Happy Hauntings

In the pouring rain we went out trick or treating with the bravest of the brave.
The boys and I were lucky enough to have dinner at some friends house and then go trick or treating with them and some other friends.  The boys were troopers and took in the whole experience.  Thomas wanted to go a little bit faster than Lew, and since Lewis stopped to play in every rain puddle we didn't make it very far.  But, we had fun and got enough candy to make them happy and enough reses to make me happy. 
We came home emptied out their buckets to see their goods and then climbed into my warm bad and fell asleep to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. 

Storming Sandy

Remember I was secretly laughing the other day.  I now feel bad. 
This storm changed so many peoples lives.
The devastation is unbelievable and to many unimaginable. 
I caught a tiny glimpse of the life changing experience.
Daniel was gone for the week and it was just the boys and I home.
I went to the store Monday morning in the pouring rain and loaded up and necessary supplies.  water.  non- perishable food.  batteries for flashlights.  candles and oil for a lamp.  It was while we were getting gas for our car that I got nervous.  The lines were starting to get long and everyone that I saw had red gas cans that they were filling up.  Most likely for generators.  I didn't have red gas cans or a generator.  No one was rushing about in fear, just in awareness and in the spirit of being prepared.  I decided that I would channel that spirit I was seeing from my fellow gas users, and use it throughout the day to become prepared.
We were told we would get rains that would flood and high winds that could knock out the power.
That day we got settled and cleaned and organized.
That night I had the boys sleep in my bed with me.
We slept soundly except that little wiggling boys aren't fun to sleep with.
We awoke to an eerily calm and overcast day.
We still had power.
We still had all of our trees.
We had an unexpected visitor. 
After all of our preparing Thomas was devastated that he didn't even get to use his flashlights.  I was absolutely grateful and felt overwhelming relief.
I sat and watched the news Tuesday morning, I was curled up with my boys and a fuzzy warm blanket and from the comfort of my own home I saw damage and sadness that I could only partially appreciate.   I had only felt a tiny bit of anxiety the day before and knowing what that felt like to me and knowing that their anxiety and pain was multiplied by thousands broke my heart.   
We spent the rest of the day snuggling on the couch watching Madagascar 3 snuggling and laughing.  Two of my favorite things with two of my favorite people.

Annual Harvest Dinner

Life as always is busy.
We had one night available to have our annual Harvest dinner.
It was the Sunday before Halloween and unfortunately our lives caught up with us and dinner was rushed and not up to par. Lets just say that the scones were burnt to a crisp but, the frosting was still very good.
We did however carve our pumpkins and they turned out really well.  
Thomas and Lewis still don't like the insides.
We carved a face in one and stars in the other.
Then we sat around the table and told scary "appropriate" stories which turned into a haunted house.  It actually turned out pretty spooky and we might have terrified Lewis for life.  The next day he wouldn't let me go into my room and close the door and if we turned off any lights he would point at them to be turned on or grab his own chair and do it himself.  Poor little darling.
Thomas loved it though and still begs to play haunted house.
Even though our evening wasn't perfect and I didn't even get the chance to set the table let alone decorate, we had such a fun time together as a family.  Looking back on it now I realize that is more important anyway.  How many times am I going to have to be reminded of this truth?  That happiness comes without expectations or preconceived notions of what happiness is.  I am afraid I am just beginning to learn.  

Trunk-or-Treat

This year we had a ward dinner/chili cook off. 
The food and company was great.
The children got to parade around the gym and show off their costumes for a contest.
We trick or treated inside because of the pouring rain outside.
We stayed warm and got a lot of candy in a short amount of time.
It was perfect for us.  Plus aren't these the cutest army men and "army" monkey you've ever seen!?

{secretly laughing}

Every person that I have met for the first time here in PA asked me, "So are you ready for the winter?" 
I tell them that I come from a place that is cold and gets snow, but that I am excited to see the comparison.
I have then had multiple people go on to tell me that I haven't seen anything yet.  And then they laugh in my face. 
This has always bothered me, because there could be crazy bad storms here.... but, I am not from Hawaii and I have seen snow and I am not completely unaware of what might come my way.  But, no matter what I try to tell people they are convinced that I will not survive their storms that they have so bravely endured for years.  

