Cub scouts take over the courthouse

Yesterday I brought Ward's cub scout den to the courthouse to meet with Judge Hancock (who is an Eagle Scout by the way). The boys are learning about being good citizens and I thought it was a good opportunity for them to learn a little bit about law and order.

After talking to them in chambers, Judge took them to the courtroom where they got to act out a little case. The jury decided "he was guilty" and sent the defendant to jail!! We had a great time and even Ann Park got into the action.

 Judge Hancock explaining a few things . . .

And then we got to the courtroom --

our Judge, Jax

Ward, the prosecution

Ann Park, the witness

Jackson, the jury

Elliot, the "guilty" defenant

everyone with Judge Hancock

The silly boys once we were all done!

Pics from the weekend

Jeanne and fam were in town this weekend and we had some fun up at Vulcan. Her kids are so much fun (and tall!!) and we are so excited for boy#3 to join this spring!!

April and Walker

For those of you who are praying for my friend's sister and nephew, I received some great news today that I wanted to share.  Here is the e-mail that she sent me this morning.  God is so good!!!  Thank you for all your prayers!  This is truly a miracle as the doctors did not know if they would ever make it to this point!!


Shannon!!! GOD IS SO AMAZING!!! April is talking!!! She first woke up saying "Walker". We assured him she was fine that he was at Children's in a regular room!! She said, "I love you", she stuck her tongue out at me HA! AND..  when Boone walked in, she said "hey boone". SO EXCITING!!! The neuro released her today. She said her CT scan  looked good and she would rescan in 30 days. She will start rehab soon. Walker is in a regular room at Children's  and has started rehab. We took the kids up to see him last night and he knew all of us! He still cannot speak,  but that will come in time. He spelled his name out with letters in rehab yesterday!! God is amazing and we are  witnessing his great works through these two!! Just wanted to update you!! Thank you and I appreciate the continued prayers!!!!!

I am turning into my mom

My mom used to have this little book that she would keep in her desk drawer in the study where she would write down all the presents she had gotten various people (including family) for Christmas.  I am at such a loss at what to get my kids and I really don't think that they need anything so I decided to do something similar.  Only each kids get a small index card.  And I don't plan on filling them up.  Here is the list thus far:

WARD:
whipstick scooter (I think that is what it is called)
Leapster game
orbeez (he is begging for these)
legos - alien
cowboy pajamas

ANN PARK:
2 dresses
cowgirl pajamas
American Girl outfits (mom & dad are getting her the "just-like me" doll)
keyboard
Leapster game

SAM:
bongo drum
Thomas the Train set
Little People firetruck thingy (technical name, I know)
cowby pajamas (to match Ward)
play-doh set
Fisher Price iXL system and games (this is the little kids version of Leapster)

I will probably get each kid one or two more things and then stocking stuffers.  I think that Land of Nod has the best stocking stuffers.  They are all under $10 and are old school.  Stockings are also used for re-stocking the crayola/art products in my house - washable markers, pencils, coloring books, etc.  Learned that one from mom too.  I think that she used to shop exclusively at CVS to fill our stocking.  I am totally for buying things (like pajamas) that you would have to buy anyway and give them on Christmas.  You kill two birds with one stone.  My kids have WAY more than they need anyway!

Am I leaving anything out on their lists?

Halloween Rant

I don't know what it is about Halloween that parents think that they can just let their kids run all over the neighborhood wild without thinking twice about it.  Let me give you some examples:

1.  At around 3:30, I was preparing my house for the onslaught of people and I see this kid using the rails on the front porch of my house like a jungle gym.  Definitely not safe.  I would never let my kids hang on my own house like that, let alone someone else's house.  I have no idea who this kid is, but I go outside and tell him politely to get down.  He looks at me and continues on his merry way, climbing all over the place.  I finally yell loud enough to get his mother's attention (she is standing like 35 yards away in MY YARD by the way) and she tells him to get down.  He obeys her (thankfully), but then goes running off and she doesn't even look back.  By the way, the kids was no older than 6.

2.  Whie it is still daylight outside, there are a number of kids in our side yard (we will start construction soon, praise God).  That is where the playset is and there are some parents hanging out at the other end of the yard.  Again, I do not know most of the kids (none are mine) and I definitely don't know the parents.  This would all be okay, if they were not using the top of the playset, where the swings hang from, as a balance beam.  Parents are just standing there - not saying anything, and really not looking out after their kids.  I am thinking broken neck which would most definitely lead to a lawsuit.  I get them down. Parents say nothing.

3.  But probably the worst part was the trash.  It was everywhere.  And I am not talking about just candy wrapper trash.  That I expect.  Instead, I am talking about the 7 diet coke cans I picked up from my yard, the 5 beer cans (two of which were full), the 6 coozies, two pairs of socks, a dish towel (still not sure about this one), and I can't even count the number of costume accessories that I found.  I threw away an entire garbage bag full of trash.  And most of the trash was from ADULTS. 

What is is about Halloween??

Okay, I'm done.

