Almost 4 years later....

So why have I been absent from blogging for almost 4 years and where have I been? Well, the answer to the last question is a lot easier than the first: I've been right here all along. We haven't moved... I'm still HERE. But my, oh my, how life has changed. So very much has happened in almost 4 years, that it would be impossible to try to cover all that in one post. I don't even know if I want to or if I COULD. What took me away from posting, mostly, was to be honest.. a drawing away from my own SOUL~ what this blog was about to begin with. I started this blog to sort of "journal" my life with the family (kids and husband), as a means for extended family to keep up with us, yes. But also, mainly, as a means for me to sort of do some introspection at the end of each blog entry. It helped chronicle certain photographs taken, memories made, things like that. Not long after I drifted away from blogging, I found the infamous world of FACEBOOK. A lot of staying in touch with family and posting pictures continued there instead. What I have found that I miss the most though, is the ability to really, truly let my feelings OUT, without fear of being attacked, and to do so at whatever LENGTH I need to. I guess more so in a journal approach. You cant really do that in the facebook world. People don't have time or patience for that. People there are cruel and inpatient and extremely judgmental... yes, even those so called "friends".

I really don't know WHAT I may end up blogging about now, but I have gone through a lot of changes in these last 4 years, mostly emotionally and spiritually. I am still changing... as the saying goes "God's still working on me". I can say that I am WAY more open to hearing from God than I was 4 years ago, in fact I yearn for Him and His direct word and crave it... I need Him! I realize I simply can't do THIS life without Him!! And I just don't want to get in His way. As much as I know He is beyond amazing and the ultimate miracle worker, if there is any way He might ever choose to want to *use* me in my lifetime, though, I want to be able to HEAR His calling and *know* His voice. That's where I'm at in my life. A point of reaching out, wanting so desperately to hear Him...

I just started an online Bible study today that God let me find via facebook, a few weeks ago. Its based on the book by Lysa TerKeurst "What Happens When Women Say Yes To God". Whats so amazing about this is I had just been meditating on my own quiet time Bible studies about "spiritual promptings" (in fact had just listened to an online audio recording by Beth Moore about this very subject!), when I found the link to this current Bible study based on Lysa's book. I finished reading the first chapter today. I may write more about what I got from it tomorrow, because it would be impossible to write it all now, but one of the main highlights I like the most is "divine lessons and appointments". I truly believe moments occur only by God's "divine invitations" that WE have to be able to recognize and respond to!! And as Lysa is teaching us in her book, we have to be willing to be obedient and say YES TO GOD!!! So one of the things I might choose to write about with my blog now, is more of what I'm learning from this Bible study. I may still post about family life, too. I really want to let God lead me in all I do.

Halloween 2009

Here are some pictures from our Halloween this year. I was able to get off from work, so that was great! I enjoyed spending the day with family and friends. To start off the day, we went to our next-door neighbors-son's football game. He is a year older than Nathan and Maegan and we have all become great friends. It started as a very dreary, rainy, foggy day. After the football game though, we all went out to eat at Mac's (an awesome local "home-town" breakfast-food place) then came back home to sleep. When we woke up from our nap, the sun was out! It was a beautiful day. It actually ended up quite WARM for Halloween. It was strange to be breaking a sweat while trick-or-treating this year.

This year we carved pumpkins for the first time with the kids. DH found a carving kit from (our second home) favorite place to shop (WalMart). Its reusable, so it was a good investment. The kids each picked out a design they wanted and DH did a great job carving them. I only helped a little bit. My arthritis in my hands started flaring up, you know... (sad, but true).

This was Nathan's design...

Yes, my son actually isn't wearing a shirt and yes, it was really October 31st. It seriously was THAT warm! Here he is, so proud of his daddy for his creation!

Here's Maegan's design choice. It was quite easier than Nathan's (DH said thank goodness).

And here's the princess with her hero...

Here's Maegan as "Bat Girl" and Nathan as Bumblebee from the Transformers, along with their jack-o-lanterns right before we started trick-or-treating!

