Updates

Again, busy, busy, busy. Hard to find time to blog, but I do like to keep you all up to date on the family. Fall is definately here, and almost passed because the other day it actually rained thick rain/snow balls...not hail... little balls of snow. Never seen this before. We've enjoyed many weekends at the shack playing in the leaves, playing with the cousins, 4-wheelers, and campfires. Love it!

A couple of weeks ago, Adam, I, & the kids took a school bus trip with some others from the area to Cowhorn Crossing Farm. Bus ride went OK, but next time I think we take our own vehicle. We were kind of at the mercy of everyone else. After a couple hour bus ride trying to entertain (arrived at 11:30am), a couple hours at the farm with two little ones (ready to go around 1:30pm because that's when we were told we were leaving), we were ready to go, but the others weren't so we had to wait an additional 2 hours, plus the lady that organized the event said we were stopping for food along the way so I only packed crackers, a couple other snacks, and some juice boxes so by 3:30pm when we finally left we were hungery and finally stopped at Burger King. The farm itself was a blast. We ran through & climbed on the hay maze, looked at chickens, turkeys, horses, the petting zoo that had bunnies, a little cow named Valentine, sheep goats, & piglets. Tanner loved the bulls (he called all of them that). There were slides for the kids to go down, sand to play in, little kids golf. We also loved the corn maze. We turned the kids loose and they ran through it giggling. Our favorite part was the hay ride. They piled loose hay in the wagon and we all sat down in the loose hay. The tractor pulled us through the field to where the cows were and then it just stopped turned off the engine & all. We were all looking around wondering what's going on when the cows came a runnin' and started eating the hay out from underneath us!!! The kids giggled and fed them hay. I showed Karlie how to scratch their little bumps on their heads. We used to always do this with Grandma & Grandpa's cows & also Uncle Lloyds Curly the bull. The cows ate until their was barely any hay left and then we headed back. It was so much fun!!! Such a great experience for the kids and for us to experience with them. See from the pics how close the cows were!

The bus ride back was OK for awhile, but it was blazing hot. Tanner fell asleep on me and then woke up crying because he was so over heated. It took me over 20 min. to calm him down after I stripped off all his clothes and opened a window. Adam wouldn't open one for me because he was afraid the bus driver would get mad (he yelled at someone on the way down to close their window), I was like what's he going to do kick me off the bus, so what I'll never ride one of these things again. He He I was a bit in panic mode trying to calm him down. This is what I mean by taking our own vehicle. We could have pulled over and moved around a bit, but not on the bus they don't pull over. Oh well, definately an experience we learned from. Adam said we definately take our own next time and we're in agreement. Enjoy the pics and have a very happy Halloween! Karlie is Cinderella and Tanner is a frog prince. I'll post pictures after tomorrow so you can see their cute outfits.

Kids

Well, remember how I said in my last post that time is going by too quickly & the kids are growing up too fast... well, for sure that is true. I know Tanner isn't a baby any more, but I knew this for certain when I got their school pics back. I looked at it and wanted to cry (a good cry) oh, my goodness, it hit me like a ton of bricks that my baby is a little boy now. Karlie's showed that she no longer has a baby face and is a little girl.

Today mommy has had a bit of panic/anxiety problems because I just put Karlie on the bus for the 1st time. Karlie was ready, but mommy was not sure. I kept asking her if she was sure (as we're standing there waiting for the bus) I'm, kneeling down to her level and asking her again, she says "mommy, yes I'm sure, I'll be OK, and I'll miss you though mommy (kisses my forhead) and then says I'm a big girl now. I wanted to cry. I walked her across the road when the bus stopped kept our dog maggie from boarding. Karlie just walked right on in and sat down. I had drove the truck down to the end of our driveway so we could sit in it since it was raining so Tanner waited in there with our cat Whiskers (mommy turned the vehicle off & took the keys out so he wouldn't drive off in it). It was like a three ring circus, the cat followed the dog followed, and they would have all boarded the bus had I let them. When did my little girl get to be such a big girl??? I called a little while later to the school to make sure she made it to the class. The teachers go out to get them in the morning and Teacher Cathy said Karlie loved it and came in smiling away. So I was happy she liked it.

