Christmas in October

My friend Michelle has the sweetest in-laws. I have actually adopted them as family myself. Last March Hunter and I set out on a week long journey with Michelle and Toby to Ohio to stay with her in-laws and they took us in like we have always belonged. That is when I discovered how much fun scrapbooking is and now I'm addicted to it.

Marsha (who is Michelle's sister-in-law) had her own scrapbook store in Ohio. She is a professional scrapbooker and a wonderful mom to six children, you should see some of her work it is amazing. Well, they came down to Georgia tonight for a weekend visit and Michelle called me to come over to her house. When I got there Marsha had brought Michelle and I some scrapbook supplies and just loaded us up. I feel like it was Christmas in October. I am so grateful that Marsha is so kind and knew exactly what this beginner needed. I wished that they lived closer so that she could teach me how to be a pro like her. Thank you Marsha for being so kind, and must I mention bringing tears to my eyes. I am so thankful for all that you have done for me and truly appreciate everything! I really enjoyed seeing you and Sam and of course your mom and dad.

Rest in peace Fi-Fi

Hunter's poor little Fi-Fi went home to be with Jesus today. She died earlier today and Brittaney and I were wondering how we were going to break to news to Hunter. So I told him that Fi-Fi was very sick. That did not work because he just continued to ask questions about what was wrong with her. I decided the best thing to do was to tell him the truth. I broke it to him gently and just told him that Fi-Fi died and she was going to live with Jesus. He asked me if I was going to bury her and I told him that I was going to let her swim down the toilet. He replies in his sweet voice "No Mommy there are alligators in the toilet" and I said well were do you want me to bury her and he told me as he was playing this out with his hands...You go outside, dig up some dirt, and lay her in the ground. I did just that...well almost. I took her outside and poured her out in the woods. I am a horrible mother, but it was dark and I could not have a proper burial in the dark. Rest assured that Brittaney has already informed me that I am so mean. So may Fi-Fi rest in peace.

Thank God for Fall

Hunter had his thank God for Fall party this morning and his class performed a few songs for the parents and grandparents. After having breakfast with the other Mommy's I went back to the school to help decorate the gym for the party. All of the parents gathered in the gym anxiously awaiting our little ones to come and perform for us. At 10:30 they walked through the door so excited and waving to their mom and dad's. Hunter just casually waves at me and then stands in the circle patiently waiting to perform. After singing two songs he could not wait any longer so he runs over to me and gives me this great big hug and says "I love you Mommy" and runs back to the circle. I wanted to cry. So with tears in my eyes I just continued taking pictures and smiling at my baby. He continued to look at me to make sure that I was looking at him the entire time and at one point he even gave me a thumbs up during a song. He is so sweet and I am so proud of all of his class because they did a really good job!

Pumpking carving

Fall is one of my favorite season's and with Fall comes pumpkin carving. I remember as a child every year my Grandfather would see to it that we went to the state farmer's market in search of the biggest pumpkin around. My Mom was telling me that one year our pumpkin was so big that it took two men to load our pumpkin into the car. Unfortunately for my kids, that adventure did not rub off on me, however, we do buy a pumpkin and carve it.
Last year my Mom was here to help in the pumpkin carving adventure and she started the biggest pumpkin war. This year she was a little late, but that did not stop Brian. He shoved a fist full of pumpkin goo in Brittaney's face and the war began. I really need to let loose because all I was worried about was the mess that they were making and then I realized "One day I will wish they were here to make a mess", so I let them have at it. Hunter even had to get in on the fun this year, and he was so excited that he had goo on his face.
Brian broke out the drill as he and Stephen were trying to determine which face they were going to carve while I was ever so diligently working on Hunter's
pumpkin. I have to say we did a really good job, I was so proud of Brian's creativity with the help of his Daddy. Brittaney washed the seeds and prepared them for roasting, our little treat, we had a really good time.

Attitudes of Gratitude

Thanks to the Inspired Room for these 20 attitudes of gratitude. She is using them around her house for the holiday's, but maybe we should use some of them in our everyday life.

