Nov. 11th...thank you vets!

today was a special day for my husband. he was reunited with a buddy of his from Iraq who was injured in his 4th tour overseas. after being in Iraq with my husband alex was then deployed to Afghanistan. he stepped on IED their and lost both of this legs. one below the knee, and one above the knee. he was walking on his new legs months after this happened. WHAT AN AMERICAN HERO!!!

 

chuck and alex

 

brooke and brady with alex.

 

i must say it was an honor listening to this guy's story and having supper with him!

 

 

pink (for awareness)

the cheer girls, football boys, and volleyball ladies all fashioned their pink for breast cancer awareness month.  they looked very cute too. and the boys very tough wearing pink:)

it's unbelievable the amount of people effected with or by breast cancer some how.

 

on a side note: we finally wrapped up brooke's volleyball season and brady's football season.

it was so much fun to watch them, but will enjoy some nights at home for awhile

(until basketball season that is)

 

very proud of my kids for doing their best in these sports.

 

wicked cool craft...

i don't use the word wicked very often, but my folks did. my mom still does. i was born in maine, and my mom is still living there now and the word wicked is use ALOT there. examples:

• that is wicked good lobster
• you are wicked cute
• it's wicked awesome

i'm sure you get the idea now. anyway, i found a wicked cool craft to try this halloween to use for your porch decor...go to the link and check it out.

black cat o'lanterns

i'm trying to get more crafty in my old age :)

homecoming week for my daughter. 10th grade.

brooke & ariel

brooke & jessica

brooke and marie (marie is her buddy from Spain)

brooke & ryan

hannah, brooke, and ryan.

gaige &brooke

it was so cool this homecoming. i think fall is being skipped and we are headed right into winter.

we've had snow already. brrrrrrrr!

falls my favorite season & pumpkins my favorite thing!

things with pumpkin that i'm going to try this fall....just click on link to the recipes. yum!

pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing.

pumpkin dump cake.

pumpkin pie sheet cake.

pumpkin whoopie pies with creamy cream cheese filling.

and they are all really, really, good for you. (insert sarcasm)

and why i love fall and all it's colors....and cool-ness.

decorating pumpkin ideas. found here.

 

go here for pumpkin carving ideas.

 

cute way to make pumpkin cupcakes.

 

 

my mom's backyard.....fall in maine.

 

 

 

 

 

teenagers~

i know i've been warned about raising teenagers! on how hard it is! on how hard it is going to be! but why didn't someone warn me it would be SO HARD! anxiety- wanting- to -pull -my -hair -out -and -cuss- HARD! i'm a Christian girl who tries to keep my language and attitude like that of Christ, but i must admit i'm failing miserable. i've even thought about my husband and i running away from the kids. (don't get me wrong. my kids are my world and i love them more than anything.) but they don't get me. i don't get them anymore. i keep telling myself that i must be doing something right since my daughter has said she hates me like everyday for the past year. they say if your kids like you that you are not doing your job as a parent. so hearing that i must be getting a A+, right? i mean i know that she just says this when i put my foot down and don't let her do some of the things she wants to do. but it still hurts my feelings. then i end up hurting her feelings. it's so frustrating. frustrating that i can't hold my temper with her when she spats back at me with her words. anyone out there hear me on this?

brady says last night at 9 that he needs batteries for school. I say "batteries" he says "yeah" i said "this would have been nice to know when we were at wal-mart a minute ago." he than says " well i really don't need them, but i do"  ugh?? i ask what that's suppose to mean and he says " we'll i just need them for my shock pen" i'm thinking he DOES NOT  need the batteries. it just seems like lately this is our nights. every night. added with all the running from activity to activity. added to my anxiety. so i'm feeling exhausted and numb.

which brings me to why i've started a new bible study called UNGLUED.... hoping this helps me control my actions and outburst while trying to raise these teenagers.

i know i was difficult too as a teen. maybe it is payback time. i give. i really give.

bleacher bums~

seriously it feels like every time i come back to blog a little about life it has something to do with how busy we are. but seriously WE ARE! i know how busy your lives are too. it seems to never slow down, right? something every single night! this weekend was no different. we had a hershey invite for the girls JV volleyball team and they rec'd first place.  we were there yesterday from 11 am to 5:30 last night. i realize someday my babies will be gone and life will slow down a little, but for now i guess i'll keep my running shoes close by.

 

friday night we had a home game for the high school football team.

they won!

here is a picture of brooke cheering at that game.

(well not really cheering right now)

but they did great when they were.

the middle school had a game too and sadly lost in overtime.

my boy #88 getting ready to play. of course he had to look for his mom in the crowd first.

i heard someone make the comment that #88 looks like he's in college. made me smile.

even though only 13 he sure is a big boy. 

 

so that is the last couple of nights. lets just say our butts are tired. whoever created bleacher seats is a genius!

pictures were from our phones so not so swell.