Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween. Our kids had lots of fun this year, as they got to dress up twice, first to attend the fall festival at their school and then again on Saturday night to go trick or treating. Pictured below we have Colin as Snake Eyes, Cody as Storm Shadow, Cathy as a pirate and Kendall as a pumpkin :)

Motherhood

Is the most complicated, challenging, rewarding thing in life. As you will so often hear "Kids don't come with instruction manuals", though wouldn't it be great if they did. But maybe that is one of those rewarding things about children. It is a learning process for the child but for you as the parent as well. All four of my children are so different, they all have commonalities, but have very distinct personalities, and what works as discipline or guidance for one does not work for another.

I was talking to my sister this past weekend and told her the scariest feeling I had while being pregnant with Kendall was "Oh my gosh, I am about to add another person to the list, another person that will need me, that I will need to make time for" "How will I find that balance, to have time for all of them as well as myself".

I am asked this question alot. "How do you do it?" "How do you work, and have four kids, and manage a home?" So many people see my life as a challenge, and at many times;) it is. But my life is also a privaledge. I have been truly blessed with what these days is considred a large family, and as a big family we all have to chip in and do our parts, even if it is something as simple as taking the laundry out of the dryer. I guess what I am trying to say is my whole family contributes to what others may see as my success.

So to my husband, and my children I just want to say thank you. I am thankful for each of you everday!!

Costume Crazies

So Halloween is right around the corner and thus I have been shopping for the kids costumes. When we first began Colin wanted to be Snake Eyes (from G.I. Joe), Cody was going to be Batman (which we already have a really cool Batman costume so it would save me $$), Cathy said "whatever, as long as it's cool", and Kendall was going to be a bumblebee (another hand me down costume ;)

So off to Party City I go, plan in mind knowing what I need to get. However let me say the options for Cathy are getting smaller and smaller, literally!! I mean some of those costumes look, well not appropriate for an eleven year old child. So I end up getting Cat a funky ladybug costume (it was really cute and age appropriate, not babyish and not "to old") I got Colin Snake Eyes, and I left feeling pretty good. Side note: the sword I got Colin was not "Snake Eye's" sword, but was a really cool ninja sword, they did not have the specific sword that "went" with the costume.

I pick up the kids thinking Halloween is complete. NOPE, no such luck. No longer did Cody want to be Batman, now that he saw Colin's Snake Eyes costume, he wanted to be Storm Shadow (his arch enemy) so they could fight each other. Cathy's ladybug wings were ripped in the package and Colin was not happy that I got the "wrong sword".

So Saturday after soccer Cathy, Cody, Kendall and I head back to Party city to exchange Cathy's and buy Cody's costume. Cathy ends up choosing a different costume, now she is going to be Robin (Batman's sidekick) which I was totally okay with until we got it home she tried it on and it was skin tight and came up to her butt.

Once again today I go back to the store to trade Cathy's costume, this time I got her a pirate that she had also liked when we were there over the weekend. Here is hoping it fits!! Costume shopping is so much easier when they are Kendall's age :)

Double Trouble

No, I am not pregnant again! But my little sister is, and I am so excited. I am going to be an Aunt again, to not one but two little munchkins. It is crazy how much love I already feel for them and they are not even here yet. Please keep her and her babies in your prayers, that they all have a safe happy & HEALTHY pregnancy :)

Homecoming

A post or so ago, I promised some new pictures of the boys, so here they are. We took the kids to their school's homecoming game a couple of weeks ago. They all had a lot of fun, complete with purple mohawks! Even Kendall got in the spirit with her purple and gold. Check them out below.

Cooling Down

Is Autumn here? It sure feels like it, the past several days have been just beautiful here. Now while we do not experience the beautiful foliage changes here as those pictured above, the weather makes up for it with highs in the low to mid 70's and lows in the 50's. Will we be lucky enough for this weather to continue? It was not a week ago that it was still in the 90's. We definitely went from winter straight into summer this year, no real springtime weather to enjoy. I hope we do not skip fall and go straight to winter. I love this time of year, it so nice to be outside.

Days Go By...

Another month has past. I cannot believe we are fast approaching the end of the year. Below are a couple of pictures I thought I would share from this past week. It is homecoming at the kids school this week, and thus they have had different activities this week for the kids to show their school spirit. Pictured below is Cat on "tacky day", I wish I could have taken a full body picture, because believe me she was tacky from head to toe :)




Below is a picture of Kendall and I that my sister took last week. I just love it so I thought I would share. I mean look at those cheeks, they are so pinchable.

And here is a picture of Michael and Cat from last week. She went on an overnight filed trip with her school, and on the second night there, the parents were invited up for dinner. We really enjoyed it. The kids served the parents (that was a nice change).

Sorry there are none of the boys. I will make sure to get updated pictures of them to share on the next post. Hope everyone has a great weekend.