We're going to have to get Tanner a helmit with a face shield on, I think. Besides wounding his mouth a couple time this month...this weekend at the shack he fell off the deck into the step and got a big fat lip and then we arrived home yesterday; he tripped over sissy and into the coffee table and smacked his head receiving a goose egg and black & blue. He has to climb on or off everything. When he's not doing it he's thinking about doing it. My little stinkers!

Time

Where in the world does time go? I need about 12 + more hours in a day to complete everything I need to do. Who knew it would take so much time to play with my children, feed, clothe, bath them, do dishes, laundry, sweep mop, vacuum, grocery shop, run Karlie to school & dance class, exercise myself, do the books for the business, feed animals, separate the kids when they're fighting, church and teaching children's church once a month (other mommy's & I switch off), yard work, gardening, read to the kids their bedtime stories (Bedtime Devotions & Little house on the Prairie, right now), and tuck them in, then actually get to have a real conversation with Adam. :) Some days it really feels like a whirlwind day. I really wish I had a slow motion button some days for my own life. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining; the kids just seem like they are growing too fast. I can't believe October is here already.

I've mentioned in the past Karlie's little independent streak. Well, the last dance class she did so well almost danced the whole entire time. See she likes to do her own dance and doesn't really pay attention to the teacher not because she doesn't want to...she just likes to be independent & needs to keep busy. This independent little girl will definately go big places when she grows up, but somedays it down right frustrates mommy. I'm going to count one of these days how many times mommy has to say Karlie are you listening to mommy because it is a lot. This is also one of her most hilarious traits. My little chatter box asks lots of difficult questions. The latest was she was wondering how we were going to get to heaven (we were out at the farm & asked about grandma hansen again) I told her one day God would take us home there...next question how does God do that; where is God. I tried to explain God is in each one of our hearts and she told me well then he definately can't take us to heaven because he doesn't have a car in our hearts. I had to smile, but tell her I would find out more info. for her. I'm really not sure how to better explain this whole thing to her other then the way I have, but if anyone knows a way to explain it better to a 4 year old PLEASE let me know. She also may be riding that school bus shortly, I talked to the driver who is my brothers best friends dad (who is wonderful & it makes me feel better about letting her ride when we're finally ready to let her). I forgot to warn him she's exactly like my brother when he was little (sorry little bro but you were a stinker in every sense of the word) :). he he he If there is a book on how to answer these questions, I would like it very much.

My little Tanner is so much a little boy now. Throwing everything...he has a very good arm on him. Maybe baseball is in his future. The latest is everything goes over the railing from the living room onto the stairs below. I have a wreath hanging part way down and most days it is littered with socks, his t-shirts, & toys. My mom came in one day and commented how beautiful my wreath looked. Also, he loves to turn the TV on & off, on & off. He's gone in the potty chair twice so far. He loves the new kitten and always wants to carry it, the kitty is not too fond of neck or tail holding, but is very patient with him as he learns. He is also very fascinated with his nose and that fingers fit up there. He has been to the Dr. more then I care to mention. Three ear infections since December, Urgent care last Oct. for croup, Urgent care a couple Sundays ago for falling just right on the potty chair and having a whole in his mouth where the inside upper lip meets the gums but he didn't need stitches for that I'm thankful, and the Dr. now thinks he has allergies which is why he sounds so congested half of the time.

Does grey hair come from children? My mom always said she never had any until she had us, I don't have any yet, but I'm tending to agree with her on this. Next weeked we're going to the shack, and from there on Sunday to Cowhorn Crossing farm in Grand Rapids. They have hay rides, 13 acre corn maze, hay maze, crafts, petting zoo, etc. It sounded like so much fun. The kids should have a blast. I know I will. This is one of my favorite times of year. Happy fall all!!!