Halloween

I am exhausted and don't have much to say but I wanted to post a few pictures from Halloween.  The kids had a blast, but I have to say that I am NOT a fan of the weeknight Halloween festivities.  The kids still had a full day of school (and me a full day of work) and their regular homework, but I had to get ready to have about 25 people over and move all the porch furniture to the front of the house and put out all the food.  I was exhaustd even before it began.  But it was all owrth it because the kids had a GREAT time and Papa and Cher Cher made it back from TN in time to see it all.  I have never seen Sam so excited to see two people!

Without any further ado  . . . .

Flynn Rider from Tangled, a blue dragonfly, and Jangofet (sp?) from Star Wars

Ward with the Holmes twins

I did pretty good on the make-up, huh?

Sam loving the parade!

Ta da!

Some Grey Rocks Pictures

Here are a couple of cute pics that we took at Grey Rocks a couple of weekends ago.  The kids are growing up in front of my eyes!

riding the 4 wheeler with daddy 

Prayers needed

To anyone who reads this - please say a prayer today for a good friend of mine's sister.  Her name is April and she and her 7 year old little boy, Walker, were in a terrible car accident yesterday.  Someone t-boned them on the way to school. Both suffered severe head trauma and both are in comas.  April almost bled out on the scene, had emergency surgery to have her bladder and spleen removed and has a bruise on her brain stem.   Walker has bleeding on his brain and his brain is swelling.  They are trying to avoid having ot open his head up.

Please please please pray for April and Walker.  Thank you!

Pumpkin Patch Photos

A couple of weekends ago, Ted let me have a morning off (with which I cleaned the house!) and he headed with all three to the Pumpkin Patch near Harpersville, AL.  Luckily for him, he ran into the Holmes clan and everyone had a great time.  It was "Cowboy Day" and during the hay ride to the actual pumpkin patch, there was a "shootout."  Sam loved it and even had his picture made with a real cowboy!

The tractors are always a hit with the kiddos

playing in the cotton (and throwing cotton at daddy!)

Sam took a ride on the horse

And then the BIG moment . . . the HAYRIDE and Pumpkin Patch!

Sorry for the lack of pictures of Ward, but he was off with the Holmes twins and left daddy in the dust!

Oh, and of course I could not leave out Sam and the cowboy!

Update

I have been neglicting the blog . . . sorry for the 3 of you who read it!  We have been super busy with school, soccer, trips to Grey Rocks, trips to Tuscaloosa (RTR!) and I have been under the weather for a while now struggling to get over a cold that I am pretty sure has now morphed into a sinus infection.  Here is a quick update:

1.  ADOPTION: Everyone keeps asking if we have any news and the answer is no.  Basically, we will not have any news until we have the ultimate news - our match with our little girl.  This is the long wait that we knew would happen and I am actually at peace with it.  I know that our little girl is alive and just waiting for us.  I pray every day that she has kind caretakers and others who love her and hold her.  You are free to ask if there is "any news on the adoption front" but the answer will still be no, until probably February.  If we are not matched in February, I might blow a gasket, but for now I am content to wait.

2.  KIDS: Everyone is doing great.  Ward is thriving in 1st grade, reading better than ever, and has developed a love for Math (hello Jeanne!).  He is also loving soccer and has really improved on that front.  He really likes team sports and will be moving into basketball next month, although he still wants to play indoor soccer this winter.  Not sure what the verdict will be on that.  We did just sign him up for Camp Alpine for the summer . . . ten days (and nights) away from mommy!  He told me that he might miss me a little bit!   Ann Park is also loving kindergarten.  She has started reading and can't get enough.  She even asked her teacher for extra homework!  She, too, is playing soccer (with daddy as the coach) and definitely gets most improved player award.  Let's just say that during the first game she begged not to play and last week she couldn't get enough, scored 3 goals on a hard time, and was upset when she had to come out of the game.  Sam is as crazy as ever.  He reminds me more and more every day of Ward (on the outside and inside).  He is really getting into Thomas the Train and loves anything with wheels.  We have gotten out the "Like Bike"  (it is one of those balance bikes without petals) and he has taken off.  I think that he is probably the most athletic of the three.  He is so funny and keeps me laughing.

3.  ME:  I am still trying to take time for myself.  I am LOVING my tennis and have become a bit obsessed.  My competitive nature has come out and I am having fun with it.  I had a slow start and lost my first two matches (the first one I got creamed, but hung in there with the second), but I have won my last 4 matches.  I am playing singles, which I really like, but want to get into doubles as well. 

I have some pictures to post of the kids from the Pumpkin Patch as well as some from Grey Rocks.  We left the camera down at Grey Rocks and I need to get it back from mom. 

Oh and on Upchurch girl baby news, today is a BIG DAY.  Jeanne finds out what that little bug growing inside of her is.  I think that we are all secretly praying for a girl, but I know that we will love it whatever the sex.  Kit is schedlued to be induced a week from tomorrow (Nov. 1) and I can't wait to see my newest nephew (and find out his name!).