Halloween Highlights.

Here are my two little Halloween munchkins.......those brown eyes just have my heart!

We had a very fun and "spooky" Halloween. Just a few highlights......

Making pumpkin crazies at Kennedy's school party.........

She was a very scary and fierce leopard indeed!

And Mr. Army man was in rare form, complete with canteen, walkietalkie, and hand grenade.

We made some cute Rice Krispy pumpkin treats for Hayden's school party.
> The kids got a huge haul of candy, with the most frequent items this year being Skittles and suckers. All of the candy has been checked, the Almond Joys and fruity tootsie rolls have been passed on to mom, and the kids are protecting their stash. They will enjoy it for the weekend, and the Halloween fairy will then come and whisk the remaining candy away.

I hope you all had a Spooky, Fun Halloween.

Good-byes are Never Easy.

It is sad to say goodbye to friends. Friends with whom you have laughed and coached and parented. Played and ate and talked. Friends with whom you have shared the road of life.

Last night, we said our last good-byes to our good friends, who are moving to California in pursuit of a dream.

Here is our bunch of friends and colleagues from the athletic department and coaching staff. These are genuinely good people devoted to family and community.

The photo above depicts Chad, Rhianna, Maddie (baby) and Braylin, our friends who have packed up and will be heading to California tomorrow. We don't just appreciate this family, we love them. And seeing people you love leave is very hard. And seeing them leave under less than ideal circumstances is pretty unbearable.

We love these people. Chad and Rhianna and sweet girls, we value your friendship and hope that you take many fond memories with you. We want you to know that Jesus is going with you, all around you, and will guide you. And you will always have a place to stay here in Michigan....and expect to see our family on your California doorstep for a visit as soon as we can make it happen! We truly do love you, regret the great loss that you are to this community, and are lifting you up in prayer during this transition.

Pumpkin Tradition.

Here is the whole McDonald crew and their pumpkin art from our annual pumpkin carving event this weekend. This is an ongoing tradition in the McDonald family, one that has been going on each fall for over 20 years. We get together, eat yummy fall food and treats, and carve our pumpkins. This year's designs included bats, "I love MSU" and Spartan heads (odd, given the we are a predominantly GO BLUE type of gang), tombstones and headless horsemen.

Here are my two little pumpkins perched on thier pumpkins. Hayden went with a spooky face, while Kennedy opted for two scary coffins this year.

I did a cutesy face on mine, while Matt carved a really cool bat. Because it was FREEZING out, we ended up carving in the enclosed garage where it was toasty warm. As always, Grandpa and Grandma supervised the whole crew, except for the monstrous pumpkin-guts fight that broke out among the teen cousins!

Hayden, posing with his guts hanging out!

This is my very favorite photo from the weekend. For the past 3 years, we have gotten our pumpkins from this cute antique farm market on the way.....I loved the color of this wall against the orange pumpkins, and I love that this is just a sweet moment of laughter between my kids.

All these cute little pumpkins, sitting in a row......

This week is all about planning and executing school parties, making 2 costumes, and getting stocked up for Friday night trick-or-treaters. Off to sleep.....

Has it been 5 days?

I'm pretty sure that this week is the longest that I have gone without posting something on my blog. It has been a time where the days just seem to fly by with school, family, work, and homeowner responsibilities. This week has been full of:

• Basketball for the kids
• Working on my day-in-a-week album
• last week of football for Matt
• Helping launch an Odyssey of the Mind program in our district
• Teaching classes
• Preparing a huge report for work
• Getting our closets changed out with sweaters, winter clothes, boots.....it's almost here.
• Some deep talks about where we are and where we are headed as a family.
• Bible study (I'm loving this Beth Moore study, and am loving how God is showing that His word truly is alive and dynamic and prophetic).
• Planning next week's Halloween parties.
• Planning staff appreciation for our teachers.
• Just keeping up with cleaning, etc.....actually, I haven't done a great job of that this week, so thankfully tomorrow is catch-up day!

This weekend brings that annual McDonald pumpkin carving event. Envision 20+ kids and all of their parents carving pumpkins...it is so fun and festive. We will hit a pumpkin patch or two on the way up and hopefully find a cup of cider and a caramel apple somewhere.

The Day after Homecoming.

