A Successful Hunt

This weekend Derek took Braylen out to hunt turkeys. I like to tell him he has the strangest hobby. Getting up early and going out into the cold--for fun? I choose to sleep in and stay warm. :) That being said, I really am happy they enjoy doing this together. Next time it will be Kaleb's turn.

As so often happens during a hunt, there's no activity for hours. Suddenly a flurry of activity results in 6 turkeys! Braylen even got one this time--hooray! 2 for Derek, 2 for Grandpa, 1 for Braylen, and 1 for Uncle Brandon. Success. :)

Bundled-up Braylen

Derek's on the move...

Braylen propped his camera on the tailgate and set this picture up himself.

Braylen displays his turkey's fan

Derek's turkeys

Back at home, I made sure to get all the turkeys in the picture--especially the big ones in the back row. hee hee!

Now we have lots of turkey meat in the freezer, with plans to smoke it with some friends soon. They even agreed to smoke it for us--all we have to do is show up! :) We saved the biggest turkey to cook with some other friends--either in their fryer or prepared in a (new) metal trash can. The longer I live here, the more "country" I feel...

More highlights from last week...

Strep throat already? Yep, so Aaron stayed home from school on Friday and we made cookies.

Kaleb and Aaron watched football while the hunters were hunting.
I love how Aaron's jersey number is half of Kaleb's. :)

The famous mowing trailer. I like to say they're not mowing grass anymore. They're mowing leaves!

This morning on our way to school, Aaron spotted a front porch decorated for Halloween. He said, "Look at the snowman and the squirrel!" I looked and saw two huge inflated figures on a porch: a ghost and a bat. We laughed the whole way to school at Aaron's "snowman and squirrel."  :)

Happy Halloween!!!

Pretty Autumn

We are blessed with such a pretty autumn this year. Yesterday I tagged along with Derek and Braylen to help them mow yards, and I'm glad I brought my camera with me. Such pretty colors!

Just a few more weeks of mowing before we're done for the season. Derek made the job easier by adding side rails to a little trailer of ours, allowing him to easily transport lawn mowers and gas cans. It's much easier than lifting the mowers onto a hitch mounted luggage rack. When we came home, Kaleb and Braylen mowed our yard in no time at all. I'm so spoiled. I wonder if they will pull my garden out too?

On a much different note, we're faced with a health issue with one of our kids right now. It doesn't appear to be anything too serious, but this morning I made a doctor appointment for him. He'll be seen next week, and I feel better knowing we're getting this checked out. Still, I struggle with fear and worry.

Isaiah 41:10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Aren't these fall colors splendid?! I think so! It's hard to believe this is the last week of October. Pretty soon we'll be trick-or-treating. Aaron knows what he wants to be, but Kaleb and Braylen are still deciding. Good thing I'm a crafty person and can throw a costume together at the last minute. Ha ha ha!!! I should have said, "Thank goodness for the last minute, or I'd never get anything done!" ~borrowed from a sign I saw at a craft fair this weekend. 

A Fall Campout

Last week we held a family meeting. The topic: do we want to commit to a year of Cub Scouts for Kaleb and Aaron, and Boy Scouts for Braylen? Or, are we done with Scouting? There was lots of discussion. In the end, all three boys voted for another year of Scouts. For Aaron, this is his first year as a Scout, but he's been an "honorary scout" ever since his brothers joined years ago. How could we bring him to 5 years of meetings and then say "no" when it's finally his turn? Plus, Tiger Cubs are the cutest group of Scouts. :)

With our decision made, we signed Kaleb and Braylen up for Webelos Woods. This is a camp out where the Boy Scouts do their best to draw the Webelos (4th and 5th grade Cub Scouts) into joining their troop when the time for advancement comes. Kaleb is still a year and a half away from advancing to Boy Scouts, but he said he'd like to attend this camp out. Braylen's troop planned to attend, so we thought this would be a fun way for Braylen and Kaleb to camp "together" as Cub Scout and Boy Scout.

