Tis' the Season

We've been very busy around our house...getting ready for the Season!

I like to decorate early, so I can truly enjoy the month of December in all it's grandeur! So far, everything is decorated except for the big glass ornament tree and the outside of our house. ( I mean, Seriously, I can share with the whole world via the Internet that my house is already decorated for Christmas, but putting up wreaths and Christmas lights outside for my neighbors to see? No way!) Ha ha!!! My plan is to get the big tree set up Thursday night and then spend Saturday during nap time and game time decorating it with the glass ornaments. THEN I will spend the rest of the weekend telling Henderson, "No, Don't touch!"

The outside of the house will probably be done on Thanksgiving Day. Nearly all the Christmas shopping is done and wrapped, Yipeeeee!!!!

This is just one example of what my children were doing while I was decorating!

That stinky little elf will be making an appearance in a couple of weeks and THEN things will really get crazy! We are hosting Will's work party at our house this year and every weekend from Thanksgiving to Christmas is already nearly full! Whew...I'm already tired just thinking about it all, but fun fun fun!!!!!

When will you begin decorating, or have you already????

Finding the Beauty

I feel like I can't keep up these days....like I'm running on the treadmill of life, getting nowhere.

I can't keep up with the leaves....

or the toys, or the fingerprints, or the laundry, or the ironing, or Bible reading, or prayer time, or quality playtime.... as hard as I work and as organized as I try to be, I just can't get caught up, and IF I do, 5 minutes later it's undone. Specifically, I did 4 loads of laundry yesterday- AND PUT IT ALL AWAY - and this morning the basket was full again!!!!!

In all this, there is beauty....like the leaves covering the driveway only 2 hours after I spent an hour blowing it off...there is beauty in the Creation of Fall - the beautiful colors of the leaves and crispness in the air. The joy seen on the children's faces when they are allowed to play in the leaves when they are just-bathed and heading to church!

There is beauty in my house, though it may seem cluttered, unorganized and dirty at times...beauty in the fact that 3 vibrant, healthy children live there to make that mess. Beauty that we are blessed to own enough to fill this house to make it messy!

In these things I give thanks, to Jesus Christ, who so richly loves me and forgives me and sees the beauty in this sinful life of mine.

Leaf Play

Note to self: the next time I want great fall pictures, I will not tell the children "to go play in the leaves!" Fun pictures, but they were fast paced and moving the entire time!

These were taken as we were getting in the car to go to church - no telling what was in their hair!!!

I love Fall!!!!

FALL

Fall at our house yesterday.....

Fall at our house today - after Ida came through - you can't even see the driveway if you're not familiar with it! This oughta be fun cleaning up all those leaves!

We are off to an Alabama basketball game - thank goodness for no school tomorrow!!!!

WE WON!!!!

Well, kind of - we made it to the finals and came in 2nd place....BUT, we were given a wildcard to the Sectionals Tournament!!!! There are 9 states represented and they need 10 teams to make it even, so about every 9 years, Alabama gets a wildcard in this league. Weren't we the lucky ones to get in THIS year???!!!! We played hard and had lots of fun!!!! The last day, on Sunday, the winds were ferocious like 50 mph, I would guess - crazy for tennis! Must be that Hurricane brewing!

I missed Will and the children like crazy. This morning Emma Claire and Wilson woke up saying they still wanted to be at Ga Ga's house (my mom's, who kept them all weekend) and Henderson woke up clinging to me like a sand spur to a tennis ball (b/c that REALLY did happen on occasion this weekend!!!) He is at a VERY clingy age and I'm trying my best to enjoy it instead of complain about it - it's sweet and I know it won't last.

Tennis Tournament

I am in Gulf Shores with the girls, playing in the State Tennis Tournament - we are having a blast and kicking butt and taking names, as my old softball coach, Coach Johnson used to say. We have won our first three matches and have 1 more to win in the morning before we move on to the Semi-finals on Sunday. It has been an amazing trip - these ladies are great friends and fun fun fun!!! I have laughed so hard that my stomach muscles hurt. That is a good time!

Ashley, pictured on the left, took so pictures at our match this morning, so there are some action shots - It's fun to look at those, b/c I've never seen myself play - sometimes the form is right on, sometimes it is so stinkin' hilarious, I don't even know how I got it over the net!

Ashley and Jennifer
Our victory walk - after the match!

The Team

We are so fortunate to stay at The Beach Club, free of charge, one of our teammates owns a condo here and it is fabulous! Here is our view!

Ladies night out at Dinner! Good food and even better times!

I miss the little ones, but it has been refreshing and exhilirating to get away for while - a huge thanks to Will, Bud and Di Anna and my mom for making it happen! I love you all!

November????

I mean, seriously, November already? Well, let's not forget October quite yet....

We kicked off Halloween week last Monday with the Fall Festival, then Thursday night headed to Sorority Row for trick-or treating.

The children loved it, but we will probably not make it again...WAY too crowded for my tastes....who wants to stand in a long line waiting for a few pieces of candy (well, my children of course!!!)???? The week is busy enough without it, so next year we will pass.
Halloween night proved to be gorgeous after a day of rain - Will joined the festivities as Michael Myers - now don't judge - we LOVE scary movies around these parts. Will and his sister grew up watching them and I LOVE them even though I don't remember watching many growing up - I DO remember R.L Stine being my favorite author as a child though, and I can remember writing scary short stories.

I kept begging Will to scare some kids once it got dark, but the right opportunity (meaning older children who it wouldn't scar for life) never arose.

Emma Claire helped him paint the blood on - she was thrilled with his costume choice. Henderson on the other hand was scared silly!

Here we are waiting for the costume parade to begin! Henderson did not wear a costume b/c all of his involved a hat of some sort that he refused to wear!

Emma Claire was all bundled up - prepared for the chilly night!

Spider Man was ready too!

along with his cohort, Batman!

The little guys were excited to be free in the streets!

Henderson did a little flirting with Sarah Davis!

Then we began the walk - to find PIZZA at the end!

Some chose to ride!

Henderson did a little trick-or treating for the first time! Everytime I would hand him his bucket to go up to the door, he would hand them the bucket and then walk away - he didn't quite "get it" - thank goodness - b/c we still made it home with 4 buckets FULL of candy!

It was a fabulous night of trick-or-treating with friends and lots of good fellowship!

I am in swe at how we (including me) always handle the time change. Within 1-2 days, everyone adjusts just fine - back to normal as if no change ever occured! Maybe it's because EVERY event throughout the day changes, not just sleep and wake time. Meals change, naps change, baths change - all an hour later. Now, if only we could have left all the whining back in October - all would be great. Is it just me, or is 3 worse than 2 as far as whining and crying goes??? Wilson, oh Wilson - truly a strong-willed child, I will never judge other parents again - you have humbled me beyond my wildest imagination!

I pray for patience and guidance more than anything these days, "Jesus, please just show me how to be a good mother to him, to be consistent and patient and firm, yet loving and compassionate and gentle, and I pray that I will not dampen his excitement for life while still reigning in his emotions. Help me to know how to balance love and discipline."

Now comes the month of November - Christmas decorating and gatherings of friends and family - I'm resolved to truly "soak" it in this year and enjoy each and every moment! To slow down and let the boys play in the leaves after school like they did today, instead of rushing them to their naps. To enjoy the cool evenings and the cuddling on the sofa. To begin, even now, focusing on the true meaning of Christmas and remembering, like Emma Claire told me last Wednesday night at dinner, "Mommy, Christmas is NOT about the presents, it's about Jesus' Birthday" - Why oh Why can't that always be the sole focus? It's my goal this year to make it ours!