Throwback Thursday!

Thankfully, the 50mph winds and driving rain haven't ruined our evening.  When you live in the forest, you don't have many little ghouls or goblins ringing the doorbell for tricks or treats.

This is the first year that Will hasn't gone trick or treating though.  While I would like to say it's because he's finally determined that at 6'3 he's outgrown it, that's not the case.  He simply didn't want to get wet and was a little more than irritated that I wouldn't let him spend $60+ dollars on an Iron Man morphsuit.  If you haven't seen one, you should google it.  And yes, I do admit, the suit would have been good for a laugh.

But anyway, it got me to thinking of his first years trick or treating.  I was thankful for Hunter every single day, but a little more so every Halloween.  Since he'd walk up to a stranger anytime, Halloween was just a day he'd get rewarded for it.  Will on the other hand, would hang at the edge of the driveway until Hunter grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to the door.  And that was the scene at every house.  For hours.  Until we reached the "scary" house with the lights, the cobwebs and the garage turned Haunted House.  That's where Will would put his foot down and we'd turn around.

Today, Will would not only go through the Haunted House, he'd jump out to scare others.  He's a FearFest junkie and prefers horror movies over all others.  My, how times change.

In honor of Throwback Thursday and Halloween, these are some of my favorites of the boys.  Happy Halloween Everyone!  Stay safe, stay dry and don't eat too much of the kids candy!

A day in my life!

What the boys think I do all day...

What everyone else thinks I do all day.....

What Jeff would love for me to do during the day....

What the dogs wait for me to do during the day....

What I would like to do all day.....

What I really do all day...

What a great day!

It was quite the eventful day!  So many things but too late to share them all.

So tonight, I leave everyone with the following three things....

One happy mom...

Two happy brothers....

And three people that are convinced the "Texas Curse" has been broken!

Yipppeeee!

I'm one happy mommy!  The boys were in the same room (with me!) for about 1/2 an hour.  The only thing missing was the biggest boy.  Unfortunately, he's in Texas so we missed family time once again.  Hopefully, we'll make up for it over Christmas break!  

Work, Work, Work.

Can I tell you what a great weekend I had?

It was full of work.  Lots of it.  We cleaned up for the season, loaded firewood, burned the ENORMOUS pile of wood left from the tree cutting last season.  We even managed a two minute (and I mean two minute!) visit with Hunter.

So while the fire burned, I took advantage of the sunshine (and a helpful assistant!).

Prepared!

Winter is coming and this year, we're determined to be prepared.  So without any minions to help us, we both spent the day "winterizing" the Thomas home.  The firewood is stacked.  The deck furniture is stacked and the flower pots are put away.  Not a trace of spring or summer can be found.

Soon, we'll be hanging lights, plugging in trees and decorating anything that will stand still long enough to have a bough of holly placed on it.

But for a few more weeks, I'll just enjoy the clean, uncluttered look of it all.  And pray that the minions are here in the spring to undo it all!

Ahhhh, it's warm in here!

Does anyone remember it being this cold in October?

The day started chilly...with our first freeze of the season.  And it ended with the first fire of the season.

It appears I'm not the only one enjoying it!

Throwback Thursday!

Fall, my favorite time of the year.  I've been dying to really get outside and shoot the colors of the season.  Unfortunately, it's been the coldest, rainiest Fall I can remember.  The colors are just changing, so I'm holding out hope that I can grab some of those beautiful shots but until then....I just thought I would share my favorite Fall "throwback".

It takes a lot to get Will in front of the camera.  I'm not sure how I got so lucky this particular day, but it's my favorite, favorite picture of him.  My, how he's grown in just a few years.  And thankfully, he's outgrown those shoes, lol!

The Special Guests

In case you didn't see it on Facebook, I thought I'd share it here!

This is the reason we'll never move.  I don't know what I would do without all of my little "guests"!  I'm sure I could have made better use of the 40 minutes I spend chasing them around with a camera, but I wouldn't have been nearly as happy!

Its seems as though a new family of four is moving into the neighborhood!

Allegiant!

Yep, I'm a book nerd.  I would rather curl up with a hot cup of coffee and a good book than..well, more than just about anything.