While the boys were camping, Derek and I decided to join them...but not fully. We brought the camper and camped in a different area of the park. I'm not a Boy Scout or a Cub Scout, so why should I stay in a tent? :) Derek drove Braylen and Kaleb to their campsite while Aaron and I stayed at home to pack the camper. We took our time and the three of us made it to the park just before lunch. We didn't do anything with the scouts, but we did check in with them in the afternoon. Aaron especially wanted to see how Kaleb was doing. Of course he was doing fine and having lots of fun. We decided to have a little fun of our own.

Aaron and Daddy played lots of Trac Ball

Derek shows Aaron our hamburgers...yum!

a table set for 3

Aaron's favorite part of camping is the campfire.

Ginger Girl is 2 and 1/2 years old now. See the gray stubble beneath her chin? She and I can go gray together.

We rode our bikes, played frisbee, read books, worked a puzzle, and roasted marshmallows. It was a nice change to have just one child! At bedtime, we brought Kaleb to the camper to sleep. There wasn't anyone else from his den at the camp out, which meant he would have to sleep in a tent with some of the older boys. It worked out great for him to join us, as Aaron was very happy to have his big brother back. :) In the morning, we joined the group of Scouts for chapel. Our fall camp out turned out to be really fun! We'll have to do it again next fall.

Aaron attended his first den meeting in uniform this week. He's actually using Braylen's old uniform, and I decided not to remove the patches. Most of them are sewn on a pocket and they were real tricky to put on. Why take them off? (Right, Grandma?) Aaron has to be the most decked out Tiger Cub! :) He's still hard to take a picture of, since he loves to do silly poses. I figured, why try hard for a posed picture? This is a true representation of our goofy little Aaron!

Aaron also finished his half-marathon, but it was a cold morning when he did so! I held one end of his finish line and loved watching him run for all he was worth. :) I'm proud of his hard work, especially since he had to do most of his running in the early morning.

I really do love the fall and all the fun it brings!

Running Club

I sure have had a productive Monday, and I never left the house! There are dozens of things that get left undone every week, and today was the day to tackle them. In no time my morning turned into the afternoon, and I figured it was time to take a break. :)

Kaleb and Aaron surprised me this fall by signing up for our school's marathon club. This is something Braylen enjoyed in elementary school, while Kaleb enjoyed sleeping in. In fact, this morning Kaleb said at breakfast, "This is not good for me to get up this early." Amen!

But two mornings and one afternoon per week, Kaleb and Aaron run...and run...and run. They carry a small card with them when they run, keeping track of each lap. When their first cards were completed, they each earned a necklace. It looks like a dog tag chain with plastic feet tags. Each completed card earns them one more foot. Last Monday Kaleb completed his half-marathon: 13.1 miles! And he ran most of those miles in the morning, since the afternoon for running club clashes with our piano lessons. I'm so proud of him!

Kaleb tried to jump over the finish line!

Both boys wear pedometers every day, and they average 13,000 steps each day. On running days, they easily reach 15,000 steps. Thanks to a program through the university, they'll be keeping track of their steps all month. Kaleb and Aaron love their pedometers. Rather than stress over "one more thing" to keep track of, I have put this responsibility on their shoulders. Library books, planners, lunches, reading charts, homework, water bottles, snacks, book orders, and the recorder? I help with those things. :) So far both boys are doing a great job with their pedometers and charts.

On Friday we went to our last home football game of the season. At last week's game we needed an umbrella, and then the game was called off when the tornado sirens sounded. It made for an exciting time for the boys! :) This past Friday we had beautiful weather, and some friends joined us for the game. Yay! They even treated my boys to some popcorn. :) Derek sat with us for a few minutes, which was a treat for me! Most of the time we don't see him at all during the game. Braylen sits in the middle school section, but both Derek and I keep our eyes on him. It's been a lot of fun for our family. I will miss these Friday night games.

