Happy Halloween 2009!!!!!

One of Brady's favorite movies is Nightmare Before Christmas - so I thought it would only be appropriate to use a Jack Skellington picture to wish you all a very Happy Halloween!

Brady loved Halloween this year - he had a great time being dressed up at school and during the Halloween parade and his party (even though his mom was a crazy woman helping first graders make paper plate skeletons which were taller than they are!) He had a blast trick or treating and ran to each house with gusto and proudly held his bag up and said "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" :) He loved going with friends, and he did more houses and ran faster and farther than any previous year :)

The other kids went off with friends this year to parties, and trick or treating - so it was just the hubs and I with Brady and his good friend next door and then another little girl from down the street joined us a bit later. It was kind of strange to not have the other kids with us. They are all growing up - most of them aren't even back yet from their adventures with their friends. I'm not sure I like this growing up and leaving stuff - it's kind of bittersweet!

It was a fun dayall around though :) Starting with cousin Madeline's baptism this morning, then some tidying up and making yummy stew for our pumpkin shaped bread bowls, then finally trick or treating. It wasn't the same with out everyone though - especially Big K! For the last 19 years we've always spent time celebrating both Halloween and her birthday - but this year she is gone and we celebrated earlier in the week. It seemed very strange to not be waiting to open her presents and sing and have cake tonight! We miss you Big K and hope you had a fabulous time at your stake activity tonight! Hope you post pictures on FB :) Happy Halloween/Birthday Pumpkin!!!

Hope you all had a fabulously fun and haunting Halloween :) I'll post pics tomorrow :) I never did get one with C in her costume - bummer - I think it was probably hilarious - she stuffed herself into a little kid's bird costume and went as Kevin (the bird from UP) with some friends who were the boyscout and old man :) I'm not sure what Big K went as either - I think they were being Disney characters maybe????

Happy Happy Birthday Big K!!!!!

Wishing a big HUGE Happy 19th to my oldest!!!! I can't believe that 19 years passed soooo fast - seriously - it was like a time warp :)

Hope you have had a great day Big K - and enjoyed your weekend of Halloween/Birthday celebrations!!! I'm glad we got to celebrate on Thursday :)

You are wonderful - and may this last year of teenagerhood be as awesome as you are!!!

We love you!!!

Happy Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Behind in everything!!!

I feel like I will NEVER get caught up!!! Life is just moving along at such an alarming rate!!! Things are just crazy here! Between mountains of laundry, sick kids, soccer, and week long business trips and single parenthood - I have got to figure things out!!!!

Fall break was superb - but not nearly long enough :) Hopefully I'll be back to catch up on things here soon! And - I hope you are all staying well and are happy and caught up with all YOU have to do!!!

Hugs!!!

Sunday Grains of Gratitude......

Man - what a week it's been - I can honestly say, in some ways, I am soooo glad it's over :) There were some great things, and some not so great things - but - I guess that is how life is - right??????

This week I'm grateful.....

for the safety of my children and family. My heart goes out to the band teacher at that was killed last night in an accident. I am grateful to HER for her selflessness in trying to help all the people on board that bus - I feel without a doubt if she had not intervened there would have been more loss of life. She is a hero. I am grateful that my children have been safe on each and every tour they have gone on, and every bus they have ridden on to away games, or cars they have ridden in down to soccer tournaments, girls camp, etc...

for a wonderful date with my husband last night. The food was amazing, and the company - well - there's no one better! I LOVE you honey :)

for wonderful friends who have good values, who are christlike and set good examples for me. Friends who think first, and act later - who want to help, instead of hurt. It has been a dramatic week for soccer at the HS, and I am grateful for people who see the good and want to help make positive change within the program and who are willing to give people a chance to change and want to be part of the solution. People who want to help find tools and resources to make the change so it can be a positive experience for everyone involved.

for Brady's darling teacher. She really is just so amazing - I LOVE her! He has been out all week with a fever, but is hopefully on the mend now (and now H is sick - sighhhh). She sends cute notes, and really has made SUCH a difference in his life. I couldn't ask for a more perfect teacher for him - her bubbliness and enthusiasm and overwhelming love and support for her students has made all the difference for him this year. He is not the perfect student, and still has his challenges, but he is thriving and learning in her classroom - it may not all be academics, but for Brady the things he is learning from his peers will benefit him his entire life. I am grateful to her for embracing him, his differences, and his challenges, and for loving him for who he is and doing her best to teach him :) She is just amazing - thank you Mrs. A!!!!

