I cannot wait for Halloween. No, it's not my favorite holiday and I don't get into all the festivities and parties and what not, but now that I have kids, it's fun to dress them up. Brennan is old enough to choose what he wants to be. So, he wanted to be a police man. The outfit below is the exact costume I ordered. It is so cute and comes with the belt, hat, badge, and even handcuffs.

Oh yes, and we have ELVIS. This is Ethan's outfit. You can't see it very well and I don't think you can enlarge this picture, but it is the REAL DEAL. It came with the red scarf, and the bling-bling belt, and it has the giant eagle on the back. It does not come with the wig, and without thinking I chopped all of Ethan's hair off last week. He had the perfect Elvis hair that I was going to color black with temporary spray. But, I wasn't even thinking about that last week. Party City has some GREAT Elvis sunglasses, and I ordered the glitter microphone from the same company as the outfit.

Ethan loves Elvis. When I turn it on in the van he goes nuts--dancing and laughing. If I turn it off, he goes nuts-- as in throwing a fit.

I can't wait. Next to the real Elvis, he is going to be the best-looking Elvis to ever shake a hip.

Things I am loving and other random thoughts....

#1. I had a bogo (buy one get one) coupon for Yankee Candles. I really wanted a great autumn scent. I love burning candles that are appropriate for the seasons. Oh my, I am in love. My mom and I split the coupon so we each basically got a large Yankee Candle for $9 in the same scent.

So, let me tell you my favorite thing on this evening of October 4, 2010: Putting the boys to bed, lighting my delicious candle (so delicious I could probably eat it), cracking the windows to let the cool air in, and breathing in the cool, crisp autumn night. Chad is gone for a few hours so it's just me, my candle, and my laptop.

It's so hard to believe that just last week we were suffering from 90+ temps. It is so incredibly pleasant outside. Now, if only we could get just a few drops of rain.....


#2. On the weekend of October 15 and 16th our church is having a dinner theater. It is just clean, fun, family entertainment. I have participated in 2007 and 2009 and this year. I have also participated in our Christmas productions. It is so much fun. I know it is the last weekend of the fair, but I would urge you to buy a ticket. They are $15 and include a steak or chicken dinner and it's just clean entertainment for an evening. Besides, I am in it. What more could you ask for?

#3. Brennan is so bad, but he is so sweet. He came home on yellow (again) today for talking. And talking again. He gets it honestly. I was never a talker in school, but Chad was and still is. That's the worst trouble Chad ever got in at school, was talking. Now he has a son who takes after him.

And as we were saying our prayers tonight, he said, "Dear God, I know you make good things happen. I thank you for making good things happen. I mean, all you have to do is say it, and your powers can make it happen."

Seriously? How sweet is that?

#4. I had a great day at work today. I have a great day at work everyday. I am reminded constantly how lucky I am to have a job that I love, coworkers I love, and a boss who is not only grounded in faith in God, but who sincerely loves his patients. Not only are employers like that hard to find, but jobs like that are hard to find. I love all aspects of my job. Even if it seems to be a crummy day occasionally. Even if I didn't get paid to do what I do, I would still do it.

#5. I have realized the blessings I have found in my friends. My true friends. Friends who love me, and who encourage me, even when my problems are minute compared to many others. I have a circle of friends that I consider family. I had lunch with one of them today and it just made my day to know I could count on her for anything.

#6. Chad and I prayed, talked, and even went to the altar at church yesterday morning. God is in control of our situation. I am going to accept whatever it is that He wants in my life..... just as long as He takes care of my chronic pain. We have let Him take the wheel.

#7. And don't forget if you have been a reader and have not signed up to follow my blog, do so. It gives you a chance to win a painting. And every comment made under my posts counts extra.

Hope you all have a great week. I love this time of year. As I've said before, next to Christmas, autumn is my favorite time of the year.

Around my house.....

I know, I don't have the fanciest house, but I do what I can afford. The bowl is a Gail Pittman bowl and I use it all year round. I love decorating for fall.

My place settings.

The table.

I had identical pictures made of the boys around the same age by two different photographers whom I both love. I also had them framed in almost identical frames.
I waited 2 years until I had the cash to pay to have this one framed. I just had it framed last week.

This same picture and same frame hung in the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton for months. Karen Johansson did this, and I copied her by ordering the print and frame that she put out on display in her studio and in the Healthplex.
This is Brennan as a baby. My mother-in-law had this done for me as a Christmas present in 2004.

My dining room ready for fall.

Ethan busted loose with the Silly Bandz.

Brennan's creation from some FOAM blocks my mom bought the boys yesterday. They have had a blast playing with them.

These are my custom creations by my friend Lori. The same one who painted the painting that I plan on giving away in my blog drawing. (Remember each follower is entered and each comment made under posts counts.)

Aren't they beautiful? They match my living room perfectly!

A drawing.

