More Fall Fun

On Friday, November 13, I met Shawn for lunch and we got my rings sized. From losing weight, my ring size actually dropped two and a half sizes. My rings were falling off, and I was afraid I might lose them. So, we went and got them fixed (which is not cheap, but worth it in the long run). After we dropped them off, Joshua begged to go to a 'restaurant' to eat, so we headed to the pizza shop next door where the kids & I ate pizza and Shawn had a sandwich. They had a big TV on there, so the kids were enthralled and we got to eat. It was nice to see my handsome hubby during the day... a rare treat!

On Saturday morning, I don't quite remember what we did, but I do remember that I had a hair appointment. I love my hairdresser. I was in, out and done within an hour and a half. I may have gone shopping afterward? I don't really remember... sad that time goes by so quickly and my brain can't seem to keep up! Mom & I have gone shopping a few times in the past few months, and I always enjoy the time I get to spend with her.

The next day, I went to Isabella's 2nd birthday party. Our small group friends Chris & Lisa had invited us to go, and Shawn still wasn't feeling the best, so I 'represented.' I had a nice time. That day was beautiful outside, I remember, and I went for a run that morning before going to the party. It was a gorgeous weekend. We've had many beautiful days this fall. The kids have really enjoyed playing with the leaves. In fact, that's the first thing Joshua was thankful for at his preschool Thanksgiving party (his momma was second). :) :) :) 

That week started student evaluations for me. I also got my H1N1 vaccine for free that week from MU. And the pediatrician got another round of doses in and I put on my 'momma bear' mentality and made sure my very high-risk son got his vaccine. At first the scheduling gal said she couldn't help me, but I called and left a message for the head doctor, and the head nurse called me immediately and he got in that day. I am thankful. I also praise God for keeping him healthy and safe during this time and season.I'm trying to remember what else has been going on. We had another MOPS meeting where we made little crafts, we had a MOPS playdate at my friend Margie's house which was fun. Joshua did an amazing job of playing there... he was an angel. Caleb was also very well-behaved admist the chaos; however, he likes to explore a little more, which keeps me on my toes. Daddy & I went to TGIFriday's with a gift card last Friday night while our babysitter Miranda watched the boys. Then after a cheap (but nice!) date, we went shopping at the mall and enjoyed walking around. While we were there, a very nice-looking but extremely gay man tried to pick Shawn up before realizing I was with my very handsome and neat husband. His line was "don't I know you from somewhere? Where do you work? How do you like it? And on and on... and Shawn was too nice to back away at first but he was embarrassed I could tell. Finally, I said "it's time to go." Haaa!!! This happens to Shawn way too often, and it bothers him. I think he should take it as a compliment - he's obviously hot stuff. Hee hee. The kids enjoyed their time with Miranda, who unfortunately burnt her hands taking dinner out of the oven. So, when she called to ask where we kept our band-aids, we cut our night short and headed to take her home.That weekend we hosted life group, and the session was on the unholy use of anger in dealing with our children. I got a lot out of it, and it was a good reminder to always stay calm and use action instead of words. Only one other couple brought their kids, so it was a nice small group. After our friends left, our babysitter came once again and we met some of Shawn's old high school friends at Your Place to watch the football game. They were sort of my friends in college, too, which is how Shawn & I met. It was nice to catch up with them, but I was a little bored (after all, football is definitely not my thing.) Still it was nice to be out and about. The kids didn't sleep for Miranda, so we put them to bed when we got home after I took her home. It was nice she could come. We really like her.While it's nice to go out sometimes and get out of the house, my most cherished moments are times at home with the family. I love my boys immensely, and our everyday interactions make me smile. I don't always write about them on here, but we're building memories everyday. For example, we often go for walks and notice the same things as we go. Joshua will tell me what he sees and Caleb will point and cry out if something interests him. The boys LOVE books and they both have favorites. Caleb loves "Stanley the Stinkbug" and Joshua is enjoying his Thomas books and "Cookie's Day Out" and many others. They both also are enjoying the Eight Little Monkeys. They love playing with each other and soak up the time we can spend together. I'm truly blessed. We have a wonderful family, and God has blessed us with nice fall weather. More stories to come...

Another November Birthday!