for Little K's amazing soccer coach. She is just, well, amazing, and patient, and darling, and supportive, and patient, and encouraging, and patient, and positive, and kind, and did I mention patient :) She has taken her little team of ragamuffins and turned them into genuine soccer players ;) The scores of our games are, unfortunately not reflecting their true progress, but, wow - the improvement over the last 3 months is nothing short of amazing! C looks at them and is sad that she didn't have their training, she sees how much they have gained, and how much better they are getting and wishes she had that same opportunity when she was 10. Of course, we didn't know anything when she was little, so hopefully this will make all the difference for Little K :) This coach has inspired Little K to work hard, to challenge herself, to not give up, or settle for second best - to give her all and then give some more, to never give up. Valuable lessons that will help her even off the soccer field :) She is awesome!!!!

for C's club coach :) She is amazing too! I'm grateful for her friendship for the last 14 years - I can hardly believe it's been that long! I'm grateful that she looked at C at tryouts 5 years ago and saw something in her and took her and developed her and gave her the opportunity to play. I think that C would be a very different person had she not had E as a coach, believing in her, pushing her, teaching her, and giving her the confidence that she could achieve her goals and be a leader. It has helped C become a leader on and OFF the field. Some would argue that we aren't a premier team, and it's true - we aren't hanging with the top teams in the state in our age group - but the girls on some of those teams? Wow..... Wow good, and Wow bad. E has taken her ragamuffins and turned them into soccer players, while still keeping their integrity and morality. They are all good, good girls - excellent students, leaders, kind friends, active church members etc... She has expected and required much, but in turn, she has given and sacrificed much, and truly loved and cared about each and every one of her players. She is amazing! Love you E!!!!

that I got to see Big K for a while on Friday night. I am so grateful she is having such a great experience at college :) I miss her so, so, SO much.

for my wonderful parents. They are just inspiring and amazing. I am excited for them to be snowbirds soon and closer to us. I miss them. I am grateful to them for raising me in the gospel, teaching me, setting such amazing examples for me, and loving me and my kids. Especially Brady - they have embraced and supported him, loved him, and done everything they can to help him when help was needed. They are the best parents a person could ever wish for, and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father let me be born into their family. Love you Mom and Dad!!!

for conference last week. I was well nourished by the word, and it was great to have Big K and her friends here for the weekend. I'm grateful for modern day revelation and for the guidance and inspiration church leaders give us. I'm grateful for conference, and for a living prophet on the earth who guides and directs the church. I'm grateful for my testimony of the Book of Mormon and for Elder Holland and HIS testimony - what an amazingly powerful talk he gave. I'm grateful for forever families, and for MY forever family.

I am grateful......

What are YOU grateful for today?????

Brady's Bits......

Have I ever mentioned how much Brady loves teenagers??? Seriously -he loves them - wayyy more than kids his own age (although he's starting to really get attached to those too ;) Whenever the big girls have their friends over, he always wants to be around them and part of the action. He might even think he is ONE of them :)

Big K is home for the weekend to watch conference, and she brought a couple of her roommates and two guy friends. Brady was so excited.

And..... get this - he did something we have NEVER seen him do before......

he walked up to one of the guys and took his hand and said......

Hi, I'm Brady - what's your name?

Seriously - he said that - a whole social greeting - all on his own - unprompted.

Wow. Not much for some - but for Brady - wow - HUGE HUGE milestone :)

See what school is doing for him? He may not be understanding math..... He may not get 100% on every spelling test (or any spelling test yet for that matter LOL).... Recess, lunch, music, and PE may always be his favorite subjects....

But - he went up to someone he didn't know, introduced himself and asked the person's name.....

Wow and HOOOORAY!!!!!!!!

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month......

So - educate someone about Trisomy 21 :) Say hi to someone with DS that you see out and about in the community! Tell a parent you think their child is darling, and all about your grandson, cousin, nephew, brother, friend - Brady - who also has down syndrome! Celebrate the amazingness of Trisomy 21 - cause it sure comes with some amazing perks - the snuggles, the hugs, the smiles, the innocence and purity, and the love - yup - there is nothin' like the love :)

We'll be celebrating, and educating, and raising awareness all month long......won't you join us????

p.s. if you could get all your friends and family to stop using the R-word inappropriately, that would be an AWESOME way to raise awareness :) I'm pretty sure all the parents AND the girls on the soccer team are tired of me reminding them what "retarded" really means, and how much the word hurts people and families when it is used in conversation to mean - stupid, dumb, idiot, etc..... or make fun of someone for doing something silly or goofy or dumb.

We've found that RIDICULOUS is a much better substitute :)