Sunday's Family Outing

Sunday after church we had a huge Family Outing. Here is all who came with our family:

Karen, Miss Mary & Mr Howard (Karen's parents)

Michael, Tammy, Caleb & Audrey

MawMaw & Papa

MawMaw & PawPaw Russell (Tammy's parents)

David & Shirley (Michael's parents)

Sandy & Samantha

It was such a beautiful day I think it got to 87 degrees!!! Yikes, weird fall family outing weather.....but I'll take it.

We went to ride a minature steam train through the woods and next to the Meramac River. It was so beautiful and relaxing. The kids were just beside themselves as they all LOVE trains!

After the train we went to a farm for pumpkin picking. We took some pictures in the patch, but we didn't want pumpkins that were THAT big. So we picked a few gourds and bought really small pumpkins by the registers :)

It was such a perfect, wonderful day. Once again we are so grateful for all the wonderful family we have. It was so fun getting to do this all together! Can't wait to do it again next year :)

Our engineer girls, Emily, Hannah and Samantha

The older four trying to wait patiently for the train. Are they not the cutest?

Here is our whole group waiting at the station

Sandy and Monica. This picture is a our token picture. Most of the time we are the ones taking the pictures, so we had to get one with both of us actually in one!

Joseph snuggling Auntie Karen. My kids were just so exhausted as we haven't slowed down since Wednesday afternoon!

I wasn't kidding when I said it was a small train :) But we all fit on the same ride. I was SO grateful. It sounds like a little thing but it was really awesome.

I just want to squish them all. They were all SO good. I was so proud of them!

Engineer Emily

Engineer Hannah

Our family in front of the train crossing

Karen, Sandy and Monica.....wow, we got in several pictures today! I really don't like this one of me...but the other girls look so good I had to put it on. I hope you guys appreciate my emotional sacrifice!

MawMaw and Papa with the grandkids....well, except for Miss Julianna and her new baby (annoucement: Michelle is pregnant again!).

Here we are in the pumpkin patch. Our rule is you can have it if you can carry it :)

I thought this sign was hilarious. I thought immediately of Emily!

Joseph trying with all his might to pick this one up!

Horray! We found some gourds we could carry! What a stupendous day.

Saturday With Nanny and Bumpa

Late Friday night my dad drove down to see us and pick up mom. Saturday we decided to take a ferry across the Mississippi River to see an old french town. It was so much fun. It wasn't busy in the least, but it kept us busy for a little while. The weather was incredible! It was mid 80s!

When we got to the ferry we had to wait for this huge barge to cross. Very cool to see that close up!

Cool girls with enormous sunglasses :)

Our little family on the banks of the Mississippi!

Bumpa, Nanny and my kids

Walking in Ste. Genevieve. Isn't Joseph getting big :(

We took a breat from our strolling to have ice cream in a cute little parlor. It was amazingly cheap too. We got a sundae glass of ice cream, a soda, three kids ice creams, and two adult ice creams for <$6!!! Then we later got two coffees and two postcards....that came to $50 total! My kind of spending :)

We took a tour of two french houses. The one in this picture was brought log for log from Quebec and then reassembled here! I love the french gardens in the forground as well. They plant flowers and herbs all together.

Dad's back and hip was really bothering him, but he wouldn't put Emily down when she was snoozing on his shoulder. I guess you love through the pain when you are a grandpa :)

It was such a perfectly wonderful day. It always goes too fast, but it was wonderful!

Friday

Friday we got to take Nanny to Hannah gymnastics class. Hannah did such a good job. We had lots of cheering. I think she liked it, but may have embarrassed her some. Ahh....I am one of those moms on the bleachers....anyone surprised?!

After gymnastics we picked up Emily and Joseph at Papa and MawMaw's house and headed out to the zoo. It was such a beautiful day! We couldn't have asked for better. Actually it was in the 80s I believe...wacky October weather!

I was so amazed to actually see lions in the exibit.

Loving Nanny on the train. The kids just love the train and enjoyed getting to show Nan "their" train :)

A butterfly petting Hannah. It would just take its little antanae and feel her hand. She thought it was cool.

