Change of Plans

People had told us about this amazing Farm to take our kids to for hayrides, food, pumpkins, etc. We were in our car and heading that way (about a 30 min drive) when we saw a sign in our neighborhood for a Fall Festival at a local elementary school (5 minutes away). We ended up changing our plans that had literally been planned for at least a week :) We had promised to take Micah to a pumpkin patch, so we headed to one nearby our home...and took some fun pictures.

And then we were on our way to the Fall Festival. We had no idea what to expect and thought it might be a little too old for Micah, but it was perfect. There definitely were some things that he wasn't ready for, but there was plenty to do for a 2 1/2 yr old, and I mean plenty.

First we stopped by the petting zoo where there were a lot of animals: goats, sheep, bunnies, dogs, chickens, dogs, cats, etc. We took tons of pictures, but don't want to bore you, so I'll just show you a few...
Then we headed to the arts and crafts area-a little too young but enjoyed all the music and busyness going on in the cafeteria.
YES! FACE-PAINTING!! And of course he just had to be BATMAN. He sat really still and did great keeping those eyes shut tight.
The cutest Batman ever (I know, I'm biased!).
Checking himself out. Quite proud.
Crazy family.
And then we found the outside fun! There were tons and tons of games and blowup jumping machines-a kids paradise! Micah tried out every single one at least one time.
One happy, but tired boy. Needless to say, he slept wonderfully that afternoon :) We will definitely be heading back there next year. Such a fun day and we didn't regret our change of plans at all.

A "Taste" of the Middle East

We were blessed to be able to spend an entire day with our friend's friend, Elham. She is here visiting the States from Yemen for a couple of months. Having her in our home brought back many memories from living in Jordan and made me miss the people there. She even cooked an Arab meal for us-they are such servants. I tried to helps some as it literally took about 4-5 hours to prepare. We ate on our floor, "Arab style" (however, we did use plates and silverware) and it was delicious.

Rain, Rain...

...Go Away and Come Again Another Day.

For the past few days we have had so much rain. And to tell you the truth, I don' t really want it to go away...I've LOVED it! While living in the Middle East it barely ever rained and I had forgotten how much I had missed it. I especially missed a good thunderstorm :)

Micah enjoyed some post-rain fun in his new rain boots. He thinks he is the coolest little thing with these on...oh, to be a kid again!!

Photo Booth

These pictures were just too good to not post. They were taken at the photo booth for my cousin's, Brianna's, wedding. Thanks Bri for sharing ;)

I LOVE MY CRAZY FAMILY

Knight in Shining Armor

What can I say? Micah is ALL boy. I can handle this for the most part, but I'm not so sure about this whole "fighting intuition". Everything and I mean EVERYTHING turns into a sword, gun, or slingshot (because his favorite Biblical story is David and Goliath). I have to be ready at all times or I might just get hit or tackled. The other night Paul and I were play fighting in the kitchen and the next thing we know Micah runs over to Paul with a serious face and hits AND kicks him. We had to laugh as we realized that he was just trying to protect his Momma! I'm glad to have him on my side, but it also has been a challenge to teach him to control these natural protection instincts.

Since he is all boy, it should be no surprise that he loves to dress up as a soldier. I like to call him my "knight in shining armor"-even though most of the time he is actually fighting me :) It also has been a great way to teach him about the Fruits of the Spirit...kind of funny though when he asks me where his "helmet of salvation" is. Oh how I love my boy!

And of course a kiss from the knight is a must!

5 months

Here are a few pictures of our little beauty queen at 5 months. I love her more and more everyday and cannot imagine life without little Jordan.

Dixie Stampede

Our final evening in Gatlinburg we decided to do something that the little kids would enjoy, so we made reservations for the Dixie Stampede. Well, the kids loved it, but we grownups did too. It was a great show-very entertaining for everyone. If you have the chance to go, I definitely recommend it. Micah still runs around our house talking about the "DIXIEEEEEE STAMPEDEEEEEEE"!

bday

Happy 27th Birthday to PAUL!! It was great that we were able to celebrate his actual birthday while in G-burg with his whole family. How blessed I am to be married to such a humble man. His joy, contentment, and passion for life are just a few things I love about him.

PS. It had been over two years since we had eaten a cookie cake-and yes, I obviously had missed it ;)

cheers.
Bday Boy.

These were just a few other pics that I thought we too cute to not put up.

All the cousins.

And then Granddaddy and Lottie with the crazy grandkids.