We Voted!!!!!

What an important election this year! So many strong feelings-such a division in those feelings. Our country has been suffering for quite a while and we need change. But change isn't ever easy and it's always painful. My friend Olivia wrote this on her blog and it was soooo eloquent that I asked her if I could quote her because I could never say these feelings with such perfection.

"Dear President Obama,
as one of the millions who did not vote for you, i write tonight to give you my support. i will simply ask you to do your best for the american people and for our country you've been given stewardship over. i will not hope that you fail. i will not celebrate every mistake or stumble along the way. i will try not to blame you for any setbacks that we encounter that are not your fault. i will lend you my support as an american, and hope and pray that you protect and preserve the american way of life, which is to celebrate and foster imagination, innovation, individuality and most of all, hard work. i am proud to be an american, and proud of the example we set as a nation. while we are not perfect, we are founded on a philosophy that is — one that should be respected and protected both at home and abroad. President Obama, i hope that you love this country as much as its leader should. i pray that you will reflect this perfect philosophy brightly to the rest of the world, and realize our great responsibilities as a leader among nations. "
Olivia W.

Cardon's last football game

Last weekend Cardon had his last football game. BJ's parents were there for it which was so fun for Cardon. They loved going to their kids sporting events so it's fun for them to now go to their grand children's games. Cardon's team took 1st place! He had a great season and loves to play football just like his dad.The cheerleaders gave each of the players a sack filled with treats for the end of the season! Thanks cheerleaders!Grandpa and Jace kissing goodbye! How sweet is that!
Thanks for coming Grandpa and Grandma Vanorman. We always love it when you come visit!!!

Better Late Than Never---Happy Halloween!!!!!

My friend Amy and her family came into town for Halloween and so several families all met up at our house to "trick--or--treat" together. It was a gorgeous night--not a bit cold and because BJ's parents were in town it was the first time that BJ and I were able to go out with the kids together. The kids had a great time and everyone got Lot's of candy. We stayed up watching scary "kid" movies with Grandma and Grandpa and then crashed in a sugar coma by 10pm. It was a fantastic night!

This year we told the kids that we weren't going to buy any costumes because we were going to save the money for Disney World over Thanksgiving. This worked out for everyone except Cardon because we have tons of dress-ups to choose from but all smaller than him. So, he got creative and made a car out of a box. He spent hours coloring the car to look like a race car and then I broke down and bought him some lights and a horn to go on it because I was so proud of how hard he'd worked on it. Nice Job Cardon!!!!

Very Late--Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!

Grandpa Howard and Grandma Carol come to visit!!!

As soon as I dropped my mom off at the airport BJ's parents flew in. They rented a car and so I got home about 30 min. before they did (just enough time to change the bedding--not enough time to clean the bathroom). So I sent them outside to play with the kids while I tidied up a bit because it was a gorgeous day. We all played outside for several hours and the kids couldn't get enough attention from Grandpa Howard and Grandma Carol. We all love when they come to visit!Grandma Carol taught Brinly to do the wedding march after she gave her a big bouquet of "fall" flowers from the backyard. It was really cute.

Jace loved Grandpa Howard right away. I guessed that he must have known that this was a "BJ". BJ and his dad are like carbon copies in my mind. They both have very similar personalities. Carol lost one of her costume jewelry earrings in the backyard and Howard spent a good 30 min. on his hands and knees looking for it (something BJ would totally have done). I have always loved watching BJ's parents because you can be around them for just a few minutes and can tell how much they love each other. They're wonderful. Anyway, Jace and Grandpa were attached at the hip the entire time they were here. Every time we got into the car Jace would cry huge elephant tears because Grandpa was in the other car. He wanted Grandpa to hold him constantly. It was really sweet to watch and I'm sure it made Howard feel good too. Howard hoisted Jace up and down for 1/2 hour so he could make baskets. I'm only good for about 2 times and then I'm done---what a great Grandpa!!!

Grandpa and Grandma got to be there for the school Halloween parade and party. Cardon spent endless hours making a car for his costume. He did a great job and he was really proud of it. Time to carve up the pumpkins. Each of us had our own pumpkin to carve. We had spooky Halloween music playing in the background and then we ate pumpkin sugar cookies for our treat. It was such a fun night!

Happy Halloween!!!!!

Yea!!! Time With Mom!!!!!!

