At this rate...

...I will post November the first of the new year!

haha...i will really try to get November done because I would

love to share December

with you as it happens!

We have so many fun things planned!

~

Until then,

Here is my final picture of the day.

~

This is the road my parents live on.

I drive it everyday...well, practically.

If you look, you can see the rows of corn on the right and the road curves off and down to the left.

As I come around a 90 degree turn to see this image,

I always wondered why the corn didn't line the road, but instead seemed to go off to the right.

Following my road made the most sense for the corn. It seemed right.

Why wouldn't the farmer make it easy on himself and plant the corn along the road.

~

But then one day, the Lord had a BIG message for me!

It's not always about me and my way.

While I curve to the left, the corn stays straight,

easy for the farmer to plant and easy for the farmer to sow.

(an aerial view would show the rows of corn being straight,

planted in perfect rows...that I couldn't see from my road)

and some times, my way, is not the only way

...just the way for me.

~

Also goes to show me that I can be blind

(and perhaps stupid to some reading this post) in the routine of life.

~

Here's to learning what's good for me and what's good for others

&

what's not good for me and what's not good for others.

Praise God he made us all different!

the Big Hole

was our goal

and we made it!

I had gone to the Grand Canyon before

but Adam had never been.

This was his first view of the hole!

~

I remember why I took a whole roll of film

the first time I went...

You just can't capture it in one picture!

~

This was the coolest thing...

you take the pipe and set it in one of the grooves

on the round disk.

Each groove is labeled and tells you what you're

looking TOWARDS in the canyon.

It was not a telescope...

so I was so excited that Adam got a

pair of camera binoculars from Ben as a groomsman gift

(also good for someone obsessed with the Pittsburgh Pirates)

and that we brought them!

It was so fun to see down into the canyon!

There is actually a village/town down there!

~

proof i was actually there!

~

After we entered the park,

we ran into some traffic.

What could be wrong up ahead?

Everyone was stopping to take a picture of the elk.

not the moose. the elk.

just hanging out on the side of the road...

eating.

We later read in a tour book that you should stay

at least 40 feet from the elk.

Sedona, AZ

We left Pheonix for the day and headed north toward the big hole!

Along the way, we stopped in Sedona!

What a beautiful town!

The Red Rocks were AWESOME!

Especially on a perfect day!

~

The Chuch on the Rock

This place was amazing!

~

This is the story posted on the wall outside the church!

for more info:

www.chapeloftheholycross.com

~

I wish I could capture this church on film...

I tried lots of settings

and took lots of pictures.

none did any justice.

This miserable photo is of the beautiful altar.

The cross, the potium, the altar...it was all made from twigs/sticks!

the face of Jesus behind the altar in the middle of the circle on the wall

captured my attention and wouldn't let go! : )

~

These were the seats/pews

and the stations of the cross along the side bench

made out of actual nails.

~

This is the view out the back of the chuch.

and right above adam's head is

"mother and child"

i think we got a better picture with the camera binoculars...

if i could only figure out how to download them...

just when you thought...

october was over...

Over Halloween weekend, Adam and I snuck away to Arizona!

What an awesome resort in the middle of the desert!

and 84 Lumber, PRIMROSE's lumber supplier

was an awesome Host!

~

~
The Lazy River

~

The pool at the spa

~

The farewall reception

*being that we were that far west,

we felt it a disservice if we didn't go sightseeing...

check out the next post...

Halloween

The kids just loved Halloween!

~

Here is my little Police man playing legos before heading out.

and he is such a police man in his life...

making sure his friends and siblings are always doing what they are suppose to

and making sure I (or his teacher) knows if they aren't

~

Grandpa taking them out trick-or-treating!

~
Ellie was a Lancer Cheerleader!

Over Homecoming weekend I was at the university watching hte parade

and i ran into another little girl wearing an Edinboro Cheerleader outfit

so I asked her mom where she got the outfit

and she told me that we could have the one her daughter was wearing!

She was outgrowing it and she needed a new one anyway...

I told her she didn't have to do that but gave her my

contact info thinking it was a nice thought but I wouldn't hear from her.

a few days later she called me! and said,

"sorry i didn't call sooner, i wanted to make sure it was clean!"

How wonderful is that!?

She dropped it off at Grandma and Grandpa's

that afternoon!!!

& Matt was a lion... "roar!"

October always ends with...

...two very special birthdays!

My Dad and now, my SISTER IN LAW

(not just my brothers girlfriend)

share the same Birthday!

October 28th!

