! I was so nervous about doing this... but really was kinda easy. Afterwards, I was so excited, I had to get a picture before leaving the driveway! I know I'm goofball. When Grace and I got to our campsite thankfully my parents were already there to help guide me as I backed into our site. Thank you to my wonderful husband and Dad for teaching me how to do this.

Grace reeling in her first fish...with no help.

Good job baby girl.

Dad teaching Jared how tie a fisherman knot.

Daddy teaching Caden and Jace how to place a bobber.

Papaw caught the other catch of the day. As you can see the kids enjoyed this.

Papaw giving their first quick lesson on how to hold a fish with out getting finned.

First cousins enjoying camping.

Carving our first...

jack-o-lantern...

as a family.

The boys wanted it to look scary.

This has been a wonderful weekend. A weekend of teaching, and a weekend of firsts.

“Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Ephesians 4:29

Six Years Ago

‎6 yrs. ago my life almost changed in a way that makes me scared in a way that should never be felt. My wife, my red haired angel received a miracle. She was given a second chance at life, a brain aneurysm almost stole her from me. My life, my heart, my everything.

This is what Jeff posted on his facebook today. I'm in tears! That was beautiful. I can't even give him a hug, he's in class tonight. :(

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Psalm 103:2

Pumpkin Patch

Saturday was our first pumpkin patch experience!

We spent most of our day playing outside...

...and enjoying it with good friends!

I just love Grace's face in this one. It looks like she is thinking "Hmmm... Mom why did you put me in this one?! I'm so sorry Uncle T.J." Sorry bro I put her in this one because it was the last car left.

But Jared chose well! I know you made your Uncle T.J. proud. ;)

After the fun train ride off to the duck races!

And a wagon ride!

Caden enjoyed taking pictures of Grace and I. Jared just saw the pictures today and got upset because Caden has now used the new camera.

You would think getting pictures of the kids on Pappys Truck would be pretty easy. Only with thanks to Mrs Aimee did I get this one, the kids were being toots.

My first and only picture of this one! Go figure. ;)

Jared driving the tractor.

The kids had a blast even though it was geared more toward Grace's age. The boys loved it, they are pretty easy to please, plus if Andrew and Abi are there they will figure out a way to have a good time.

My own little pumpkin patch kids!

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Family Time

These days Jeff is working everyday and has started taking collage classes in the evenings. So, when he's home, we do whatever we can to spend time together as a family.

Even if it's helping Daddy work on his truck on a Sunday afternoon! His brakes went out on the front drivers side... Wonderful a prefect family time opportunity! Right?..we'll take whenever we can get ;)

Or reading a book together on Wednesday just before bedtime.

The work is good and we're very blessed! We are ready for things to kinda get back to "normal" though. :) The kids are missing him a lot, but they are doing okay. Saturday we have plans on going to the Pumpkin Patch with some good friends of ours! We were hopeful that he would be off so that he could join us, but he just found out he will be working:( We will still have a wonderful time but were all still a little bummed. We are looking forward to next weekend! We made plans to go camping with my parents over a month ago, so Jeff will be off for this next weekend!! Yay!!!

...you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18

The Kids New Pet

In 3...

2..

1! Got ya!!!

Look at the excitement on that kids face! He just caught his very first frog.

After we gave "our new pet" the frog some water...

What's up with our kids not wearing shoes?! Seriously.

Sorry, getting off track a little. Back to the story of our newest pet frog. We added a few rocks to his new home and for about an hour we watched him, and talked about how his eyes were the same color as his skin and talked about the things they eat and such. This was a good lesson for the boys about Nature.

And decided he or she would have a better chance of survival

out in the wild, than in our home. ;)

Every creature in the forest is mine... Psalm 50:10

School Days

Over the past several weeks I have enjoyed having lunch with the boys. Before school started, I was excited that their schools were going to be next door to each other and not across town (at least as far across town as Hallsville can get) unlike the past few years. Well when school started we learned that their lunch break was at the same time. That figures:) So on Thursdays after Grace is at Mothers Day Out I get to enjoy lunch with just my boys!

Thursday, Caden enjoying his burger from Mc Donald's! Silly kid. Afterwards we had a fun time together at the book fair!

Enjoying lunch with Jared and my Nephew Caleb! After dropping off Jared's cake to share with his class. Oh the joys of being an 11 year old boy!

Since we are on the topic of school, I wanted to journal about what happened to Jared yesterday. And maybe get other opinions from those who may read this. I will say Jeff and I are not "mad", but we will be calling the school to talk to the nurse just to let her know a phone call from the substitute nurse, to give us a heads up on our son, would have been nice.

On Friday Jared got into the car looking like he didn't feel well. Tired and very pale. I said jokingly, "Hey boy did you not see me, I was just two cars back?" (from the front of the pick up line) "No. I didn't see you but I wasn't looking around though." As I'm thinking... okay that's an odd reply. Jared says, "Did you get the call from the school?" "No." (as we're driving off and checking my phone for any missed calls). "Why?" "Oh I just figured the nurse, well the substitute nurse would have called you." "Why, what happened?!" "I almost fainted. I couldn't see very well and everything was a yellowish color." "Really, when did this happen?" "After gym. I was singing in music and all of a sudden I just felt really bad, I couldn't see very well, everything was a yellow color. I raised my hand and told the teacher I didn't feel good. The teacher told Haley (another student) to walk with me to see the nurse because I was really pale and couldn't walk straight" Knowing he has music last period. I said, "Really. What time did this happen?" "About 45mins ago." I just got really hot in gym class." "Did you ever get a drink of water?" "No." "Really?" The nurse had another teacher walk with me out to pick ups just to make sure I would make it okay." "No, sweetheart, no one called me." "Well, probably because it was almost time for pick ups." "True. A call would have been nice just to let me know what happened. Not all kids tell their parents things that happen to them at school."

So, we got home and fill him full of oranges and strawberries. Within a few minutes he was not the color of the clouds in the sky. Really? Yes. He was that white. And had black circles around his eyes. Thankfully Jared did tell us what happened, but Jeff and I agree if this happened to Caden he wouldn't have said anything about it, "not a big deal, mom.....dad." We have to practically tell that child he's sick. He agrees, only after we tell him he has a high fever with his eyes all a droop. Thankfully we are the type of parents who pay attention to our children and know when they don't feel well, but not all parents do. Which is very upsetting. No, we would not have been able to pick him up really any earlier being that he went to the nurse at 2:15, but we feel a phone call to inform us and not having to hear it first hand from our child would have been nice. And if there was not a sub things may have been handled differently but we feel we need to call and let them know we are not happy how things were handled.

Update: The phone call went well this morning. She apologized and thanked us for calling. She said the EMT that saw Jared on Friday did forget to call us because it was so late in the day.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 1:27

Bed Headed Bible Study

Sunday Jeff was home from work and we just stayed home and enjoyed our time together. Not long after we woke we had a little Bible study outside. Jeff and I loved this!. Studying the Bible together as a family. The kids also seemed to enjoy it! We will definitely be doing this again.

Us and our bed headed selves...enjoying the morning the Lord hath made.;)

All the while, you will grow as you learn

to know God better and better.” Colossians 1:10