A few hours after Amy left my mom came to visit for a few days. She was visiting one of her good friends in St. Louis and so on her way home came to visit us. She spent quality time with each of her grand kids which they of course loved. She ate lunch with Brinly in the cafeteria at school and then went to Cardon's school music program.

She had an evening tea party with all of the kids with a new darling new tea set she bought for them. The kids loved talking in funny English accents while drinking their hot chocolate with their pinkies up. This was such a little thing that went a long, long way!

We went up to Atchison with Amelia and Jace and visited a popular store called Nell Hills and then had lunch at a cute little restaurant called Marigolds or Magnolias (or something like that) where we ate soup, sandwiches and apple pastry's. I wish we would have had more time there but we had to get home for our Halloween Party.

Every year my mom dresses up as a witch for Halloween. It's a tradition that I treasure. My mind is full of wonderful memories of Halloween all because of my mom. That's why I dress up as a witch each year. So, my mom had to have a Halloween party with the kids with costumes and all. As soon as Cardon and Brinly came into the door from school they ran to get their costumes on so the party could begin. They were so excited!

The theme to this party was all around witches and spiders. So we had spider cider and decorated spiders with all sorts of fun stickers.We played pin the spider on the witch.Then my mom read a Halloween book to the kids which she then gave to us with a little Halloween message inside. Each of the kids got a goody bag at the end with stickers and spiders and treats. What a fun party!!!After the party I had all the kids sit on the couch to take a picture with my mom. She put on her "witch" nose and Jace looked up at her and panicked. It was awfully funny! What a great day-Thanks Mom!!!
The next day (the day before Halloween) my mom and I (and Jace) went to see Amelia in her costume parade at school. She had a fun party afterwards. Amelia was excited to have Grandma come to her pre-school. A few hours later my mom was off on a plane to go back home. It was a short visit but we packed in every last minute. Thanks for coming mom--we had a great time!!

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Time Out For Women

The week before Halloween I drove to the airport to pick up my friend Amy so that we could head to Nebraska for a "Time Out for Women" conference. Neither one of us had ever gone before and heard it was totally worth it and so we paid our money and committed to finding out what it meant to live a "Joyful Life". It was a fun 3 hour drive with never a dull moment--lots of good conversation, Subway Sandwiches, crazy "country" collectibles, vanilla coke and Dr. Pepper, etc. We got to our hotel which sat right next to the conference center and got ourselves settled into our room. We enjoyed the first talk given by Ardeth Kapp. She spoke of a few things that hit home with me. She said that the first attack in any battle is to destroy the communication system. Good things like t.v., computers, and the phone can disrupt our ability to communicate with those around us that need and love us. She gave 4 ways to re-charge our batteries as wives and mothers. 1st: Thoughtfully ponder--think about your possibilities--not your inadequacies. 2ND: Earnestly pray--Counsel the Lord in all your doings. 3rd: Carefully Prune--I LOVED THIS PART--She said that the pioneers had to decide what was most important to take in their wagons. Today, we have to decide what we make time for. 4Th: Plan with a purpose--What do we want to see happen in our families--then plan backwards.
That night I left feeling like I'd been given some great thoughts and was so excited to take in more the next day.

So Amy and I went to dinner at a Brewery which was super D duper delicious and then stayed up talking until 2 or 3 am (can't remember at this point--it was late, you catch my drift). We got up before 7am and got ourselves ready so that we wouldn't miss the first speaker and then.......It was a day full of "not so great speakers" and really bad music (for the most part). Here is Amy being forced to go back in because I was certain that one of the speakers would say something that would make our entire trip. She thought that if she pointed her "banana gun" at her head I might take pity on her, but NO. We went back in anyway. The speakers did not impress us but the final musician got us to get up in the middle of her performance to buy one of her Cd's. Her name is Cherie Call. She writes her own music which seems honest and real. We both really liked her. On the way home we listened to a CD that I bought called "Teaching Your Children to Fly" by Merrilee Boyack. She also wrote a book called Parenting Breakthrough which is an absolute must for parents. Anyway, we learned more from that CD than we did in the entire conference so it was well worth it. We also shopped which always makes up for anything that doesn't work out as expected.When we got back into town we met a bunch of friends for dinner and had a great night laughing and eating. Amy stayed with me until Monday afternoon and we had so much fun. Thanks for coming--I'll road trip with you anytime!!!! (BTW--I have no idea why this is underlined but I can't get it off, so here it will stay!