On Thursday, November 12, I headed up to Berks County to have lunch with Jane, a former co-worker from the credit union. I haven't seen her in what feels like ages, but we always have a great time catching up. I laughed the entire lunch! We dined at the Toscani Grill, where I feasted on a delicious quiche and fruit. We talked about work and family life; she's now in charge of both marketing & business development, whereas when we worked together I worked in marketing and she was in 'sales.' Nonie was nice enough to watch the boys while I was at lunch.

That day was also Jordon's birthday (pictured above). We hope it was a very special one and that you have a great year!!!

After the kid's naps that afternoon, I went to get new big boy undies for Joshua (since he doesn't wear a pull-up except to sleep) and lost Caleb. My heart sank as I looked in the bathroom...then his bedroom...then our bedroom...then Joshua's room...then the office... where was that sneaky and fast Caleb Luke? I had only been one-to-two seconds tops getting those underpants for the Bean! I looked back in the bathroom and heard a little noise... he had climbed into the bathtub (which is no small feat with how deep our tub is!!!). That silly Caleb Luke! He loves baths, but he also likes to hide. :) :) :) I grabbed the camera... oh my boys make me smile.

Caleb's Birthday & Christmas

On Sunday, November 8, we all headed to Aunt Missy's house for our first Christmas celebration of the  year. We exchanged gifts and ate pizza and enjoyed hanging out with the family. It was also Caleb's 16-month birthday.

I can't believe how 'old' Caleb seems. He's talking a lot these days. He now says 'help' and 'please' and 'brah' for brother and so many other very distinguishable words. He also loves to play the game where he mimicks sounds.He LOVED Aunt Missy's puppies. He would giggle as she would get them to sit for him. I fear one day when he's old enough to ask Daddy for a puppy we may end up with something in our house (please pray this doesn't happen!). For now, the kids enjoy the animals at other houses. The kids enjoyed their gifts and have worn their new Christmas jammies and played with their new games, etc. We enjoyed the fellowship, but it was soon time to go. And to all a good night!

Great Grandma Kennel's Birthday Bash

 

On Sunday, November 8, Shawn's Grandma Kennel turned 90 years old. Grandma & Grandpa Ginder threw her a surprise birthday party the night before and invited the entire family to Bird-in-Hand Restaurant. She didn't know they were coming up from Florida and just thought Missy was taking her out for her birthday. Her entire family, minus one great-grandchild, was there. Grandma Kennel adopted Shawn's Mom and Aunt Kathy, and every time we see her, she tells us how thankful she is for her family and how she's so glad she took in these two girls. I think it's precious. 

Here's Grandma Kennel with her two daughters, then all her grandchildren, followed by the smallest of the great-grandchildren. One of the older gals didn't get in the picture and the other one couldn't make it that night for some reason. The last picture is Grandma Kennel and her great grandsons. 

The food was good and it was nice to see everyone. I think Grandma Kennel was truly surprised. That night as I was tucking Joshua into bed, he prayed "fank you, God, for Grandma's birthday and birthday cake and the big and strong piece of cake Pa-paw had." Haaaa!!! He thanked God for Grandma Kennel's birthday for the next three nights...and her birthday cake and candles. :)

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

Once again, I'm behind on posting.  For one thing, it's harder to post with this new format, so I don't have quite the desire to fool around with it. For another, I feel extremely busy with two little ones and school. But, here goes on trying to catch up somewhat. The first weekend in November, Grandma &; Grandpa Ginder along with Aunt Erica drove up from Florida to visit.

We had a great time as usual visiting with them. They stayed at the Eden Resort near our house, which was really nice. The boys enjoyed playing with them. Joshua read them books and Caleb giggled and played. They also volunteered to watch the boys while I was at work, which was nice. They invited Caleb & me out to breakfast their last morning in town so I could see them more since I was working a lot and didn't get to see them much in between.It was a nice visit, and we always enjoy time spent with family. Here are a few pictures, with more 'memories' and celebrations to follow.And the title of this post comes from Joshua's new favorite song. He asks to listen to it over and over again and giggles. He also knows most of the words by now. Since neither Grandma can 'walk home from our house Christmas Eve' I don't think anyone has anything to worry about. :) :) :)

School DAZE

I thought these pictures were so priceless, I had to share them right away. I have so much catching up to do with the blog and we've been so busy. But, today I got Joshua's proofs back from his school pictures. Unfortunately, we waited too long to cut his hair (in fact, the following weekend he got his hair cut and it looks great!). On this particular Wednesday (11/11), Joshua woke up with severe bed-head issues. And his hair is just like his Daddy's. There's no taming it! So, I'm not sure I'll be ordering any school pictures this year. But, I did smile. My precious Bean!

