Sunday, October 14, 2007

What October means for us

Putting up the Halloween decorations.

It rained on Friday and Sean took Merrick outside to feel the raindrops on his face. I was trying to snap a pic of my boys catching raindrops in their mouths but my camera has that delayed thing going on so this is what I got instead. Oh well.

Merrick's going to be Tigger for Halloween. My parents came up for a visit so we were letting them see what he's going to look like in his costume.

Here's a full body shot of his costume. My favorite part is when he walks the tail wags in the cutest way.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Pumpkin Patch last week and the kids had a ton of fun. These are Merrick's good friends Chloe and Andrew.
Here's a pic of the grown ups.

Merrick in the corn maze. He loved it.

Elissa sat Merrick near all of these pumpkins to get a picture and it quickly became Merrick's favorite spot so whenever he got a chance he would run back and sit in this spot by himself. Too cute!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Grandmas



The One Flaw In Women
By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything with only two hands."
The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."
"But I won't," the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own
heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18 hour days."
The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.
The Lord replied,
"Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak,"
the Lord corrected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."
And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy..
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Hanford Mom

Grandpas



When God was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. An angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping." God smiled, "Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?" When God made a father’s hands, they were large and sinewy. The angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do You know what You’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons, or rubber bands on pony tails." God smiled, "I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day…yet small enough to cup a child’s face." Then God molded long legs and broad shoulders. The angel nearby said "Do You realize You just made a father without a lap? How will he pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?" God smiled, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus." God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "Do You honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?" God smiled, "They’ll support a small child who wants to "ride a horse to Banbury Cross" or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill." God worked through the night, giving the father few words but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see everything, but remain calm and tolerant. Finally, He added tears, then turned to the angel, "Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?" The angel was silent.
Tell a Friend-Anon.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Baby News

Some of you may already know that Sean and I are expecting. But none of you know what we're having so we're telling all now because guess what we know, so without further ado.... Sean and I (and Merrick) are going to be the proud family of a new baby boy due on March 23, 2008. I've always loved the idea of having 2 boys and no matter what we would've had I would've been totally happy but we are so excited to be receiving boy #2 into our family. I'm hoping that Merrick and Memphis (the name we're strongly considering) will be able to be best friends and keep each other out of trouble or if they get each other into trouble at least they'll be together. We can't wait and I'm so sorry I don't have a scanner to show our little guy's ultrasound but if I get my hands on one I will definitely post some pictures of my little jelly bean.