Bliss, Ecstacy, Romance and a Dirty Diaper Please

Five years ago today a door opened and from the cold outside where I stood with my Dad, I looked into a vast room warm and full of loving smiling faces. At the other side of this room stood the other side of my heart. The sweetest look I'd ever seen, smiling at me (I think I even saw his chest puffed out). At the end of this aisle, was my prize. I'd gone through all of the obstacles and through the trials, tribulations and losses. I'd done it all, I'd come out on top, victorious. Here was the ending of that life and the beginning of the new one. A re-birth. Looking back now, as I had cursed the weather for messing up my hair, making my freeze to death with my LITERAL cold feet, and thanking everyone that came out on that weather miserable evening to witness this event. It was like the award ceremony at the end of the season, the inauguration for the new President. It was my entry into happiness.

I can see now, that the weather, can metaphorically represent my past and the heart aches I'd been through. The awfulness that was my life, I stood there in the cold with my sister and my Dad, holding their hands and this door opened, to warmth, light and love. I was nearly frozen solid by nervousness, my gosh when have I ever had such stage fright? Hated being the center of attention? but I was actually kind of petrified for a moment and wanted to just run to the front so that everyone was at least looking at BOTH of us and not me alone.

I can still to this day, remember that look on his face, it makes my heart thump a few beats faster. No one has ever looked at me that way. Never. No one ever will again. That is a look I can only get from him.

Can anyone else just LOOK at someone, and let them know that they are so loved, forever safe, comforted, supported and always theirs to love? I get that from him, still. I catch him once in awhile when he doesn't realize it, and I am getting that look. Is there anything that can make you feel more special? Even after all this time? It means so much to me, to see him out of the corner of my eye looking at me that way.

I felt as though our wedding night was a huge celebration of life, love and future. It was celebrated and witnessed by so many people. So many people came together to help us put it together, to see us, to wish us well and let us know how happy they were for us. I never expected such a turn out, I've always felt like there was a special hand over the church that night. In that tiny town in the middle of nowhere Texas, on a cold, foggy rainy November night, so many made their way out through the awful weather to be there with us. Inside there was warm light, warm hearts and just a glow of happiness. It is almost dream-like now. The day itself was a whirlwind and never would have come together had it not been for SO many others. A few folks in specific of course! I could never pull anything like that off alone.

How little we knew that the whirlwind would never stop. Fast paced is an extreme understatement where Mike and I are concerned. Very much so. A few months after our blissful evening we found out our house would now be four, not me, him and the dog. We were blessed with our sweet little boy just 13 months after our wedding and much to our surprise, our second little bundle of wildness wrapped up in a beautiful baby boy a mere 22 months later.

In the grand scheme of things, when you sit and put 5 years on a piece of paper, it honestly is not that long. Five years and we've gotten married, had two babies, sold our home, moved to Merkel and then on to England! Who knows where on earth the next 5 years will take us, but I know I will not be bored.

We have been blessed. So very blessed from the first moment we met. Um, the OFFICIAL meeting, not the one someone swears took place before. hahaa!

Oh and where did this bliss begin? I love telling people this, because I love the line, "You can never meet anyone there." Well, I did. I am sure we're a special case but I'll take it. It was not the grocery store, not the gym, not even through a friend or at church and no, not online either. We met at a BAR! Not just any bar, but a Country bar because those are presumably worse for dramatic high class relationships right? (Think Urban Cowboy).

I'll never be convinced otherwise that there weren't a couple of worn callused hands working magic from above. See Mike was under one impression of me, but we began talking anyway, we went on a date, after someone stood someone up and beyond all reasoning a second chance was given. On our first date, I think the conversation that really got things rolling, was that of our Grandfathers. The similarities were uncanny and we'd both lost them to prostate cancer within a couple of years of one another. So I could only look back and imagine them walking about, whistling a diddy in their coveralls making sure we found each other and moved on together. From that one date, things grew insanely fast, so fast it was scary. Too good to be true, but sometimes I think he is. Just too good to happen to me, yet here he is, happening to me as are those amazing little boys. Every single day, they happen. The one that looks like me and the one that looks like him. The one that acts like him... (oh help me please!) and the one that well, just acts like himself with too many of my personality traits.

