Pumpkins

I was lame this October. Way lame. I blame it on the life sucking virus that held our house hostage for 2 weeks. It had me convinced I was dying more than once.

Last year I had the house decorated in webs and lights. We made gak and spider mobiles. We sang Halloween songs and had spooky breakfasts. 

This year I felt accomplished when we made it to the pumpkin patch 4 days before Halloween.

I noticed a paper in Kaden's backpack Saturday night saying that there was a pumpkin contest at school. The pumpkin couldn't be carved and was due Monday. Sunday night be pulled out the candy and created this gem.

Would you believe it... he won! Funniest pumpkin category. He won a candy bar which seemed fitting.

Monday night for FHE we carved pumpkins. Taycee wasn't a fan of the gunk.

We teamed up and only did 2 pumpkins... like I said, it was a lack luster year.

Viola! 

Day 4

Today I am grateful for family. We just got home from our monthly FHE at my grandmas house with all the cousins aunts and uncles on my moms side (52 if we could all make it at once!). I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many good people. I know it is a rare treasure to come from a family that is so close and so strong in the church. Both Chris and I were raised in such good family full of lots of love.  I am so grateful for all of them!

Day 3

Today I am grateful for a husband who listens and loves me. (and who cleans bathrooms and mops floors)

Day 2

Today I am thankful for doctors and modern medication.

Day 1

Today I am thankful for a home that is safe from storms and floods. (Prayers are with you East Coast)

I didn't know...

• I didn't know a cold could last weeks. But I am living proof that it can, and does.
• I didn't know that kindergartner's would have SO MUCH homework. I am pretty sure that I did not have any homework at that age.
• I also did not know that in kindergarten you learn about adjectives and verbs and proper form of a sentence. #atthisratemykidwillbeagenius
• I did not know before Kaden started school that there is a certain peace during that half hour early in the morning before everyone wakes up. It is a perfect time to study scriptures and set my head for the day. I am not a morning person. I blame it on the grave shifts I worked through college so that I could still take 20 credits. However with Kaden having early morning kindergarten I made it a goal to wake up a half hour before him to get breakfast going and help him have a good start to his day. It has been hard, and some days I still roll out of bed at 7 when he comes bounding into my room. But I try, and when I succeed I feel a little more in control of the day. 
• 7 years ago I did not know that marrying Chris would be the BEST decision I ever made. But it was, and is. He is my hero, my fixer upper, the even to my scattered and the sane to my crazy, he is my protector and my "home". 
• When we started grad school 4 years ago I didn't know I would approach it's completion date with such apprehension. We have pushed for this, we have sacrificed for this, we have spent long LONG nights, endless weeks and drawn out months working for this. (By "we" I mostly me he ;)) Yet now as we are putting in applications there is a hint of hesitation. Every time Chris informs me about another contact for another job in Beijing my stomach churns just a bit. I am grateful to be finishing. I am excited to move on to the next adventure. I am SO unbelievebly proud of Chris and what he has accomplished because a Ph.D. in chemical engineering is no small feat. I know that change is GOOD and makes you grow. But we feel at home here. We are settled and comfortable with good friends and neighbors. All family is within driving distance and our kids see a grandma almost weekly. Everything about everyday is familiar. Kaden is in a school that I love getting an awesome education. (adjectives and verbs people!) However, when all is said and done I remind myself that there is a master plan. We will be led and guided and end up exactly where we should be, and there is great comfort in that. Besides Chris is my "home" and if marrying him is my best decision to date then following him halfway around the world (literally) can't be a bad one either. #Ineedtolearnchinese
• I didn't know that my craving for puff Cheetos during Addison's pregnancy would become a life long addiction. It is sad. I may or may not have dug a bag out of the garbage just to make sure there weren't any stragglers left in the bottom of the bag. #Ineedhelp
• I did not know how NOT ready for winter I was until it snowed yesterday. NOT. READY. So so not ready.
• I did not know 6 years ago how exhausting motherhood would be, exhausting, rewarding, humbling, fun, hard, frustrating, soul stretching, and above all defining. Motherhood has made me into a person that I could not have become otherwise. It has been my greatest teacher in patience, love and sacrifice. My kids make me laugh daily, sometimes I stop and watch them during the day and my heart bursts with love. I watch their eyelashes flutter on their cheeks as they sleep and I feel so blessed to have them, but did I mention that I end most days exhausted?
• I didn't know that ice cream, or the lack there of, would be the ONE thing that sends my baby over the ledge. But check this out...

It's nice to learn new things isn't it?

xoxo-

me.

Because I can't

Because I can't get enough of these big blue eyes...

or that sideways grin..

or her desire to constantly explore...

Or those ridiculously long eyelashes and chubby cheeks.

I don't get much done some days and I am WAY behind in the blogging world. But seriously... she is irresistible.