A Walk

... in the rain.

After dinner, we usually take Jakers for a walk.

Last night we still went, despite the rain. Jake loved it. And the girls, I think they loved it more.

Water plus my girls always equals drenched. If the rain and splashes through the gutters didn't get them that way, lying down in the huge puddle sure did.

Oh how they make me smile and the cup of hot cocoa and whip cream, when we got back home, made them.

Pumpkins

Pumpkin Patch - check

We've made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch last week. The girls were so, so excited to go. It took some convincing to get out the door but I knew once we got there, they'd have fun. And, this mom was right, the girls loved it.

We feed the animals.
Took a hayride.
Picked pumpkins.
Bought mini doughnuts.
And, enjoyed our afternoon hanging out together.

Now our pumpkin family is sitting at the front door, greeting all those who stop by. I found these cute stencils and think it's the perfect theme for our pumpkins this year. Can't wait to get them carved.

Happy Harvesting!

Mental Pictures

Did you watch the big wedding on the office? Wasn't it funny! Anyways, Pam told Jim that they should take mental pictures of the high points since everything about weddings goes by so fast. It was hilarious to see them, throughout the chaos, taking mental pictures of each other.

With Jason home last week, I knew it'd fly by, but I made sure to take mental pictures of our time together.

Here they are...

• Making pumpkin cookies with the girls on rainy Tuesday afternoon. The girls sat on their bar stool asking if it was their turn to add the ingredient. Jason was at the kitchen table hanging out with us, his girls. Jake snuggled up on his blanket right there too.
• Abigail learning to ride the motorcycle ... she's shifting gears, turning around, and going up and down the curb.
• Jason dancing with the girls to the music at the end of a movie. My band teacher use to say, the best part of a movie is the end when all the music plays during the credits. I think he's right.
• Seeing how excited Jake got when Jason called him into the garage and told him they were going hunting. Seriously, Jake didn't even come to me to be loved on, he ran right over to Jason to get in the truck.
• Finding Abigail in a sea of 1st graders, seeing her jump out of line, waving at me and calling me over. I felt so loved in that moment.
• Jason playing BrainSurge with the girls, the winner gets mom to put them to bed.
• Cuddling with my girls on the couch, early in the morning.
• Abigail talking to Pastor Cook about getting baptized.
• Walking Abigail into her new decorated room.
• I want to remember the many time I thought, throughout the week, I have the best husband in the world.

Ducky Weekend

With October 10th being opening day of Duck season, our weekend became very ducky.

My dad, Clay, Jason and Jake came home Saturday with 14 ducks. Jason said it was a great day and that he was so proud of Jake. We originally weren't going to have Jake go, he's still so young, isn't marking nor use to retrieving ducks but Jason was glad he took him. Like my dad said, "what better way to get him trained then to take him out to do the real thing." When it was time to retrieve the ducks Jake did a great job "hunting em up". He found many that Jason walked past and couldn't see in all the brush, but Jake sniffed them out and would get all excited when he found one. Jason said Jake was one happy dog and loved being out there. He got right out there and started to work. I was so excited to hear it went well. I was an anxious momma sitting at home waiting for the phone call to hear about his first hunting trip. To think, he got it, he knew what he was looking for ... ducks. He still has a lot of training to go, but man oh man, we're proud of him.

Sunday, Jason went again but left Jake at home (since two other dogs were going to be there). Jason called again that afternoon and said it was another great day of hunting. He got 2 more ducks and was excited to bring them home to use for training Jake. When Jason got home Jake was so excited, he liked the birds but was still wasn't picking them up.

No worries, today he did it! He's retrieving them.

what I should be doing ...

Umm, maybe getting this "daddy's princess" ready for the day. Not to mention her mother.

It's 11 already, almost time for lunch.

Fold and put away all the laundry I have in the living room.

Take the summer bins (I have another one in my room) out to the garage to go back up in the attic.

Make my bed. Ashlynn's bed. Abigail's bed.

Clean the jump marks off the sliding glass door.

Walk the dog or at least play a little fetch with him.

Clean up Ash's tea party/cooking session, where she dirtied 7 glasses, multiple bowls and several utensils ... all in the name of fun.

Work on my recipes. I'm sick of all the little scrap pieces of paper I have in my box.

But, instead of getting right to all that,

I've taken a little break to eat some m&m's, read emails, look through some blogs, watch a show with Ash and just think about all I should be doing.

Happy Thursday!

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your cares on Him because he cares for you.

MONSTER day

I was at target a couple weeks ago and saw the cutest little plush monsters in their dollar bins. I bought them knowing they'd be perfect to give to the girls sometime during October. Then yesterday, I was back at Target and saw fun little monster decorating kits. I grabbed those and thought it'd be great to do a themed day (like a creative friend of mine always does) and declare today, October 1st, ... MONSTER day.

The girls woke up to their cute little plush monster friends.

They each made 4 monsters, well Abigail let me do one.

We made these monster cookies for the first time, they were super easy and yummy.

Watched Monsters vs Aliens.

Wrote stories about our monsters.

It was a fun day and now I think the girls will be expecting more theme days.