Well today I am secretly laughing in every persons face, that doesn't believe me when I say it snows in Idaho (not Iowa, another discussion to be had another day) because back home in Idaho I hear they got their first snow storm of the season with about 1/2 a foot of snow.  I am also secretly laughing at all of my dear friends and family back home because it is snowing and we are  playing outside in T-shirts in beautiful 78 degree weather.  It is absolutely beautiful here with all of the trees changing colors.  Man I love this weather.

I love this weather so much that we have spent every day this week outside.  All day long.  Even when we should be making dinner we are laying in the driveway in a fort of toys, chairs and bikes, looking at the clouds pass by.  Even when we should be taking quiet times we are running through piles of crunchy leaves.  Even when we should be cleaning the house we are playing at the park with friends.  We are loving this weather because we believe that the snow is on its way and we know that the winter will be long and cold.  So today we will play all day long until we tired and exhausted and then secretly laugh that we had this beautiful day. 

 

fun with friends and thoughts

On a whim we headed out to the beach.
The waves were crashing in.  The sand was cold between our toes.

The boys dug in the sand for buried treasure. They played dump dumps.  They dug their toes in the sand.  They giggled.  They let the waves crash on their legs.  Lew wiped sand in his hair.  We brought half of the beach home with us.  I sat there watching them completely care free being creative as they explored.  They had no expectations of what the night should be like.  They didn't already have it all planned out.  Their joy was genuine and pure because they were finding happiness in the moment.  In the exploration and the journey.  This is something I am working on.  I am finding myself often disappointed because things didn't go as I meticulously planned.  I am working on not having as many expectations for people, for life, for me or for events.   Just enjoying things as they are in the moment.  Good or bad.  It is a process for me.  Something I envy that comes so easily for my little darlings.  How have I forgotten it?  

Port Farms

Fall is here in full force and we are taking advantage of all the fun things there are to do.
The trees are incredible.  Non of my pictures do them any justice. 
I wish I could slow down time and take in all of the beauty before me. 
I feel like the changing colors in the trees represent the changes in our lives.  Constant changes happening too fast.  So really maybe I just want time to slow down so my life slows down.  So I can take in all of the beauty that life has to offer.  All of the giggles.  All of the loves and kisses.  All of the moments that are meant to teach me.  Instead of rushing through them from one to the next.  I know my life isn't crazy but it is the way that I like it.  Simple and joyful. 
 

To enjoy the lovely fall colors we spent a fun evening with friends at Port Farms.  The boys ran, rode bikes, dug in the dirt, buried each other in the corn box, fed the goats, hula hooped, slid down the slides, bounced on hippity hops, picked out pumpkins, watched the bunnies, ran through a maze and had the time of their lives.  Thomas keeps asking to go back everyday. 

Just a day in the life....

As glamorous as our lives must seem to many, and let me tell you it really is just that, I thought I would post some pics that will let you see exactly what happens in a day in the life.  We just so happened to be at the one and only Sams and these two hooligans were feeling the love.  It is pretty rare that I can get them to both sit in the cart together and even more rare that there were no meltdowns.  Although shopping did wear Lew out, and on the way home he fell asleep holding on tight to his precious cookies.  He wouldn't let them go.  Silly boys. 
But really, in all seriousness I want to be able to feel like my life is glamorous.  I want to find the good in each day and many times it is these two that help me to do that.  They make me laugh so hard.  They can always bring a smile to my face.  They are quick to forgive and even quicker to give the best hugs and kisses a girl could wish for.  So even though we live a really simple life, it is glamorous to me and I love that I get to be a part of it everyday.  Even if the most fame we get is a laugh or smile from a passerby in the store.  That is enough for me.  Enough to know that I am doing a very important work by being mom to these two boys.  Probably the most important work ever and that is real joy right there.