Thought of the Day

Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, 'Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!'

Pumpkin Carriage

Thought we would try something different this year than the traditional jack-o-lantern. Ok, I lie, this was actually my first attempt EVER carving a pumpkin. It was fun.

A few friends came over and we tried to work some magic. Unfortunately these don't look that exciting when they're not lit up. :) To see what we were going for, go to http://www.hallmarkmagazine.com/PROJ_HowTo_FantasyPumpkin

I should have gotten the mice . . .

Elephant

One of my friends has been patiently waiting for me to finish some paintings for her home. I'm happy to say I finally finished the elephant which will go with the giraffe one that has been done for about six months. :) Last to go is a tiger painting, and I hope to have that done before Christmas. Since the colors of the elephant and giraffe are somewhat different, I hope to tie it all together with the tiger.

Thanks for your patience, Sue!

Two Months Old

Isaac's memory box from the hospital.

This is a casting made from his hand and foot. I just love it.

This was his baby blanket that he was wrapped up in when we held him.

The bag holds a lock of his hair, and the ribbon is to show the length from the top of his head to his itty bitty toes. :)

His little feet.

As any mom knows, after your baby is born you have an incredible awareness of their lifespan. When people come up and ask you how old, you can usually answer to the day . . . "oh, he'll be four months old in six days," and so on. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that even when you lose your baby you still think about those moments. That's how it was for me this weekend; I couldn't stop thinking about how he would be two months old today. I was trying to remember what he would be doing . . . probably giving us those sweet little smiles and cooing. He'd be filling out his 0-3 month clothes a little better and not swimming in them.

I really wish he was here.

Costumes

I am kind of new to this Halloween thing as we didn't celebrate when I was growing up. I think we will probably go to Trunk-or-Treat this year at our church. So what are the kids dressing as? Well, I found this for Emmie at Goodwill:

That's right; a Keebler elf costume. I don't know if she is going to go for it. She really wants to be a princess, like she wants to be everyday, but I told her she could walk around with a box of cookies and that seemed to interest her.

We found a pretty angel costume at Goodwill for Allie but it's missing either the halo or wings. I don't know what to do with that, but we'll figure something out. She'll probably be wearing eighteen layers underneath anyway . . . so who knows.

Ryan is going to be a puppy, because that's what I have for his size. He really doesn't care.

I almost forgot, when we were looking around at costumes Emmie found something she just FELL IN LOVE with -- one of those creepy masks from the "Scream" movie. This from my child who is scared of everything, even the "mean people" in Disney movies. She was saying "Oh, isn't it SO cute!" and trying to make it talk. I thought I would die laughing!

Tag, I'm It!

I've been tagged by Alisha. Here are six things about myself:

1. Whenever I'm somewhere I am supposed to wear a nametag, I just make up a name.

2. I have been to all the continental states!

3. I read entirely too much. Just ask my husband.

4. I am not too embarrassed to dance anywhere, at any time.

5. I'm kind of a "land-lubber". Being out in the middle of the ocean is not something I want!

6. I would love to visit the Holy Land someday.

Okay, I tag Bobbi, Liz, and Sue. You're IT!

Choosing a Dog

The day after we got married we bought a puppy. It wasn't the smartest move because we didn't have time to train her. But she was cute and fun anyway. Recently we have been thinking about getting another puppy since the kids have been begging for one. The three breeds we have considered are:

the boxer



the great dane
and the mastiff

We want a sweet dog who will protect the family. I would also like one I could run with in the dark so I feel safe. :) What would you choose and why?

Trouble Uploading Pics

Is anyone else having trouble uploading pictures with Blogger?

I Can't Say How Much

To the precious friends and strangers who have prayed for us. To the ones who have cut our grass, watched our kids, cooked us meals, and helped clean our home. To everyone who donated money to help cover the cost of the funeral and the medical bills . . .

THANK YOU!

We have been touched and overwhelmed by your love. We pray that God will bless you as you have blessed us during this difficult time. Our bills related to Isaac's death have been over $13,000. There's no way we could recover from that without the kindness of several people, some who have remained anonymous. The prayers and the help with everyday "life" things have helped us to heal more than we ever thought possible. We appreciate all of you so much.