Welcome to the Neighborhood!

The kids had a great night out tonight visiting our neighboring steets. Lynnea went as herself/princess/just wanted to wear her favorite dress. Benjamin/Peyton Manning told the neighbors "he would play better this weekend". Joseph is our star b-ball player. Noah and Samuel just switched the costumes they wore last year. Little Isaac is our resident zoo animal giraffe. And as we go to bed...we thank the kids for allowing us to indulge in all the candy (just don't tell them).




Thanks Grandpa & Grandma Legg for our Halloween bags...the apple entertained Isaac for at least 45 minutes!

Like Father...Like Son

When sorting out some of Grandma Charlotte's things, Jason told his dad that he wanted the family tractor willed to him. Papa Joe is still in good health. However, for Jason's birthday, he brought over the little red tractor to Tipton, Indiana. Jason took all the kids for rides. As I took pictures, I realized how things had changed. We used to take pictures of the kids with Papa Joe on the tractor. Now we take pictures of Daddy on the tractor. There is a good bit of humor having a tractor in town at 237 N Independence Street. It doesn't quite fit the "farm" look. Who knows, maybe it will fit in a parade or something!

Joseph is really excited!

Isaac, Daddy, Papa Joe and Samuel take a ride together.

Who says we need a minivan? We can fit everyone. We just have to be creative.

Can I Really Have An 8 Year Old???

Tomorrow (Sunday) Lynnea, will turn 8 years old. The reality really set in this morning for me. Can this really be true? Last night, we hosted our very first sleepover with 3 girls. We started out the evening going to the premier of "High School Musical 3". This was a huge event for many reasons. 1)This was Lynnea's first visit to a big theatre (outside of the Tipton Diana Theatre). 2)I had banned most of the older kid Disney shows to my children for the past couple of months. Although most are very cute, they are just too big for my kids. Lynnea was thrilled to get to see her "friends" from Disney again. We had a great time.
We went home to begin the slumber which of course took some time. The girls woke up to French Toast. Then they got ready for the big event, A DRESS UP TEA PARTY!

Again lots of fun. It was funny to watch Benjamin and Joseph try to get involved. They put on collared shirts (of course Joseph added the Superman cape). But...they all drank from tea cups and ate their crumpets (vanilla wafers) very politely.

Benjamin did a good job being a good sport, but it could only last so long...
Sunday, we will have our family birthday with Lynnea. Papa Joe, Mama T and Grandma Legg with come over for apple pie (Lynnea's choice)! A very full birthday week!

Harley Humrichous

As if we don't have enough babies...
We found Harley at Cherished Life an animal rescue near Indianapolis. Lynnea has wanted a kitten for some time. Her favorite "stuffed" kittens at home are white (4 to be exact). We began searching because white kittens are somewhat hard to find. We wanted to get her one for her 8th birthday. We had almost given up hope until Harley's picture came up online. He was the only one to survive from his litter. He is a mix of two different kinds of Himalayan kittens. The kids are enjoying him so much. He is really a great fit. He is very calm, yet playful....and we have had no accidents. Happy Birthday Lynnea!

Mums and Other Things...

As you know, we finished remodeling our home last December. It was nominated to win "Tipton Beautification Project". We lost our nomination when the tree fell on our house. Well, the repairs are finished. We have won for the month of September. Our picture and home were put in the paper, we are on the local TV station and we were given a sign to put in our front yard and a framed picture of our house for inside.

With a questionable future regarding our finances, Jason's job and the economy, Jason and I have had to be very conservative in our spending. Many times, I have passed this garden store (pictured above) and wished I could purchase some of their beautiful mums. Realizing that this is not a need at this time, I have prayed several times that God would provide mums. Silly, kind of, but I know that God cares about those little things. Before leaving the presentation, Tim Horton (owner of the garden store) handed us a $25 gift certificate to his store and told us to take home six mums of our choice! I am reminded of how much God cares about the simple. Thank you Lord for taking such good care of us...and for mums.

The Best of Show

At the end of last year, Jason's company asked him to supervise the building of a home that they would enter in this year's home show. It's been a HUGE project consuming much of Jason's time in the past few months. Last night was the premier party for the show which included 5 homes. Jason's company, Heartwood Custom Homes, won several awards including the best of show. It was really great to see some hard work pay off. The house sells for 1.9 million and is absolutely beautiful. You can check out the show at http://www.lifestylehomearama.com/.

Last Saturday, I took Jason dinner while he was working some late hours. I toured the house and watched the designers at work. They are amazing and so very creative. I spent some time with the photographer who has staged some of her work throughout the house. It's amazing. I found myself reflecting quite a bit while I drove home. This home is exquisite. So much time and money has been spent on this project. What does God think of all this? Does He celebrate the beauty and amazement with me? Does He understand my desire to get in there with the designers and create a beautiful space. A quick response from a friend reminded me that oneday it would all be gone. Although true, I didn't want to take a cynical attitude. I didn't arrive at some huge discovery or revelation, just a brief reminder. God loves beauty as evidenced in so many "projects of building" in the Old Testament. He created us to be able to design, build and create. It might be as simple as my 4 year old's sketches of rainbows on a paper or as big as the temple built in Jerusalem. In the end, He will use it all to bring glory to Himself. And who knows...maybe someday I might just get my chance...

Look Out Sarah Palin!

Lynnea's name was selected to participate in Tipton's festival princess pageant this year. She loved it and had so much fun. The day started with getting out of school early. She had an interview with 3 judges. Then she went on to ride with the girls in the evening parade. The pageant was the big follow up. Other than the rain, the event was a success!

When asked if she had any pets, she replied, "yes, my brother Joseph!". Of course, the MC loved that she had FIVE brothers. It was a lot of fun for the girls in our house to mix up the countless soccer games with a little flair!

Blowing kisses and waving in the parade. The little girl next to Lynnea is Benjamin's "favorite girl in the whole world!", Paige Golden.

The MC interviews Lynnea on stage

Mommy takes pictures at the park

I love this picture!



Of course, twirling in her dress was a highlight too!