Trick or treats...

Mummies and bats!

I really don't see how you can go wrong with googly eyes and chocolate! At least not in my house!

Feeling "batty"

I have been home sick with some sort of flu for over a week... and I am going "batty." I was bored and began looking up fun ideas for kids crafts and holiday decorations! The kids loved this one!

All you do is cut out black bats and tape them on to the inside of the lightshade. When the light is off, you can't even tell they are there! :) It is very cute! The look I got from Glenn as I was sitting on the couch cutting out bats, while the kids were asleep was pure crazy... Oh well! It was a great surprise when they flipped on the light this morning!

Can you tell the difference?

Fake smiles... They are tired of Mommy taking "just one more picture!"

NOT fake smiles... They are laughing at Mommy who tripped on a pumpkin vine, and thinking "Yes! Now, maybe we will be done with all these pictures!"

Fall fun...

Hope...

Because it has been awhile...

We spent the afternoon at a local pumpkin farm. We enjoyed fresh pressed cider, lemon- walnut pie(I could have licked the plate clean!), peanut butter cookies, chocolate-pumpkin bread... Yummy!!!! Oh.. and a hayride ALL to ourselves! This pumpkin farm is one of my favorite places! I love it! Every year I try to go as many times as I can while they are open!

Teaching JOY in giving...

Click on the photo-link above to read an amazing journey of a young woman, named Katie, in Uganda. Her story is awesome. She is such a reflection of Jesus in all that she does. Her ministry focuses on orphans in Uganda... and as I read her story, I knew I needed to do something!

My kids recently counted out their piggy banks... They had a good amount of combined money and they talked about how they could help children in need. We came up with lots of ideas... but when we talked about Katie's needs in Uganda, the kids got really excited to go shopping for "supplies!" So today, we headed out and filled a box full of goodies that Katie mentions on her blog, that she is in need of!


The kids are pretty excited to mail off their box!

Next... they want to "buy" chickens for families in Uganda! :) They thought that would be "cool!"

What can YOU do???? They need anything from colored pencils and paper... to sponsoring a child and more. I am so blessed today to see my kids truly experienced JOY in giving!

His eyes...

Wordless Wednesday...

I wish I could tell them....

I wish I could tell Naomi's birth-parents that she is loved. That she is happy. I wish I could tell them how she loves playing in the dirt... and then loves her bath just as much. I wish I could tell them that she has a freckle on her left ankle... one that I love to kiss. I wish I could tell them that she has the most beautiful smile, and that it lights up our world. That she chases her brother around and he would do anything for her. I wish I could tell them how much we love her... she has a whole family that loves her.

As she is tucked in bed, all cozy and warm, just waiting to wake up and be a big "3 year old" I can't help but think of the family on the other side of the world, who gave her to us. I know they are wondering how this precious little girl is doing... I wish so badly that I could let them see her and see how happy she is! We will forever be grateful to this unknown family, just as I know they will forever be thinking of our family and our little girl! And as we celebrate Naomi's birthday tomorrow, we will also be remembering in our heart, a family that had to give up a child, and what that must have been like...