Happy Halloween!

Halloween is here! And the air is crisp and full of excitement! Luke has been on a Halloween high for two days now! Yesterday was his big celebration at school, where he go to wear his costume ALL morning to class and the day prior, we did our family pumpkin carving! I LOVE this time of year! So many fun things!

I have to keep this post short today, as I haven't a lot of time, so I'm just going to fill you in on the last few days with pictures! I will surely have more after tonight and the weekend! We'll be having a little neighborhood get together tonight here at our house, with a yummy group effort dinner of chili, cornbread and all the fixins', and then once all of our bellies are filled, it will be off to Trick or Treat! The men will hang out here, with a warm fire in the fire pit on the driveway to make sure all the other trick or treaters are well taken care of! I am so looking forward to tonight! Luke had a blast trick or treating last year, so I know this year will be even better! Ellie will join us in her Tinker Bell costume via the stroller! Hope I can keep her warm enough..it's supposed to be chilly!!

Ty and I are off this weekend to that wedding in San Diego on Saturday...our first night away from Ellie, and our first night away from our kids in TWO years! We are lucky to have Ty's mom staying with the kids and we will get to leave early tomorrow morning to have some time to relax down there before the wedding! Oh, I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to just a little time away! A much needed break after all the busyness lately!

So....without further ado...here are this weeks pics! Happy Halloween, friends!

It almost looks like he's protecting that pumpkin from harm, doesn't it?! LOL!










All dressed up for school...


His little classmates lined up for dismissal after the parade!


Pretending his new pencil is a magic wand!


Luke and his friend Kendall....the one we were supposed to make carmel apples with the other day, but her little sis got sick! :(


And Luke's other favorite classmate Aiden....I guess the two of them are like the dynamic duo at school! So cute together!

Back to the bean jar...

I'm not sure that I ever posted about our bean jar. Did I? Some time ago, I enlisted this handy little tool that I often used in my classroom to encourage and reward positive behavior. Its simple really....catch the kids (in this case, Luke) doing great things, and as a reward, they get to add a bean (or several, depending on the behavior) to the bean jar. When the jar has been filled, a fun surprise awaits!! I put this to good use several months ago when Luke was having a rough time and having tantrums OFTEN! It worked like a charm for the purpose of alleviating those tantrums and he filled his little jar a couple of times before the need for it kinda just fizzled out.

But recently, we've been having a little problem with WHINING! Lots and LOTS of whining, crying, and even some back talk going on in our house! And mostly over silly, insignificant things! It isn't unheard of for Luke to break into a whiny, mini-fit simply because the dog came over and brushed her wet nose against his elbow when he didn't want her to. Seriously? And then of-course there are those to-many-to-count times when we ask him to put his toys away or get ready for bed, or turn the tv off...or...or...or... well...you get the picture. So...it's back to the bean jar we go!!

I started yesterday, after explaining how he earns beans and what constitutes good behavior and behavior that will be completely ignored (yes....using that tactic too when it comes to the negative behavior) and so far, it is working like a charm again! By the afternoon, the crying and fits had literally been cut in half! And the response to simple requests to pick up toys or turn off the tv??? Met with compliance! Yaaaayyyyy!!! The effect in the household has been pretty evident too, as there is a greater sense of peace, and, I must admit, a lot more patience from me! Its wonderful! And much needed!!!!

And, just in case you were wondering....here is our little bean jar. Its tiny, really. Only holds 50 beans, and when he earns, on average, 10 beans a day, that little surprise is just around the corner! :)

In other news......

