Change of Plans

We have been planning for the past month for Jacksen to be a Ninja Turtle for Halloween. We bought a turtle shell at a resale shop about a month ago, and have been adding to the costume as we go. Jacksen really enjoy thinking of things that will add to his costume and it really makes him proud of what he has come up with. One year we made a homemade spiderman costume and worked hours perfecting it, only to have Jennah win the costume contest in a cowgirl costume that we already had and she really didn't care about. Jacksen cried and cried. So on the way home from working all day in Bristow yesterday Jacksen told me about 6:00 last night he wanted to be a Ninja instead of a Ninja Turtle, although they may sound quite similar they are very different (his school party is today!). I explained to him we had worked for so long to get the Ninja Turtle costume together I really thought he should wear it. Knowing Jacksen takes such pride in coming up with costumes I thought maybe we should let him do it and so after thinking about it I told him if he could come up with it that he could do it. So here he is as a Ninja. I wish he would have thought of this easy free costume a month ago! Maybe all three of them can be Ninjas!

Family Reunion

We survived Jonathan's annual family reunion. This year it was at Lake Murray. It was a beautiful lake and we went just in time for the all the fall colors. Although it was the perfect time for the foliage, it was not the perfect time to be sleeping in a tent! Not only was it too cold to sleep in a tent but the tent that we borrowed from our sweet friends only had a net-like material on the sides of it. We covered the sides with blankets, but they kept falling off. Yes, we froze! Don't think we will be sleeping in a tent this time of the year again. Holiday Inn for us next year!!
These are all pictures Jacksen and Jennah took this weekend. They thought it was so pretty there. They wanted to take some pictures. (One reason I don't mind having a cheap digital camera.) They took some pretty good pictures.

My Newest Project

Anyone that knows me can tell you I love to stay busy. Most of the time I like to have two or three things going on at the same time (anything to keep from staying at home and cleaning). I do try to focus most of my "projects" on church related activities. I am one that loves to start new things. I love dreaming something up, planning it out, preparing for it, then actually seeing it happen successfully (well most of the time!). It is so rewarding.

So, I have been thinking about this for a long time and am finally going to follow through with it. My cousin attends a large church that offered a frozen cooking class. I thought this was a great idea. I wanted to put more of a focus on the importance of family mealtime. I went to the Focus on the Family website and found some interesting studies on family meal time. It said only one-third of families in the U.S. eat dinner most nights together. One study showed when teens ate with their family at least five nights a week they were less likely to be on drugs, to be depressed, and to be in trouble with the law. Another study followed a group of sixty five families for an eight year period. They found eating family meals together to be more valueable for development than playtime, school, and storytime. So now I am convinced this is a good thing to start in our home town. Not only will this encourage families to eat together, but it will give me and several others from our church a chance to meet others in the community and invite them to get involved in our church.

I am so excited to start a new project! If anyone has any great recipes that can be frozen I would love to try them.

Learning to Let Go

Today Jacksen went on a field trip to the Air and Space Museum, without me! I'm sure many would be surprised to know that I am a control freak when it comes to my kids. Besides the week they spent in daycare they have always been with me. Of course they will spend a weekend now and again with Grandparents and going to school, but besides that they are pretty much with us 24/7. I knew this would happen sooner or later and it has finally come. Jacksen had a school trip and Jennah has afternoon pre-k. Normally I would just take her out of school, but she had a double ear infection and bad allergies and missed two days of school last week. So she really didn't need to miss. We have great friends here that I am sure would keep Jennah and take her to school, but I just don't like to ask anyone unless they are family. Jonathan stayed at his Mom's house because we have a car in the shop and we live an hour from his work. Usually Jonathan can kinda talk me through this type of thing, but he wasn't here. I was up tossing and turning all night. I know it probably sounds silly to most. It really is hard on me. I just always think of what could happen to him if I'm not there. Jacksen really didn't care if I went of not. I am so embarrassed, but I teared up when leaving his classroom. I called my Mom for support and she wasn't very sympathetic. She just said this was just the beginning. I guess I just need to learn to let go. On his way out this morning I said Jacksen stay with the group and don't talk to anyone you don't know. He said, "I know mom!" I'm sure he will be fine.
In other news its huntin' season, and Jacksen is ready. He found all his camo and his gun (not real). He goes out in our backyard almost everyday and climbs the tree and practices.

Milestone?

Not exactly a milestone, but Joel has just discovered the trash. He is so funny! Needless to say he doesn't know exactly what is or isn't trash. We tell him to throw things away and he runs to the trash chunks it in, and then claps and does a little stomp dance. Just while I have been sitting here posting this he has already thrown a deck of cards and a flashlight away. This is such a fun stage. Well kinda!

Sweet Jacksen

Last night the kids were coloring and drawing at the table like they usually do right before bedtime. They do this about every night so it wasn't any big deal, but when we went to bed last night we found these notes on our pillows. He is so sweet! Our little Jacksen is getting so big. It is the little things like this that make parenting so precious to me. I love being a mom!