Another season comes to a close...

Sam plays soccer.  It's his 5th season.  He's had a GREAT season!

This season he had the BEST COACH EVER!  His DAD!  He's a great coach, I love that he's not competitive, what matters most to him is that the boys played well and showed improvement.  He's so calm and doesn't get worked up when a ref makes an error, etc.  And I love all the time they've spent together.  And Sam has really flourished this season--it's like everything has clicked and he's really showing some skill!  I LOVE watching him play.

 We also play with the best group of boys and families.  We really feel like we've hit the jackpot and can't wait for season 6.  Let's go DRAGONS!

Some weeks are CRAZY!

And give me grey hair and age me.

This past Monday, Kaitlyn and Sam didn't come home from school.

They walk home together and arrive home between 3:05 and 3:10.  At 3:15 they were not home, I walked outside to look down the street and see if they'd hooked up with some neighbor kids or something but they were nowhere to be seen.

I loaded up the younger two in the van and started to drive the route they take.  NO ONE is around, no straggling kids walking home, no parents parked in cars or chatting, even the crossing guards had gone home.  It was so calm and quiet around the school that I for a split second thought that my watch and clocks were off by an hour.  But they weren't.

I arrive at the school and walk into the front office.  The new receptionist is helping another parent, Mrs. Walker the school Principal is there on the phone.  I calmly wait my turn and say, "Um, my kids didn't make it home from school."  Mrs. Walker told me to walk into the office and things got really exciting really quickly.

The school administrators know my kids, know that they're responsible and this is very out of character for them.  It doesn't make any sense to me, they have a piano lesson after school and know to come right home.

The school was checked, an announcement paging them on the loud speaker went off, their teachers were called to see if anything strange had happened with them leaving, the secretaries and other office staff start peppering me for names of families they might have gone home to or with and they begin making some calls.  No one has seen them, they're not with anyone we're calling.

Kaitlyn's and Sam's teachers come up to the office and they let me know that they left and were a little late leaving but nothing out of the ordinary.  They encourage me that it's very odd and unusual for something to happen to the two of them together.  They make sure that if they do arrive home, they can get in.  Kaitlyn's sweet teacher from last year gets in her car with another teacher and begin to drive the neighborhood looking for them.

By 3:35 they suggest I call Stephen.  I'm losing it at this point, crying and scared.  I call him and as I'm on the phone with him, one of the school secretaries calls my home and Kaitlyn answers!  Oh sigh of relief.  The teachers tell me to go home and love on them but then give them a real talking to.=)

THE STORY:  Kaitlyn has a new friend (Kendall) who sometimes has to walk alone.  She decided to walk her home thus taking a different route and a longer route home.  Sam knew this wasn't a good idea, he tried to urge her just to go home, he wanted a snack, he wanted to practice his piano before his lesson, but he also knew that he couldn't leave her by himself and he couldn't walk by himself--they had to stay together.  

When I arrived home and started laying into them, Sam burst into tears telling me he'd tried to get Kaitlyn to walk home but she wouldn't listen.  He said he even counted to 3 and she wouldn't be convinced.  He was so angry at her.

I think sometimes children at that age just don't realize how their actions affect other people.  I'm so grateful that they're safe.  I can't imagine my life without them.

THEN on THURSDAY, Matthew locked us out of the house.  Each morning we walk together to school.  I don't usually bring my keys or even my cell phone because it's a quick little trip.  I know the code to the garage and use the door from the garage to get back into the house.  This works great, unless Matthew decides to lock that door....

We realized it before we left for school and figured we might as well take the older kids to school since they were ready and there was no use making them late.  I borrowed my crossing guard friend Sharon's phone and called Stephen.  He tells me to check the garage for a possible spare key.  When I got home, I checked.  No key.  By this time a few neighbors are in the mix, and Sharon is done crossing and comes to help.  We check every door and window.  They're all locked.  AND since Stephen's been working off a set of spare keys he doesn't even have a house key that he can leave work to come home and get me in.  I'm going to have to call a locksmith! ($$)

THEN I remembered that my Father-in-law was one able to break into my house using a credit card on one of the doors and we try it and it worked!  

What a miracle.

WHAT A WEEK!  

I've lost my ever lovin....

So what's a girl to do when a bunch of friends...... (All of us MOTHERS with children of all ages, one very recently postpartum...)

 All decide that a 5K MUD RUN is a great idea for a fun time?  Well this is what happens.....

 We create team "GRIMY GIRLS" and get a little dirty!

I was a bit overwhelmed, some of the obstacles, the climbing over the wall ones intimidated me too much but I rappelled down hills, climbed up and across cargo nets, crawled through mud, and got dirty!  I got blisters and bruises and had a blast with some great friends!  One item on my bucket list: COMPLETE!

She's 5!

Lindsey's birthday is the day after Halloween, November 1st.

 

To Lindsey, Birthdays are a BIG BIG deal!

She got to have a party with friends.  

 

She wanted a fairy party.  

Each of her friends got wings, decorated a wand and a crown...

Dad lead them all on a treasure hunt for "fairy" necessities..... 

 

Her Grandma McKneely came and made her this special fairy cake (WOW!)

 And her sweet cousin even came dressed for the occasion!

