School pumpkin patch

It's hard to take Pre-schoolers on a field trip...car seats galore.

So, Westlink Preschool is bringing field trips to the kids!!

The first one---a trailer ride to the "pumpkin patch"!!!

Sitting on the trailer

So proud of her perfect pumpkin (or the first one she found!)

Emmi Harden and Paige. The girls go to church together but have become buddies since being in Preschool together too!!

The trailer ride. The kids are piled in and then they drove them around the church through all the parking lots. A total of a 3 minute ride. But, the kids did not seem to mind one bit that they were riding in a parking lot!!!

And, they didn't seem to mind that the teachers had placed pumpkins in a field at the back of the parking lots. It was fun and the kids got a pumpkin. That's all that matters!!!

Blessed and Thankful

I am thankful to be caught up on my work and have an afternoon to myself.

I am blessed to have a wonderful family and friends, a great house, 3 healthy-beautiful kids, a fantastic husband who helps me with work, kids, the house, you name it. I have super parents, super in-laws, a job I love, and I could go on and on.

The past 6 months or so have been "different" at our house. Steve has not been as busy at work and has been home A LOT. (A LOT!!!!) At first I loved it, then it was weird, then I wanted him to GET OUT, now we have figured out how to be home together all day. (for the most part!!) Of course, with not working as much, comes not making as much ($$$). We were stressed, we were mad, we were stressed, we were mad, and the cycle repeats.

The other side of the story is this--I have been SUPER busy with Premier lately. I have more jewelry shows than I know what to do with, I have sponsored lots of new jewelers, my shows are averaging $650 a night, my business is really doing great. On a side note--my business has always been great--but it is just expectationally great right now.

I have been so tired, the past few weeks, especially. I am DOING something ALL THE TIME. If it's not work, it's laundry, the house, the kids, cooking (ok, not too much of that), it's always something.

I have been getting a little down. Down about no time for ME! Down about the things I can't buy because our income is not the same right now. Down about not having enough time to get the laundry done, etc. I won't keep going.

Then, I finally had a thought (and I am pretty sure the Holy Spirit put these thoughts in my mind recently).

WOW---how BLESSED am I --- when my husband's job is not "normal"---my Premier business is growing and providing for us. I didn't do it. I didn't "try" to get my business to this point. In fact, the only way my Premier business has grown like it has, it because God is on our side, taking care of us.

No---I may not be able to buy every pair of shoes I would want. But, we have not missed a bill, we have not missed a meal, we have not done without the things we NEED! And, I guarantee I have snuck in buying some things that we did not "need!!"

So--I am being THANKFUL that we are SO BLESSED!!

I want to remember that there is ALWAYS ALWAYS something to be THANKFUL for. It could always be worse---ALWAYS!!!

Not that Steve and I still don't wish things were "back to normal". We do. But, I am going to be THANKFUL when I am busy with work, because I was given Premier to be able to help our family. How often to we complain about the very thing that we should be thankful for??

So, I leave you today with these thoughts...
What are you thankful for? There are so many things....

Time flies

One month has gone by since I have posted a blog. That would be because our last month has been CRAZY!! And, I think October is following in September's footsteps.

My Premier business is growing more than ever and with a growing business comes CRAZINESS!! Many people ask how my business is with the economy--it's probably better than ever.

So---when I'm not working my business....

We are still attending soccer games.

We have gotten Jaden to wear his shin guards UNDER his socks finally!

Tyler's team:
Coach Steve, Braeden, Tyler, Hunter, Scottie, Gabe, Braeden

I decided this year, my picture is just as good as the $30 professional one you can buy! (and, I wasn't the only mom snapping her own team picture!!)

We spent a few days cleaning closets--getting rid of summer clothes and getting Fall clothes out. I try to buy the kids' clothes at the end of season's, on sale. When I pulled out Paige's Fall clothes I had already bought---they were size 4T. Way to big!! So, she has lots of 4T shirts for next year. So, I had to make a run to JCP to buy her some 3T shirts. Her pants were all ok I had bought because I bought those 3T, knowing she was a tiny little thing.

And, thanks to my mom---1 trip to a store means at least 2 trips, because you buy the first trip and then you take some back the second trip! Thanks mom for teaching me and about buying and returning!! Then, what happens is when you retun on the 2nd trip, you buy a little more, only to then need to return on the 3rd trip. WOW!!!

This day I just LOVED her cute little outfit. LOVE the TALL socks. She has several pairs: stripes, pink, and brown. And, we may be looking for more :) so cute!!

And, speaking of Paige....

She decided to CUT HER HAIR this past month!! URRGHHH!!!!!

She had such cute hair.

On the right side, she cut about 5 inches off the side/top.

So, I tried to even it out and gave her bangs. It's pretty cute when it's all done up, but when it's just hanging, not so cute!!

Paige with bangs!! Not by choice :)

And, Tyler lost his first tooth this past month too. Oh, was he ever EXCITED!!! The tooth was only loose for a week or so. I think he spent every minute at school wiggling his tooth with his tongue. He wanted it out, so I told him to bit into an apple---thinking he would NEVER do it. Two bites and out the tooth came. The bad news--It fell in the shag carpet---and it's still there or in the vacuum by now!! Yes, we never found his tooth. So, sad. Tyler had to write a note to the tooth fairy telling him (or her) that he lost his tooth in the carpet. And, we did look long and hard in the carpet. Dad got a flashlight and everything. But, that tooth was TINY!!!

SO--now we're caught up on our past month!