I had a super productive day today! :) And that always makes me happy! How I love scratching things off that perpetual to-do list! :) Ellie and I were the dynamic duo when it came to running errands this morning! In the span of time that Luke was in preschool, we went to Michael's for some work and crafting necessities (ie bags for packaging my clients' photographs, craft sticks and cellophane bags for the carmel apples we are supposed to make with Luke's classmate Kendall tomorrow, some ribbon for thanksgiving decorating and a few note pads for...you guessed it...more to-do lists! LOL). After Michael's we were off to the christian bookstore for a few cards and a thank you gift for my mentor, of which I did not find anything suitable! Darn! Then we headed out to Macy's to return a dress that I had purchased for the wedding this weekend and find a more suitable one, which I did! Yay! (And all in the span of 25 minutes!!) THEN...we headed back towards school, dropped off an order to a client, hit up another christian bookstore to hopefully find that gift (which I did!!) and with exactly 35 minutes left until dismissal, had time to do the grocery shopping!!!! I pulled into the parking lot at school with an entire 7 minutes left to spare too! Phew! What a morning! But it was wonderful because Ellie was an absolute saint, despite being dragged in and out of her car seat and stroller all morning, with a runny nose to boot! SUCH a good girl!

So....needless to say, I sign off tonight with a much happier and lighter mood than in my previous post. :) Productivity, happy kids, and focusing on the positives does wonders for my soul! :)

Strength will rise...

Turn on your speakers...

So....I awoke this morning, after a fitful and not restful night of sleep, feeling overwhelmed, tired, and emotional. From the moment my feet hit the floor and I walked in the darkness to the bathroom to ready myself for my very early (!!) workout, I felt attacked with all sorts of negative thoughts and emotions. It seemed as though the enemy had a sure fire plan to hit me right where and when he knew I was weak. I am weary today and my threshold is low....mostly from the sheer amount of things that need to be accomplished in my day and as I look ahead to the few weeks ahead of me, I see no real reprieve. Not that things are terrible. They most certainly are not! I know I am blessed beyond measure in so many ways! But today, I am just feeling the effects of my lack of sleep (insomnia is a terrible thing!), the lack of time I have had to be with my family, or tend adequately to my home, and the intense amount of time I have been sitting here at this computer screen for several weeks now. Today is just one of those days.

But back to my drive....in my tired, weary state of mind, I tend to succumb to all those negative, guilt-ridden, self-depreciating kinds of thoughts and it is hard for me to break free from that mindset. As I drove the canyon home from dropping Luke off at school, it was almost as if I could feel the weight of those emotions sitting heavy on my shoulders, and I just kept thinking how desperately I wanted to shake it off and not feel so weary! It was then that the song I have playing first on my playlist today (did you turn on your speakers?) came on the radio. Its by Lincoln Brewster and it bolstered my spirits! And ironically, God waited to have me hear this song until He knew my car (and my mind) was quiet. As always, His timing is perfect! Had it been just 10 minutes prior, the song would have been competing with a inquisitive three-year-old who often throws a zillion questions at me as we drive, and I probably would not have truly been listening! : ) In part of the song it says, " You are the everlasting God. You do not faint, You won't grow weary." Oh how awesome it is this morning to be reminded that God does NOT grow weary...that He is the everlasting God who I can turn to for strength and comfort when I feel weak! "You do not faint, You won't grow weary! You're the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need, You lift us up on wings like eagles." Thank you, Lord! I get choked up even know, as I did in the car, reading those words.

And if that wasn't enough to give me courage and bolster my strength, God went and took it one step further with the very next song that played; to let me know that He is here, and He understands. That I am His and I need not listen to the lies of the enemy telling me I am worthless! Here are the lyrics of that song. I just feel compelled today to share them...

I’ve been hearing voices
Telling me that I could
Never be what I wanna be.
They’re binding me with lies,
Haunting me at night,
And saying there’s nothing to believe.
Somewhere in the quietness,
When I’m overcome with loneliness,
I hear You call my name.
And like a father You are near
And as I listen I can hear You say

You are a child of Mine
Born of My own design
And you bear the heart of life.
No matter where you go,
Oh, you will always know
You have been made free in Christ.
You are a child of Mine

And so I listen as You tell me who I am
And who it is I’m gonna be.
And I hang on every word,
Knowing I have heard
I am Yours and I am free
But when I am alone at night
That is when I hear the lie
You’ll never be enough
And though I’m giving into fear
If I listen I can hear You say

You are a child of Mine
Born of My own design
And you bear the heart of life.
No matter where you go,
Oh, you will always know
You have been made free in Christ.
You are a child of Mine

I just have to praise Him this morning, that it is when I am weak, He is strong! I lean on that strength today!

