Fall and the Leaves...

We had SO much fun jumping and playing in the leaves with Zoe and Gage. The kids and I left the actually mulching and cleaning up part to Rob, but had so much fun being his awesome helpers. It has been nice to actually enjoy some warm fall days lately. It has been a nice blessing to the depression that the time change brings. The time change is such an adjustment to me. The days become so short and it is so challenging to not allow it to mess with my thoughts and attitude about the day. The fall is such a fun beautiful time (minus the stinkin' time change of course), so we have tried to make the most of enjoying it.

Where has this month gone?

I feel like I just can't quite catch my breath. I am so tired of being so tired and busy. This month has been no exception. I find myself cringing when people ask me how I am because I know my instinct response is, "good...tired, busy" and I am SO tired of just hearing myself be tired. As a result of the pace of our lives I haven't blogged as often as I would have liked to, and so this week I will attempt to catch us up on some of the major happenings, starting with celebrating Rob's birthweek. Rob's 31st birthday was earlier this month. He was out of town on his birthday, so we celebrated a week later. Each day during the week we surprised Rob with meals out, decorations around the house (and at his office), presents, homemade (beautifully decorated) cupcakes at church, and a quiet dinner (after the kids went to bed). We threw Rob a party and had a lot of fun celebrating with dear friends. My favorite day though was when we left the kids and headed downtown to the House of B to see Rob's favorite Band in concert. It was SO much fun. We discovered an awesome new bbq place, and had such a great time. Overall it was a great week, to celebrate my great husband's life - I would be lost without him! Regretfully, the only picture I have to show from it is Zoe helping Rob blow out his candles, pictures were a last priority in the midst of all the partying.

Drum Roll Please...The Reveal of the Family Costume 2009

Halloween has been so much fun the last few years, but especially this year. Zoe and Gage are so cute trick or treating (which they have already done three different times!), and love getting all dressed up in their costumes. They have so much fun dancing around and giggling in their costumes. I have been surprised by all the opportunities we have had to celebrate Halloween this year, it actually has required several different costumes. In Michigan it was so cold and rainy that Zoe wasn't able to wear her mermaid costume but had to go with the warmer lady bug one, but was able to wear the Mermaid one to her preschool party. She adores her mermaid costume, and so when we were headed to the teen halloween party we weren't sure if she would be on board with the family costume, but she loved it, and thought it was hysterical (I really think she was just basking in all the attention), so without further adoo...Rob was the washer, I was the laundry soap, Zoe the dryer sheet, and Gage was the dirt!! And just for fun, one of my favorite costumes I have seen yet (our teens really go all out)

Californ-ya

Rob's parents came and watched the kids so that we could attend a youth conference out in Cali. We had beautiful weather, amazing classes, and even got to sight see some! Overall I wasn't a big fan of the area, but really enjoyed getting away and focusing on youth ministry, spiritual enrichment, and my husband. The courses we took, and the main sessions we heard were some of the best I have heard. It was difficult leaving a day after returning from Vermont, but after getting over the initial distraction, it was a really great trip. It was one that really challenged us and filled us up!

Vermont

Several weeks ago while getting Zoe ready for preschool, my brother called to tell me that my dad (who has been increasingly more ill) was back in the hospital (after being discharged home for less then 48 hours). I spoke with Andy at 10am and immediately started making arrangements to fly to Vermont. By 4 o'clock I was sitting in my rental car in Vermont, heading to the hospital. I was SO blessed by my sweet neighbors who works for the airlines and used some of their passes to get me on the next flight going out - there are few words to express my gratitude to them. My dear friend Susie offered to help Rob with the kids, and I was able to spend the week helping my dad transition to Hospice. It was an incredibly difficult week on so many levels, but we were able to spend so great time together as a family on Sunday when we took my dad to church and drove through the "knotch". Several other family members flew in, including his two sisters, two of my cousins, and Andy and Katie. It was a blessing for all of us to be together. Please keep my dad in your prayers as his health will continue to decline.

Daddy's...

The other weekend some of Rob's closest friends from Harding came to Chicago for a concert! It was SO fun to see the guys, and to see them all hanging out and laughing together. We stayed up entirely too late on Friday night, and enjoyed spending time together laughing, playing games, and reminiscing. Rob is blessed to have such solid Godly friends, and I love that they have remained close as the distance of time and geography pulls them in different directions. It was funny on Saturday when we had a moment of realization that these guys in so many ways are exactly the same, and yet in big ways they have all changed in incredible ways...one way, they are all Daddy's of little girls!

Lovin' to color...

Gage continues to grow and change so quickly. Zoe and Gage have started to really play together. Today they spent the morning coloring and doing stickers together. Gage has mastered holding, opening, coloring and even not eating the markers! His major form of communication (which is making me a little crazy) is crying for something, although he can say, more, milk, Bella, Uh-oh, Momma, Daddy just to name a few. He babbles a lot, and talks gibberish, although he mostly relies on me figuring out what he wants without making any attempt to try and say what he wants. It is very clear that he understands what we are asking him to do, and he can respond to commands well (when he wants to). Which is so fun, cool and sweet to see. He continues to be totally strong willed, and throws several temper tantrums a day - mostly when he doesn't get what he wants. Today for example, he opened the fridge to get his milk, we each had a clear understanding that he wanted his milk, except because it was first thing in the morning, I didn't have a milk cup for him yet. So as I went to work getting his cup ready, he proceeded to scream and wail at incredible decibels, refusing to sit down or calm down. At this point he is effectively communicating his opinion and his desire. I was doing my best to help him out, but couldn't believe the over the top display of emotion. It kills me to reinforce his temper tantrum - although in this situation it was hard not to. Disciplining him for this hasn't helped any, so we are in a process of trying to embrace his strong willed personality without it over running us. He is a lot of fun, and continues to amaze us with all the things he is learning and doing. (PS - For those of you who noticed, Yes - Zoe is wearing a bathing suit and floaties...why not?!)