Yesterday was a really enjoyable day for us. I ran around for most of the morning, runnings errands to get ready for the tailgate we organized for Kennedy's classmates. My parents ended up coming to visit, so I put them to work grilling hotdogs (thanks, Mom and Dad!). The kids and families really enjoyed the time, and it was well worth all the work it took to pull off.
After the tailgate, we went to the game, which ended up being a great one! We FINALLY won, 29-7 and also enjoyed the Homecoming festivities after the game.
I love being part of a community where events like this are attended by the most of the town. The parade was packed with people lining the streets, and the game was standing room only. I really love everything about high school Homecoming....the multiple generations, the community excitement, the lights, the band performing....it was just a very nostalgic and fun evening for all of us.
And this little peanut (my niece, Samantha) was an cute as a VERY WHITE BUG in her new jacket. All of you moms out there are probably cringing, as was I, thinking about how this coat might look after a few wearings by a very energetic 16-month old, but for this first wearing, the white coat was nothing short of precious.

Today, we are just hanging out, doing laundry, and resting. The kids and Matt are about to leave for the night, so Hayden can attend his cousin Max's birthday party at the pumpkin patch tomorrow. I am staying home to finish laundry, work on a report for the university, and hopefully get some big progress accomplished on my week-in-a-life album. Enjoy your Saturday!

Homecoming!

Today is all about Bulldog Homecoming! I just returned from Costco, and 173.00 later, we are all equipped for our 2nd grade tailgate party.

Now, I must clean, clean, clean to prepare for the arrival of my parents.

Then, the parade. Tailgate grillout. Football game. After-game party.

Come home and collapse.

I love {but am exhausted by}Homecoming.

Someone please slap me.....

.......I have always been a person who is a "go to person".....and that usually means I end up taking on too much.

Over the past year, I have done a much better job with setting boundaries and allowing myself some time to slow down and enjoy the silence. And maybe to even get bored once in a while (boredom can be very positive, after all). This, from my perspective, is so important because it is truly in the silence that we hear and see Jesus the clearest.

But somehow, in the last month or two, I have let those boundaries slide. Bottom Line: I have taken on too much.

In the next 3 weeks, I have a key role in the following:

• Organizing a class Homecoming tailgate party of nearly 80 people for Kennedy's class tomorrow.
• Organizing an Odyssey of the Mind program launch for Tuesday night.
• Organizing the classroom Halloween party for Kennedy's class.
• Finishing a huge state report for Disability Services at the university.
• Organizing the staff appreciation events for the year for our elementary school.

Add that on top of family stuff and teaching full time, and I definitely have a full plate right now.

On the one hand, I love organizing events that connect people together. I love spending time with the kids and their friends, and being an integral part of their school experience.

On the other hand, I need to be very careful about my time. These are all wonderful things.....but time is our most precious investment.

I don't plan on taking on any more extra commitments for the rest of 2008. I want to enjoy the things listed above but also take time to smell the roses, brew the coffee, and watch the leaves turn color.....and maybe just watch the dirt for my tulip bulbs to sprout! :) Oh, yeah....I have been so busy that I haven't yet had time to plant my tulip bulbs (which I purchased last fall at Costco and never got around to planting)........shouldn't that say something?

Brilliant Fall Tuesday.

I am happy to report that I am out of my funk of yesterday and totally embracing today for the brilliantly gorgeous fall day that God made it to be! Not that yesterday wasn't a brillant day (they all are)....but just that I am able to have a different perspective today!

Hayden and I were able to spend a few hours at Robinette's Orchard today...it was great medicine for the soul. I just love fall....it makes me feel reflective and full of gratitude and just....cozy in my soul, if you know what I mean. We were able to have a fun lunch with friends (thanks, Julie and E.) complete with pirate ship battles and hide-and-seek. I was able to spend some relaxed time with several of my favorite students and have a little fall scavenger hunt. All that followed by homemade sugared pumpking doughnuts and cider, bathed in warm beautiful sunshine, and it was a truly enjoyable day.

Have I expressed how much I truly love fall?

Gloomy Monday.

Not the kind outside (it's hot and sunny here). But the kind on the inside.

Those days where you just seem to be doubting yourself and everything you invest in.

Where the things that typically bring you joy are driving you to tears.

Where all you can see around you is devastation and hopelessness and darkness.

Where God just seems, well, just seems out of grasp.

Where you really just want to crawl up in a ball on your bed and cry.

Have you ever struggled with a Monday like this?

I'm just kind of in a "funk" today.

And I don't like it.

Thank you, Lord, for you promise that your mercies and joy are new every morning. Thank you for an amazing group of women to share prayer and Bible study with today. Thank you for your love and your grace and the promise that you are doing a transformative work both in my soul and in the world.

And thank you for Tuesdays! :)

Saturday.

Woke up to both kids crawling into bed with us.

Tried to get them to let me sleep in a bit. No go.

Let me husband take me out for breakfast.

Got groceries.

