This Thanksgiving

Again this year I am overwhelmed with the blessings I've been given. I have so much to be thankful for - my beautiful family, our health, and the wonderful people who fill out all the corners of our lives.

We were so glad to have the opportunity last night to serve, as a family, the families of the Nicholas House, a local homeless shelter. The boys jumped right in.

And, a different kind of blessing ... I am thankful for this occurrence this week: I left Noah with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and a friend of theirs on Monday to run to the grocery store. When I got home, I asked how he did. They nonchalantly said he was great - played with his toys, ran around, went poopy on the potty ... uhmmm, WHAT?!? He's NEVER done anything on the potty, and he waits until I'm gone to just announce that he has to use the potty, as if he does it all the time?! More funny, they said he asked them to leave the bathroom so he could have some privacy. When I heard about it I did the whole crazy-Mommy-happy-dance, clapping and making a big deal out of it, and he acted as if he just wanted to play it cool, like he does it all the time. Strangely, he asked to do it again later that night. Nothing since, but boy am I thankful for that surprise accomplishment!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody! Hope you enjoy all your blessings, big and small.

The Dream

I had to post this story because it's just so Ben. As we were leaving the park this afternoon, heading to our car, Ben started telling me about a dream he had last night (this has been a hot topic of his for a few months now). I believe it involved a police car and a magic phone and maybe a rocket, but I soon found the conversation going something like this:

Ben: There was a police car that had to drive up onto the grass ... (insert LOTS of details) ...

Me: Mmm-hmm.

Ben: And then ... (lots more details) ...

Me: Mmm-hmm.

Ben: And then ... (barely stopping for breath between run-on sentences) ...

And this carried on the whole way home. Finally, as we were pulling up to the house, he said, "Actually, I just really love talking. (Giggles) I just really love to talk."

Indeed, little man. Indeed.

Halloween Fun!

We had a fun-filled Halloween week with our little train conductor and firefighter!

On Tuesday, we had a Halloween playgroup party. These are most of our playgroup friends, but getting a shot with everyone is becoming virtually impossible.

On the big night itself, Ben and Noah's friends Ava and Eli came over for the REAL fun ...
Trick-or-treating!
The kids, of course, dove in as soon as we got back home.
And Noah was sorely disappointed the next morning to learn that he wouldn't be having candy for breakfast.

Earlier in the week, he had been dying to ride a pony at our church Fall Festival, but we decided not to wait in the mile-long line ...

Looking longingly at the ponies.

To his delight, there were also pony rides at Ben's school Fall Festival that we went to yesterday, so he got a chance to saddle up ...

and he LOVED it!

Seeing little brother do it gave Ben the courage to give it a try. He also loved it, and claims that his was so big it wasn't a pony, but a horse.

I love the unabashed joy that 4-year-olds have when they see a friend. Here Ben greets his classmate Sydney.

The petting zoo is always a favorite with our guys. This piglet was too, too cute. The boys said they'd be willing to take it home and share their bedrooms with it.

Noah wasn't so sure about brushing this napping donkey. He kept "shh-shh-ing" everyone who came near it so as not to wake it up.

'Til next year, happy Halloween!