~

after a fabulous dinner,

first we sang to Danelle!

~

Then papa!

~

Following the fun tradition of

letting my kids shop at the dollar store...

~

Papa got

a gator hat from Matt (seen here)

a gun from Josh (who really just wants to borrow it)

and pirate stuff from Ellie

and that blue fancy hat he wears here!!

~

Aunt Nelle got

a horse on a stick from Ellie

a green boa from Matt

and a baby doll from Josh, "because she doesn't have a baby"

and that purple fancy hat she's wearing!

Hanging with the Handrans

We were so blessed to spend two weekends

in a row with the Handrans!

They were at Nathanial's wedding!

&

They joined us for Beth's Birthday weekend!

but, most important...

They taught us how to play Settlers and now we're hooked!

~

this is Ellie and Elley riding the horsey!

Can you tell that Joy is pregnant again?

b/c she is!!!!

She told everyone that weekend

and we couldn't be happier!!

~

The whole clan!
Can't believe we got this great picture!

~

Noel and Josh playing football during half time of the Steeler game!

~

Elley playing in the ball pit!

What a cutie!

~

Three of a kind!

Beth Turned 30...

...the third weekend of October!

We started with breakfast and

didn't stop until late night pizza around the card table!

~

Here's the birthday princess with her family!

couldn't resist the 30 candles!!

~

So my kids get to shop the dollar store for birthdays...

thus the princess crown, and princess necklase around her neck!

but this is Parker helping her open her special gift!!

~

Ellie with the princess!!

~

My first shrimp boil! And Adam's too!

Here is Adam with the first batch of boil!

Can't wait to have another!

~

the turtle cake!! :)

Pumpkin Patch

field trip!

~

Here is the whole crew!

~

Half the first hay ride!

~

the other half...

you can see Josh on the left with the orange sweatshirt

and you can see Matt and Ellie in the back row on the right!

~

Josh's class!

~

Ellie sticking her head through the wooded witch...

this is her scary face!

wouldn't want to meet her in a dark ally!!

then the leaves fell...

and we raked them up and jumped in them!!

Ellie quickly learned to keep her mouth closed! : )

~

Everybody wanted to help!

At one point, I said to Josh, "where is Matt!?"

He had run around to the back yard.

I found him and carried him back up front...

but now, it was a game.

he thought it was hysterical!

I was just tired!!

~

another one of Matt's tricks.

He loves to crawl up on the toy box and look out the window!

and he'll wave good bye too!

too cute!

Nathanial & Jody's Wedding

I think we had plans every weekend in October!

the weekend after homecoming,

Nathanial, Adam's brother got married!

CONGRATS GUYS!

~

Here is one of the three brothers:

Adam, Nathanial, Zach

~

This is the Bride and the Groom

with all the kids!

~

after the wedding, hanging out for pictures...

"mom, do we have to smile!?"

~
moving and grooving at the reception!

Matt already had his dress shirt off!

and this would be the last picture of zach before he got the swine...
can't believe we escaped it! (knock on wood...everybody!)

Matt is talking!

...well, sort of!

He is doing tons of babbling!

when you ask "who wants a (fill in the blank with anything, normally food)"

he raises his hand and says, "eeee!"

~

Also, if you talk to him or ask him a question,

he will talk back (in baby babble) and will continue doing this until you give in!

he can out talk any lady!

~

On to the pictures...

one of the many things that Joe forever left with our family is baby sign language.

(Joe watched our kids when we lived in Hickory and was more than just our "manny"!)

He taught Ellie all the signs below and some others...

and now, it's Matt's turn!

~

Here is "more"

(he's touching his fingers together)

~

This is "milk"

and even though milk is an action,

you can see one hand is open and the other is closed tight.

you can see he alternates his hands with the motions, open, close, open, close

~

here is "please"

(open hand patting on his chest)

~
and here is "eat"

(one hands fingers tapping on the mouth!)

sign language is such a blessing at this age!

it helps Matt not be as frustrated as he could be...

all he wants to do is be one of the big kids!

and most of it revolves around the dinner table!

If you're thinking about trying it,

don't feel like you have to get the signs perfect...

just have a "family sign" for certain words and repeat repeat repeat!

~

He also loves to sit on the counter!

for a while...that's where i fed him lunch!

he can't get away if he's on the counter!!
~

and finally, a neat trick of Matts.

I love how each kid has their own special things that

sets them apart from the others and this is defintly Matts!

He drinks from his sippies upsidedown!

and i finally got a good picture of it!

it's so funny!!!