Leaves are piling up

Besides the 17 bags we raked from our neighbor's yard this weekend (!!! - that's a TON of leaves!!!), our Gratitude Tree is raining leaves as much as those outdoors!

I love how our kids can't get enough of saying thanks for the things in their lives.  We have leaves that say:

That would be Sashi, of course.  She also gave a nod to our trip to the mall as well as our numerous tea parties.  And this one she did all by herself (OK, Katelyn drew the seal):

 That would be "animals."  (Just like her sister.)  Then there's this one of Kate's:

A truer statement hath never been made.  What would she do without her TV I dare ask?

;)

Hers also include such things as dolphins, Erin Bode (I'll explain more about that later this week), and her awesome friends.  We also got this one:

Tommy's are pretty straightforward, as well:

These are even better, though.  The number of exclamation marks exponentially relates to the intensity with which Tommy feels gratitude for these things (as explained by Tommy):

And Matthew:

I love that boy. 

He is also grateful for food, water, "friends, best friends, and BFFs," as well as sports and "everything."

:)

Hubs and I got in on the action, mutually appreciating each other:

It's been a really good exercise for all of us.  I even need to make more leaves!  I'm thinking I may take this idea from Young House Love and put them all together so we can review them next year to see what is the same or different. 

I am so very grateful for this crazy, wonderful life God is giving me to live every day.  It isn't a hard road and it isn't an easy one, but it's mine.  And for it, I am thankful.

on changing my world

Emily at Chatting at the Sky took 31 days in October to tell us how to change the world.  I didn't really pay attention.  It isn't like I don't adore Emily ~ if you've been around here long enough, you know I refer to her quite often and consider her an inspiration and mentor.  And she wrote a real live book, so she pretty much knows what she's talking about.  I just didn't listen.

Then some things in my life sort of started falling apart.  Maybe they are always falling apart and some days I just notice more than others.  But last weekend, I read a quote somewhere along the path to and from Nashville that said, "Change your thoughts and you will change your world."

I've spent some time considering that statement and believe it to be true.  Absolutely, unequivocally true.

So this week, I took out my markers and my Cricut and I made our family a gratitude tree.  We're taking time every day to fill out leaves with words like "I love it when" and "I'm thankful for" because those kinds of words bring us back to center.  Our bible verse around the tree states, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever."

I have to report that my world is changing for the better {our tree has numerous leaves on it already}.  That isn't to say that all things are hunky dory or that I'm sweeping any dirt under a rug.  I'm just saying my attitude has changed, my tone has changed, my outlook has changed.  And it's all because I'm choosing joy and gratitude.

How are you doing today?

fulfilling their dream

I don't know what little girl hasn't dreamed of being a flower girl.  I recently reconnected with my own flower girl - a grown woman now - and found it so endearing that she still has the photo I gave her of the two of us from my wedding day.

This past weekend, we took the fam to Nashville to celebrate the marriage of Hubby's cousin to the love of her life.  She asked for all four of the kids to participate - and we couldn't say no.  We just adore those Tennessee relatives!

It was a ton of work prepping all four kids, but I have to tell you - each one of them did such a great job and looked superb. I am a proud momma this week. 

Enjoy the kids dancing the night away, and I'll be back again soon!

Halloween 2.0

Halloween festivities continued through the weekend as we enjoyed time at our church's Trunk or Treat and then Halloween Night itself!  Perfect weather, fabulous costumes, and tons of candy made for a great time!

Sunday was busy, busy, busy with a tiling project in the laundry room Hubs took on for the weekend, but we finished in time to carve some pretty spectacular pumpkins.  {Did you know there was a pumpkin shortage this year?  The kids told us all about it!}  T adamantly carved his own without help from start to finish this year.  He did such a great job, too!  I was so proud of his diligence and attention to detail!

Pooks' pumpkin was spectacular (a wicked witch flying over rooftops to go along with her Elphaba costume) - and so was Meiners' [he chose a Ninja in honor of his costume this year :) ].  Mom and Dad helped to varying degrees there.

Then there was my sweet Sashi's pumpkin.  I probably haven't shared her love affair with our animals much before, but let me go not a single word further in this blog without telling you that Sara's very, very, very best friends in the whole entire world are a cat named Benn and a dog named Obi.  Man does she love those two furries.  And they are terrific with her.  Benn is 16 years old and, truthfully, is on his deathbed.  But she drags him around and forces him onto her bed and into her tea parties and he puts up with it - even purring most of the time. 

