DEAR LORD...

Please make the laundry go AWAY!!!!!!!!

I was just upstairs folding the MOUNTAIN of clean clothes that I washed today and yesterday. I do 1-2 (large) loads of laundry EVERYDAY... except Saturday - and sometimes Sunday. But I pay for that on Monday!!!!!! The actual act of washing the clothes is not so bad. Folding them isn't SO bad either... assuming I don't let loads and loads pile up (as I just had done)!!! Putting them away, however, is just so daunting to me! I usually get the kids' clothes put away when I get them from their naps... or while BJ is bathing them at night. Mine and BJ's...... it can sit outside our door for DAYS!!!! BJ is usually my 'putter-awayer' which I am SO thankful for! It's probably because he gets tired of stepping over them to get into our room! Whatever the reason, it's extremely helpful!

BUT..............

I was folding my clothes just now, and thinking about all the people we have come into contact with recently who are hurting - they're sick, their kids are sick, they've LOST a child, they've LOST a spouse - or their spouse is overseas, they want to FIND their special someone, their loved ones are sick, they're out of work, they're going through rough times in their marriage or with their family....... the list goes on --- and on --- and on --- and on......

Suddenly, I am so HAPPY and THANKFUL to be doing my laundry - and my family's laundry! I am healthy and able to do it. My husband is at work and affording me the LUXURY to be doing our laundry, my children are happy and HEALTHY (and trust me, I am reminded daily of what a BLESSING their health is), my family is happy and healthy... I am blessed to be doing my laundry!

Thank you LORD for my laundry... every last bit of it!!!!

Halloween 2009

Halloween was a fun WEEK of celebrating and wearing costumes for the kids! Sam LOVED wearing his costume... mask and all! Jake did ok, but didn't like the 'hat' on his head so much! But they were cuties... of course!


We were supposed to go to Boo at the Zoo, but we ALL came down with an awful stomach bug that rampaged our house for about 5 days or so. It was terrible - in one night, we changed Sam's bed SIX different times because he threw up in it! I was incapacitated for an entire day, and Jake got it and puked a few times a night for at least 4 nights in a row... requiring a bath and bed change each time! BJ (thank God), didn't get the puking part, but he still suffered some of the symptoms... it was NOT a fun few days!!! BUT, we were all better and ready for Halloween when it finally got here!

Sam dressed up for his "Character Parade" at school and got to wear his costume for that...
Here's Batman... ready for school!

Sam ready to get out of the car at school as Batman!!! Buzz ready to go to Bubby's school for the Parade!

Sam marching in the 'Character Parade' for the parents... all the kids were SO CUTE!!!

Jake enjoying the parade...

Sam's class...Buzz at the after party...

Jake and Sam both enjoying snack time!!!

Time to carve the pumpkin!!!! (FINALLY!!! The kids were just beside themselves with excitement ALL DAY!!!)Scooping was their favorite part!

Sam helped his Daddy with the 'sharp part' and did a great job putting the design on the pumpkin!

Jake doing his part!

Jake was still scooping...

Hard at work... Jake found something else to get into!!!

The finished product! We steered the kids toward a simple design since we had all been sick and weren't able to carve the pumpkin until a day or two before Halloween! And we only had/did one pumpkin this year because we just weren't up for going to pick another one out! Thank you Mimi and Pop Pop for letting Sam pick one out while yall were here!!!!!!We went trick or treating with our neighbors. Here is Buzz, Batman, Woody and Tinkerbell.

Best Friends... Buzz off in his own little world!

We took these pictures, and started to our next door neighbor's house. Then it promptly started raining. UGH!!! We got umbrellas and decided to tough it out. About two houses later, it was coming down so hard that we decided to go home and wait it out. After waiting for about 20 minutes, the rain had stopped and we went on our merry way again! WHEW...

HOWEVER, Sam really wasn't that interested in going out again - he said, "Mommy, can you just go get candy for me? I think I've trick or treated enough!" (For the record, Batman Returned!!!)The kids enjoying their 'loot'!

Next item on our agenda... GARAGE SALE! I'm attempting to get rid of some stuff and clear out our basement so we can create a make-shift playroom/train station for the kids downstairs... and the proceeds will all go toward paying Santa to stop at our house this year!

It's Saturday, November 7th if you are interested in buying stuff I don't want anymore! Haha!!! One man's junk is another man's treasure... here's hoping!!!!!!!

Jake's 2-Yr-Old Pictures

Really, there's no words necessary on this post... just my (adorable) boys posing for fall pictures - and Jake's 2-yr-old pictures!!! Enjoy!!!

This is Sam trying to get my attention to tell me something! He finally just got RIGHT in the camera so I HAD to pay attention to him!!!!

Now... time to play!!!

Our Trip to DISNEY WORLD!!!

We had so much fun, not enough time, and would do it all again in a second!!! Except the record-breaking heat. It was 95 degrees and 98% humidity in OCTOBER! Crazy!!! I have always enjoyed Disney, but never as much as seeing it through my own kids' eyes! Everything was completely new and exciting!

Since I have 106 pictures uploaded, here we go!!!!

FORT WILDERNESS

Sam and Jake playing while we got the campers set up...Our sweet ride to get us around the campground... it was fun to drive the carts - you have to dive off the road if a car comes up behind you and you can drive down sidewalks and pretty much anywhere you please... kept things interesting!