Soccer is a few weeks away from being over. But, Basketball for Tyler starts this Friday! So--yet another season of practices and games. We are excited to have Tyler in FunBall this year for basketball. It's a little more competitive. At the YMCA and Upwards b-ball through church, they don't keep score. We are excited to keep score !! Funny huh!!!

Jaden plays soccer

This is Jaden's first year to play a sport. He's 4!!

Here he is, putting on his shin guards. Both boys have FITS about their socks and their shoes! You'll see---Jaden ended up putting his shin guards over his socks.

It's just not worth the hassle to fight over silly shin guards.

Yes, I know you can't use your hands in soccer.

He was getting the ball out of the goal!

Steve had to be his coach, since Jaden has watched him be Tyler's coach several times!

Jaden and MaryKate waiting their turn to play again!

Aren't his shin guards so funny on the outside of his socks!!

At age 4---they play 3 on 3.

It's not real high paced! But, cute none the less!

And--the highlight of the morning was Jaden scoring a goal. The first goal for his team.

Needless to say...he was quite excited!

You forget that most 4 year olds have not played sports before.

Tyler had to show the little ones how to hold their hands out to "shake" after the game. Jaden asked me just today when we were looking at these pictures, "why they had to touch hands?"

Our Saturday mornings will be full of soccer with 2 boys playing.

Next year Paige will be doing something...probably dance, not soccer!
And, then that will be crazy--keeping up with 3 kids' schedules!

But, for now, Paige will just sit on the sidelines and cheer....

or play with her Barbies!

Tyler's soccer

This is Tyler's 2nd year to play soccer.

It's a little more entertaining this time.

Last year he played flag football. This year he choose soccer.

(even though I think his dad wanted him to choose football!)

There's a goaly for the first time--which makes it more "Real".

Does he look serious or what? !!

It looks like he missed the ball, but I am pretty sure he did it hit !

Cooling off with a Gatorade!

The Wranglers Game

My goal this year is to DO MORE with my kids. I (and Steve) could just let them play and I could work, work, work. I could work on Premier, I could clean, I could organize, I could re-arrange, I could, I could, I could. So, I am trying to DO more with the kids.

So---thanks to the Summer Reading Program... the kids got free tickets to the Wranglers game!

So, we went.

The game started at 7pm.

We could get there at 6:15 to meet some of the players and ask questions.

On the way to the game, Jaden had drawn a picture for the "baseball man".

So, after the questions, I let Jaden give it to him. Jaden was SO VERY PROUD.

And, then they got their picture taken with the "baseball men".

The starting pitcher for the Wranglers (not sure of his name) is holding Jaden's picture and the other player is the back-up pitcher. Jaden wanted to know what he was going to do with his picture. I assured him he would hang it up in his locker (after I explained what a locker was).

Paige with a mouth full of corn-dog.

OH---so the kids' tickets were free ($12 value, total). Steve and I's tickets were $8.

And, then $30 worth of FOOD!!

No wonder they give free tickets away---they still make a killing off of us!

I wanted to be a cheap mom and make the kids eat sandwiches before the game. But, then I decided they would have fun eating dinner at the game.

So, nachos, pretzel with cheese, Diet Coke for all to share, hamburger, corndogs, and hotdogs. Gross. And, $30.

And after all that....they still wanted more.

I talked them into ice-cream cones from McD on the way home ($1 each!!)

Yeah, the stands are not over-flowing at these games!

I even let the boys go down to the "good seats" for a bit because they weren't full either.

It was a fun night.

We got there at 6pm and left at 8:30, in the 3rd inning.

The kids had fun, but didn't care if we stayed til the end. We had church the next morning and we wanted to get them in bed!!

I'm glad we went and we'll go again sometime!

First Day of Pre-school

Last year the 2 little ones did Kids Day In at Westlink Church. 1 day a week.

This year they get to go to Pre-school. 2 days a week.

All ready for school.

That grin on her face is SO HER!!! Her back-pack is as big as her!

Isn't he so HANDSOME!! Usually he doesn't let me dress him "preppy" (for a lack of a better word). I told Jaden it was a rule you had to wear a collared shirt the first day of school. I didn't lie---it is MY rule! It worked and look how stinkin cute he is!!

He wanted to make sure I got a picture of his back-pack.

New Shoes!

Walking into school...

Everyone seems to be doing ok.!?

And, then Jaden decides he doesn't want to go to school.

He just sat down in the grass.

Paige was nearly to the building and I had to stop her!

I told Jaden I had a meeting to go to (which I did), so he had to go to school.

He quickly told me he could go home because dad was at home!

I did get him into the building.

Paige and Mrs. McCalla--her new teacher.

Hanging up her back-pack.

She is so excited that she sees her name on the coat rack.

Jaden hanging up his back-pack.

He is sad, but doing ok.

Then, I tell him it's time to go and MELT-DOWN!!

I pick him up, he grabs on as tight as he can and starts crying.

This, of course, just breaks my heart.

I almost did take him home to dad.

Then, Levi Harden came---just in time. (Levi is our friend from church.) So, we take our picture with Levi and seem to be doing better.

Levi then goes into class and Jaden does not.

Then, MaryKate comes. OH good...another friend we know.

He won't even take his picture with her.

She goes into class. But, not Jaden.

I talk to him some more and then tell him I will take him into class but the teacher says I have to leave right away. So, I took him to the carpet, sat him next to MaryKate and he was FINE!!

OH MY.....

Now--last year at Kids Day In, he cried for MONTHS....EVERY TIME I dropped him off. So, I pray this does not happen this year.

Paige had no troubles. She just walked right in and started playing.

Dad picked the kids up from school and Jaden said he did have fun.

So, we'll see what Tuesday brings!!!