The photo quality is poor as I truly thought the next morning the cat wouldn't be with us due to declining health.
<3  Nine lives is accurate with this one.  <3

As for the dog?  She can play ball with him for hours.  He lets her jump on him.  They take walks together.  Sure - I may be the one holding the leash, but there they are, out in front walking side by side.  I'm just the tagalong with a leash.  Sara tells the dog worldly secrets and wisdom about life the entire way around the block.  It's stinkin' adorable, that's what it is.  She sure loves these pets.  Who would be surprised then to see her hommage to Benn the Cat in pumpkin form on Halloween?

Super cute.

We were off to Trunk or Treat Sunday and a hurried meal and costumes being thrown back on Halloween night on Monday.  I was so looking forward to snapping amazing photos of the kids with spectacular sunset lighting but we just weren't quite finished eating dinner as the sun snuck below the trees.  Instead we settled for a porch light - and then off they went!

We live in a quiet neighborhood where the closest kids live about two blocks away.  Many of our neighbors are retired.  Every year Carol drops off big treat bags full of candy and dollar coins for each of our kids before she heads out to their daughter's house to enjoy Trick or Treating with their own grandkids.  Lil sends her grown daughter over with treat bags specially made for our kids - this year full of Hot Wheels, Halloween hairbows, snowglobes, and candy.  Up the street the kids receive entire candy bars for their jokes.  It's a pretty awesome place, and I know they have so much fun!  Each year they venture a little farther around the circle of houses that make up our subdivision and return with more candy than ever.

After such an exciting evening and all that sugar, what better way to end all the parties and parades and festivities than back at home by a fire Dad built because the wind wasn't blowing ;) .  And Mom toasted marshmallows for dessert!  ;)

Home sweet Halloween home!

Halloween 1.0

The kids have all celebrated their fall parties now, so I must have gotten their costumes put together in time (thank goodness!).  It wasn't easy this year - my own fault for waiting until the last minute on one of them, but I promise to learn my lesson {yeah right} and we'll just move along.

I love these two, who went to their first official friend Halloween party tonight.  They came home absolutely exhausted, so I know they had a blast!  T is a Pokemon Trainer, and Pooks went as Elphaba from the musical Wicked.

Here's my favorite of Pookie:

We all enjoyed another round of the Fall Parties - here's the gang yesterday at the elementary school.  Sash is standing in as a Cardinals fan (Go Cards!) but in real life ;) is Snow White.

We sure enjoyed watching our come-from-behind Cardinals win the World Series this week!!!

Hope you are all enjoying a fun weekend, as well!
~Karin

Finding God ... when you're four

Ask Sara what she wants to be when she grows up and she answers, "God."

Ask her why she wants to be God when she grows up and she quips easily, "Because He can do anything."

***

This past weekend, our friend stopped by to interview Sara for a college class project.  Prior to the visit, Katelyn read her little sister a book about a tree named Steve.  Then CJ came, asked Sara to draw a picture and name her own tree.  She named it "No Name."  (She was a little squirrelly with our recent no-naps-on-weekends policy we've adopted for her!)  The two then went outside under a tree and talked.  Sara took pictures on the point and shoot cam.

Afterwards, CJ commented that the purest part of her interaction with Sara came when she'd asked, "Where does the tree come from?"

Sara answered, "God."

Tonite, Sara accompanied me to Tommy's violin lesson.  On our way home, I began to recount the activities remaining on our plate for the evening - one of which is a running group through our church called "Run for God."  Sara calls it "God's on the Run."  (I think that's a nod to Katelyn's Girls on the Run 5K experience last spring.)  Lo and behold, the clouds in the sky resembled giant footprints, so everytime Sara said, "God's on the Run!" Tommy would yell, "Boom!  Boom!  Boom!" like God's feet were landing on the skyceiling one by one.  Ooooooooh how that made Sara laugh and laugh and laugh. 

This went on the entire way home, "God's on the Run!" ... "Boom!  Boom!  Boom!"  ... *Laugh*"

Such a wonderful moment to remember from  my two little reds.  I sure do love em to bits.