Here's Nathan and Maegan with our neighbor's son (the one that had the football game). He and his mom walked around with us in a big neighborhood near our home to trick-or-treat this year. They had been to this neighborhood last year and "racked up". We had a pretty good amount of candy this year too!

And here's the 4 of us outside one of our other neighbor's house (he really likes to decorate for Halloween, huh?). Even though I hadn't done my hair or make-up or dressed up any, I wanted a picture of the 4 of us. I am starting to see that I don't have many pictures of all 4 of us, since I am usually the one taking the pictures. Anyway, we had a LOT of fun!!

PS- Do you SEE how tall the kids are getting? Ahhh... I can't take all this growing up too quickly!!!

Pumpkin Farm 2009

We decided to visit the same Pumpkin Farm that the kids went to last year with their preK class. Its not too far from here and has various other things to do there, rather that just pick out a pumpkin. They have animals that you can pet and a hayride to mention a couple. Here's Maegan and Nathan when we first got there, posing at an old barn.

Here's Nathan and Maegan choosing from the already picked-for-you pumpkins. You would have thought they were choosing their future spouse... it took them SO long to find the "perfect" one!

Of course, if you cant decide on just one, try to get your parents to let you get two.... (ah, no, Nathan... chose ONE!)

Maegan's careful attention to all the details...

Its this a beautiful bush?

Here's daddy and the kids almost content with their choices...

My adorable family...

One of the coolest things happened! We were the only customers there (they were about to close within the hour) and so the farmer asked the kids if they would help him with something. Of course, they were excited to "help". Turns out, he has a calf that has injured her front legs during the birthing process, in a separate stall from the others and bottle-feeds her. Nathan and Maegan thought this was SO cool! ((I did too))

What fun experiences!!

Guess Who Said This???

"I'm moving to a new house when I grow up"!

State Fair 2009

Awesome fall colors...

Here's Grandma, Papa, and the kids...

Going down a big slide...

Maegan and Nathan on the swings...

Nathan and Maegan on a small roller coaster...

This was what we saw of Nathan (head ducking down)...

Maybe this was why?... (no, he didn't actually get sick though)

Maegan and Grandma getting ready to get on a larger roller coaster together...

Hands up!

We just so happened to run into one of the kids' classmates (Porter). So he and Nathan hung out together for a while and rode a few rides together. Here's Nathan on that same ride that he looked like he was about to puke on. Riding with Porter, though, he was happy and excited. What a difference having another boy around makes! Nathan was a completely different person!

Nathan and Porter going down a big slide...

Nathan on the pony ride...

Maegan on the pony ride...

The kids, grandma, and myself all rode this ride together. Nathan got scared, and started to cry a little, but then was ok. It just went around and around, up and down. No upside down things. It just felt like your stomach went into your throat. That's all.

Here's me and the kids before take off in that ride...

Papa and Nathan got to ride bumper-cars together!

You cant see Nathan's face in this picture, but I like Papa's expression. Who is the bigger kid??

Going through a fun house...

Going down a BIGGER slide...

Brave kids...

Maegan turned out to be quite the dare-devil...

Here's Nathan and Maegan at the water foundation wall. It was a nice place to get a slight breeze of cool water. The kids were amazed that I let them get so close. I think my judgement was impaired by the impending swine flu that was taking over my body in the moment.

I'm sure the two of them were thinking, "just how close can we get without getting soaking wet"?

DH was still suffering from his own bout with the swine flu (his symptoms started the Wednesday before this Friday), plus he wasn't able to ride many rides due to his recent knee surgery. Here's a cute picture of him and his princess on the Ferris wheel though.

The views from the Ferris wheel, just at sunset, as the lights are being turned on and the fair is coming to life at night!

We all had a great time! We really missed being able to share this experience with Aunt Crystal while she was in town, but the weather was just awful the day we had first planned on going with her (cold and rainy). Hopefully NEXT year maybe we can all get to go together. NEXT year this time, Aunt Crystal and Uncle Scottie will be married! Whooppee!! (doesn't that sound like a cool honeymoon???- j/k)