Hello from New York...

Well, I have no pictures for you. Bryant has our camera with him on the other side of the world. But, hopefully that means that in a couple of weeks, we'll have some pretty cool pictures to post!

So, for now here are some highlights of what we've been up to while daddy is gone:

• We headed to New York while Bryant's away, and we are planning to stay until after Thanksgiving.
• The kids have really enjoyed going on four wheeler rides with Grandma and feeding the cows their dinner.
• We've pressed some apple cider and made yummy donuts too.
• The kids have had a fun sleep over at their Nana and Papa's, which gave me a night off (I can't remember the last time that's happened).
• And today we're cleaning house and canning apple juice.

Enjoy your week, we are!

Fall Fun!

The Fall always brings lots of opportunities for memories!

Like leaves...

And pumpkin pickin'...

And carving...

And trick or treating!

Road Trip...

Last Friday, we got a call that we've been waiting for... my father was going to be having heart surgery on the following Tuesday. So, we packed up and headed out Saturday afternoon for home, New York. One thing about this trip that was so fun, was to see all the beautiful colors of fall as we were driving through the mountains in Maryland and West Virginia. This is quite a different sight then the road trip across the Midwest.

Dad's surgery went great, and he is recovering very quickly. With all the tubes out of his chest he is able to sit up comfortably and hasn't had a need for his pain medicine. It is truly a miraculous work of God! We are so thankful that we were able to be there for him and my mom, when they needed all of their children the most. I am so thankful to have such a close family, regardless of the miles that separate us.

On our trip back to Virginia yesterday, I had a first. I got my first deer! A 6 point buck! And, I wasn't sitting in a tree stand using a shot gun. But, rather in my minivan! On I-79 just south of Pittsburgh, as the kids say "Mommy, you killed Bambi.". Trust me, I would have rather not of.... but a deer in the median of an interstate is destined to be hit by someone, it just happened to be me. Luckily, very little damage to my van, just a dent on the underside of my front bumper... and one husband who didn't get that nap he was hoping for. Hopefully, there'll be less excitement when I head back that way next week!

To vaccinate or not...

Everyone is so hyped up about whether to vaccinate their children for H1N1 or not. All doctors and health care professionals say "YES!". So, why are we still doubting? I trust the doctors that say to do it, after all they had to get the same shot too. I am no medical professional by far! My medical knowledge spans about as much as I can find on webM.D. or Wikipedia, so who am I to answer the never ending question. Instead I listened to the doctors who say it is safe and got both of my kids vaccinated today. And since I'm not willing to give my kids something that I'm not willing to take... I got it too. And ya know what, in four weeks they're going back for it again!

Prayer...

Hello friends! Today I ask you to pray for my father, Art. Later this week, he is traveling to Pittsburgh for some tests and a heart catheterization. In August he was told that he needed to have a valve replacement and since then there has been a lot of waiting and tests in preparation for surgery. This weeks tests are the final hurdle before the surgery. We should all know a scheduled surgery date by the end of this week. Please pray for safety, calmness and comfort of knowing that our Lord is in control.

It's Been a Long Time...

It has been about 8 years since we have had to do State Vehicle Safety inspections. I've always been in favor of them, I even did a speech in college as to why Kansas needed to have them. But, this morning as we began our process of inspections so that we could register our vehicles here in Virginia... we felt the cost $$$ of them. I am not going to run numbers here or anything, but wowzers!! So today, one vehicle got inspected, one vehicle failed inspection, and one vehicle is currently in the process of getting four new tires. The other vehicle shudders in the driveway at the thought of going to the inspection station. I told ol' Bessy that she'll be good... we'll see.

Flu Shots, Bats, and Pumpkins...

Every time we call the Flu Shot Hotline we seem to have just missed the shots! They only get a limited supply and it seems to be gone quick. So this morning we were up bright and early so that we could await our turn in line at 8:30. And what a line it was! Nathan was rather excited when it was our turn because he was eligible for the flu mist, which meant no shot... woo hoo! Seriously, he asked the lady for "the medicine that goes up the nose"... and was tickled pink when she told him that he could have it!

Since we had to wait for our shots/ mist... Nathan was a little late for preschool this morning. Which meant that when he got home mommy got to help him do his craft.... a bat. All month they are learning about different animals that hibernate or migrate, and today was bat day.

While Nathan was at preschool, Gracie and I headed to MOPS. Today we made a pumpkin craft. I was so afraid of messing up the pumpkin, so I kept it simple. Plus, we like to decorate for the season not just Halloween... so this'll do the trick!