Waiting for the kick-off

This weekend we went camping, but that is for another post. School's almost out and my quiet time is quickly coming to an end.

Hello Tweenager...

Aaron's at it again!

All smiles with their Virginia souvenirs

Right now we're in my favorite time of the year. October weather is beautiful! The busy schedules of August and September are behind us. Fall has arrived and we've settled into our routines. I'm balancing the needs of our home with the needs I see all around me, dividing my time between friends, church, and family. While many days I feel like there's not enough of me to go around, things have a way of working out. God is much bigger than my needs, and He proves it to me daily.

Now that Braylen's finishing his first quarter of middle school, I'm seeing some changes in him.

• He wakes himself up every morning with his alarm clock.
• No more evening showers. Braylen showers every morning now.
• I've spent some time in the skin care aisle at Walmart, wondering what products are best for a 12 year old boy.
• Braylen is much more mature in public than he is at home. I'm glad he still has some little boy in him at home. :)
• He checks his email all the time, and reminds me every day of his wish for a cell phone.
• There's this 6th grade girl who captures his attention...
• I found Derek giving Braylen tips on how to treat this girl...
• Next we find out (from someone else) that our son has a "girlfriend."
• When asked what it means to be "going out" in 6th grade, Braylen replied, "It just means we like each other."
• Derek and I are in new territory here. I'm so thankful I'm not dealing with this on my own!
• We had a nice chat with Braylen about these tweenager things...

Things sure are changing in our lives. I feel like we're starting all over with our parenting. What in the world are we doing? It's like bringing our newborn home from the hospital. "Okay, now what?"

One day at a time. One issue at a time. Lots and lots of prayer. I really love how this brings Derek and me closer together. All of a sudden we have new things to talk about. And this is just the beginning. :)

Anniversaries of the Heart

We all have dates on the calendar that mean more than just another day. Today is one of those for me. My grandma has been gone for 10 years today. In some ways it feels like much less. In other ways it feels like more.

She loved Braylen. I'm convinced she would love Kaleb and Aaron too, if she were still here. And she'd be delighted with her new great-grandson, Will. Strangely, I remember the most insignificant things about that day 10 years ago. Like what I made for supper. Tonight we'll have the same thing, because that's how I am. Memories wrapped up in my mind and heart show up in my cooking.

Today I'll end with a funny. Grandma would like that. :) Aaron came home from church yesterday, plopped himself on the floor to untie his shoes, and said this to no one in particular:
"Sometimes I just talk when I don't know what I'm going to say!"

That boy...  :)

Virginia {Days 4 & 5}

On Sunday we drove to Colonial Williamsburg. I'm so glad we included this in our trip. Kaleb is our history buff, after all. :) On our way, we drove through lots of traffic and saw an accident happen behind us. I'm so thankful my dad stopped our car in time, the car behind us stopped in time, and we weren't the ones to hit the Porsche, which was 2 cars behind us. The day turned out to be a perfect fall day, and even the rain stopped when we arrived. To reach Williamsburg we needed to cross the Hampton Roads Bridge/Tunnel. We thought that was pretty cool. One minute we're driving on a long bridge, and the next we're entering a tunnel to drive beneath the water. Then we pop back out on the bridge, and eventually reach land.

Before our trip, I found this website for Kaleb to explore. It helped him understand a little bit about Williamsburg. Our boys have had more fun with this website! You can find it here.

Williamsburg was not crowded at all, making it even more enjoyable for us. We toured the capitol, governor's palace, ammo magazine, and many other buildings. We walked a lot! I think I'll let my pictures tell the rest of the story.

getting a good look at the capitol building

standing beneath a 200+ year old oak tree

a view of Duke of Gloucester Street

Grammy & Kaleb are locked in and not too happy about it :)

my turn to be locked in with Kaleb

Kaleb & Grampy check out the fire engine. I'm sure my dad's glad he never had to use an "engine" like this one.

The Governor's Palace from the front...

