Gingerbread morning

Today I went to school to meet Tanner for the annual 1st grade Gingerbread House decorating.  This is the 5th year I've done this and have one left.  I'm gonna miss it.....it's a lot of fun when it's just one on one like that.  It's the sort of thing when you're at home with 6 kids sounds awfully messy and chaotic, but when you can sit at the table with the house already constructed on the milk carton and a plate full of decorating options, it's great.  I especially enjoyed spending some time with my favorite, toothless, 6 year old.

Happy Halloween

This was Livi's first ever Halloween and we were so excited to see how she would react.  It's been fun to see her go through all these things for the first time.  She just goes with the flow and I often wonder what goes through her head when she watches us do things like carve pumpkins and go trick or treating. I suppose she's like every other kid who, if it's seems like something fun, she's all over it. 
I kept trying to figure out what to dress her as.  I didn't want to do a princess or something like that because every little girl that comes to the door is a princess and I wanted to be a little more creative than that.  I'm sure by next year when she understands that she can pick out her costume, that's exactly what she'll choose....so for this year, I went with a cowgirl.  I called it her "Eastern girl goes Western" costume.  It was super cute.  I had the stuff from when I made cowboy costumes for Tyler, Timmy, and Trae years ago.  She loved it and she loved that she could wear the cowboy boots that she's been parading around the house for 2 weeks.   Tony and Tanner wanted to be pirates....another one we've done before....and Trae wanted to be Madea.  You have to know the Tyler Perry movies to even know who that is.  I'm sure for most of the people he saw that night, he was just a 10 yr. old boy in a moo moo with curled, grey hair......but to those familiar with the character he was dressed as, they may have recognized him when he would loudly say "Thank Yer" after getting his candy.   That kid is a character!!  He cracks me up daily. 
Tim was a zombie and Tyler was a teenager with a white painted face and black sprayed hair.....whatever that is. 
                                

The 3 oldest boys went over to friends and went trick or treating with them so Jay took out the youngest 3. We ended up with quite the haul of candy this year. Good Lord, just what we need.

Apple Orchard

This fall we went the Cindy and Erin to the apple orchard.  We do this every year, but this was the first time we went to this particular one.  It was okay.  I liked the hay ride better and they had another little train ride that the kids liked, but the orchard itself left something to be desired.  That didn't stop us from picking apples though.  All in all it was a good family day.

Seeing Livi's face

On Sept. 19th, 2010 we got the email that had Olivia's file in it.  Pictures of her, medical records, her story, her likes & dislikes, her diet, personality....everything they knew about her, we got to read.  It was the part that said she was "Outgoing, extroverted, active.....likes noisy and busy places......and likes to imitate and show off..."  that got our attention and helped us KNOW this was a child who would fit right in with our noisy and busy family. 
I can't believe it's been a year already.  Here we are all this time later.....know knowing her firsthand, not just by what we read about her......and realizing that the person that wrote that report.....knew what she was talking about. 

Our new addition

Not me, of course.  hehe...
But we did have a new little nephew and Godson come into the family 2 weeks ago. 
Baby Joey was born on Sept. 23rd in the A.M.  weighing......I can't remember....and a certain number of inches long.....gotta think about that one too.....Hmm...not a very good Auntie. 
Hey, don't feel bad Amy if you're reading this.  I can't even keep my own kids' weights and lengths straight.
Anyway, all that matters is that he's here and he's just precious.

Welcome to the world little Joey!

Waking back up....

Holy cow.  Now, this is just crazy.  I have been so good for over 2 years on keeping up with this blog and now, for the past few months, I've hardly said a thing.  I know what started it.  It was when Jay got sent to second shift at the end of July and stayed there through September.  The boys were still off of school and Jay was gone from about 1:30 - 11:30pm Mon.-Fri.   It was terrible.  Especially because at the same time, 3 of the boys were starting football.  Something that was in the evenings when he was at work and so was I a couple nights.  Long story short....our parents were so helpful and we got through it, but not before I seriously thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.  Not a good place to be.  The house got neglected.....the marriage got neglected......this blog got neglected.  Everything revolved around our crazy schedule and passing eachother in the foyer as one got home and another one left.  But for now...Jay's back on his regular schedule, football is over, we're in a routine that is easier now. 
I really need to get back into a habit of posting. 
I wonder what I can do to get into a habit of excersizing.....
Hmmm.....

Children's Museum

Okay, so here we are again......always on the lookout for cheap and free things for our huge family to do.  Not an easy task sometimes, let me tell ya....

But this one is a good one.  Every third Sunday of the month the Children's Museum is free.  YAY. 

We take advantage of it at least once a year and this was our month this year.

I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.  We had a great time!