A resemblance????

Hey, it was a great day ....we only lost Emily once!

Thursday

Thursday we had Cousin School. Here is the kids doing the letter C. They did really well this week. We reviewed a lot and that seemed to help things sink in.

Lauren, Emily, Hannah and Breanna at "recess"

After Cousin School we got to go to St Louis to pick up my mom. She came down on Mega Bus to spend some time with us.We were so excited!!!!

Dysfunctional Body

Does anyone else get sick of all us sinners having to get along in one church? Ugh...I am so frustrated and I don't even know what is going on. I thought things were going well. In fact, in my opinion things were improving in a lot of the programs getting more organized, putting more effort into them.

Then I have been catching wind (notice not breaking wind :P) of some things. We have just had 3 deacons resign in two weeks and now one of the adult SS teachers just stepped down. I hate being left in the dark until the dust settles.

What do you think? I don't think it is right to keep the church in the dark about these things until after it is over and the dust settles. Perhaps it is just my busy- body tendency. I don't know!

"But if we are the body.....why are his arms not reaching...."

My Poor Baby!

Emily has had a sore on her heal since right after Labor Day. I even took her to get it checked at the doctor. The newbie doctor said she didn't feel anything in there. So we just gave her antibiotics. Then about three weeks ago she got another sore between her heal and ankle. Ugh...it began to puss up and things. So four times this week we have had to prick it and push the junk out and put peroxide on it with a bandage. Well, Thursday night I decided to push one more time. Good thing the Lord had me do that. Out shot this shard of glass!!!!!!!!!! It was 3/8 of an inch long. I wanted to just puke! No wonder it has hurt her so bad. So, I am not sure if she initially had gotten a piece of glass in her foot and it was working itself out a different hole! Yuck, I am SO not a nurse. It made me so sick to see that. I felt so bad for her. No wonder she screamed so hard and loud when we were picking and pushing on it!!! She has such an incredibly high pain tolerance.

Please pray that it is all out. I am still feeling hard spots but it might scar tissue or something. My poor little baby!!!

Our Sunday School Class

I have had some requests to post what our classroom looks like. So, here it is :) My favorite parts of the room are my yard sale reupholstered chairs (thanks to Allen, Clarence and Jane) and my thrift store blue chairs!

Pray for us as we are wanting God to show us how to reach these kids.

Cousin School

Today was Cousin School. They had so much fun. The letter of the day was F. The color of the day was blue and the shape of the day was oval. So, it was Go Rams day :)

Pam brought lots of firemen dress up stuff. They thought that was awesome. Are they not the cutest????

Were they playing tackle football?!?!?!

My sweet quarterback :)

Oh my! Does Caleb have the best stance or what? He was so serious about his football playing. I just love him to pieces!

Is that not the hugest football ever? The kids had a really hard time catching it though.

We also painted a farm outside. Yikes, that makes such a mess!!!!

Academic time. They did such a super job with the homework papers.

The football team. Papa even got in on the game :)

Allen

Allen's job is going AWESOME! Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed or asked about his week. We're so grateful for God's provision. He has gotten to already travel this week. He has gone to three big meetings in the last couple of days. He has met a lot of big-wigs in the company. He said everyone has been so nice and helpful. I am so very happy for him. What a change!!!!

Tuesday was his birthday. Here are the pictures from his party.

Allen's Uncle Gary and the kids. Uncle Gary played with the kids in the backyard for hours. They just loved it!!!

The birthday boy and his adoring kids.

Allen's mom, Karen and Aunt Carlma. For the record...that is BBQ sauce and not a beer in Aunt Carlma's hand :)

Papa was the cook. I was so grateful as I have never grilled in my whole entire life!

What a sad attempt at cake decorating! I did not forget for whom I was making my cake. JULIE is actually the IL name for the one call before you dig. That is supposed to be a shovel in the dirt. Oh well...it is the thought that counts, right?

They enjoyed the ridiculously decorated cake!

Allen's gift from my parents and Chris and Dana. It is an IPOD look alike. He was thrilled that it has 4g!

Hannah admiring her card she made for her Daddy. She wrote that all by herself!