We are so different but compliment each other in just the right ways. We drive each other absolutely insane with nit picky little things but we laugh about it. We honestly never fight. We argue, we get a little huffy sometimes (i.e. I get pissy) but we've never screamed, called names, screeched the tires driving away in anger. Nothing.

I complain about his laundry or inability to find the garbage can right beneath the counter where he sat that trash. He complains about my incessant shedding of hair, how am I not bald seriously??? That's about the extent of it. Nothing that two people that live together wouldn't get annoyed with. We don't get enough time alone together, we're just now getting time as a family together.

It is awesome and amazing and I feel...what's that? Yeah I'll say it again. Blessed.

I am indeed blessed to have found the love of my life, to marry him and have babies and make a life.

"I've waited all night for this moment

To watch the day kiss the darkness goodbye

And I barely remember falling asleep

But the minute I opened my eyes

Every dream comes true

When I look at you

I see heaven

I see an angel

Lying here next to me

Bringing out the best in me

Hearts entangled

Wrapped in forever

This close together

Me holding you,you holding me

You opened my eyes,baby

I see,heaven"

Emerson Drive

So, I raise my imaginary glass and toast to us. Is that arrogant? To another amazing five years! Who knows what on earth we'll get ourselves into with that much time, but I'm sure interested in finding out!

I love you baby. Thank you so much for finding the other side of me that got lost such a long time ago. I am so lucky to have you and thank my lucky stars always for the day we finally got together and had square dominoes pizza, great conversation and a Kevin Costner movie.

(Now dear Lord! Someone fly over here and babysit so we can go on a date!!!!!!!!!!).

hahahaha!

Okay but seriously

I actually started to blog to post more photos, but then I got off on my tangent and it was just silly to add photos to it. Not to mention, I spent too much time ranting about absolutely nothing to delete it too.

So... now I don't even remember what all I have to load. ha!

Oh okay, now I remember! Geeeez.

This past weekend, we decided to go into Norwich, I've been dying to go, I've heard the shopping was killer - not that I had 10 pence to spend (hehe) but we just wanted to go. We had intentions of finding the castle ruins and having a picnic there. Well... wouldn't ya know, that TomTom has suddenly gone completely stupid on us and can find nothing further than the TOWN. Who's idea was it to name it after a guy? I mean for REAL, think about it? So we could NOT find anything. The boys were asleep, so we basically drove around a little bit and headed back home. Sad huh? Well, perhaps but Mike took the back way and scenic is just an understatement. I tried to take some shots of the landscape to share, but as I've mentioned before I am REALLY lame at landscape shots! REALLY lame. I have absolutely no future in stock photography. I will never be Aimee Ansel Adams. Not happenin. It is okay, while it is hard for me not to be awesome at EVERYTHING, I suppose I can take a hit once in awhile. My ego still stands strong. ;)

Anyway. Here. haha. It is rare so far, at least where we live to find anywhere you can SEE for very far. There are 8 foot tall hedges EVERYWHERE! It is evil and makes a claustrophobic person feel really really cramped and add to that night blind and it is ten times darker outside too. Regardless, you have no clue what is out there and you are damned if you want to take a photo of the English Countryside to share with your friends and family online!!!!!! Argh!

However, on this route, there were fields with no hedges, just open rolling fields with lovely little villages off in the distance and then on the way home, that sweeeeet light fell across everything between the cloud cover. If only I'd have had an engaged couple or wedding party or teenager there needing a photo session. THEN it would've rocked! ha!

Somewhere between here and there. I can't even name the village we were in, or the one we're looking at in the distance. (That you can't actually see anyway).

Is it weird to pull off on the side road, not paying a bit of attention, on a whim and find yourself standing on Milestone Lane? Does it MEAN something? Hmmm....

Ugh. I swear. I suck.

I just thought this was cool because of the clouds. THey looked like they were rolling right out of the ground.

