Hail

 I really need some screens on my windows! Hahaha!

 They quickly ran outside to gather as much hail as they could before it all melted.  Some of them were the size of a golf ball!

Ben was gathering it up in his shirt.

We don't get hail very often so this short hail storm will go down as one of their top favorite memories. At first, they were confused because they thought it was snow.  Pretty funny. Our town sirens were going off, ice was dropping from the sky, and it was warm outside.  All of this made for confusion and excitement.

Camping

 I get sucked into watching a campfire.  They have a certain beauty to them and I find the flames to be somewhat memorizing.

I do love camping when there is electricity and running water. So can I really say that I love camping? This camping trip was special because we also got to participate in a bow shoot.  The boys loooove shooting their bows and it was fun to walk along the wooded trails and shoot at different targets - each presenting it's own unique obstacle. They also got to make their own customized arm guards and they were super cool.  I kind of wanted to jump in with the kids and make one myself! As far as the competitive part of shooting, Aaron won by far.  Christian beat me a couple of time (he is ridiculously gifted) and I felt somewhat deflated.  When we played on teams the boys made it painfully clear that they didn't want to be on my team, sniffle sniffle. Daddy was the Robin hood hero of the day in their eyes. I have a lot to learn. Some of which includes how to accept defeat from my 6 year old son.  Ben is actually good too if we could get him to focus on the target long enough.  Have you seen the A.D.D. shirts that say "there goes a bunny rabbit" because that is totally him! Oh, and the first night we were there it rained and rained and rained.  Our tent was a sorry piece of junk that leaked and leaked and leaked. It was  quickly and happily returned to Wal Mart after the trip was over. Wow, you really get what you pay for in a tent. Another lesson learned.

Update

Jack loves Daddy's truck. It's rusty, dirty, and can not be harmed.  Climbing around in it gets him all sorts or excited.  He was particularly frisky this morning.  Perhaps the warmth of the sun after so many cold days was the culprit?

Quick Jack update:
He still makes us all laugh, however he has starting making his older brothers cry.  He is one tough cookie and is a force to be reckoned with. Big brothers are learning not to take what is his without painful repercussion.  It normally consists of a strong whack in the head with an object within his short arms reach. He possesses a tough exterior and sometimes I forget he is a baby. His fits have intensified and they really put a strain on us all when they occur.  I don't recall the same level of intensity from the other two boys, but my memories could be skewed to dwell on the sweet and good.  His hair is the very same color as Christian's at that age, but its thin like Ben's.  I haven't cut his hair yet.  His favorite play item is still a ball of some sort, and he really likes to eat.  He is skilled at maneuvering around baby proofed items.  He can open doors easily so I have to keep all the exterior doors dead bolted. There have been a few occasions that he has slipped outside for playtime unbeknownst to me. His vocabulary has expanded, although it's still slurred.  We are sometimes caught off guard by his cleverness. This little man is a survivor and I don't foresee him causing us much worry.  He takes care of himself and he has a strong spirit about him.  We feel blessed that he is ours and excited that we have been able to watch him grow and change.

Christmas Inspired Pinterst Party

 Letting the ornaments dry.

So much stinkin fun!  I do like Pinterest, a lot.  It was great to get together with such a cool group of ladies, eat, craft, and fellowship.  I'm so glad everyone came, and I would really like to make this an annual party.  Charlotte, I couldn't have done it without you! (Your house next time, on that gorgeous porch of yours!) I learned about some pretty cool crafts that I believe I will be following up on in the near future.  Love all of you, and thanks again for coming!

McWayne Center

 We had our faces ALL UP IN THIS!  I didn't even care about the germs.  I was too caught up in the moment.  My afterthoughts....ew.  I can't believe we didn't catch the flu! 

We are members BABY! YEAH!  Super duper cheap discount through Aaron's work.  Whoop Whoop!  I love me some McWayne Science Center!

Silly Boy

It is common to find pencils and paint brushes in my hair throughout the day, but most especially while we are "doing school."  Jack has definately noticed this, and decided to add to my collection. While I sat there working with Christian on spelling words, Jack decorated me. The crayons add the perfect touch of color. Thanks little buddy.

Halloween

We left a heaping bowl of candy on the porch for our trick or treaters. Yep, it was empty in 30min. 

Ben is our skeleton, Jack our Monster, and Christian our ninja.  Lots of drama to get to this point.  Lots of drama.

Heather's little dog, Bear, became fast friends with Jack. Neither of them were up for all the walking.

On our way home from going to a "scary house."

After putting to boys to sleep upstairs, we went to the basement to work.  When we came back up, this is what we found.  I think he got a lot more spooked than he led on. 

Every Halloween we attend a friend/neighbors Halloween party and then venture around our neighborhood to trick or treat.  We were a little bummed this year because our neighbors weren't really in the spirit.  Not many front porch lights were on.  After our neighborhood excursion we packed up the kids and went to one of Aaron's co-workers hauted house.  Not real crazy about this but the boys have been especially interested in doing something scary this year.  After being chased away by a warewolf with a chainless chansaw, I think they had their fill.

 

Eggs

Yum , yum , yum!  I love our fresh eggs. Our chickens have just started laying a lot more and look!  We have plenty of eggs. The boys chore is to go and gether them in the mornings, usually after breakfast.  Sometimes they don't all make it back up to the house, but they're learning.

Pumpkin Patch

A family friend invited us to her Church event at our local pumpkin patch.  It started at dusk and the sunset was so pretty.  If only I were a better photographer, you could really see it's beauty.  The evening festivities included a hay ride, bonfire, roasted weenies & marshmallows, and lots of hide-n-go-seek tag.  The boys really loved it. Thank you for including us Jennifer!