These Days

Texas has started laughing at us!

It's so incredibly cute and I just love it. Especially when he and CandyBar are both laughing at each other. Just makes your heart melt.

It doen't really matter what position he is in, it seems that any time Rat holds him he just falls asleep, probably because Rat is always so warm and I am always so cold.

CandyBar is really into coloring right now. He will spend a good half hour or more just sitting on the floor scribbling on paper. As he is doing it he will say things like "Daddy, horsie, cow, cat, goat, mommy, baby, run fast, airplane" which makes me think he really knows just exactly what he is drawing. 

He loves to bring me the paper and say, "Horsie, ride it" so I will draw a picture of a horse with a person on it, which is always him. 

He has a few books that have pictures of horses in them, this being one, but only one little picture. Maybe Santa can bring him a story about a horsie this year.

"Just tell yourself, Duckie, you're really quite lucky!" - Dr Seuss

I just LOVE Thanksgiving. How does a holiday get any better than one that revolves around Family and Food, my two favorite things!

Our celebrations started out painting handprints for grandmas and grandpas. It ended up turning into just having fun painting. 

We then went to my cousins house where we had Dinner with all my extended family in the area. We had tons of wonderful food and lots of good laughs. Every year they hold an archery tournament so we took our shots at the hay bale.  Rat did pretty well and shot about 220 points.  I on the other hand who am left handed decided after failing so miserably last year would try to shoot right handed. Sometimes I do things better that way, but I guess not shooting. The first one went flying way over the bale somewhere out into the cow field, so I did the rest left handed.  I don't think it really matters which hand I use they are all pretty bad.  I ended just barely hitting the bale 2/4 times and got a whopping 20 points. Uncle Paul said "Don't worry guys Sega's just demonstrating why man was ordained as the hunter and not woman" I don't think I could have said it better myself.

After that we drove up to my parents house, but on the way saw an RV on the side of the interstate with a few guys holding out their thumbs. Rat started to pull off and wanted to help them. I was trying to convince him that we have two little babies in the car and only one empty seat and we are not picking anyone up and should just keep going.  He insisted that we should just see what they need and pulled over. Me being in the passenger seat, the one closest to the shoulder quickly locked the doors and cracked my window as little as possible. They came up to the door and said that they had ran out of gas and wondered if we would drive to the next town and bring them some gas. We said sure, and he handed us $40 & we took off.  Then I felt awful and realized not everyone is out to get us and I would have turned down an opportunity to help these people because I'm too worried about everything. So I need to work on that. Anyways so we drove the 10 min to the next town and got gas and headed back to the RV. When we got there a Sheriff was sitting behind them with his lights going. Rat got out and gave them the gas and change and found out they were a long way from home and heading to Ohio. (a long way away) and had about 10 people in that RV. I felt really glad that I have a husband that was insistent on stopping, and a little worse that I didn't want to. Then on the way back to the car the sheriff stopped Rat and said he just wanted to meet the people that were willing to help. He said that when the RV guys had told him someone said they would help and were given cash he told them they wouldn't see that again. He was surprised we came back.

We made it to my parents house and they had a surprise waiting for CandyBar

I guess they got it for him for Christmas but couldn't wait to give it to him. The whole time we were there that's pretty much all he did. He loved it so much!

The next morning the first thing out of his lips was "Horsie... ride it?" over and over.

We had lots of fun with the family!

That afternoon we took family pictures with everybody which was an adventure to say the least! 

Texas found a little chair just his size though.

We got a lot of good shots and had a really fun time with everybody. (Not so much CandyBar though, it was nap time)

Then we had dinner with my family

Rat's special Papa plate.

and headed to Rat's extended family get together. CandyBar had way too much fun with all the cousins and cried and cried when it was time to go home.

It was so wonderful to see everyone and we felt a little like crying too when it was all over.

Such a wonderful visit with the aunts and uncles!

"Nature gives to every season, a beauty all its own." - Charles Dickens

The other day felt like it was awful. It seemed like both boys were so needy and crying most of the time.  When I had just about had it we decided to get some fresh air. So I loaded up the boys and we took off. It is amazing how some fresh air can change everyone's mood. It was WONDERFUL!

We walked down to our neighbors house where Prissy the horse lives and tried to get her to come over to the fence but she was happy out in the field and stayed her distance. That didn't stop CandyBar from trying to lour her our way.

He was yelling "Horsie come here!" and "Run Fast Horsie!" He also tried picking berries and yelling "Horsie Bite?" then throwing them over the fence. Once he figured out she wasn't coming we just stood there and enjoyed watching her eat and flick her tail. She really is a beautiful animal.

You might be able to see her off in the distance over his left shoulder.

It was so nice, we walked for over an hour and a half. Both boys were happy the entire time which was so refreshing. I love the look of new wheat coming up in the sunlight! It just glows. 

Deer, oh Deer

This weekend we went to Memphis, MO with my sister in law and her family. Rat and her husband went hunting while we played with the kids at the cabin. I was a little weary going the boys were super cranky the day we left...

and Rat and I had had a stomach virus earlier in the week and I was worried one of the boys would end up with it on the trip. 

We all stayed healthy though and had a ton of fun. While we were there Mary and I took all the kids (6 boys under 6) to The Dutchman's Store which was AMAZING! (They don't have a website, but this lady's blog goes into enough detail.) I wish we had brought a babysitter along just for this. We know for next time I guess. I was able to get Rootbeer Extract, which I have been looking for for a long time and can never find here in the states, and bulk items that we use a lot (split peas, oats) for a good price. They have pretty much every spice you could ever need for really good prices so I got a few of those that we use a lot. Also there are not taxes on food in Iowa so that was sweet!  They also had a bunch of those little plastic farm animal figures for 40cents each so I got a couple horses and other animals for CandyBar's stocking.  I let him play with the horses in the store so I could do my shopping, let me tell you those two little horses have been the best 80 cents I have spent thus far. He played with those things the whole trip and has continued to since. They are Wonderful!

Despite some cranky kids, and the van battery going dead, losing keys, 

being a bit cold, and not getting any deer... 

we had a lot of good laughs, cute kids, snuggly times, tasty food, and long talks. 

It was definitely a weekend to be remembered.

Blessings

Texas was blessed in church on the 6th. It was so nice to have all our close relatives there with us.

This blessing outfit was made by my Aunt for my little brother quite a while ago, 

he was blessed in it, as was CandyBar and Texas. It fit CandyBar just fine, but was really small on Texas. I had to leave the back unbuttoned, and the cuff on the legs came up to his knees, but Rat insisted it would be fine. And it was.

I wore that cap as a baby. It was made for me by my grandmother.

Texas and his cousin Owie. They are about 3 months apart. 

We were so happy to have him and his family visiting at the time.

Rat and his seven brothers were all together that day for the first time in about 4 years.

It was a happy reunion.

I'm pretty sure about half of them are on their toes.

What a lucky girl I am to have such wonderful in laws for my boys to look up to!

I'm coming home!

Rat's brother Ed came home from his mission in Siberia the begining of the the month.

We are all so happy to have him back home.

While Ed was away CandyBar and Texas were both born so he hadn't seen them yet. At first CandyBar was a little bit scared and shy around Ed, but now they are great friends. 

Texas was all smiles for him from the git-go.

We were especially glad for his homecoming because it meant lots of fun with the family!

There was playdough ...

Pizza and Ice Cream...

Playing outside...

They were making "onion soup" (mashing wild onions on the cinder block)

Colouring on grandpa's lap...

Football...

Don't worry we had BOTH games covered.

and little King Owie!