Small Triumps

This has been a few days of small triumphs....

Amelia scored her first ever goal in a soccer game ... who cares if it was on the wrong goal???

I am no longer on crutches... who cares if am walking like Frankenstein???

Everett didn't immediately stop trick or treating when he saw a scary kid... who cares if there were 3 houses he refused to go to???

Carved Up

The kids were really excited about carving pumpkins tonight.  Then, once we started, Amelia continued to draw, clean, and carve with excitement. Everett, however, dictated what he wanted his to look like and then went on to play in the back yard. 

Countdown

We got some updated pictures today. Only two more weeks until this little guy comes home...

It Adds Up Quickly

The annual Toys 'R Us catalog came today.  As is tradition, we let the kids go through and circle the things they want.  I hope Santa has been picking up side gigs throughout the year because they did not discriminate when it came to making those circles.  The final tally for the toys they circled - Amelia - $2,500, Everett $4,200. $6,700 seems like a totally reasonable amount to spend on Christmas for your kids...you know, if you have 15 kids.

Life Savers

Tonight was a rough night. Meggan had to work and I am nearly immobile due to some foot ailments.  Let's just say it isn't easy to care for the kids when you're on crutches.  You can't bring them a glass of milk. You can't carry their dinner to them.  You end up sweating profusely at the effort it takes to get up the stairs for bedtime.  That said, Amelia really came to the rescue.  She actually cooked dinner for all of us tonight (I handled most of the parts that could burn you) and helped clean up afterward.  She cared for her brother and every need he had as well.  Everett, on the other hand, mostly contributed by eating all the cookies so we wouldn't have to clean up as much.  Hey, every little bit helps.  He also dropped this on me as I was tucking him in.... "Daddy, I wish I could give you my foot so you'd feel better" ...That helped more than he could know.

Perfect Fit

I just don't have the heart to tell Sophie that this bed, like the rest of the things that have been creeping into our house, is for the puppy...

Safe

It's always good to know your home is safe from any evildoers. That said, we have our very own superhero patrolling the area and the best part is we pay him with Chick-Fil-A...

Date

Meggan and I get to go on a rare date night tonight! Okay, so it's an event on marriage at our church, but it's still a date. Besides, we'll be out past 9pm...so, that's pretty wild for us.

Trim

Just in case this picture of Ev makes you think his hair looks crazy because he's on his back....

.... I took this picture....the man looks homeless....

Hmmmm

I wonder at what point will Sophie realize we are not outfitting the house with new things in case she goes on a growth spurt, but in preparation for a new puppy....

Miss You

I don't have anything else I can say about this....

We finally got to switch from our yellow jerseys to our lucky white shirts at soccer today. It made all the difference in the world....instead of getting trounced by 15, we only hammered by 8.....woohooooo!!!

Hustled

I have been hustled by what can only be described as two tiny adults masquerading as my children. While watching them play soccer, mini-basketball, and hula hoop in the yard, I decided to step up the challenge. I offered Amelia a dollar if she could hula hoop while kicking a soccer ball between two trees. She promptly nailed it. So, I tried my luck with Everett.  I offered him a dollar if he could hit two baskets in a row. He promptly nailed his first two shots. I went back to Amelia and offered double or nothing if she could hula hoop while shooting a basket. Nailed it. With tail between my legs, I went back to Everett and offered double or nothing on whether he could make a third shot. He then knocked down 8 out of 10.

I don't know who has been working with these semi-professionals in their spare time...but, I know when it is time to walk away from a bad bet.

Waaaaahhh

What do you do when you walk into your kitchen to find both your children drinking out of sippy cups and crying like babies?  If you're me,  you just turn around, walk away, and hope you never witness that again...

Working

This little girl was working hard today trying to earn tips for her hula hooping skills. Despite her smooth moves, she was only able to muster a wave from a passerby and a lecture from her dad about asking people for money...

Questions

How do you keep a 10 year-old dog from thinking your new puppy is just a really lifelike chew toy.

How do you train a puppy to sleep in a crate when your old dog sleeps in your bed?

How do you keep your puppy from eating your old dog's food when she just free feeds all day?

How do you trick your children into cleaning up puppy poo and thinking it was their idea?

How do you keep your old dog from eating the puppy poo when you're not looking?

How do you keep your puppy from eating your old dog's poo when you're not looking?

How do you keep your puppy off your couch when your old dog snuggles your son their every day?

How do you keep your new boy puppy from humping everything in sight?

Ahhh, the next month should be a fun one of figuring out these things prior our little guy coming home.

Window Shopping

We went and spent some time with this little guy today...he made a strong push to become the next member of the family...

Upgrade

These two morning snugglers have upgraded their tv viewing spot from the couch to my bed.  They sit in there while I get ready for work and Amelia and Meggan head off to school.  Good for them....at least someone gets to relax in it in the mornings.

Good Start

When you get to spend your mornings with this guy, it's impossible to keep his positivity from rubbing off on you...

Keep Going Forward

Sometimes in life,  you go through something that wrecks your world.  In those times, the only thing you can do is appreciate that the sun came up again and go find out what the day holds for you.  I have a feeling I'm going to have several of those days in the near future.

Until Later....

I'm finally back in town after what started as a wonderful week reuniting with my college friends and ended holding my mom as she passed away in a hospital bed.  I had no idea it was coming.  I'm still in shock. It's a surreal feeling that may never leave. That said, I did have the honor of writing the speech for the funeral and the privilege of watching my beautiful wife read it.


Thank you all for coming.  I speak for my entire family when I say we are honored by your presence.  Those of you who know my mom know she'd love having her family spending this time together.

When the call went out that my mom was in the hospital, 17 people dropped everything and showed up to support her.  These people traveled from 5 states and were made up of siblings, children, grand children, great grandchildren, nephews, and their loved ones.

How does one woman command such love and admiration?  She does it by living a life of selfless, unconditional love.  She does it by courageously moving forward when cancer stole her husband at a young age and left her responsible for her 4 children.  She does it by being the first person you'd call if you needed help and the first person  who'd call you if you had bad weather coming your way.  She does it by being a loving daughter, a caring sibling, and the kind of mother who talks to all 4 of her adult children every day.

In short, she does it by being a very special woman - soft-hearted enough to bring comfort to anyone, yet fiery enough to keep life interesting.  So, while we mourn the loss of her here today, keep in mind she is celebrating a Heavenly reunion with her husband, mother, brother, and a host of loved ones.  She lived life the way she wanted and battled until the end.  In honor of her, I ask that we hug each other a little tighter,  watch that sunset a little longer, and tell people we love them as often as possible.  That's the way my mom would have done it.