The Pumpkin Patch!

This evening Brandon and I took Ethan and Annabeth to the pumpkin patch and they loved it! We didn't have time to go through the corn maze, so we're planning on going back to the farm on Sunday. We're also going to carve our pumpkins that day, so I'll definitely post some pictures of that! :)

Here is Annabeth...not too happy with Daddy!:
Walking through the pumpkin patch:

Picking up the pumpkins! Or trying at least...:

"Mommy! I'm riding!":

They each got to pick out their own pumpkin:
Hauling the pumpkins to the car:
OK, so this is absolutely hilarious! After we picked out our pumpkins, we started walking back to the car. As usual, Ethan runs ahead and Annabeth lags behind, and I'm in the middle trying to keep an eye on both of them. After a minute of watching Ethan I turn around to check on Annabeth...when I turned around, this is what I saw:

Apparently she slipped and face-planted in the mud! What was even funnier was that she didn't cry or get upset or anything...instead, she kept walking until she caught up with me, then looked up at me and very calmly and sweetly said, "Mommy? Clean me up." She was even patient while I laughed (I couldn't help myself!) and took her picture! :D

And finally, here they are with their pumpkins after we got them home...can you tell they had a good time?:

The ball is now rolling...

Isn't it beautiful?? OK, so right now it's just a hole in the ground. But in a few months, this hole in the ground will be a big, beautiful new home!! Can you see it?

Our Humble Abode

I finally figured out how to upload pictures onto Brandon's laptop! I haven't had much of a chance to take pictures lately, but I did manage to take a few shots of our bedroom/laundry room. You can't see it in the picture but the washer and dryer is directly to the left, about a foot from our air mattress. Brandon has referred to us as a "big family burrito"...I think you can see why. :)



Here are a couple of pictures and a video from Brandon and the kids' last night in our condo; they had a campout in the living room, which the kids loved! They ate take-out on the floor and slept in sleeping bags. (I didn't get to be there for the fun because I had to work.)



And, here are a few shots of the only other thing I've managed to get pics of since we've moved. Ethan and Annabeth using their new sidewalk chalk:

(Ethan's turning into quite the little artist, just like his daddy:)

Life Updates

Wow...is it really October already?! Lately time is running so fast I can't seem to keep up with it! Sorry there will be no pictures for this post; I know it's been a while since I've posted any, but we do not have our computer set up yet.

As most of you already know, Brandon and I finally sold our condo!!! We officially closed on it last week and are now settled in and living with my grandmother. It's somewhat humorous, actually, and I will definitely post pictures when I get the chance: we are all living in her laundry room! Brandon and I are sleeping on an air mattress on the floor and each of the kids has a twin bed (technically, Annabeth has half a bed. It's a trundle bed and I turned it so that half of it is under Ethan's bed. Their beds form an "L" and it gives us more room for our air mattress.) We have two dressers and a clothing rack set up in the garage as a closet. As much as we all love each other and enjoy one another's company, I have a feeling this will be a long three months! It really is working out well so far and I thank the Lord for the roof over our heads, no matter how cramped we may feel at times. And it's been really nice getting to spend some time with my brother, as he is living here too (although, thankfully not in the laundry room). He's quite helpful with the chores and he helps me entertain the kids.

As if we weren't busy enough, Brandon and I have been in and out of town the last couple of weeks. After our trip to Leavenworth, I went with a group of women from my church on my first ever silent retreat. I've been on women's retreats before, but never a silent retreat. There was no talking allowed except at meal times when we discussed a certain passage of scripture. It was wonderful! We stayed in a beautiful 7 bedroom house that overlooked the water and was surrounded by woods. An entire weekend spend in silence, prayer, and meditation with God provided some much needed spiritual refreshment. Then, the day after I returned from my retreat, Brandon left on a business trip. He went to New Jersey on Monday and worked there for a day and a half, and this evening he flew into Ohio to work there until he comes home Friday night. I talked to him tonight and he sounds tired, but he says things are going well and he feels like he's getting a lot accomplished. I really miss him!

That's about all that's new with us. We will be living with Granny for the next three months until our house is built...we are hoping to get to move in sometime around the first of the year. I'll keep you updated on that and post pictures as soon as I can. I hope all is well with everyone out there!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Yesterday Brandon and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary!

In honor of the occasion, here is a list of six things that I love about my husband:

1. His love for the Lord. He always tries to serve God first in his life.

2. His genuinely kind and compassionate heart. He never, ever turns away someone in need.

3. His integrity. He has always strived to be transparent before man and God and he lives it well.

4. His unbelievable patience and understanding with me...I seriously need it!!

5. His selflessness. Absolutely everything he does is for me and the kids. He works so hard to meet every one of our needs and he NEVER complains about it.

6. He is truly a wonderful daddy. The kids are so blessed to have him.

And the list goes on... :) I know it's cheesy, but it's absolutely true when I say that I am more in love today than I was six years ago on our wedding day!

For our anniversary, Brandon arranged babysitters for the kids and took me to our traditional getaway place...Leavenworth! We played mini golf, ate bratwurst and gelato, walked, talked, and shopped. Brandon wasn't feeling well when we first arrived, but he was soon feeling better and we had a wonderful time!

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

The last few days have been so wonderful! I've finally been able to enjoy some much needed family time and we've actually been able to relax a little bit! September is shaping up to be a very busy month for us -- besides having every weekend booked for something or other, we've now got to be out of our condo by the 15th!!! Yep, we're finally moving! We'll be living with my grandmother in Monroe for the next three months while our house is being built. Praise the Lord for that and for the many daily blessings He gives! I'm so grateful for these last few days as we prepare to head into a busy, busy fall. Here is a glimpse at the little blessings I've been given over these last couple of days:

Finally being able to spend some time with Brandon, an amazing husband and loving daddy:

A family portrait drawn by my sweet little boy (Annabeth and I have the long hair and Ethan and Daddy have the short hair):

A stack of books from Half Price Books...only $2.00 each!:

My petered out puppy (and the handsome man she's sitting with!:) :

Hot tea and dark chocolate. Mmmmm....:

Watching movies that made me laugh :D

Recieving an updated picture of our sponsor child, Lich, who lives in Vietnam, and a new letter from his mother:

And going back to the Quadrant showroom to put the finishing touches on our new house!! I changed the countertops, added a few appliances, and put french doors in the den. I'm so excited to see the finished product!

Thank you, Lord, for all of these blessings and more.

More Random Happenings

Here are some more random pictures of our daily activities. Enjoy! :)


Ethan making cookies for Grammi's birthday:

Watching movies:

Climbing trees:

Here's a question for you: Why is it that when I put clean water in this pool and put the kids in their swim clothes, they are entertained for about 20 minutes....however, if I let them play in the dirty water in their regular clothes, they're entertained for hours?!

Annabeth and her new doll, "Baby":

And here is a rare treat for you: I was finally able to catch Annabeth singing by herself today! She loves to sing with Ethan, but it's really cute when you can listen to her singing by herself...she doesn't quite have a handle on all of the words and it's pretty adorable! :)
"Itsy Bitsy Spider"


"ABC's"