Luke-ism

Has it seriously been an entire week since I posted last?! Sheesh! I'm sorry! I have just been spending so many hours glued to this computer screen, trying (and succeeding, I might add! Yay for me!) to keep up on my photo shoots that there has been very little time for anything else online! I'm sorry though, to be a blog-slacker!

I am going to keep this super short tonight, as I'm wiped out. Just wanted to share a little thing that Luke said this weekend, so that I don't forget! :) We were driving home from church on Sunday, when, as we were stopped at a stop light, a teenage boy sporting a mohawk crossed the street in front of us. As Luke watch him pass us by, he yelled out, " Hey, Mom..Dad!!! That guy looks just like a dinosaur!!!!" I guess the spikey hair reminded him of one of these...

Ty and I got a good laugh out of that one! Kids say the cutest things sometimes! :)

Cider Doughnuts, Scouting & Good Reports...

Our morning was spent scouting out the lighting for a photo shoot I have this weekend. We were out the door rather early, on on our way to Oak Glen before the sun crested the hills. I just love, love, LOVE Oak Glen this time of the year. The air was crisp, the leaves are just beginning to turn just the slightest shade of yellow and best of all, there were NO crowds! :) I have been to Oak Glen every weekend now for several weeks (seems to be the place for photographs this year!) and the crowds have been unbelievable! I don't recall seeing quite that many people up there in recent years. Its been nuts! Anyway...I digress.

This morning. Ellie turns fourteen months tomorrow (can you believe it?!), so my little scouting trip pretty much morphed into her photo shoot. :) You know me...can't resist an excuse to photograph my kiddos! ;) Luke was happy to romp through the apple orchard with us, playing pirates and sword fighting imaginary foes while I photographed my Belle. And of-course, who could visit the Cider Mill without partaking in their 'world famous' cider doughnuts! Yum!!

Wanna see some pics???? Sarah, I had to take the first one in honor of you guys!









Then it was time for some sibling shots...


This is their "Don't mess with us, or else" look! LOL!


And this one just cracked me up! Ellie had been sitting on the box and when Luke came over to join her, she was NOT in the mood to share! Check out her little face! In the sequence of pictures after this one, I caught her raising her hand to swat at him! Stinker! :)








We had fun!

And as for the good report...as I was picking up Luke yesterday from school, his teacher stopped me and made the nicest comment. First off, let me just say that while his teacher is wonderful, she isn't always the chattiest person with us grown ups! :) But yesterday, she pulled me aside to tell me that Luke has been so well behaved and considerate in class. "He's always such a considerate and kind student....and polite too!" I think I was beaming more than Luke was when I heard that! What an awesome thing to hear about your kid! :) Makes me happy to know that he is doing such a good job! I was immensely proud of him and told him so probably a thousand times on the way home! He was cute and responded in this proud affirmation "Yeah, Mom. I listen to Mrs. McCann and do criss-cross-applesauce when she's reading the story. But so-and-so (I'm purposely omitting his name) :) doesn't listen and talks while the teacher is reading." Teehehee. I guess this little guy is having a hard time in class. I've heard ALL about him lately! So of-course we then had to talk about being an 'example' to this little one and how Luke could help him best by following the rules and doing the right thing. :) Teachable moments, right?

Anyhow....that's it for today, I think. We are heading back to the Pumpkin Patch in the morning for Luke's first school field trip! :) Should be fun! How could a bunch of preschoolers in a huge pumpkin patch being anything less?! :) LOL! Just kidding....I'm actually REALLY looking forward to it! And I know Luke can't wait! More to come......