First Snow

I had heard that it might snow this past Sunday night but it was crazy when I saw outside the next morning.  School was cancelled because there was so much.  Eric usually shovels right away but he had to get into work.  I needed to run to the store and get ready for company coming to visit.  So I packed everyone in the car and pulled on out of the driveway only to get stuck.  I have realized I am not very snow smart.  So we all went back inside and Blake was determined to help get the van out.  He loves shoveling snow and worked hard around those front tires.  He took two shifts (I did not make him) and probably spent a couple hours total out there. 

 

The sun did come out in the afternoon so between that and Blake's hard work, the van was free.  So I pulled the car back into the garage.  After Ty's nap we tried again.  By this point the streets had been plowed and I figured with the sun out some snow would have melted???  The plowing had just made a pile at the bottom of the driveway so we got stuck again.  In hindsight yes, yes, I should have shoveled a little myself.  But guess what?  I don't like shoveling.  Or snow really for that matter.  But I did shovel around our tires and got out.  And I learned to just gun it over that pile at the bottom of the driveway to make it through without a problem. 

 

Bless his heart.

 

 

 

 

 

Janie did not last long out in the snow.  She still likes to eat it though!

Leaves

We drove over to Keri's Friday night so that Eric could go with his dad, Nathan, and Jonathan to the BYU vs.Wisconsin football game.  Saturday morning we raked leaves!  The weather was perfect and there were leaves everywhere.  We headed back home late Saturday night so that we could be back at church for our primary program.  Blake did great!  He had his part memorized and went up no problem.  A lot of improvement from last year and we were so proud.  We made cookies tonight to celebrate. 

 

 

 

 

 

Staples Out

We went to get Ty's staples out Wednesday at the walk in clinic.  The wait took forever and I didn't bring enough supplies to keep Janie and Ty happy.  The suckers were long gone by the time the doctor came in.  Janie was losing her patience and wanted to get out of there.  While whining to leave she said "It is taking a way long time and I'm totally freaking out!"  She said it with a smirky smile like she knew that she was saying something new and unusual.  I started laughing and she got mad at me for laughing at her.  Then she said "Please can we just go home, I can't control this."  Ty didn't cry when the staples came out.  Gross picture I know but had to document. 

Later that day Janie was hungry and wanted some fruit.  "Can I have a flamango?"  (Mango)  I love three year olds!

Game Night

I think Blake looks so grown up in this picture.  (Whenever the camera comes out they all want me to take pictures of them.)

 

Ty was cracking me up as he was trying to be included in the game.  He had to use all his body to get the die to pop in Trouble.  He picked all the marker pieces off the board and we would just randomly stick them somewhere else.  We are pretty loose with the rules when he is around.

 

My Poor Baby

Last Friday night at 6:00 we were all getting ready for a  Halloween Party.  Eric and I were both in our room and I heard a horrible noise and I instantly knew what was happening.  Ty was falling down the stairs.  I ran as fast as I could and found him lying on his stomach at the bottom of the stairs with his hood from his jacket covering the back of his head.  I picked him up and held him and started to comfort him.  I ran my hand over his head trying to soothe him.  Eric came down and saw what I didn't see at first.  I had blood all over my hand as he had a cut on his head.  I quickly got him upstairs and Eric held him while I got a wet cloth.  It stopped bleeding quickly but it was a pretty good sized wound. 

 

Eric put him in the car and I took him to a walk in clinic close by and I was so grateful it was open.  I was pretty shaky but trying to act calm.  I wanted to yell at the guy in front of me in line to move over but I didn't.  They got us in pretty fast and the doctor seemed so calm when she told me she was going to put three staples in his head.  Staples!  I wasn't prepared to watch her do this--it looked like a tool you would use on house projects.  Ty cried each one and by the end I almost started crying with him when he was squirming and big tear drops ran down his cheeks.  I was told that it doesn't hurt to take the staples out (which will happen on Wednesday).  I was also grateful I had a licorice and a sucker in my purse.  He was fine once he had candy.  He has acted normal since the incident.  Eric and Nathan gave him a blessing that night which put me at ease.  A couple of days removed I feel better.  I called my mom the night of and had a good cry over the whole thing because it was traumatic for me.  I know it was an accident but he is my sweet baby.  He has been fine going up and down the stairs independently for a few months.  I don't know what happened and nobody saw it.  We are all being extra cautious with the stairs now.  I cringe every time I see the staples.

 

The next morning we were eating breakfast and the kids were talking about Ty's head.  Janie asked me "Mom, do I have a brain?  Does everybody?"

 

 

 

Kalamazoo Day

Blake didn't have school on Friday so we went to Kalamazoo, Michigan.  (About an hour away.)  Lindsey used to live there so she was the guide and our first stop was to a children's musem.  I realized how I haven't been to museums for awhile.  It used to go so often when Blake and Janie were younger. 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was to a mall.  A real mall!  With a food court, carousel, kid area, and clothing stores that I recognize.  I always feel at home when I go into a mall.  It just feels right.  And here is a shout out to my friend Lindsey.  She told me to try on some clothes and she would watch the kids in the corner of the store.  We have seven kids between the two of us.  While I was trying on clothes I noticed how quiet they were all being.  I found out they had been playing the quiet game and the winner would get a nickel.  Janie held out pretty long, surprisingly. 

 

 

I'm always trying to get a picture of the three of them but doesn't seem to work.

 

Janie loves Asher and is always asking to hold him.  We were babysitting him once and she was holding him when he started to cry.  She naturally said in a high pitched voice "It's ok Asher, I'm right here."

 

It was so nice to get out into the real world.  I forget that we live in such a small town sometimes.  I guess the population for Benton Harbor/St. Joseph/Stevensville is less than 20,000.  Crazy.  I went home and told Eric that we need to move somewhere with a mall.

Happy Halloween

The weather forecast said that it would rain 100% on Halloween.  Blake and Janie prayed that the rain would stop from 6 to 7:30 so they could trick or treat.  Blake had a parade at his school in the morning.  We got there on time but the parking lot was packed so had to park a little out.  It was raining so Janie, Ty and I ran in.  I love seeing Blake in action at his school.  He had a fun class party with lots of treats.  It rained on and off all day but was perfect for them to trick or treat.  It started to drizzle at the end. 

 

 

 

We all went trick or treating for about 15 minutes (Ty did not want to get dressed up again).  I just wanted to see the kids in action, but was going to head back to pass out candy.  When I was turning around to go home with Ty, I looked down at him and nose down was completely covered in blood.  I screamed and Eric ran back to us.  It was just a bloody nose and he was fine.  Scared me though!  People were looking at me weird as I walked home.  Like this was my gory costume for my baby. 

I sat on the porch with Ty on my lap and we passed out candy.  My friends Lindsey and Shawna took a break from trick or treating and sat with me.  Ty helped me drop candy into the bags.  He had a slow release but it was cute.  Some candy he would throw in.