Grandpa Georgia

 

Grandpa Georgia came into town on Halloween. As I mentioned before, Joshua & Shawn went to the Lancaster Airport to pick him up and Joshua enjoyed spending time with him that night. But, the Bean got sick then so we didn't see Grandpa at all on Sunday. On Monday, I took Dad to get his car (which is why he came up in the first place on such short notice). Then I went to school and Shawn came home to be with the boys. Grandpa brought treats for the kiddos for Halloween and Joshua put back on his costume to show him. 

Tuesday night Shawn stayed home with the kids, and I went with Dad to a repo auction since a house in our neighborhood was up on the auction block. REDC has auctions everywhere (including GA) so we wanted to see how it worked. We first stopped at Applebee's and grabbed some supper and then headed to the auction. We had a really fun time there, checking out what prices things went for compared to their value, etc. We didn't buy anything, but it was still fun. Wednesday we went to breakfast with Dad at his favorite greasy spoon restaurant and then we wished him a safe journey home. 

The kids really enjoyed seeing him, even though they didn't see him all that much with their sickness. Thankfully he didn't get it (even though my sister's family was also sick). Soon it was time to get ready for more visitors...

Catching Up

Where to start? I'm not even sure I remember where the beginning would be. The Tuesday before Halloween, we got a babysitter and went to the viewing of our sister-in-law Gayle's dad. It wasn't much of a 'date' but it was still nice to be together without the kiddos, and we send our deepest sympathies to her and her family. The following day I had class, and then Thursday we went to a MOPS play date at my friend Renee's house. Caleb was a crab apple (a complete understatement) and Joshua was an angel. So, I didn't get to visit all that much, but the girls in our group seem nice. Friday night was Trick-or-Treat, which I already posted about and then Saturday was the Calvary Fall Fest. That evening, my sister Becky & her husband Tim came to our house to eat their dinner since they were supposed to pick up Dad at the Lancaster Airport, but they were running late so Shawn & Joshua left to go get him. Joshua was already in his jammies at that point, but he was excited to go to the little airport and was thrilled to see Grandpa. When they got back, Joshua read them books and Caleb showed them that he knows all his body parts and animal sounds and the boys enjoyed their audience. :) Soon, it was time for bed.

That was the weekend of Halloween, as I mentioned. Joshua started getting a little runny nose and cough. On Sunday, November 1, I visited my friend Julie's church since they were meeting at Lancaster Bible College, which is right up the street (in fact, I walked home!). We were going to go as a family, but I didn't want anyone to catch Joshua's cold. I highly enjoyed the service and wished my boys could have come, too. But, I'm so glad they didn't! We also passed on going to life group that afternoon, and I was thankful that our friends offered to host when we were having company in town. By evening, Joshua couldn't breathe. Literally. I was holding him in our office chair, singing a worship song and pleading to God. to rescue him. We gave him a breathing treatment, which helped, but he slept with me that night and Daddy slept in his bed. I was really worried about his breathing and we debated on going to the emergency room, but the breathing treatments were seeming to help. And we continued to pray. A lot.First thing in the morning on Monday, I called the pediatrician. Thankfully, they got him right in. He even got to see Dr. Tifft, one of my favorites.  Now, I almost didn't call because by Monday he seemed chipper and must less lethargic. He was even giggling. But, I knew that I'd kick myself if I waited and then he had another asthma attack after their office closed. The pediatrician told me that it was good I brought him. In fact, he said his lungs sounded 'tight' and terrible. He prescribed two types of steroids (one oral that Joshua HATED and made him miserable and angry) and another that he inhaled. He also told me to give him his rescue breathing treatments every four hours and call if he sounded worse or if his fever got worse or a new fever started. He then told me that I'm not paranoid and I need to call anytime day or night when there's a problem. That's what they are there for. It made me feel better. And I know that if Joshua ever sounds like that again, it's time to get to the emergency room. Thankfully, God saved us that time. That night as I was praying with Joshua (our normal bedtime prayers), I asked him what he was thankful for. Normally, he tells me the names of his favorite trains or someone special he saw that day. This time, he gasped out "life." Now, I know that answer is faaar beyond the capability of a 3-year-old boy, but it made me realize how precious his life really was and just how amazing God is for saving him once again. The medicine worked and with some breathing treatments and a week and a half off school, he seems to be doing much better.

