Happy Halloween!

We finally got around to carving our pumpkin this afternoon...
None of the kids were willing to reach in to gut the pumpkin.
Even with a utensil, Jude wasn't overly thrilled...

We spent about an hour collecting goodies from our neighbourhood. The kids' cuteness paid off... they'll have enough treats to last until Christmas!!

This isn't a particularly good picture of any of the kids, but it was best one we got... Jordan was very excited, so kept getting up!

Abby was a kitty for her Halloween party at school on Thursday. She opted for the warmer dog costume for trick or treating :)

Our fall in pictures (... lots of pictures!)

Beauty in the midst of distraction

The last few weeks have been busy. In attempts to actually complete my doctorate by the end of December, I've been trying to steal chunks of time through the day to work... some days it's easier than others. Some evenings I'll have a coffee around 9 pm and work until 1 or later. After staying up late to work Monday night, I was busily trying to get Abby off to school and the boys and I off to gymnastics Tuesday morning. As I removed the cereal bowls from the dining room table before the cat could claim them, I glanced out the window and saw this...

The sky got more and more vibrant. Then the sun rose behind the clouds.

The beautiful colours turned to shades of grey.

The sunrise was a gift, from my loving Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe!

A gift that shows His glory and His power, His love and His creativity!

Life is busy right now. Kids are sick. Again. I'm tired & distracted.

Some days are just grey.

But I am loved by the One who paints the skies, for me.

Amazing.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, although not officially in all Canadian provinces. Angie Smith, a mother who lost her sweet Audrey in April 2008, wrote these words...

"All of us who have lost babies know that it isn't just one day a year.

It's Tuesday, when all the other kids are playing on the swingset.

It's Sunday, when you don't have one to bring to Sunday school.

It's Thursday, when you wish you could know what her favorite after-school snack would have been.

It's Friday, and you can't stop crying.

It isn't one day, it's every day.

Relief comes in pockets but the truth is that there is a gap that cannot be filled here..."

For me, the hard days are...
... when I hear of a mother who has just given birth to healthy twins, especially when they're boys
...when I hear that someone is pregnant with twins
...when I hear someone call their child, "Josh" or "Jonah"
...when I see other little boys in Grade 1, the grade the boys would be in now

These are the times when my heart aches for my eldest sons.

We are so very blessed that we have been entrusted with the honour of raising Abby, Jude and Jordan.
We are also blessed that we were entrusted with parenting our sweet Joshua and Jonah, even if only for a short time.

"Not Me" Monday

When a great couple from our church invited us over to their home for Thanksgiving dinner, I certainly did not allow our dessert-loving 3-year old to finish his brother's dessert, after eating his own dessert with the two forks...

AND I certainly did not allow him to lick off his plate, at someone else's home, while I took a picture...

I did not then watch all three of my children run laps around the house, full of people, while I enjoyed a cup of coffee.

We have not...ahem... "sold" a half case of mint chocolate Girl Guide cookies to our own little family. We could certainly not eat nearly a box of cookies a day!



Here's hoping that you all had a fantastic Monday and have enjoyed your own plate-licking-good culinary delights!

To my fellow Canadians, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Head on over to McMama's blog to check out more "confessions". What have you "not" done lately?