Hawaii | Day 2

We decided to spend the first full day in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor and the surrounding area.  It was surreal.  I have to tell you that in all my 37 years of living I hadn't truly learned about Pearl Harbor - the grit of it, the down-dirty reality, we're talking.  You know - "the rest of the story" kind of thing.

For instance, did you know oil seeps from the ship (the USS Arizona), droplets at a time, and are known as the ship's "tears" - weeping for the men buried within her, who lost their lives in a battle they didn't expect?

Do you see the black dots on the picture?  Those are the oily tears I'm talking about.

Or did you know you can still see the smoke stacks of the ship above the water?

This photo is standing on the USS Arizona Memorial.

Can I tell you I had no idea?

According to americainwwii.com :

The natural beauty of Hawaii—volcanic mountains, lush vegetation, and crystal water—should be Pearl Harbor’s main attraction, and it would be, if not for December 7, 1941. Instead, the island of Oahu’s stunning scenery has become merely the backdrop for the USS Arizona Memorial, a hallowed historic site that reminds us that 2,390 Americans died on a balmy morning 65 years ago when Japan attacked seven military sites in and around the harbor. Twenty-one ships were sunk or damaged, including the battleship Arizona. At 8:06 a.m., a 1,760-pound bomb slammed into the Arizona’s forward decks and ignited 500 tons of explosives in the powder magazine. She sank in nine minutes and burned for two days. A total of 1,177 men died on board, the greatest death toll ever on a US warship. Only 229 bodies were recovered. The rest remain entombed in the wreckage.     

Did you even know "Pearl Harbor" - really the USS Arizona Memorial - is actually a sunken ship?

Do you see it in the picture there?  And just so I make this a public statement, my husband, my FIL, my mother, and my first boyfriend (now a US Naval Officer) are currently dying of embarrassment over my sheer and utter ignorance.  But I remain adamant that I cannot be the only American out there who did not know this.  (And that is indeed part of the problem in our country, I have no doubt...)

Aside from "Pearl Harbor" - site of the beginning of the United States' involvement in WWII - I admit I didn't know much, feel much, or think much about it.  I am horrifiably ashamed to admit that.  As stated above, this spot is so much more that just a pretty picture...although a beautiful picture reminder it is:

It is a place where silence is required and given unequivocally.   I am so grateful to have spent time there.  To have taken in the scenery and read the words, telling me moment by moment what happened and how we responded and what happened after. 

May they rest in peace.

I do so appreciate the manner in which this national monument has been memorialized.  My children listened to age appropriate audio about this site.  They stopped and listened, pondered, and walked along the path, undoubtedly understanding more than I did until I was 37 years old.

***

We toured more of Pearl Harbor by visiting the missile graveyard, having ice cream, and eventually deciding to also tour the USS Bowfin.  Sara was not old enough, however, so Dad accompanied the big kids on a separate adventure:

www.bowfin.org states:  "Within hours of the surprise attack, young men in steel tubes took the war to the enemy, using defective torpedoes against overwhelming odds.  They triumphed and endured high losses."

We also toured the USS Missouri - which seemed mandatory, given our home state ;)

Pictured here in the background of the USS Arizona Memorial.

Here's a lil photo tip.  When photographing your subject in a scene - perhaps that scene being giant gun turrets that dwarf their little selves, bring the subject(s) close to the camera.  Because, even though they look pretty small here - and I still should have brought them closer to the camera with the frame of the photo encapsulating the scene of the guns, they are still identifiable.  Unlike in this photo:

Those are some Big Guns.

Mandatory cute photos of tired children who still smile for their mommabe photographer:

His brother smiles exactly like this.

And her sister spends more and more time just like this --- just like I did starting in fourth grade, too!

We ended our day at the Hard Rock Cafe, just off the strip and Waikiki Beach. 

Interestingly, this photo was taken by a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K participant who ran that morning in honor of her sister - a breast cancer survivor.  We had seen the race from our window in the hotel encircling the Honolulu Zoo and had been curious as to what was happening with all the orange flags and runners.  Wish we would have known - perhaps we could have participated!  Except what to do with the kids while we ran...

Eh - they really are pretty self-entertaining.

The day ended with Matt bringing home a pair of drumsticks from Hard Rock and Pooks stopping by the hotel's gift shop to snag this one-of-a-kind ukelele.

;)

The end of Day 2 only meant the beginning of more great adventures Day 3!