Seasons

As leaves are falling and the air is crisper, I'm reminded that everyone goes through seasons....not the obvious Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall....but seasons of life! Have you ever seen "Rent" on broadway? It's fabulous....but that's beside the point....talking about seasons just got me humming that song from Seasons of Love from "Rent". Anyway back to seasons! The seasons of life I'm referring to are....changes, adjustments, good times, not so good times, learning, growing, faltering, stumbling, pausing, etc., etc., etc., etc. I know many people who are in a "season" if you will....of life....unfortuntately most of the folks I'm thinking about are not in necessarily good "seasons", but there are some who are in good "seasons"! When I looked the word "season" up in the dictionary, I found the following idiom:
for a season, for a time, esp. a short time
This is good if the "season", you are in, is not so good; but you may wish the "season" were a little longer if things are going really good. Nonetheless....we all experience different "seasons".....good, bad, on pause, winter, spring, summer or fall! I think the important thing for me us to remember is that it's just a "season" for a short time!

Let The Countdown Begin

Okay so Halloween is Saturday....

talk about spooky....

where has time gone?

I enjoy Halloween lots, BUT....

I adore Thanksgiving!
Yes I would say that I have a crush on Thanksgiving,

because it's one of my favorite holidays!

So I'm counting down to Thanksgiving....

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rush Halloween!

I would never do that!

But I do ADORE Thanksgiving.

For reasons like this....

....I get to spend the entire week of Thanksgiving with my kids!

I get to spend the entire day of Thanksgiving with family and friends!

I get to take a picture of my children with their cousins on our slide!

I get to spend the late night hours of Thanksgiving

and the wee hours of post Thanksgiving morning

shopping with my best friend. I ADORE Thanksgiving!

AND....

....the food ain't so bad either!

BY THE WAY....by my calculations, there's 58 days til Christmas!

Shut my mouth and slap me silly...FIFTY EIGHT DAYS PEOPLE!

TRUNK OR TREAT

Each year our church hosts Trunk or Treat,

it's a fun filled evening of eating, bouncing and indulging....on candy! The group photo of most of the kids that participated this year!
B and her friend Audrey!

Drew and her friend Reagan (Audrey's sister).

Npayne, Cal, and Elli....trunk or treating!

Addi and our friends Maddie and Macie!

The girls wanted to be Super Heros this year. They like to have a

theme....and they always try to choose something that we can easily make a t-shirt for Cal to wear. He doesn't wear costumes, so we usually have a t-shirt for him. Unfortunately his

"Super Callahan" tee didn't arrive in time. BOO HOO! Here are the girls' capes....self designed by each little lady.

Making silly and super hero faces!!

I'm not a Super Mom, but I try!

Treasures

I have posted before about treasures and how much I truly treasure certain moments or experiences. I experienced a treasure with Cal the other night. The girls were all snug in bed, and Cal was waiting for his daddy to get home from Bible Study. He is extremely routine at bedtime and NPayne is part of his routine. So if NPayne is not going to be home at bedtime, he has to tell Cal that he will not be home and that mama will be part of the bedtime routine that night. Cal always happily agrees, BUT the other night....I don't think NPayne told Cal that he was not going to be there at bedtime. So instead of trying to coerce him into his own bed.....I happily let him lay down beside me while he waited for NPayne. As we lay there all covered up, he took my hand and held it lightly. A few minutes later I looked over at him, and he was fast asleep....still holding my hand. I continued to lightly hold his hand until NPayne came home and put him in his own bed. Moments like this are such treasures to me, and I hope to relive one like this again very soon!!!

A Fabulous Blue Door, A Stunning Boy, Blue Eyes, Plaid Shirt, Cute Little Toes, and An Adorable Hat!

Everybody could use a little plaid!

Cute Little Baby Toes!

Fabulous Blue Door and Those Blue Eyes Ain't So Bad Either!

Everyone needs some wellies!!!

Thank you Bowen for being such a great sport!!! You are one awesome and handsome 2 year old!

Just to....wet your whistle, make you gasp, and stop dead in your tracks....just a preview!

Remember that photo shoot that I had tonight?

The one with the beautiful boy with the beautiful blue eyes and the adorable hat....

here's a sample minus the hat but plus that fabulous blue door that I absolutely adore!
Heaven help any girls who stare into those eyes.....

Howdy Pardner!

The twins are obsessed with our coat closet, among other things, but they really LOVE the coat closet because inside there's not only coats, but......HATS of all kinds. They tend to always choose a cowboy hat, sometimes even a pink cow"girl" hat! They also are obsessed with Addi's drum set and our piano.....they LOVE to pound play both of these things!