...and from the back

pathway leading from the palace to a canal...I love it when the treetops intersect

All in all, we had a really fun time in Williamsburg. Because of our late breakfast, we skipped lunch. We were pretty hungry by 5:00! We walked to the merchant's market and found Kaleb a place that serves macaroni & cheese. I wanted another Carolina pulled pork BBQ sandwich, and was happy to see this restaurant--Stephano's Pizza & Subs--had it on their menu. :) We were all happy to sit down and rest our tired feet!

Of course we couldn't leave Williamsburg without dessert. Lattes for the adults and ice cream for Kaleb. Mmmm. :)

Day 5 means it's time to go home. After such a fun and full trip, we felt like we had been gone for a week!

ready to leave for the airport and say goodbye to our car

I knew our first plane ride would be fun--Grammy and Grampy were with us. Saying goodbye in Chicago was hard. Mom bought us lunch and 2 cookies for the plane, and then she and dad left. Kaleb and I had one more flight, so we used our time on that flight to do his homework. Our travels went smoothly, and we arrived home earlier than expected. Braylen didn't greet us with hugs. Instead, he blurted out, "Mom, you're home early! I haven't had time to vacuum yet!" Hmm, Daddy gave Braylen a job to do after school. I finally got my hug when he finished vacuuming. :)

I'm very thankful for our trip. I'm blessed with parents who see the importance of building memories with their grandsons. (and daughter!) :) Mom and Dad, where do you think we should take Aaron when he is 9 years old?

Virginia {Day 3}

Grammy & Kaleb playing peek-a-boo at the museum

Anyone who knows me and my side of the family knows that we like to take our time in the morning. We sleep in. We take our time at breakfast. We're not in any rush. :) Which is why our first stop on day 3 began at noon. The Norfolk History Museum opens at noon. Perfect. I don't think the museum staff is used to visitors lining up waiting for the doors to open, because the staff didn't show up until 12:15. We used the extra 15 minutes to walk through the garden and take a few pictures.

Today is the day we met up with my cousin, Nicholas. He and his wife followed their jobs and moved across the country 3 years ago to settle in the eastern shores of Maryland. I love Nicholas. Our lives couldn't be more different--but we're cousins and we've always been close. He drove for almost 4 hours to meet us in Norfolk, and I was so excited to see him again! While waiting for him to arrive, we walked around the MacArthur Center. This mall is huge. Of course Kaleb liked all the escalators. I did my best to steer him away from the "Bra-ha-ha" event going on. (an event showcasing all different types of bras--yikes!) We had lunch at Johnny Rocket's and finished just in time to meet Nicholas.

can you see Kaleb?

 If you ask Kaleb what the best part of his trip was, he'll tell you it was this part: touring the USS Wisconsin. Nicholas is the one who suggested this tour, so it was great to have him join us!

The famous 16 inch guns; I say famous because I learned in Hawaii that 16 inches refers to their diameter, not their length. :)

pretending to fire the 5 inch guns

Nicholas with Kaleb and me at the stern

Kaleb needed a boost, and Nicholas was right there for him

Mom and Dad with the city in the background

You can't tell from my picture, but I was beginning to feel awful at this point in our day. Living in denial and hiding how I felt only made things worse. What a terrible, awful, horrible time for a migraine...I've only had two in my whole life and they're separated by years. Why did number 3 have to come on this day? Riding in Nicholas's car on our way to Logan's Roadhouse for supper, I thought the worst was about to happen. Finally confessing how bad I felt, he told me I needed to get back to the hotel and go to bed. I agreed, although I wanted to cry. He drove all this way for this? I flew across the country for this? And now I might be sick in his car? I felt so awful...

Back at the hotel, I crashed in the dark bedroom. Nicholas stayed and visited with my parents and Kaleb in the living room. Every now and then I'd hear them laugh, but mostly I just slept. Eventually Kaleb came in to tell me Nicholas was leaving. I made myself get up and tell him goodbye. He told me not to feel bad about this happening...it was okay...but I was so sad. :( I had so much I wanted to ask him, so many things to talk about and share with him, but it didn't work out the way I'd hoped and planned. He didn't even get anything to eat for supper.