This, well it is just a very English looking house. haha

It was so dense and misty and it really does do neat things with the light every direction you turn

Some English Countryside Bovine

So, on our way home, of course the boys are awake by then, Kade is upset because we did not get to see a castle and we're driving through bits and pieces of forest so he keeps asking if we are going to go to the forest. He loves it. So, just short of our house is a little spot that we've never stopped in. As you get out of the car, and walk in there is a 3 way split. There are 3 different trails to choose from.

Trail #1 nice, easy and open.

Trail #2 still open and easy looking, but perhaps a little more dense.

Trail #3 very dense forest and obviously pretty rough.

My little man got to choose and he chose trail #3! THAT'S MY BOY! Mr. Nature.

So, perhaps my landscape shots are pitiful, but hey...at least I can shoot some good fungi right? *sigh*

This is what it looks like when you let Kade loose in the outdoors. He LOVES it!

Brave as he can be...

Even though around every tree, shrub or leaf pile, there could be monsters. He's sure of it.

We're brave though because it is just too much fun to NOT go into the forest! Monsters or not!

On our way to school Monday. That is the day that Kade goes and Co stays with me. (He's wearing CODY'S sweater here...)

So, while Kade was at school, Co and I went to Thetford to the towne centre to get Kade his prize for doing so good with his recent potty issues. We also had to search for some hats and gloves because my boys are COLD! (Not that Cody will let a pair of gloves anywhere near him...)

The spot where I park to go in is pretty neat. There is a river running through and a 3 way bridge. One part goes to the parking area, the other one to a park and the other to the shopping area. Opposite the car park is this park. Mike and I had lunch there on our adults only day and since them it has simply DROPPED a ton of giant leaves everywhere. So after our hurried shopping, we went to the park for a look around.

He wasn't so sure he wanted to play with the leaves rather than go jump in the river and chase ducks, geese and swans.

"Wook! Wook MOMMY! A WEEF!!!"

Then he's done with me. You can start to see a trend eventually...

Wading through the ocean of giant leaves.

His shy photo pose.

Oh, that is..."I'm TWO and I WANT TO GO TO McDONALDS!!! YOU SAID McDONALDS!!! STOP TAKING MY PICTURE IN THE LEAVES AND TAKE ME FOR MY FREAKIN HAPPY MEAL ALREADY!!!!!".

In case you can't tell, that is not a look of love, it is pissed off. It is the fact that I MENTIONED McDonald's and it is not there in front of us magically.

And then the farce. The, "I'm up and not screaming my head off. I am fine Mommy, let's take our time and walk to the car and you will be oblivious to the fact, that I am going to have a full grown COW when you try to put me in the car. I will throw my hat on the ground and run away from you and then flop on the nasty ground in the parking area in front of the public restrooms and roll around on the wet disgusting asphalt screaming my head off. Then when you pick me up kicking and screaming, I will slap you a few times and rip up all the giant leaves you collected for Kade and I to do crafts on at home. Good luck finding your keys in all of this..."

This is a pretty house on the other side of the little river in the pretty little park with the pretty little orange tree.

Cody running away from me. Just the other side of THOSE trees is a ROARING river, where water from somewhere drains from under the bridge and it is absolutely huge and ROARING! Yeah. Kid gives me 10 heart attacks a day.

More weird stuff growing from the ground that looks better than any landscape shot.

Oh look...Cody running away from me again. Toward the bridge over the ROARING water.

Okay, and this goose just had the SWEETEST little eyes. There are several up by the big bridge, but this small bridge back behind everything is pretty quiet. This goose and one other were there and it was just so sweet, patiently floating beneath us waiting for some morsel that I just didn't have. Poor thing. Isn't it just cute? Also, there are LOADS of Canadian geese here, is that weird?

That concludes my manic blogging for the day. I swear there has to be an easier way to load photos to this blog. I need to research.

Have a great Hump Day!!!

