Trick or Treating...

We had a blast last night Trick or Treating....nuts they don't hold it on HALLOWEEN here, but we still had fun!

Think this is my favorite from the evening....just precious and NOT posed :)

Tommy.....fussed, kicked, cried....you get the idea...wasn't very happy to be Pooh Bear...Mom bribed him with Chex mix ...hehehe, it worked and that's what matters! Keysers....do you recall Kaitlyn in that Pooh costume :) Time has flown by...seems like yesterday!

Tommy not willing to pose for a picture....

Tommy being forced to participate in a picture :)

We gave up and settled on this of the older three....Snow White, Cinderella with their body guard, the Ninja dude.

Kaitlyn and Tommy trick or treating...man he's got the life...she is absolutely amazing with him....he had fun after warming up to her new color hair. It scared him at first. oops! Notice Snow White's shoes...thanks to Aunt Erin....she gave these to Kaitlyn to use as dress-up. Kaitlyn managed to get her Daddy to let her wear them to the airport to pick me up back in MArch and we both were fed up and let her trick or treat in them....she's close to outgrowing them....in the trash they will soon be :)

Uh-oh, Pooh Bear down...

Tommy's true love...BIRDS, they just make him stop everything anytime...should have snapped a picture of the huge flock of birds...next time :)


Finally, Tommy and his messy face peeking on Mommy. He was just minutes away from bed. I asked if he wanted milk, he nodded no. I think he was too full of candy as he "hung" with Dad and Kimberlyn for quite a long while! I told him let's go teefy-brush and get your blankie, he said "nigh-nigh"....LOVE it, he so is doing just perfectly fine at his own pace...he doesn't need speech. Whatever...I have decided (as of this week) to stick it out with speech therapy until we move in March.

Tonight in the parking lot he heard dogs barking and said "ruff-ruff" and then heard a train and said "choo-choo" both of these sounds were heard at dark where he couldn't see the dog or train. I'm biased, but so very proud of him! We had a fun evening with my cousin Trevor and his wife tonight as his show was here near our house!


Earlier today Tommy went in to get his flu shot...he did fine, hurt him more to take away his popcorn than the actual shot. Mom messed up, I should have waited to get the popcorn AFTER the shot....BUT every time Kimberlyn goes to the clinic with me the popcorn isn't there...today it was and it was the priority.....Tommy getting the flu shot is not my point...or the popcorn....THE POINT is this Thomas the Tank NOW WEIGHS 24 POUNDS 11 OUNCES....at 22 months old. This is exactly 22 lbs gained in his 22 months of life ~hehehe~ he's come so far and is doing so well...

P U M P K I N S

Last night....
The kids carved their pumpkins. From cleaning, tracing patterns and then cutting they had very little help. Mom and Dad wanted to help, but help was not invited or welcomed what so ever! These kids did a great job, maybe just a bit too darn independent though!
Yes, dad was video-taping Mom taking pictures of the event. NOW,it's documented that we took pictures AND video-taped the night!
Tommy getting in on the action...
Poking out a pattern...Kimberlyn drawing her pattern...

I'm telling you, we should have named him "Mikey" ~ he eats anything or at least tries it. this is far better than horse food, dog food, cat food, bunny treats...you get the idea...he's tried it all!

The finished products in action...

Grand Finale...

Trouble T doesn't learn...

Okay......he hasn't been BAD, but I thought this was super funny this morning....10 months ago he did this for the first time, read here. Today he did this just two months shy of turning two AND all the while wearing his new shirt from Miss Wendy.

Notice what the shirt says "This is my TIME OUT SHIRT, I wear it all day long!"

Windmill Farm

Mom's 33rd birthday... we celebrated my birthday early since we had a churchwide hayride/pizza party at Windmill Farm, what a magnificent evening....more on that in a second.

Back to my birthday...started fabulous-cat waking me up with chaotic noises, then drinks Tommy's prune juice.... Later we went to Olive Garden to celebrate. I begged and they honored my request to NO SINGING there. Larry gave me my gift, no surprise as I'd asked for a pair of plain diamond earrings a few months back and was told I'd have to wait until my birthday. Well, I was wrong!! That son of a gun wrapped up KAITLYN'S earrings and SHE WAS WEARING MY NEW EARRINGS!! It was hilarious as I was a bit shocked, maybe even more so just confused when I opened the box. I knew they were either Kaitlyn's or an exact match to hers. Although hers are adorable and I do love them, I really felt at my age a simple plain diamond set was more fitting! I wish Larry brought the camera as it was a very fun and memorable evening. Kaitlyn really enjoyed her role in the celebration as well. FUN STUFF!