This is what camping is all about... RELAXING!!!!But this is what Disney is all about... go, go, go... and have FUN!!!! The campground had an awesome pool with an entire kiddie play area on top of the big pool with a BIG water slide and a normal kiddie pool!

Here's how we started out... completely SAFE!!!Within the first hour of being there, this is how we ended up... out of control and kamikaze!Yep, even my safe and cautious Sam!!!Sam DID get wise and put on his goggles though!!!

Mimi too!

Jake was NOT afraid to go on his own, but he sure did want everyone else to experience his joy with him!!! Don't you worry, Pop Pop and Mommy took turns too - just too many pictures to post!!!Have I mentioned that I LOVE my camera??? Look at Jake's face!!!! We had lots of fun here each afternoon!!!

Sam showing off his super swimming skills!!!

My little daredevil on the BIG slide (BJ's at the bottom to catch him) - first curve... doing good...Here's the second curve... what happened???? :-)He's caught and happy!

PS - Sam DID go down the BIG slide (willingly), but Mommy didn't do such a great job catching him at the bottom and he DID NOT want to do it again... I tried, but he screamed and cried! My bad... lesson learned!!!"I'na go gain Mimi!" (I wanna go again, Mimi!)

Fort Wilderness does a campfire sing-a-long each night. The kids really enjoyed it!Here we are waiting for it to start...YAY! We're singing!!!

During the Hokey Pokey, the guy singing stops after the second verse and says, "Sir in the white shirt, can you please turn around for me?" My dad looks up and the guy says, "Yes sir, you. Turn around for me." As my dad turns around, the guys says, "OK sir, one more turn and you'll be all caught up!!!!" It was hysterical... my dad did the Hokey Pokey the rest of the song!!!!Chip and Dale came out to take pictures with the kids... here's Dale!

THE MAGIC KINGDOM!!!

The famous castle picture that EVERYONE needs at Disney World!!!Waiting on our first ride... DUMBO!!!Off to ride the race cars!The Transit Authority...Pooh's house...Waiting to see Mickey!Mickey AND Minnie!!!The Jungle Cruise... Jake looks a little worn out!!!Riverboat ride...Whew... it's been a long day!Jake couldn't make it any further!Sam is tired, but hanging in there!DOWNTOWN DISNEY

One night, we decided to ride the monorail to downtown Disney.... One boat, two monorails and two buses later (and a little bit of waiting at a random hotel), we made it to Downtown!!! But, you know... the kids enjoyed riding the monorail just as much as the rides in the park! And we rode until they WANTED to get off!!!! ;-)

OK, so maybe it was TWO hotels we stopped at... but who's counting?

This is at the Contemporary... the boys wanted their picture with Mickey!We didn't eat here! (HAHA) But we got a picture, because it's just a cool place! The gift shop AND the restaurant - super cool!!!!

You know.... most people have the smiling pictures from restaurants..... that's just not us!!! This is WAY more typical!!!! The restaurant was really cool, though - it's called T-Rex, and has different dining rooms set up in different dinosaur eras... very creative - very Disney!!!

As long as Mimi and Pop Pop are around, Sam is a happy little guy.... except when the lights go down and it starts 'thundering and lightning' in the restaurant! Sam was not so much a fan of that!!! (Especially after the 'dark' rides at the Magic Kingdom!)Can you tell Jake is just a little tired?

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Here we are at the Animal Kingdom! (My favorite)

One of the nature/animal trails...

Look! It's a hippapotomas!!!

The African Village!The African Safari ride... my absolute FAVORITE! So many animals - just right there at your car! So cool!

Flick!

More nature trails... Sam kept asking, "When are we going to ride the next ride Mommy?"I want POOOOOOOP POOOOOOP!!!!!!! My poor dad gained 40 pounds this trip... and it's called Sam! Sam just wasn't happy unless he was with/near his Pop Pop!!!!

Bird watching! Out of hundreds of pictures, some just turn out really cool!

Our trail guides... Sam's just being difficult, I mean silly!!!!

Brothers...Yep... it's a big rhinocerous!Waiting to ride the Triceretops!Sam ALMOST won...It really looks like Sam's riding in the car with the dinosaurs, doesn't it? HAHA!

This time he WON... mainly because his only competition was Mommy!

The Tree of Life... this is the best family pic we could get... Sam was playing in my hair, it was late, it was hot... this was just it!!!!

They did much better!

The bug glasses for the bug movie...

My two little bugs were the cutest!

I had to take Sam out about the time the spiders came out of the ceiling... he DID NOT like this one!!! Poor little guy... I felt so bad for him!

The Affection Section.... they loved petting the animals!

Turk...Goofy...

Such ladies' men!!!Minnie...MICKEY!!!!Jake lost to the Animal Kingdom too! Poor little guy... he fell asleep on the bumpy safari ride! He just couldn't hold on ANY longer!!!Sam lost to the Animal Kingdom too!Actually, DISNEY won... this was our last day, and he was just exhausted! But in a good way!!!

I'm ready to go back!!!!!! It was such an AWESOME trip!!!!! Sam and Jake keep asking me when we're going back too... looks like I need to start planning!!!!