STUFF

PHOTO SHOOT TOMORROW EVENING....woohoo!!! Cute little boy with beautiful blue eyes and a cute little hat.....coming your way.....get ready to stop in your tracks, have your breath taken away, gasp and ooooohhhh&ahhhhhh.....I mean he is CUTE!

Announcement coming....about another adventure!!!

AND....can you believe it's almost Halloween? Good Night Nurse....I nearly fell over when I read in the church bulletin today that Trunk or Treat was next Sunday!!!! I'm flabergasted, completely thrown for a loop, shocked and completely unprepared for dressing up....well maybe not completely....there is a plan in place....it just needs to be implemented!!!

If I Had It My Way

1. I would have an old pick up truck but get around on a scooter with a sidecar.
2. I would live on a lake in the country and grow wildflowers and have a huge garden.
3. My children would be homeschooled and all have their own horse.
4. I would have had at least 7 or 8 kiddos and adopt a few too.
5. NPayne would work really close to our house at a place he loved, so he could come home for a picnic lunch with us every day.
6. We would always have 3 day weekends....one day to do our chores, one day to rest, and one day to play....but all 3 days would be spent together.
7. We would never use an alarm clock again.
8. I would make my living by being a photographer.
9. All of my family and friends would live in the country nearby me....ALL OF THEM....including my pastors!
10. We would have a huge rock garden.
11. We would go fishing every day.
12. All of my children would know how to sew and play at least one musical instrument.
13. My afternoons would be spent sitting on my porch swing watching my kids pick flowers and berries and play baseball in the front yard.
14. We wouldn't watch TV....except maybe a football game here and there....and would read and listen to music all the time.
15. We would own absolutely everything we had.
16. We would spend our summers at the beach!



BUT....really honestly....it's not about me getting my way.....it's about what God has planned for me and for now....His plan, although unclear at times, is for me to be doing what I'm doing. And although most of those things above are true desires and wishes, I am blessed in my everyday life. I am thankful for my life, and for His guidance. I've been praying for guidance a lot lately and will continue to do so. And now....after receiving some guidance from someone else....I'm praying for balance! Thanks Pastor Ken!

RULES

I have to admit that I am a rule follower by nature....I always have been. I never liked or wanted to get in trouble and always thought about long term consequences in decisions I made. As I've gotten older, had a family, and continued growing my relationship with Christ....I have gotten much more laid back in how I approach rules. Don't get me wrong....I never speed, always have my car inspected, and fill out forms in black or blue ink; but I also started believing that if you follow the two main rules (commandments) that Jesus tells us too....everything else falls under them.

MATTHEW 22:37-39

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] !

It's been a challenge not to set up rigorous rules in my household, because as I said....I am a rule follower....hence I need rules to be a rule follower; however we actually don't have tons of "rules" persay. We do have types of behaviors that are not acceptable and choices that are not acceptable, and we do have limitations and responsibilities; but really we have 2 main "rules" that we enforce, if you will, to keep order in our house.....BE KIND and BE HONEST! My children know that if they make a bad choice, there will be a natural consequence; but if they make a bad choice and are not honest about it....there will be a natural consequence and another consequence decided upon by NPayne and myself. We have tried to teach them and are still teaching them that being dishonest is a bigger offense (to us) than the bad choice was. We know that everyone makes bad choices and suffers consequences for those choices....including NPayne and myself.

As for being kind, I have never really seen a reason for anyone to be anything but kind....I know that may be hard at times....believe me I have struggle with that; but when I think about it and I see my children living it....it also makes me realize that being unkind not only hurts the person you are unkind to but also hurts you! Iwill say that NPayne has rubbed off on me significantly in this area....he is truly one of the kindest people I have ever met. I am not saying that we don't get angry, irritated, frustrated or upset with each other in our house....what I'm saying is that we are trying to handle those feelings in a kind, responsible, productive way....instead of lashing out, hitting, being condesending or disprespectful. As I've gotten older....I have made a conscious effort to take a step back, take a deep breath, and try to resolve a conflict with kindness....I'm not always successful, but I am trying to be. I have this frame (pictured above) in my kitchen, and it holds a picture of my children. It is such a good reminder....everyday when I look at it....which is why it's in my kitchen....so I see it everyday. It has the following saying under their picture....

Remember when you go into the world to keep your eyes and ears wide open. And be kind. Love one another. Take care of each other. Tell the truth. Always do your best. Listen to the big people and the little people. Explore new paths and have fun. Know that you are loved like crazy. Give thanks for all your blessings. Above all else, love and you will do wonderful things in this world. -- Rebecca Puig!

I pray that my family will always try to follow the commandments of Jesus....and that in doing so, we will be honest and kind.