I wish I were a REAL crunchy granola bar

Well...how is everyone doing in the post-voting euphoria? I have no comment about voting. I'm disappointed. Not about our President elect, but my voting issues. Very disappointed. Not as disappointed as I'd be if it had been Hilary though. Granted, I'd have been rallying and talking her up, sorry but she was the best candidate in my opinion and NO not because I'm a feminine feminist, THANK YOU. I do have more substance than that! Ah well. I have yet to understand though why so many, like basically EVERYONE I heard from said they were not overly happy with either candidate, so then WHY wasn't Hilary up there instead????
Maybe next time love...maybe next time, you just keep your chin up girl! haha
No seriously, I hope everyone was able to vote and do their part. I honestly don't have super strong feelings one way or the other. I'm too new to all of this. WHAT??? Yes, I am 30 years old and I'm new to it. I'm trying to sort of "grow up" if that is what you want to call it. Politics and me are not all that great of friends. Just not. I'm a damn hippie. I swear I'd grow my own food, make my own electricity and sew my own clothes if I knew how. haha! That would show the over sized companies a thing or two! Yeah? You want to live in your mansion and scoff at those less "fortunate" than you? While your overpriced utilities and oil puts people out of their homes? Yeah well I just won't buy it! Because MY measly little bill would hurt SO BAD! Well, it would make ME feel better anyway. ha!
If I weren't so lazy, I'd be all sorts of crunchy. Well... except for food. There are some processed foods I simply can't survive without. Namely...the heavenly process of reese's peanut butter cups and dr. pepper. I could live on it, I have lived on it. It is sorta healthy-ish. There's some dairy and some water and some protein and stuff....
Okay and my children would attend school and get medications at the dr. and I'd still own a car albeit a hybrid no doubt! :)
Anyway. That is just me on the inside, the outside me is just too damn lazy and otherwise invested in day to day life to put so much effort forth on the downing of big business and antibiotics in my milk and the slaughter of defenseless animals. I had a small stint as a vegetarian, but with all of my food allergies, it is just too limiting for me. So then I only ate white meat, which I still don't eat much in the way of red meat, but...then I think if you were to ever go and WORK cattle, you'd see how limitlessly STUPID they are and no matter how much you wanted to protect and cuddle them, their stupidity would piss you off so much you'd sit down and have a steak right there.
Seriously. They are SO DUMB it annoyed me enough to go out and EAT one of them. I'd leave smelling to high heaven and go order myself a big ol' steak. Regardless, as far as meat goes, chicken is my main staple and I really do NOT want to hear about the treatment of chickens and the conditions etc...
I will put my fingers in my ears and start off with an unending version of "Laaaalalalala- LALALALALALA-lalalalalalala!!!".
I can do it for days. I feind ignorance so I can EAT SOMETHING okay?!?!?!
NOw leave me alone. Oh...and your tofu is nasty. Your hummus has olive oil in it, which I can't eat and apparently I'm allergic to soy milk also, oh and seriously...granola???? Ick. I love finding that stuff out the hard way.
Hmmm.
Weird pointless tangent anyone???? The kids are at school and I should be doing something else instead I sit here with too much time on my hands so that I may rant about things I really don't put forth the effort to do. I suppose this would be a good time to SHUT UP!

:)

Things that make your heart swell

Just a quickie because it is um, really late and I should be in bed, but you know how it goes.
I was gonna do another full posting, WOW! Two in one day with photos and all? However, I've spent so much time pretending I know what I'm doing working on this computer that I'm up too late and about to fall over.
I just HAD to add though, one of those sweet out of nowhere things that comes out of an almost (NOT YET!) 4 year old's mouth.
It wasn't even directed at me, but it was just so precious...


We were all in the living room and I was dressing Kade in his pj's and he looks at Mike then back to me and says, "My Dad, that's my Dad. He's incredible."
I said, "Well yes he is. That is so sweet Kade!"
He says, "Dad...you're incredible. You are my hero."
Awwww tell me that did not make Mike's Daddy ego just explode! :)
Mike says stuff back to him and Kade says again.
"My Daddy, he's my hero. Daddy, you know you're my hero?"
Awwwwwwww.
So sweet that boy.


