Happy Halloween!!

My little Piper is a cow this year.  She is just the cutest cow you have ever seen too!!  Blake and Erica took her out with some good friends of theirs, Michael and April. They have two little girls named Elea and Eva.  They were cows too.  I didn't get any photos of the other little girls but I took a ton of Piper. 

This walking like a  cow  is hard work!

  Poor Erica looks so tired!  Piper kept putting the little pumpkin in her bucket.

Piper was in the "zone" for this shot.  I guess she was thinking about all the candy she isn't going to get to eat.  Or maybe she was thinking about "eating mor chikun"!!!

Olives and Tomatoes

This is a photo of Erica at 9 weeks along.  The baby is the size of an Olive.  Erica is going to the doctor this week and they will do a sonogram and some other stuff.  I am so excited!!  I dreamed she was having triplets and my sister dreamed that she was having twins.  Wowie!!  What if we were right???  That would be 2 or 3 olives! 

Piper went in my now overgrown garden and rescued the last tomato.  She loves tomatoes so she gobbled it right down!  The look on her little face says, "Really Mimi??  You know I love tomatoes!!"

Who I Am.....

This weekend was so great.  The weather was fabulously fallish.  On Saturday night Megan, my dear friend, Kelley and I went to see Lyndsay McCall, The Afters, Sanctus Real and Casting Crowns.  A-MA-ZING!!!  It was such a worshipful time of music.  We had floor seats on the 8th row.  Score!  Truly, a tiny glimpse of heaven.  I cried a ton of tears as Jesus ministered to this heart of mine.  Sometimes, we as His children forget that we matter to God.  That he cares for us and He loves us and He desires to be with us.  There is so much junk in this world to pull us away and to distract us from what we mean to Jesus.  A new song by Jason Gray is my new fave right now.  I don't know about you, but occasionally I need to be reminded of who I am to my Lord.  I belong to Him.  I am beloved to Him.


so are you.....

Harvest Fair

Our church had their annual Harvest Fair Wednesday night.  It was so much fun!!  this is a huge community outreach that we have every year and it is one of our biggest crowds.  We advertise all over the community and we love having this for families.  I see so many of the kids that go to my school and they all have a blast.  There are hayrides, face painting, cake walks, cotton candy, hotdogs, games, photo booths and all sorts of super fun stuff.  there is the yearly chili cookoff and dessert bakeoff.  I have entered these every year and have even one each of them a time or two.  This year I was a double loser.  I didn't even place!!  All the judges said mine was really good though.  My chili was smokin' hot and I didn't even taste it because just the steam made my eyes burn.  At the end of the night it was all gone though!!  Each year this event gets bigger and the outreach is amazing.  We draw so many families into church through this event.  It is a great non-threatening way to show the love of Jesus to a family.  I love this kind of stuff.  Here are a few photos of my sweet family!

Megan and Thad eating chili.  They both really like mine!!  They are the cutest, funniest couple!

This year my dear friend Kelley's husband Billy demonstrated his pottery wheel ministry.  During his display he shows us how God, the Master Potter, can take a lump of clay and turn it into something useful and beautiful.  He shows that even when we mess up our life of clay God can transform it into something wonderful.  My son-in-law, Blake, took a turn at the wheel and did a fabulous job making a bowl.

Sweet Pipey!!

Blake and Erica goofing off!  Poor Erica was a little green.  This time around she isn't feeling so great with this little one growing inside!!

Pumpkin Patch

Erica and I took Piper to the local Pumpkin Patch this afternoon.  We had a really good time.  Piper loved it!  she went from pumpkin display to pumpkin display.  This place had several different kinds of pumpkins laid out in big squares.  Almost like a pumpkin quilt...sorta.  I took a ton of pictures, of course.  Piper pitched a little fit because we wouldn't let her ride in a little boys wagon.  But she soon got over it.  She really is the cutest thing!

Here are Piper and Erica.  I think Piper is scoping the layout of the pumpkins.

I can carry this one...Can I have it????

Hi, Mr. Scarecrow.  Do you mind if I sit with you on this hay bale for a little bit?

I need a little help carrying this pumpkin!!  Anybody????

From a sweet pea to a blueberry

I have a secret.  I am going to be a grandmother again!!!!  I knew I couldn't keep it in for another day!  I am so excited I am beside myself.  My Erica is going to have another baby.  I knew they wanted their children close in age so I wasn't super surprised.  I am just so thrilled for them.  She told me 2 Sundays ago during a church dinner.  She sat down and said,  "I want to show you something but you can't scream or yell or jump up and down."  Then she showed me a positive pregnancy test.  Well all I could do was grin like a possum and bite clean through my lip!!  How redneck are my people??  Carrying around a used pregnancy test...in church no doubt!  I raise 'em right!  The new baby is due around May 30, 2012.  Perfect timing.  Once again I am making Erica pose for me each week.  Just last week my newest baby was the size of a sweet pea.  In one week it has doubled in size and is now the size of a blueberry.  I wish I had a blueberry for Erica to hold but no such luck.  She actually told her sister, Megan first but swore her to secrecy.  When I talked with Megan later she said, "Whooee !  I am so glad she told you because I was about to bust!!"  Megan is just the best Aunt ever.  This baby will be just as loved and spoiled as little Piper.  I just can't wait to get my hands on little him or her.  I think they would love a boy but will be just as thrilled with another sweet little girl.  God knows what they need.  This Mimi thing is just the greatest joy in the world to me.  I cannot imagine life without these blessings.  All the stuff in the world doesn't hold a candle to a precious new life.  I am already in love with this baby too!!

Erica at seven weeks with her  little blueberry baby.

How We Play Outside

Piper has a ton of toys.  But, at my house this is how we play.

When my own two girls were little we played all the time with everything we could find outside.  I let them get ridiculously dirty.  I let them get drenching wet in creeks.  I let them roll all over the ground.  I let them run through the leaves, the woods, the snow, the wet grass...barefoot.  The kiddos in my family know how to play.  We still do.  Megan should have been a "Professional Player."  She is the handsdown, alltime, best player in the world.  Her children will have a fabulous time with her outside.  Piper loves to play.  She reminds me so much of Megan as a baby.  Her actions, temper and her play-as-hard-as-you-can attitude.

Seasons

I am loving this wonderful fall weather we have been having around here.  It is wonderful.  Cool nights.  Clear skies.  Turning leaves.  The smell of wood smoke in the air.  Sweaters.  Pumpkin patches.  Hot, steamy coffee.  Comfort food.  Soups, stews, chili, chicken and dumplings...  As much as I adore Summer with its carefree days and nights Fall is my favorite season.  I got married in the Fall and so did my daughter.  My niece just got married in the very first week of Fall.  I love Fall weddings.  So pretty.  This is the first year I really get to enjoy my little grand daughter outside in the leaves to play and jump around and throw back up in the air.  I think she is going to love it.  For some people this time of year is sad and lonely.  I can understand that.  Fall is the beginning of nature going to sleep, perhaps dying.  I have watched a lot of things die.  People, pets, relationships....  Some went to sleep and took a while to rouse awake.  One of those things has been myself.  I am waking up.  Coming around.  Looking up.  Getting excited about new things.  New people.  No, I do not have a boyfriend.  Not interested at this time.  My heart isn't closed to that but it is still a tiny bit wary.  I am starting to think about a future with someone to share it with but God will provide in His time.  For right now I am loving the people He has blessed me with.  My daughters, son in law, Meg's boyfriend, my parents, wonderful sisters, my little Piper.  Lots more.  This year, Fall has brought new life to my life....God is just so good.