The pediatrician also told me that they are no longer testing for the swine flu and simply assume every child who comes in with these symptoms has it. Joshua is considered extremely high risk, so the next set of H1N1 vaccines that come in, he should be receiving one (hopefully). Caleb got one while we were there. My little guy also had a runny nose and cough, but his wasn't life threatening like Joshua's. Who knows if it was really H1N1 that he had or just a cold? The thing that makes me think it was probably swine flu was how quickly his body reacted to it in bringing on his asthma. On the other hand, there were kids with colds at our playdate and it could have been just that. But... it doesn't really matter. You can get it anywhere, and what matters is that none of our kids died from it (and we're praying that they don't!). There was one child who died in the Susquehanna Valley, according to the kids, from pneumonia, but the pediatrician told us to look for a new onset of fever which would signal a secondary infection or pneumonia. We praise God for protecting our family! I never got sick at all, but Shawn got the persistent cough, fever, etc.

 Thankfully Shawn was able to stay home or come home to watch the boys while I went to school, so we kept our spreading of it to a minimum (hopefully). I also cleaned every surface in our house with bleach including door knobs, railings, kitchen pulls, appliance handles, phones, remote controls and everywhere I could think of that normally gets touched (including the lower walls by the kids). I'm hoping that our house is safe to enter once again! Please pray for our family that we don't get any more sickness this year, and thank God for His protection.

Calvary Fall Fest

 

On Saturday, October 31, we took our kiddos to Calvary Church's Fall Fest. Calvary is where Joshua goes to preschool, and we were excited for this free fall event. I borrowed an orange vest from my mom (thanks so much!) to wear over a long-sleeved black t-shirt (and I couldn't believe I fit into something of my mom's!) and I felt like I looked particularly Halloween-esque - hopefully mask not included. :)  

We arrived right at 3 pm, and I'm glad we did! We had a blast and got out of there before the rain started. The first thing we saw were the animals, including bunnies, rabbits and calves. Then Joshua did a majority of the games in the 'pumpkin patch' for little kids. He LOVED the bowling and didn't do too well at the ski ball. He jumped in a pile of balls to find the 'odd' one, and Caleb joined him. They also looked through a bunch of hay for candy. He shot hoops, road a car down a little slide, balanced on a beam, and did lots of other fun activities. Win or lose, he got a prize for his bag. Poor Caleb wasn't quite big enough yet, but I think he'll enjoy it next year! After a little while of chasing Mr. Caleb Luke around, we decided to go on the tractor ride as a family. Joshua told Trevor the Tractor that he did a very good job. I think the boys enjoyed the ride, and so did the Mama-girl! And, I think when we're happy, Daddy is happy. 

Next we went and ate the free dinner, which consisted of hot dogs, apples, chips and a drink. Not the healthiest, but it was nice that they provided food for free. :) Afterward, Shawn roasted us some marshmallows on the fire pit with Joshua. I went and got the stroller for lil' Caleb for the times where he couldn't be exploring. And Joshua continued to play at the various stations, including a bean bag toss, a place where he walked on these things (see picture for explanation) and more! There were lots of things for older kids as well, but we passed on the items that were too advanced. There was also story time, which we missed. The kids favorite part, I think, was playing at the corn table (see the pictures above). We also bumped into our friends the Garners, my sister's friends the Martin's, and Mrs. Ford, Joshua's teacher before we left. When the rain started to come down, we got our cotton candy, kettle popcorn, and bag of treats from the various stations and headed toward the car. It was a fun family time!

Artist in Motion

 

The day before Halloween, I broke out the water colors for Joshua. He LOVES to paint. I went online and found cool pictures of pumpkins to paint and printed them out.  He enjoyed it.  

Later I got out some pudding (vanilla, chocolate and butter scotch) and cut up some sponges (since my kids don't like to get their fingers messy) and let them 'paint' other pumpkins.  

Here's some artwork Joshua did in school. He learned red & yellow make orange for his pumpkin. I also liked the one on the sun, the sheep with the cotton balls and the little spider with its legs. Joshua LOVES to paint at school, and they allow him to be messy and creative. I love how much he's learning and enjoying school and craft time! Enjoy the artwork!