Who knows where it came from, what he was thinking, what brought it up. It was just precious though. He might be a Mama's boy, but he sure does love that Daddy of his... He's got a great one though, so it's no wonder. :)

However, sometimes he might not express it in quite the same loving manner.

(he was really just showing Daddy his boo-boo but we're deranged and kept making him show it so I could take a picture of him innocently and unknowingly giving his Dad the bird). haha

Although come to think of it, he seems to get an awful lot of boo-boos on that middle finger and none of the others, or he doesn't seem to care about those other fingers. Hmmm...perhaps it is not so innocent??? ha! Perhaps Mike and I are not discreet enough when we jokingly flip each other off sometimes. Let's hope that it is just an odd coincidence of middle finger boo-boos and nothing more. :)

3 British Peacocks, 2 Turtle Doves and a Hedge Hog in a cut down TREEEEE.....

Well, two out of three isn't bad.
Seriously. It is crazy. I'm bewildered by some of the free roaming animals here. It doesn't bug me at all, I find it really interesting and sort of exciting actually. I need to find a spot where I can get pictures of these mini-deer and of course, the giant moose that are confused thinking they are deer. Then there's the male pheasant that hangs out around here, usually chillin with the male peacocks. This whole peacock thing is just odd to me. ALL the dudes hang out together and all the hens tend to stick near each other, but when they hang out, they ALWAYS fight. I mean for real. There are at least 3 different hens with chicks and if more than one set happens to be in the yard at once, they are bitching and fighting with each other. Ugh. Chick drama...

So I've wondered, but as of this morning, it is official. I have spoiled the peacocks. I really thought it was just their normal routine to make their way through our yard in the mornings looking for morsels of bread I might have tossed out or some fresh bugs etc... There is one male, unfortunately no matter how hard I try you cannot tell them apart so I can't name them and it drives me insane, that I think is the same one and I call him "nosey" b/c he is just that. He's always looking in the windows! Tell me it wouldn't scare the crap out of you to walk in the bathroom and there is a big ass peacock standing there staring at you...especially when it is on the 2nd story!
So this morning, the boys are having breakfast and I am standing against the counter watching them and visiting with them. I notice that the hens have made their way in the yard for their morning inspection. THey make their way up on the patio and nose around, pecking about here and there. Not paying attention I look again and there the three of them stand. Staring at me through the door. Just...staring. Waiting. "Bitch...where's the damn bread at???? We're hungry!". So, of course, i went over and got them the rock hard remains of our french bread and tossed it out. They stayed out for about an hour devouring it. JUst as happy as their little peacock selves could be and went on their merry way.
Now, is it going to end up being some creepy thing and I have peacocks at every window in the mornings, staring, waiting... Stephen King, I think I've got your next book idea!
Spoiled peacocks. Leave it to me.

So then let me add still yet another animal. I had no idea that hedgehogs ran wild here. I saw a few odd "things" dead on the road that looked very much like a hedgehog but nah.... Those things were a hot commodity in the states here a few years back. At least until I think everyone figured out they were nocturnal so not much fun to watch and overall pretty boring. I'm sure if not for the numerous predators in Texas, there would be an over-abundance of wild hedgehogs there as well.
Anyway, I asked Mike and he said they were indeed plentiful around here. I guess they come around more as it cools off. You notice the road kills changes rapidly here. It went from nothing to tons of pheasant and now hedge hog. I'm afraid to know what will be next on the list. I'm not morbid at all.
Anyway. Night before last I went downstairs to close up shop and have a last smoke for the evening. (Hush...I guilt myself enough for it thanks though). I shut the garage door and a disgusting nasty cat was in there. Scared the hell out of me too. Blech! Seriously those things need to be kept inside or chained up or something. Yeah they do gross me out more than anything, but... have you ever seen (speaking of) that Stephen King movie with the cats? They freak me out too to be honest. I never understand people being afraid of horses, I mean how much sweeter of an animal is there? Cats though... how are people NOT freaked out by them? All staring and licking their chops, just waiting for the right opportunity to gang up on humans and try to take over. Creepy damn things.
ANYWAY, I then stepped out the back and there was a bag for the recycle bin just out the door. I heard rustling and thought it was another damn cat, so armed with a broom I got out, but...there is nothing there? Yeah, see? Creepy! I hear it some more and suddenly around the corner comes this fat little hedge hog. Completely oblivous to me being there. So I ran in to get my phone because seriously, how damn exciting is it to have a WILD hedge hog come up on your patio at midnight??? However, that did not work because it was too dark to SEE where to take the picture at.