I love to support local groups/businesses. But I especially love supporting friends. If you have been reading my blog and have not signed up to follow, please do. I will do a drawing in 2 weeks for this painting. And each comment made under posts will earn an extra chance starting from my posts since this past Monday.

This painting was done by Lori, Brennan's art teacher who owns ArtWorks Studios. She is so great and so sweet and is expanding her studio. Visit her site if you have a child who you would like to enroll in art lessons or if you would like to take any adult classes. I have done 2 classes through her myself and she is awesome.

Her website: www.artworksstudios.com

My life as I know it.....

My life as I know it:

--Recording television shows on my DVR in hopes of one day watching the much anticipated season premiere from LAST season. Only to delete them after the DVR memory is full of shows from this time last year that I never got to watch.

--Convincing my son that Scooby-Doo is a ridiculous cartoon and there are no such things as monsters or ghosts and there are no spiders under his sheets. (Don't ask)

--Cleaning toilets on a daily basis only to have someone have a major "bathroom crisis" 5 minutes after the toilet has been scrubbed clean.

--Injuring either foot on a toy that's been in the same spot for 3 days after my beloved children have been told at least 600 times to pick it up.

--Having daydreams about using a big gun on Barney.

--I can go head to head with the most stubborn people in this world, because I AM a stubborn person myself, but I give in to my 2 year old faster than you can blink an eye.

--Taking 2 months to read one book when I used to could read a book in 24 hours or less.

--Being the garbage disposal after my kids have left the table. I don't even make a full plate of food for myself anymore.

--Counting down every second in the couple of hours leading up to nap time.

--Rounding up Mickey Mouse (or Mi-Maw according to Ethan), doggie, duck, "bankie", and "pabby" for bedtime. Sometimes this takes 30 minutes to round up the crew.

--Spending more on diapers and milk in a month than I do on groceries.

--Looking forward to going to work twice a week just to get a break. I don't even care about the paycheck as much as I do about getting some adult interaction. (Don't take that quite so literally, Dr. H.)

--Finding rocks in my washing machine, dryer, on the floor after the vacuum cleaner makes unnatural noises, and all over Brennan's room just because he thinks it's his right as a student at his school to take as many rocks as possible from the playground. He honestly is convinced they are there to take home.

--A relaxing night for me is lighting a candle. That's it. Just being able to light a candle.

--Taking a shower in 2 minutes or less... depending on if I think I can wash my hair in those 2 minutes or not.

--Scrubbing unknown sticky substances of countertops, mirrors, and floors at least 10 times a day.

--Using Facebook as my only resource for socialization, besides the days I go to work.

--Taking 2 B-12 vitamins in the morning just so I can pretend to make it for half the day.

--Always wearing wrinkled clothes. Period. I only wear the least wrinkled thing I can find. If I think about it in time, I may throw it in the dryer for 5 minutes before I literally run out the door.

So my life is a caterer (because I cater to the needs of everyone in this house), a chauffeur, a mediator (to stop the brotherly "love" that gets out of hand), a dishwasher, a maid, an accountant, a teacher, a preacher, and everything that comes in between. I'm not going to be worth a darn by the time I'm 40. I think the blood in boy's veins is nothing but pure sugar and adrenaline..........

Last night we went to a birthday part of one of Brennan's classmates and friend. I think Ethan had the best time of all. He ran in circles around the bigger kids! And then he slept until 9:00 this morning!!!!

This was the toddler zone, but he didn't stay there long. He wanted to be where the REAL action was.

If I could just get that paci out of his mouth.

And there is Ethan hanging with the big kids.

Brotherly love.

Brennan and the birthday boy, J.J.

Thank you.

I am overwhelmed at the encouragement I got from emails, Facebook, and comments under my post. I really didn't think anyone was truly listening. I come to my blog to vent and to put my thoughts on "paper" and sometimes I catch myself rereading it to see if it can have an influence on myself in some way.

However, I also realize how selfish I may have sounded in my last post. There are so many couples out there who would love to be parents, but for infertility issues or any other issues, they are unable to even have one child. If I have to have a hysterectomy and "close up shop" so to speak after my next child, I have made peace with that. God has blessed me beyond measure. I have a beautiful family-- a wonderful husband and two heavenly gifts from God. And even if we somehow could not conceive child #3, I am okay with that too. I would be very disappointed, but I always know that God has His reasons for things happening or not happening. Besides, I've always wanted to adopt.

Adoption is so close to my heart because my mom was adopted. And there are so many children who deserve a chance in this world. And my mom was adopted into the most loving, caring, God-fearing family anyone could ask for. She lived a beautiful life growing up for the most part.

Chad and I have been praying and talking back and forth and are at peace with probably trying to have a baby in the next couple of months. Even though I'm typing this on my blog, that is not something that is written in stone. I still feel like we are waiting on God just a little bit longer. His timing is not our own.

But thank you all for your love, support, and friendship. I feel like I have won the lottery knowing there are so many people who are genuinely concerned over my situation. I love you all so much!!!!