Loaded up a truck of junk to take to the dump (goodbye, old toilet in the garage! Hallelujah!)

Made French onion soup, completed with French croutons and bubbly provolone....delicious and low-fat.

Made crock pot pumpkin cheesecake dip....so fallish.

Getting photos organized and continuing to work on Week in Our Life project.

Picked up the basement playroom...looks so nice!
Trying to get all of my paper organized.

Going out for a walk.

Happy Autumn Saturday.

10 on the 10th: October.

One month has passed since I made a public commitment, here on my blog, to start changing my lifestyle in order to promote health and wellness. It has been a busy month for sure, with the kids starting school and my academic year getting into full swing and, of course, football season which seems to consume our family every fall. Nevertheless, I feel that I have been successful in changing some habits and some attitudes in the process. So here are 10 changes and things I have learned this month:

1) I have been successful in the past at losing weight. I have lost over 80 pounds at two past times in my life, and gradually, through having kids and just the stress of life, have put on weight again. But I'm approaching this very differently this time.....I did not commit cold-turkey to a drastic "DIET" or exercise program. Rather, I am making small and gradual changes that I feel will be maintainable for the long term.

2) Spinach: It is amazing to me how this little nutrition-packed food can be slipped into most recipes without notice. I have shredded it to put into soups, meatloaf, pastas, and other recipes. It can't really be tasted, but it certainly ups the folic acid and other nutritional values of what we eat. I feel so wonderfully sneaky in doing this to my family!

3) Walking: No, I haven't walked every single day this month. But I have started walking again, starting with one mile and working up to about 3. I walk in the mornings usually, sometimes take Rube (lab) with me, and always start my walk with my iPod playing "Give me Jesus." It helps me start out on the right foot, literally and figuratively. Now, if anyone has a major cure for shin splints out there, I would be all set....I have always struggled with this pain through my ball days of high school and college, and still have not found the magical cure.

4) Water: I have been more conscious about my water intake. While I am still not getting to my goal of 100 ounces per day, I am making progress for sure.

5) I have lost over 10 pounds this month, and can feel the difference in my favorite jeans. I also have a shirt on today that I couldn't wear one month ago because the buttons gapped in the chest....I know, some of you wish you had that problem (!), but I have never had a shortage in that area, either before or after nursing 2 kids :)

6) Restaurant Selections: I am overall making healthier choices, but there is nothing that I have really cut out of my nutritional plan completely. If I feel like fried calamari, then I order it but just pair it with a salad with vinegarette and then make a ligher choice for the next meal.

7) Forgiving Myself: A couple of days, I made bad food choices. And, instead of just throwing it all out the window and saying to myself "I might as well eat what I want and get started again on Monday", I got right back on track with the next meal. This makes me feel so much more in control and focused.

8) Rather than focusing on self-control, I am giving this journey to God literally each and every day. I can't do this on my own, I need God to continue transforming my heart and mind. Instead of fighting to keep control, I am totally giving up control.

9) Portion control: Allowing myself one healthy serving and not going back for seconds. Most times, I am more than satisfied with one serving, and I found that going back for seconds is often just out of habit.

10) Doing it together! I am so thrilled with all of you who have jumped on the wagon to encouraging each other and sharing successes and challenges. That has been probably the number one advantage of this process, and I'm so glad we're in it together! I would love to hear what you are all doing, so be sure to share a comment with your blog address so I can share it with everyone else.......until November 10th!

The 9th Before the 10th.

Ok....it's been almost one month since I made the commitment to a healthier life. Tomorrow is October 10th, and the first report about what I (we) am (are) doing to integrate healthier attitudes, practices, and disciplines into my (our) lives. I am excited to share what I have done, changes I have made, what I have learned....and to hear the same from you.

For those of you who have committed to this journey....I can't wait to hear what you have done! As I find your posts, I will link them here so that others can be inspired by changes that have been made. Also, we have a group going over on Facebook that everyone is welcome to join in on.....some great encouragement going on there!

And remember....change does not just mean pounds lost. While some of us are working toward that, we are much more interested in new attitudes, baby steps, and shared support and accountability. So even if the scale has moved slowly, or you haven't made drastic gains in exercise.....please join in so that we can celebrate the little successes!

And for those of you who want some early encouragement, Chad has posted some great insights and ideas over on his blog, including a very yummy-sounding recipe that I am going to try tomorrow.

I look forward to tomorrow....learning from all of you and taking another step in this journey toward better health.

Peace or Chaos?

I am tired tonight, so I don't have a lot to post. But I do want to share a brief question that has really challenged me this week: Are you adding peace to the chaos?