Well...yes, of COURSE I ran up three stories to get my camera, that little fat fart was fast! Let me tell you they might appear slow, but they are not. They are the cheetah of the little critter world apparently! I thought I lost him, but armed with my huge camera, a flashlight and traipsing around at midnight in my foggy pitch black soaking wet backyard in my socks...I found him again!
He was not too happy with me for shining a light on him, much less the camera flash but most certainly not when I tried to get him to move so I could get a better shot of him. Geez, if only he knew it was his modeling debut, he was being shot by a pro and he'd be seen worldwide. Silly animal!
Well...he was finally so scared he had all his little pricklies up and his eyes shut tight, so I thought I'd be nice and leave him be...not to mention it was pretty damn cold out there in my jammies and wet socks. ha!
The words of my cousin so very long ago to me, as she caught me cutting up worms came to mind and I heard her voice once again saying something like, "Aimee, how would YOU like it if some giant was shining a big light in your sensitive eyes and nudging you with their foot and shooting off that bright flash at YOU? You wouldn't, you'd be scared..."
Ha! Yeah I was like 5 or so when she gave me the speech about the poor sectioned off worms. However, it stuck with me and is where I learned...empathy. Oh quit freakin laughing and the rest of you that's what you get for taking a drink when you read my humorous antics, now wipe off the computer screen before you blow it up.

P.S. I think I should work on finding a new word to begin paragraphs with. This whole blogging thing has led me to realize how badly I need to go back to 5th grade language class.

Ya know...life IS good.

Ah...it is one of those days. I feel better. After an adorable evening last night with my adorable little Mr. Incredibles, a good night's sleep, a nice laid back day around the house less the never ending laundry (damn this tiny washer!!!), and a lead into a lovely relaxed evening. I am letting my mind swim lazily around and thinking on all of the great things.
Someone had made a comment one day about a bottle of wine. It was a 2007 bottle and they jokingly said, "It was a good year..." to which I thought, "No, it wasn't at all actually. It was one of the worst years of my life, which isn't say much nice about it."
Now I can look at 2008, it is drawing closer to an end and even though some major things have happened in our lives and in the lives of some of my most loved ones...good and bad, it has still been pretty damn good.
My boys are finally starting to get a better grip and acting a lot better making my days much better i.e. MOMMY has got a better grip (thanks to a lengthy discussion with my fellow almost 4 year old moms) and is dealing with the preschooler/toddler-preschooler bit so much better and much more calmly. FINALLY.
I am much more calm. I think, even though we were in our home and "settled" we still were not settled. We're still not in many respects, but Mike is getting more settled in at work and into the routine there, I'm sure that has to be a bit to get used to, especially with all the new responsibilities he's taking on with his new status with rank etc... The boys are getting into the groove, I am sure I am sort of. ha!
I have been a little more in the mood to talk on the phone, which you know is something I LOATHE, but I miss my people and I do love y'all so I guess I'll talk on the phone...
The other day I got to talk to Kris and she did something I didn't think she'd do in a million years, that made her feel good, thus making me feel good. Happy for her and hope she keeps it up! I talked to my sister and Ben is having a better time in school, Ally is doing fantastic in school and Heather well...she made it out of her wreck without a scratch and is safe and sound albeit on foot....again. (I can't help but give her a hard time now.)
I've heard that Renfro (yeah a nickname. hehe) is doing awesome at football and of course Ash is doing great and Shea and Bo talked to Kade on the phone the other day, he was so excited about that.
I've gotten to talk to Frankie more via online b/c well she's laying around being lazy at home for a few days.
Frankie? Well, I won't say she's being lazy. I could never say that, with five kids I doubt that is possible anyway. She's awesome, I should update y'all on the status since I know several of you are aware of what was going on there.
The baby is HERE! Let me just say that Frank can grow some BIG healthy babies! haha! I don't think hers were that big even?!?! Anyway, Baby M made her arrival on Wednesday and weighed in at 9lbs 13oz and 21.5" long!!!! I was, as you likely know, SUPPOSED to be there to shoot the maternity and then back for the birth. So sad I missed it all! However I did get to see a few pics from the hospital and oh man...the looks on Mom and Dad's faces was enough to make anyone's heart swell! Frankie did one very amazing thing! Everyone was doing so good they were out of the hospital in less than 24 hours! So M and K are at home with their brand new baby girl and Frankie is now home probably chugging some beer! So proud to call her my friend. Selfless, loving and just giving. Giving is such an understatement, that gal's got one huge huge heart.
(If you might possibly be confused one of my very best friend's was a surrogate for her friends).