But I'm also cheap.  I don't like to buy anything that I can get for less..or for free.  I clip coupons.  I wait for movies to come out on DVD because RedBox is cheaper than the theater.  We have a rainy day fund of pennies, just in case.  So to buy a book, hardcover no less, is unheard of.

But that's just what I did today.  Hello Alligiant!  I've been waiting a lifetime for you!  Ok, so maybe just a few months, but it seems like a lifetime.  The good news, I own the book.  The bad news, I have so much work to do that I can't even pick it up.  But it will be sitting there waiting for me on Friday, after all the sessions and all the work.

The moral of the story?  Sometimes, pending a few extra pennies on something you love is far more worthwhile than watching them sit in a jar.  So save for a rainy day, but splurge every once in a while!

 

It's Monday.

It's Monday.

No cute stories, no witty remarks.

Just feeling thankful that we're one day closer to Friday.

There's no place like home...except camp!

There's no place like home.  That is, unless you have another "home".  After 5 short weeks, it was time to close up the campsite, winterize the camper and head home to prepare for winter.

But as sad as it is, Camp Half Blood (yep, that's the name) will be something that I will look forward to all winter.  Hopefully, just the thought of it waiting there for us will get all of us through the snow and ice.  Just 5 short months and we'll be ready to head to the hills again.

And I promise, all four of us will make it for "opening" weekend.  I wouldn't have it any other way!

And if you're wondering about the name...you need to read the Rick Riordan "Heroes of Olympus" series.  It's not a gory name...it's about the children of the Greek Gods.  Half human, half god.  Half Bloods!  And since I think all three of the men in my family are Gods...it was a perfect name.

So in a nutshell...Thank you, Hunter, for spending another awesome weekend with us.  Your help closing it down was appreciated more than you know.  Hopefully you caught up on a little sleep too!

Thank you, Jeff.  For the camper, the campsite, the fun, the laughs, the Little House of the Prairie marathons and for just being awesome!

Oh, and thank you both for the wonderful steak dinner at the famous Jacks Steak House.  It was an experience that I'll never forget (although I may try!).

Thank you, Will, for taking care of the girls while we worked our tails off.  I would much rather have had you with us.  It would have made the weekend perfect.  I can't wait to see you tomorrow.  I miss you bunches and bunches!

And to everyone reading this...make your reservations at Camp Half Blood now.  I plan on being there every weekend beginning in April :)

My Sweetest!

It's Friday and I'm just stopping in to wish you all a Happy Sweetest Day and a wonderful weekend!  We're off to camp again (for the final hurrah of the season!) and I'm squeaking in a senior picture session while we're there!

So again, don't worry when you don't find a blog tomorrow...we'll be back in full swing on Sunday!

Until then, you can giggle about Will's carnation.  It's sweetest day at school so his sweetest sent him a carnation.  Thank you, Daniel!  He loves it :)

Throwback Thursday!

There are 68 days until Christmas.

Did I scare you with that?  

I've been diligently working on my "crafty" Christmas presents and while I thought I was ahead of schedule, I was incorrect.  I have a long list of ideas and only...well, only 68 days.  The boys and Jeff laugh at me this time of year, when I get Christmas "crazy" trying to make sure that the holiday goes off without a hitch.  And while I complain about it, I really don't mind finishing up the last gift to go under the tree at midnight on Christmas Eve.  

And this is why....

Will still looks like that at Christmas.  He's already giddy thinking about the presents hidden in my closet.  Hunter is a little more reserved about it...however he's just like Will on Christmas morning.  

So until the day they don't believe, I'll be working double time to make sure that the day is magical! 

I'm late, I'm late.....

...for a very important date!

It's been a long evening and as usual, I'm running late.  A sale, a session, training the dog, walking the dog, dinner and editing and I'm a little behind schedule.

But funny enough, the biggest distraction of the night is trying to plan our vacation for next year.  I miss the lake.  I miss the quiet.  I miss the fish, the cupcakes, the "best burgers in town".  I miss watching Will glide across the water.  I miss the hum of the boat and the lapping of the water on the shore.

