And if I put my head down on the table and you be quiet long enough, I could take a nap.

Even though I haven't blogged for a week, you really haven't missed anything very drastic happening from this side of town.

Except for the fact that I almost had a major break down when I thought we were out of sour cream tonight. Sour cream is one of the main staples I have with every meal (well almost). So -when I finished making nachos for supper, I was pretty frightened that we had run out. But rest assured we were o.k. with the sour cream supply.

Not sure if I picked up a flu bug or what....but I've been feeling just a little stomach flu for the last couple of days. (Maybe it's all the sour cream??) Isabella has a touch of this stomach bug too in case you're wanting to insert a pregnancy joke here. I had a migraine this morning to top off the stomach ache so I was back in bed with full sympathy from Donovan. How sweet of him to let me go back to bed at 6:30. Two hours later and one Imitrex and I was back in business. That is until I tried to eat some cereal. Well - sick again. So I took a break from eating for a little while.

Urghhhhhh! And I love eating!!

In other news we carved pumpkins tonight. A few of our children will put their hands into the pumpkin to actually clean it out. Here was one of the brave ones, Isabella.

Jack has my acute sense of smell...and kept saying, "ohhhh, that smells like poop." I was gagging slightly myself.

Donovan was excited to incorporate power tools into the carving process.


Here I am trying to think past the smell.

If you click on the picture, you can see Jack has the gagging look on his face as well.








The best part of this process was watching their excitement. Listening to their anticipation after school...."Can we carve our pumpkins yet??" This is one cool thing as your kids get older, they remember from last year & how much fun it was.

My pumpkin with her pumpkin.

Another pumpkin with his baby pumpkin.

And my pretty little baby pumpkin with her baby pumpkin.

Quote of the day:

From Jack last night....

"If I put my ear down to the table, I can hear the ocean."

barn party

Grandma Gingerich with Jack, William, and Suzanna on the hay ride.

This past Friday, our church had a fall party in my brother & sister -in-law's barn. It was complete with a hay ride, bobbing for apples, fall desserts, & hot mulled cider! Just a perfect day to celebrate fall.

Suzanna LOVES kitty's. She loves to follow them around and saing her own version of "kitty". It almost makes me want to get her one of her own.....but not quite. This kitty was very gentle and patient for a little one year old following her around pulling her tail. Uncle Jon tells me that this mama cat is about ready to have kittens.


On the hay ride. Karis and Suzy are cousins and 2 weeks apart.

Isabella on the upper level of the barn. This is what I hear her daddy used to do....swing from the rafters. She had great fun & luckily didn't break any bones.

lovin' fall

Last night Donovan raked a pile of leaves for the kids to jump in.....Everyone loved it with the exception of Suzy when she had to lay in them....not liking the leaves.....

Unless she can throw them.....

She also likes to hold them or eat them.

Jack O' lantern. The others pitures didn't turn out so well because of the darkness. I love this fall weather....Don't you??

Take a deep breath......

O.k. well this morning is not going as planned really. I'm having to take deep breaths and count to 10 every 10 minutes. You see son #1 is having issues with tying his shoes. This needs to be done to go to school. This needs to be done before the bus comes in 45 minutes. While I love Jack dearly, this boy wears on my nerves. We have been working on this skill for over 2 months and he can do it, but needs LOTS of cheer leading and lots of confetti. Sometimes the other kids who also call me mama need things too. SO this leaves me pulled in a few directions. Currently Jack is in his bed trying to collect self control and the others playing happily in their rooms. PRAY FOR ME.

Please can we move onto happier memories? Like Saturday for instance. We went to an open house for my aunt and uncle who celebrated their 60th Anniversary, & had a very nice time. ON the way home we stopped at a Pumpkin/Mum Farm. WOW!! Do I love fall. All the colors on the trees right now, and mix it in with the kids getting to pick out their own pumpkin and you got me. Happy. AS. PIE. Pumpkin pie that is. And hmmmm I wonder where Jack gets his obsession with food. Oh dear, time got away from me. Need to run and get Jack's shoes on. Urgh!!!