I wanted a do-over for this day. I still do. And that's day 3.

Virginia {Days 1 & 2}

Three years ago, 9 year old Braylen flew with me to Monterey, CA. You can read about it here. We met my mom there, and spent a long weekend with family attending my cousin's wedding. Mom and I realized how much fun that was, so we thought--what can we do with Kaleb when he's 9? We decided on 3 requirements our location must meet in order for this to be a parallel--yet different--experience for Kaleb. First: there must be an ocean. Second: it should be reasonably close to another family member, so Kaleb can meet more of his relatives. Third: it needs to have fun places to visit. :)

We decided on Norfolk, Virginia! We also decided to include my dad this time. What a TREAT! I wish my parents lived close to us and could share our everyday moments. But since they can't--this is how we've chosen to strengthen our family ties and create memories that will last. I feel so blessed to go along on these trips!

Kaleb and I flew out on Thursday, connected with my parents in Chicago, and flew together to Norfolk. Oh, how much fun we had! Kaleb doesn't remember flying when he was 1 and 3, so this was all brand new to him. Some things he said on that first plane ride:
"Do we have a game trail yet?" (He meant to say "contrail.")
"We're climbing in altitude!"
"Absolutely amazing!"

We rented a maroon Nissan Altima, which Kaleb started for my dad every single time. The push-button start was a huge hit with him. :) We let Kaleb choose our supper that first night. If you know Kaleb well, you'll know what he picked. Pancakes! We found an IHOP close to our hotel, and he was in heaven. I thought the hot tub back at the hotel felt heavenly.

our first night, checking out downtown Norfolk and the USS Wisconsin

Day 2 of our trip took us to Norfolk Botanical Gardens. For 3 years we've been watching an eagle nest online. Wouldn't you know, the nest is located in these gardens? (one of the many reasons why we chose Norfolk.) Kaleb LOVES eagles. He always has. This past spring, the female eagle in this nest we like to watch was hit and killed by a plane. :( It was so sad, especially since she left 3 young eaglets behind. While touring the gardens on Friday, we found the tree with THE nest in it. How cool to see it with our own eyes, after watching it online for 3 years! The male eagle has been recently spotted with a new female, so maybe there will be eggs in the nest next year after all.

the eagle nest

Mom & Dad at the base of the tree

Kaleb and me standing at the eagle's tree

We saw much more than the nest. Crepe Myrtle trees, flowers, fountains, sculptures, waterfowl, and even some palm trees. I didn't know Virginia has palm trees? We rode a boat and a tram, but mostly we walked. And walked. :)



Kaleb and Grampy on the tram

some trees were beginning to turn colors

We had the best sandwich ever...Carolina BBQ pulled pork and slaw. It was so good it didn't even come with sauce.

here's one of those palm trees

my mom and me standing by some pink azaleas :)

Kaleb, deep in thought

After the gardens, we drove to Virginia Beach for Kaleb's ocean experience! He loves playing in waves, so I was pretty sure he'd love the ocean. He loved it all right! We planned on wading, since I thought the water would be too cold to swim in. Well...Kaleb had other ideas. He loved splashing in the waves so much that I let him take his shirt off and swim in his shorts! If we knew it would be that warm on Friday we would've brought our suits! Oh well. When he was done, Mom bought him a towel and a pair of shorts. Ironically, they were swim shorts. :)

Feeling good in his dry clothes, we had supper at the boardwalk and then went back to our hotel. Kaleb went swimming in his new suit and the rest of us soaked in the hot tub. It felt like our own personal pool room, since nobody else ever used it when we were there. We all agreed that if we were able to order the events of our day, we would have ordered them to be just as they were. It was a perfect day.

And that's all for now. Days 3, 4, and 5 will be for my next post.