So, my real birthday was at the church party, it was another very memorable evening too. Our family had an absolute wonderful time. Here's the pictorial review for you...

Tommy loves all animals, he was constantly searching out the next animal to visit...

He also loves climbing...."hey, look at me over here"

"listen, just be quiet and I'll have you free in no time"

Tommy working awfully hard at this chicken coop door!

Tommy hanging around.....

Kimberlyn (Tommy in background) swinging her heart out...this place had a playground climber on every corner...so it seemed!

Larry, Tommy (21 1/2 months old) and I on the hayride...can't even see my new earrings....they are very pretty and well loved!

Kimberlyn (5), Kaitlyn(almost 9) and Robby (10 1/2) trying to not fall over on the hayride....

They called this a hayride, I think they meant a Mud Boggin' Adventure. It was the BEST hayride ever and story has it they water down the trail if there isn't enough rain to keep it all muddy. Definitely makes kids think twice about hanging over the edge of the wagon...

Tommy found the perfect pumpkin :)

Robby relaxing waiting for everyone to climb back in...

Kaitlyn~ every now and then I have some photographic talent...that and she's a gorgeous little lady!

Kimberlyn, showing off her talent. Writing her name completely backwards one letter at a time....

The finished perfect backwards name. She wouldn't listen when we told her she was going backwards. Kaitlyn did this too, but not near as often as Kimberlyn does and this was our first time to witness such talent!

Very adorable shot of Kimberlyn...

Tommy Boy as cute as can be....on the run enjoying or picnic style pizza dinner.

Rascal...the cat whom thinks he's HUMAN?!?!?

Seriously, many HUMANS wouldn't even drink this! PRUNE JUICE?!?!??
Yes, this was a bowl of prune juice before I added the baby cereal. Tommy started this routine well over a year ago to help keep him regular :) He STILL eats it and loves it- SHHHHH, don't tell him it's YUCK-O!


Then we have Rascal being beaten up by toddler by choice. Actually I think he felt he could take the heat if it meant getting to share some food with Tommy. Tommy NOW cries when Rascal does this, he's not so open on the sharing front!

Rascal eats Fruit Loops, peanuts....ah, forget it I'll post a new post when we discover what HE WON'T EAT...don't look for this post anytime soon! He's so anything-but-cat that while I was ready to saute him for dinner I used my kitchen sink sprayer to spray him as he was against the wall and I had very limited things to worry about getting wet...he just stayed put. After I threw him to the floor he just groomed up the mess before coming back to pester me.
Aunt Boo- not thinking a squirt bottle will aide in discouraging him from ANYTHING what so ever. WE LOVE THIS CAT!!!


THIS is how I found him this morning, explains the racket I heard about 30 minutes before waking up that morning....hard work knocking over hampers to make a bed in the dark.


Since we had the camera out, I figured before setting Tommy loose I should snap a picture of him and Prince....think it's about time Prince needed a picture introduction.

This was the morning of my birthday last Thursday....in about a 30 minute time period ;) I kept looking for birthday pictures...oh, yeah, I'm a grown up and we didn't take them. I'll share the story of my birthday dinner the night before later. We celebrated the night before due to having a Hayride/Pizza Party the night of my birthday with church.

Speaking of growing up....here's a what your mom didn't tell you. Seriously at 33 you can have memory loss?!?! No kidding as a kid I rocked at the game Memory, playing with a good ole' fashioned deck of cards. Now they have a Memory for any character your child could possibly enjoy...Kimberlyn's set is Dora. She creams me, Larry or anyone whom will play with her....really, has my memory started failing so much that a 5 year old can beat me at simple game of Memory??

What a week??

Grandma came to help out on Wednesday.

Kimberlyn found a cat walking home with Robby from Wendy's house on Thursday. After holding him for part of the walk home and loving on him, she insisted he was lost and needed help finding his house. She was worried about him. She also was in love with him. She's been begging to have a animal to call her own...I know, I know...as if we don't have plenty of animals! She'll see any tiger striped cat at Pet Smart and call it Rascal and beg for us to take it home. We've calmed her by saying "maybe when we move" -which has led her to expect a cat come moving day and not a moment later.