Tracy gave me a great report and update on her Mama. As of right now, there is NO TUMOR! So she has been living well and getting out and enjoying life, as she well should and her scan was totally clear this last time! Thank God!

Then today I spoke to Jayne. I read some of her blog updates and it was so touching, thanks for being so open J! ha! I know it is difficult. I just needed to SPEAK to her though after reading, so I got to chat with her on the phone. SHe sounded great! I went from thinking back to that call I got at almost midnight a few months ago, that sickening call... to hearing her today and it was so great to hear her sound so good. I think a big part of me has been in Houston for a few months just sitting there with them. It is the only way I could be there with them, and I desperately wanted to just BE there but it was not possible. If I were still in Texas, I'd be in Houston right this moment actually. Tonight is the benefit for Emma and I am so thankful that there are people there working so hard for them and doing so much. Praying for an enormous turn out and lots of generous people. (Get em drunk! People always get more generous when they're hammered!). No, the report on Em was pretty darn good. NOt the MOST PERFECT NEWS EVER, but certainly not bad at all.
She got the results back from her MRI and there was a small spot still, but it was not where the tumor was, it was a little bit lower down and they feel it is just some blood debris, a blood clot or scar tissue left over from the surgery. They will, of course, watch it closely but its a wonderful sign! Especially after one round of treatment. THere is a big update on her blog, if you would like to view it.
I guess, as it all starts to unfold, there really has been a ton of stuff on my mind for awhile. All those things though, seem to be letting up on those I love some. As everybody in the world it seems like, is beginning to fall on hard times, it's even rough over here too, there is still so much to be thankful for.

This evening though... it is cold out and pouring rain, we are warm in our lovely home. Our bellies are full. There is a roaring fire in our fireplace. My children are happily devouring Halloween candy on a huge blanket I laid out in the living room. My husband is kicking back with a cup of coffee praying that I can figure out SOME way for him to watch the Longhorns play! I am sure it is killing him to miss this season! I'm missing getting to watch too, especially since some Quarterback decided to pull his head out of his derriere this year!

So you see...while in general I am an optimist in a pessimist's clothing, I do sometimes like to come out of the closet and share the greatness that is...living. I have to be thankful and say thanks that things I prayed for, have been answered. Obviously that does not often happen, but man in these cases...I was really hoping to get a thumbs up this time. Phew!

Anyway, pretty good reports all around. It sounds like just about everyone is doing great and that is a big relief for me. :)

Love to all...I've got to get this figured out for my Mikey! He'd be one HAPPY camper if he got to see his boys play in the morning.

Even Superheroes Need Pizza!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN ALL!!!!

Hope no one gets a tummy ache this evening! Kade was pretty much zinging from one wall to the other this evening before bed. Thank goodness he did not throw too much of a fit when I took his goody bag away! Yikes! Good thing it was too cold to trick or treat for very long!