20 Little Attitudes of Gratitude

1. Mind your manners. Say please, thank you and excuse me.
2. Smile when you see your family. Turn your frown upside down.
3. Pick up after yourself.
4. Notice when others do kind things for you, show gratitude by action or words. 5. Say I love you before going to bed.
6. Give hugs daily.
7. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on what you are happy about today.
8. Create gratitude journals to keep track of daily blessings.
9. Show thankfulness for even the little things others do for you.
10.Leave love notes in unexpected places like lunch boxes and under pillows.
11. Encourage someone with a compliment.
12.Verbalize what you are grateful for when you feel like complaining about life.
13.Keep a basket of small slips of paper on the table. Write notes of thankfulness during the week and read them to each other during a family meal.
14. Remember to thank God for blessings each day.
15. Surprise your family (or friends) with little gifts or treats to show you thought of them.
16. No grumbling about minor annoyances around the house.
17. Do special things to cherish time with your family. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
18. Reflect on happy memories regularly. Make inspiration boards of special times.
19. Help someone out without them having to ask you. Watch for someone in need.
20. When you are doing household chores, be grateful you have a home to clean.

Roller Skating fun

On Saturday we went to a roller skating birthday party and Hunter had so much fun. He had never put on skates of any kind before so we knew that we were in for a treat. Luckily, he had his sissy there (who skates like a pro) to help him glide around the rink. I really think that he could have skated better in the toddler skates, but they were to small for his feet. So we laced up the regular skates and sent him to the floor with Brittaney.

He started out at the little kid's rink holding Brittaney's hand, but before long he wanted to be out there with the big kids. Everyone who know's Hunter knows that he is a dare devil and is not afraid of anything...not even his brother's explorer. So when he wanted to venture out without holding sissy's hand, we were not surprised. He did pretty good trying to keep himself up, but gravity would just pull him down. We had so much fun watching him as he would focus so hard, get excited that he was standing alone, and fall as soon as he tried to look up to see if we were watching. Needless to say he has several bruises on his hiney and his legs, but he never gave up!

The....FISH!!!

Today Michelle and I got together to make some Christmas presents that we have been wanting to make for some time now. I made some snacks for us to eat and Hunter and Toby had lunch together at their table. As we were getting preparations under way Michelle was feeding Tate and she looked to the living room and saw Toby standing on my couch. She tells Toby no and that he needs to get down. Not thinking anything (because I could not see in the living room) I continued getting out the supplies that we needed. Michelle yells and says "TOBY" and she could not get the word out fast enough...."FISH". Yes you guessed it; my two betta fish which sit on our bar that Toby was so intrigued with went into the floor. Toby is two and he does not have fish at his house therefore he was just curious and wanted to investigate these guys a little closer. I just don't think that he wanted them as close as he got them. The water soaks him down the front of his clothes, soaks my couch, my floor and wall is wet, and poor Fred and Fi-Fi are flopping like "a fish out of water". Can you imagine this? So Michelle ever so kindly puts Tate down then runs over to Toby while I run to rescue the fish. Hunter says "Oh no my poor babies" because they are his fish. While Michelle is getting me some water to put the fish back into I am on the floor trying to gently pick these fish up. I am laughing now as I'm writing this. It was chaotic for a moment, but being the calm and collective mothers that we are...we handled it with a breeze.
Michelle kept apologizing to me. I was worried about Toby because the poor little guy did not mean to do this and he was soaken wet. Toby and I went into Hunter's room to get some dry clothes on while Michelle scoops Tate back up and starts feeding him again like he never missed a beat. I got some cleaner so that I could clean my couch and floor. I gave the fish some time so that the shock could wear off and then I cleaned out their tank and put them on the counter where little hands could not get to them again. I honestly thought that my house was baby proof and there was not anything that Toby could hurt...except the fish. I know now that I just need to put them a little higher when Toby comes over. Poor Fred, Fi-Fi and Toby what an experience for all three of them.
So Michelle and I feel that we are even because Hunter Pee'd on her shower curtain a few weeks ago. My computer crashed and I needed to use Michelle's computer for a moment so Hunter and I quickly ran to Michelle's. As soon as we got there Hunter had to go pee pee. He is a big boy so he went by himself. Well, he forgot to wash his hands so He and I headed back to the bathroom. I discovered that he pee'd all over the toilet (because he is a boy) and all over her shower curtain. I felt terrible! She was preparing for company to come in and now here is one more thing that she has to clean. So, like Michelle was with the fish incident... I was very apologetic. Of course Michelle being as sweet as she is tells me " Oh Heather don't worry about it".
We love our neighbors so much and are very fortunate that we have them. Every day is a learning experience and when you have children they always teach you something new. Our fish are still alive, Toby is still our best friend, and now we have a memory to look back on and laugh at. What a fish story. Thanks Toby we love you little guy!