We live in a deeply troubled world. Full of junk. Pure chaos. A world where children are exploited for selfish gain, people are out for their own interest, and God is not only forgotten but actively blasphemed.

As Christians, it is our job to be an instrument of God's peace.

I have been humbled by this thought. When I enter a room, or engage in a conversation...or just go about my daily business, am I bringing peace? Or adding to the chaos?

It is my prayer, Sweet Jesus, that you would work through me more and more each day to bring Your Peace to the chaos.

Monday Morning (and no photos).

It's Monday morning, the day after finishing the "Week in our Life" project. It actually feels strange not to have my camera along with me today, but I think I am going to take a couple of days of break from cameraing (more for my husband's sake than anything...he tends to get grumpy when I take too many photos).

I think I have mapped out an approach for getting these photos and tidbits into an album. I am going to encase the pages in a 12x12 American Crafts D-ring binder (on sale this week at Hobby Lobby for half-off!) and use a variety of sizes including 12x12, 8x10, 6x12 and 6x6. I am also going to use one 12x12 enlargement from each day, as working with this size is my new love....so, today I'm going to upload the enlargements to Costco, get some other photos printed out, organize my scraps from the week, and get going....I really can't wait for the process, as well as the finished product.

Off to work on Monday.....if I get it finished today, I'll be back to share the results....have a great Monday, everyone.

Week in Our Life, Day Seven.

Today was a pretty typical Sunday for our family, just the way we like it. I am sad to see this project come to an end but looking forward to compiling everything into the story of our week. Here are today's highlights:

• Set alarm for 7:00 to get to the 9:00 service; tired, so decided to sleep until 9:00 and go to the 11:00 service; still 10 minutes late for church, thanks to lots of construction delays.
• Cereal for Hayden and Kennedy before leaving.
• Rod gave an amazing message on being peace in the world's chaos; and that we are tenants in this world, not owners. Very, very insightful and inspiring.
• Breakfast out after church...browsed the Halloween and Christmas goodies at Cracker Barrel. Love the old-fashioned toys there.
• Home for a few family photos on the front porch.
• Read the paper....Sports for Matt, comics for Kennedy, "Your Life" for me.
• Nap for Me. Kennedy and Hayden play and watch a movie; Matt watches football downstairs.
• Pick up toys throughout the house.
• Chilidogs, made with yesterday's leftover chili, for dinner.
• Clean up kitchen; 2 loads of dishes.
• Throw in a couple loads of laundry.
• Brush teeth, jammies, books for both kids. Prayers.
• I watch "Army Wives" and edit some photos.
• Bed at 11:00. Ready for Monday morning and a new week.
• Thankful for this project and the insights I've gained through it.

Week in Our Life, Day Six.

What a nice everday Saturday we had today. The weather was perfect--sunny but cooler--and autumn has made its beautiful arrival around here. It was nice to have a weekend to just be home, and get some things done, and hang out together a bit.

Some highlights:

• Woke up at 7:30; dozed and laid in bed until 9:00 (felt SO good!).
• Showered. Got Hayden set up with cereal and cartoons.
• Kennedy and I went to the Farmer's Market. Bought some brussels sprouts (on the stalk), pear gourds, honey sticks, fresh baguette, and Indian corn for decorating. Spent 20.00.
• Sewed Kennedy's patches on her Girl Scout vest.
• Enjoyed a great Greek salad for lunch.
• Dropped Kennedy off at Girl Scouts.
• Got groceries. Total=98.11....."Just a few things" is pretty expensive these days.
• Stopped at Scrap Scribble n Stick to get some papers/embellishments for this album, which I plan to start first thing Monday morning.
• Picked Kennedy up.
• Put groceries and dishes away.
• Helped Matt with cleaning out the garage (yep, that's a toilet you see in the photo).
• Played catch with the kids.....batting practice, too. Ruby is a great outfielder...when she decides to bring the ball back, that is.
• Made a big crockpot of chili to go with the fresh bread.
• Baked cookie brownies with Kennedy. So gooey and warm.
• Kids play, watch Veggie Tales.
• Watched a bit of the Michigan football game and a movie.
• A couple loads of laundry and dishes.
• Washed out sink. Watered flowers.
• Changed out the summer wreath to the fall one. Starting to get fall decorations out for decorating next week.
• Ready to put fresh sheets on the bed, get my jammies on, and settle in for a good Lifetime movie.
• I get all settled in for 5 minutes...the kids invade our room.....pretty soon, we're watching Disney channel and singing at the top of our lungs. Not exactly what I had in mind, but pretty typical for our house. :)