 

Other Birthday festivities included Preschool celebrations--she had owl cupcakes as part of her class Halloween celebrations, 

Grandma and Grandpa Lewis took her for donuts--she just had a week of celebrations!  

This sweet girl is so loved.

Happy Happy Birthday Lindsey dear!  We're so glad you're ours!

Boo!

Halloween 2012 really had me worried.  I had been SOOO busy that this holiday really crept up on me.  I had to get past the Day of Service (October 20th) and THEN I could worry about Halloween.

Our ward held it's traditional Trunk or Treat on the evening BEFORE Halloween--which turned out good for us, we just took all the candy our kids got and didn't want and handed that out the next night (Shhhhh!  Don't tell)

COSTUME RUNDOWN:

 Kaitlyn was kind of my hold out, she really didn't want to be anything, and just ended up creating her own costume from things we had around the house.  I think she entitled it Butterfly Fairy.  Fine by me!  She looked cute!

 Sam wanted to be either a Mario Brother or a Ninja.  He had wanted to be a rubiks cube (How fun would that have been?)  But he changed his mind, then it was a Star Wars character (which I had connections for) but he changed his mind again.  I wasn't about to spend a ton on a new costume and thankfully a friend had a costume for him to borrow--he was in heaven as Mario!

 This costume was EASY!  Sam was Bob the Builder when he was 2, "Math" was more than happy to strap on some tools and be "Bob" again!  Such a cutie!

Thankfully Lindsey's costume had been decided since the summer when we found this mask in the dollar section at Target and when combined with her birthday dress-up outfit from last year it's perfect and purple and she loved it!

 

Stitches never happen at a good time....

Life with children is always an adventure.  I had one the other day....

Lindsey and Matthew were playing nicely (so I thought) and I walked down the street a bit to meet Kaitlyn and Sam who were walking home from school.  We're just about home when Lindsey comes out, crying, saying Matthew had thrown something at her and she was bleeding.

Now if I had a dollar for every time one of my children tells me they're bleeding and need a band aid.....

So I told her I'd be right in to see.  Well, what I saw was blood DRIPPING down her face and onto her shirt and a few drops on the tile.  Matthew had thrown a manga-doodle at her face, and it made a cut, a clean slice under her left eye on her cheek

 

But she was amazingly brave and not ever crying too badly.

I could tell the cut wasn't too deep, but it's on her face, and you just don't mess around with the face.  I started calling ER's looking for one with a plastic surgeon (because mom's sometimes panic).  But when I visited with my husband about it he told me I could do what I thought was right but that I might consider calling our regular doctor to see if he'd look at it first, maybe he could use some "super glue" stuff.  

So I did.  I farmed out my kids to a friend (Thanks Laura A.) who took the older 2 to Primary Program Practice, and let Matthew hang with her little girl (who is 6 days younger than him).  And I went to our regular doctor.  He was actually on his way out the door early on a Friday to start enjoying his weekend but stayed to treat Lindsey.

 I am so glad we went here.  He was indeed able to seal up the stitch without shot or stitch and use DERMABOND.  The entire trip to the doctor took an hour!  Who knows how long the ordeal would have taken had I gone to an ER with a non-life threatening emergency.  And I was able to pick up my children by the time their rehearsal was over.

 

This sweet girl was thrilled with her sticker and lollypop.  On her way to the doctor she burst into tears because her 5th Birthday Party was the NEXT DAY and she was worried her friends would laugh at her face.   (Bless her heart!) But I assured her that her friends would be concerned about her not laughing at her.  And so she perkily replied, "Then I'll just tell them about my trip!"

Love this girl, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.  A Birthday, party and all AND Halloween--this injury will be well documented.

Bunco for Boobs

Some might think this title is irreverent, but sometimes it fits the mood.

My friend Leigh Anne has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer.

In her honor I worked with a few friends to host a Bunco Night where we raised $2000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to go towards breast cancer research.

I was exhausted after all my efforts earlier in the day and realize that (again) I had over committed myself on this one but I ADORE my friend, she's been a good friend to me.  She helped me learn to breast feed my first baby, helped me prepare for labor, threw me a baby shower for my second baby....you get the picture.  My heart breaks for her family and what they're going through.  She is constantly in my prayers.  But I have faith, she is a warrior and a fighter and will do this with dignity!

Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

On October 22nd we joined with the other members of our Stake (Mormon term for a group of congregations) to participate in a Mormon Helping Hands Day of Service.  It's an annual event that I am blessed to help coordinate as part of my calling (volunteer church assignment) on the Public Affairs Committee.

This is a huge undertaking and there were many tender mercies and miracles that happened during the planning that helped us bring about a successful day, impressing many people about the "good works" our church is involved in.

My family participated in Bonham's "Great Days of Service" where we picked up trash.  Sam opted to spend the day with a friend who was also on his soccer team so that he could play in his game (he had the BEST game of his life too--3 goals and 3 more shots on goal!).  I am so pleased with how well my girls worked, they stuck with it and worked hard never complaining.

Many of our members worked in Farmersville and Princeton.  The Farmersville ward is going to break ground on a building next year and we're working to build good relationships with city leaders there as well as build good will by serving in the community.

Stake wide approximately 875 people served in 32 projects in Allen, Bonham, Farmersville and Bonham.  I am so proud of what we accomplished!