Autumn Sights

This afternoon I was determined to get some pictures taken of some of the beautiful fall colors around here. As I left the apartment to run errands, with the kids in tow, I snapped this shot just in case nothing else presented itself today.

After a quick stop at the post office Katie convinced me that they needed to go to a park with swings. Here are Katie and Ryan running to the playground equipment.The kids were doing a great job of playing and so I attempted to get a good color shot - um, well, there is some color here!As I was on my phone lamenting to a good friend about how I just wasn't the photographer that she was - I suddenly noticed that I was being watched... I hung up on her to take these pictures.A mother deer and her baby - right there - 20 miles from Washington D.C., at a neighborhood park!The mother watched me and I watched her. I called Katie to come and look at the deer. Ryan noticed them too and was ready to charge, but I wasn't about to let that happen, I knew that mother would defend her baby just like I would defend mine - at this point I was almost hoping they would leave soon (they were between me and my van). I could just imagine making the news as two mothers butt heads protecting their youth.I was reminded of how awesome God makes these animals and nature at this time of year that they can blend in so easily to their surroundings. What a blessed Autumn day I had!

Pictures

Katie and her classmates - Katie's the Pink Princess. Katie and her wand.

Smiley Ryan

Katie ready for school. She loves her tights!

Our Crazy October Ending

Here it is, November 1st. I can't believe that October is already gone. This past little bit has been harried and hectic but here's a rundown of events:
- I finally listened to a couple of my friends and tried Facebook. It's been fun, but how to juggle my blog and facebook - I will try! However if you don't here from me here, I'd encourage you to check there!
- Sunday - We went to church at Community Bible Church and had a relaxing Sunday afternoon... I had every intention of catching up with my blog on Monday....
- Monday - Katie went to school and Ryan caught a tummy bug and was having issues out both ends.
- Tuesday - Katie went to school, my mom and dad started driving from NC to VA, Ryan was still sick. We had spaghetti for dinner and as of now NEVER want to see spaghetti again... Sean and I both caught Ryans bug.
- Wednesday morning my parents arrived - God's provision all the way - Sean and I were both way sick, Ryan was hanging in but still not himself... G'ma and G'pa took Katie to school where she had a program - singing and dressing up in her princess costume. They picked her up from school and took her to lunch. I started feeling better, Sean did not.
- Wednesday evening I took Ryan to a walk-in clinic because he had kept nothing down since Sunday night... I guess, thankfully, he is still nursing some and that sustained him and kept him from getting dehydrated.
- Thursday Sean was still ill but the rest of us were feeling better. We all (except Sean) went to Cox Farms for a fun-filled day of pumpkins, hayrides, apple cider, and slides!
- Friday morning my dad woke up sick. Sean was feeling some better so he, my mom and I took Katie to gymnastics, by the time we got home my mom was feeling sick too. They laid around and slept the rest of the day. Sean and I took the kids out for an early dinner and then to the Fair Oaks Mall for trick or treating.
- Saturday morning - FINALLY, everyone is feeling well (we're still monitoring Katie as she's the only one who didn't appear to feel the affects of this one!) My folks headed home and we're scrubbing everything down...
Pictures will follow in the next post - I hope!
Please, let November be a bit calmer!

I've Been Tagged!

Okay, I'll play too! My friend Michele "tagged" me Friday on her blog so now I get to share 7 things with you that you previously didn't know. I'm such an open book that I am pretty sure that at least someone will know everything but maybe I still have a few surprises! Here goes...

1. I can touch my foot to my forehead.

2. I have to sleep with my body covered with at least a sheet - my feet can be out but from my knees to my waist has to be covered and my hands go under the pillow or I just can't sleep.

3. I don't always get the kids laundry folded - all those little pieces, it's many times easier just to pull it out of the laundry basket and have them wear it again.

4. I HATE folding the fitted sheet of a set. I have seen "tricks" for doing it but can never keep them straight and so my fitted sheets are always a mess... therefore I will often wash a set of sheets and keep putting them right back on the bed just to avoid folding them.

5. When I was 4 or 5 years old I was one of 4 little girls chosen to be a Bon-Bon in The Nutcracker Ballet, annually performed by the Fletcher School of Dance in Asheville, NC. I had to learn to do a cartwheel in order to fulfill this role and so my dad spent HOURS with me in the living room practicing. I finally did it!

6. To this day I still don't know how to shape/pluck my own eyebrows. Somehow I missed that phase as a preteen/teenager and now I'm totally intimidated by it so I wait until someone doing my hair mentions my eyebrows and then pay to have them threaded or waxed.

7. I was originally a music minor in college, took piano and organ lessons but then switched to communications.

Okay, hopefully someone learned something, maybe! Katrina - consider yourself tagged.

Still Alive!

We are out of corporate housing! We are almost out of boxes! I found the camera! We are finding out way around more easily now and enjoyed cooler weather (until this week when it's gone back up to 80 or so!). The kids love their new rooms and especially the large balcony we have. Here are a few pictures of the kids, if anyone is still checking this blog. :-) The first is from corporate housing when Katie was doing "a project". Next we have the kids on the balcony. In the third, notice Ryan's haircut and finally we have Fire-girl Katie as she goes down the poll, this was after a visit from the Fairfax County Fire Department to her preschool.