So as I was wrapping things up for the night, I checked my new phone for updates.  My old pictures are finally there....and here is the image that was staring back at me.

It's time to go...the lake is calling!

This Stinks!

Ugh!  They really do stink!

And not because I've actually been able to smell the "nasty" smell of one, but because it stinks that they are EVERYWHERE in our house.  They love the sun room, the fire place, the living room windows.  Let's be honest...what stinks is seeing them everywhere in the house.

The Terminex guy explained that they were someones bright idea to get rid of the ladybugs.  Let me assure you, I'd rather have the ladybugs.

Please tell me I'm not the only one with this stinky problem?

No School!

It was a day off of school and Will and I got to spend the afternoon out and about!  I'm not sure how he got the day off work too but it was awesome.  Too bad I couldn't capture the fun conversations, the coffee break or the search for the perfect Yugioh cards.  I was too busy enjoying our time to snap a picture!

So Blessed.

Did you miss me? 

I'm sitting on the couch, looking at all of the pictures that we took this weekend and feeling very blessed.  I have an amazing family.  There are days we all would like to kill each other, but that's what makes us even tighter.  The only thing missing was 

Mom and I got a nice long visit, it was wonderful.  But even better, was a weekend with Hunter that was LONG overdue.  It's funny.  Each time I see him, he's grown a little more.  Not in size, but in character.  

I've spent years wondering just what kind of impact Jeff has had on the lives of the boys.  I always knew that it would be a positive contribution, but when you have a blended family, you have to wonder who picks up what and from whom.  So my heart melted when I saw this picture...

And it melted again when I saw this one...

So Jeff's contributions are what have made us a family.  Albeit, a sarcastic family, but a family none the less.  And the boys are so much funnier, happier and well adjusted for it.  

So thank you Jeff...for all you have brought to our lives.  Thank you Mom, for bringing Hunter "home" to his mom.  Thank you Hunter for finding a 24 hour period in your crazy schedule to come "camp" with us.  And most importantly, thank you Will for taking care of everything at home so we could sneak away for a few days.  I'm hoping and praying that it won't be long until all of us can do it together!

Will Return....

Just a quick note so no one worries about us!  We'll be heading out in an hour or so to camp and will be without internet service until we get back on Sunday.  I was planning for guest bloggers but one of them has band, work and is graciously taking care of the dogs.  The other one will be joining us!!

So to all of you, have a wonderful weekend, a happy birthday and get out and enjoy Fall!  I'll be taking a million pictures to share with you all on Sunday!

Love to all!

Presents!

Learning, learning, learning!

That's what keeps us young, right?  Just in case that is the right answer, I keep trying to teach myself something new.  This month, it's crocheting.  I know that I've shared my first creations...but I've got it down and now I'm working on Christmas gifts :)

Here's a peek at the one I'm working on!

Have a request?  Let me know - Christmas is right around the corner!

Yummy!

Oh, I love Will having a job!  It's resulted in him paying to fill his own gas tank, buying his own video games...and drum set.  Yep, he bought a drum set.  It's large, it's blue, it's loud.  But I digress.

I love him having a job...especially when this is what he brings home in addition to his check.  While I may weigh 800lbs when he heads off to college, I wouldn't trade the 10 minutes that I get to sit and eat my snack while he eats his dinner.

Cozy Toes!

I know that Jeff's least favorite blogs are those that include pictures of my toes...I wonder if he feels the same about socks?  Since the temperatures were in the 40's and I refuse to turn the heat on, the time has come to cover the little piggies until Spring.  So goodbye pedicures and flip flops, hello cozy socks and slippers!

Lazy Day

Let me tell you what we did today.  We slept in (all three of us!).  We had two cups of coffee.  We watched movies.  We had an afternoon coffee.  We had a real, home cooked dinner.  We caught up on television shows we were weeks behind on.  And in between, we did nothing. 

Can I just tell you how nice that was?  A day of rain washed out my sessions and Jeff's plans of working outside.  Will didn't have to mow the lawn...nor did he have to work! 

So it was a big day of nothing.  Except relaxation....and coffee!

That one moment.