Wendy called on Friday to say she needed help as this cat wouldn't leave here alone and wanted in her house...she's allergic. This cat was so adorable, tiger striped with almost a marble affect on his midsection. Two seconds after being scared and growling at a dog he resumes his purring. Later this afternoon I hoped and prayed the cat was microchipped and took him to a vet...not a chance. I release him after hearing neighborhood people have been feeding him. Let him be THEIR problem...not a chance. By dinner I was saying if he comes back.... he's ours!

Saturday morning he was in our front yard... Rascal came in and was deathly afraid of dogs...not only do we have two, but Grandma's dog Tucker has enough energy to scare a dog-loving cat :) He and Smokey had a few words....what a show to each other.

Sunday, yeah, I too hoped it could pass uneventful, instead I was checking on Rascal whom was in robby's room (which is where the hamster's cage is)- he either didn't care or hadn't noticed yet. I check her almost ever morning...this morning she was not in a normal spot and not in anormal postition. I did what I do best...in my serious, needs immediate response hollar to Larry said " Larrrrrrrrrry HURRRRRRRY upstairs!" We brought Robby up first....then Kaitlyn peeked in as she knew something was wrong by this point. We had a burial before church and headed out with red-eyed little ones.

Monday morning after deciding to not waste ink on printing flyers announcing a found cat... If he really was lost and cared about he'd 1) been microchipped, 2) had Lost Cat flyers up looking for him or 3) he been fixed already! So I got on the phone and set up an appt to get him fixed the next day. I believe this is also the day he had to take a nap after having his head start spinning. Yep, see he'd been sneaking up on Prince (new bunny I still haven't gotten pictures of) and Prince walked closer to him to sniff him, Rascal just literally turned away and took a nap. After seeing him try to attack the bunny a few nights earlier it was determined why we only let the bunny out supervised and that Rascal very well may have been living on his own for some time. We're betting he's never had a wild bunny try to sniff HIM!

I think from the pictures it's fair to say Rascal knew and knows who his owner is.


This is like 3 hours after they went to bed on Saturday night, his first night here! I have to tell you, this is what really sealed the deal!

He is doing great and the vet thinks he's about 9 months old. He goes in to the base vet next week to microchipped and the rest of his shots.

I'll add Prince's pictures as soon as I take them. Believe it or not, I didn't take pictures of the burial on Sunday.

A surprise visit...

Biker babes! yes my Dad rode 528 miles on THIS!

Grandpa P. hit the road after talking with Larry about my surgery. So, yep a surprise visit from Grandpa and a surprise visit to the OR happened last Sunday!

Kaitlyn had her horse show, I posted about it, I ordered pictures online...and during the picture ordering I started feeling crampy. I just thought I was overtired, it was 10pm and needed to get to bed. After standing I realized I really wasn't feeling good.

Once in bed, I couldn't move and felt helpless. Larry came to check on me and we thought it must be gas. he ran to the store to get medicine. I took it, jumped in a hot bath and took some tylenol for my headache. I felt absolutely exhausted and decided to go to bed. Larry got the heating pad out and I slept for an hour or so. I woke when he peeked in on me. He told me everything online says gas UNLESS it's localized to the right side. I had been feeling it was just the right side...then he said what he read suggested it could be the appendix! ER there I went.

The ER nurse made a comment at check in on how she didn't think I'd leave completely whole. I asked if she thought it was my appendix, yep she said. The ER doc came to check me and said almost the same thing. I got an IV, not without doing my best to work a deal to avoid the darn thing! He said well we'll get you some pain meds. I said I'm fine as long as I don't move :) He then said I need bloodwork....it went on and on! Needless to say he was nice and patient with this pistol of a patient whom hates needles! After a few hours, drinking some nasty drink and a CT scan....I was rolled off to surgery.

I had laparscopic surgery Sunday morning, all went well besides them finding a small hernia! I need not worry about it until it hurts- I so don't want another emergency surgery ever again. This surgery made two in less than two years~ so not cool! They were all impressed with my recovery and ordered a solid food dinner for me that night! I left Monday morning about 24 hours after surgery.
Me post-appendectomy, I look hilarious!

Currently I'm almost 48 hours without pain meds and doing great. Even took a short walk last night, short compared to the 3 mile route Wendy and I do! I just have a lifting restriction of a gallon of milk or less.

Here's the kids saying bye to Grandpa before catching the bus, he left at lunch time and Larry's mom got in at dinner time. She'll stay until I get home from my follow-up appt on Monday!

We appreciate all the help offers and prayers.