This evening we went to the base to trick or treat and it was really really cute. Everyone goes all out there to hand out candy, I was quite impressed. Several had these neat "sets" built up in their garages, yards were full decorated, jack-o-lanterns every way you turned, nearly every single person handing out candy was in costume...very very fun for the kids. I mean I was REALLY impressed. Especially since when we first drove up I said, "Geez, Halloween is just LAME here." Well Mike thought they were only doing trick or treat from 4-6 which sounded weird but whatever, I don't keep up with things. Well, we just got there right as it was about to break out, which turned out for the better anyway. All those big kids start coming out after awhile and it is just way too crowded. So all the candy people were blessed with the presence of immense cuteness to start off their evening.

Oh and the boys did soooooo good! It was one of the most ADORABLE things I think I've ever seen! Cody kind of sort of did it a little bit last year, but not really. Once he figured out those people were handing out FREE "CANNY" he was ALL over it. It was nearly overwhelming a few times how DAMN CUTE it was.
Yeah, it was that cute. My heart was just bursting with adoration for the cuteness of my boys.

Shut up Aimee and just share photos of the cuteness already? Just a few snapshots for now from this evening. Nothing super great, doesn't do the cutest boys in the world justice as to how cute they really were in person. I'm trying to see how many times I can put "cute" in one single blog post right now...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To begin our story of photos. Here is dress rehearsal the day we got the costumes in the mail. Kade loved it, as I knew he would. He really loves to dress up.

Cody, who was just as adamant that HE too wanted to be Mr. Increh-uh-buhl, was not so thrilled with it after all. Oooooh dear. Too late to return it, to expensive to not wear it, what to do? So we asked him EVERYDAY if he wanted to wear it. Adamantly exclaiming, "NO!!!!" he'd run away from you. If you even TOUCHED the package it came in, he'd cry. Oy. So I'd wracked my brain trying to think of SOMETHING he might wear. He was having absolutely no part of any other costumes we had, not that any of them really fit him - not even Kade's from LAST year. Nope. So then I thought of one that would just be a hat and clothing. Surely he'd do that? Well, the "fancy dress shop" which is otherwise known to us Americans as a costume shop apparently moved or went out of business because when we finally made our way over there today, it was just an empty space. Oh hell. So finally I decided, if all else fails, I'll just faux-hawk him all up and put on some of their rock n' roll garb and he can be a punk. See, he'd fit that profile well. Especially with his attitude this afternoon.

We grabbed ALL the costumes and headed out. ALl the way there, he still refused to wear it. He cried if we mentioned it. I'd even brought along his Old Navy tee that Granny sent him if that is all I could get on him. Desperation! Not a "costume" but festive at least.

Well.... because my baby boy loves his Mommy so much. He said he'd been teasing us all that time.

It was no time at all, and they figured it out and were ringing the bell and saying their lines ALL by themselves! What big boys!!! There was ONE door, and I've got to give my big brave boy some props here, that had a scary skeleton on it who's eyes lit up. Well Kade said he was scared and he did not want to knock. However, he knew there was candy on the other side of that scary door. It was a pretty risky move, but he actually went over and rang the bell with the scary skeleton staring at him. Wow. Goes to show he's grown up a LOT, this boy who was my little fraidy cat and once he was scared, that was it. Not tonight, tonight he was a big brave boy.

There were some pretty darn cute candy hander outters. (new word). hehe

Time to replenish their energy stores with some good old carbs from Pizza Hut!

Nice hair huh? Oh don't even bug me about that damn binky. I bug myself about it enough. It is not the kid that is so addicted to those things...it is US as parents! haha

We ended our evening by Kade asking if we could go home now because it was cold, which it was!!! Co fell asleep in the car on the way home, Kade got to stay up with us and watch Star Wars in front of the fire and go through his loot.
Now he's sleeping soundly as I'd like to be, and will be very shortly.

They both did so wonderful and I was so proud of them! Next year, I know is just going to be a total blast!

Everyone be safe and have a fantastic evening! I believe we are off to explore Norwich tomorrow - FINALLY!!! A picnic lunch at a park or castle or something. Some window shopping and just being out of the house, should the weather hold. Sunday, we're home because I got a creative itch the other day and have come up with all sorts of evil plans to occupy my poor husband's entire weekend!

Oh, and PS all these photos were taken between 5 and 6 PM. Dark huh? hahahahahaha!