There's a moment when you look at your children and realize they are no longer "kids" anymore.  I remember the day with Hunter, clear as a bell.  It was the evening that he was completing his Ohio State essay (during the application process) and he came to the top of the stairs and he looked all grown up.  In the 15 minutes he'd been in his room working, he had grown into an adult.

The same thing happened today.  Will came bounding down the stairs with Superman comfy pants on and head of wet hair.  He was laughing and shaking off the last water from his shower.  About 15 minutes later, he came in from his room and he was all grown up.  His hair was dry and styled, his tie was tied and his looked like an adult - even with the Superman belt buckle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not all mopey.  It's actually one of the cooler things that I get to experience as a mom.  I'm just thankful I was here to see it!

Happy Homecoming, Will!

It's Homecoming!

Ahhhh, another Homecoming!  Although it's my least favorite band event of the year, I wouldn't miss Long Train for all of the money in the world!  The alumni band, the fireworks and Will's smiling face.  The only thing missing from the evening was my favorite alumni!

Throwback Thursday!

It's amazing the things that can change in 10 years (especially haircuts!).  I love these pictures.  They're the heart and soul of our family.  They detail the moments that made us a family.  Puppy love.  Lint fires.  Deer antlers.  S'mores and pie pans over the fire.  The dollar game.

I'm pretty positive that if we took the boys back to the same cabin, we'd be doing the same thing.  Shaking bags of ice cream, playing euchre and hunting for dollar bills behind picture frames.  Hunter would be laying on the front porch looking for the puppy and Will would be trying to swim in the hot tub.  There would be horseshoes and badminton in the yard, a radio playing a little loudly and four voices singing at the top of their lungs.  And I guarantee the songs would have something to do with pirates, unicorns or alligator swamps.

Not a summer goes by that I don't miss those moments.  But I've learned to cherish the new ones...the five minute phone calls, the snap chats and text messages.  They mean just as much.  And one day, we'll go back...with their kids and it'll all start again.

Life is Hard.

Tonight, I don't have a picture...but I have a message.  I'm sure I've said this to the boys a million times, but in case I haven't, this is for them.

Life is hard.  People are crazy.  Nothing is fair.

I know some of you are giggling (probably the above referenced boys) but every word of that is true.  Sometimes, it takes you forty years to figure it out.  I'm saving you the time.

Life is hard.  It's a lot of fun, but it's hard.  Working full time, raising a family, paying the bills, juggling it all....it's hard.  But it's so worth it.  So in those moments that it seems too hard, remember this.  We've all been there, we've all made it through.  It doesn't always get easier, but you learn to roll with it a little better.

People are crazy.  That's an important one.  Sometimes you will think it's you that's crazy.  Sometimes the crazy one will try to convince you that it's you that's crazy.  Just know....you can't cure stupid.  You can't cure crazy.  You can spend a lifetime trying to make sense of it, but at the end of the day, sometimes crazy is just crazy.  And if you realize it...run!

Nothing is fair.  If I had a nickel for all the times the boys told me something wasn't fair, I'd be blogging from my million dollar yacht somewhere in the South Pacific with an umbrella drink in hand.  I'm here to tell you that life isn't fair.  It's isn't even almost fair.  Sometimes, the losers win.  Not everyone is nice.  It's a fact of life.  And the way I see it, you have two choices.  You can wallow in the "unfairness" of it all or you can pick yourself up, brush yourself off and keep trudging along.  It won't be easy (See Life is Hard above).

With all of that said, spectacular moments and loved ones make all of the above worth it.  The first words of your first born and the warm hug of your youngest child.  The simple "I love you" from a friend.  So suck up the rest knowing it's worth it.  You don't know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

I love you all!

Everything must change.

Looks like "orange barrel" season may last a little longer than normal at Ohio State this year.  These are the picture Hunter sent me today...

It looks like things will be a little less "green" on campus for the next few years.  Well, at least on north campus.  Hunter's made it his mission to stay for an extra year so he can enjoy the final results!

Anyway, if you're interested in seeing more about the project (it's very cool!), here is the link:

http://whatsgrowingon.osu.edu/