A Wonderful Halloween Party

Some of you might remember that last year was the first year we really did much with Halloween. We had a lot of fun, so we decided we would do a bit more this year. We decorated, and had somewhat of an open house complete with lots of snacks. Several people stopped in to say hi. Some stayed for a long time, others stayed for only a short while before going to their next stop. It was really a lot of fun, and I think everyone had a good time.

Cassidy was a mermaid, and Callie was a zebra. To add to the excitement, Amy and I both dressed up a bit. I wore a Star Trek uniform, while Amy painted her pregnant belly like a pumpkin. The kids enjoyed it, and we had fun too.

Below is a picture of the kids, Amy, our friend Nena, and me. Thanks for reading!

The Pumpkins Made It

Well, a lot of you were probably wondering how the pumpkins were coming along. They didn't get very big, but a few of them made it. There are still several small green ones, but since it frosted, I will probably go ahead and find something to do with them. Below is a picture of us carving one of them. I also have a picture of what is left of the patch, and the best one. All in all, it was a success. I will plant them a lot earlier next year! Keep watching for a fabulous Halloween post!

Is it a Boy or a Girl?

I wanted to let everyone know I went again today for an ultrasound. They still were not able to determine the sex of the baby. Hopefully we will still be able to find out soon.

Let It Rain

It’s nice to finally see the rain.

I think the weatherman said this morning we are about 10 inches short on rainfall for the year. Indeed, my dad said the other night that Rend Lake was the lowest he had seen it in a long, long time. But, tonight someone watched the kids for us for short time while Amy and I took a walk around the neighborhood. On our way back, it began to rain on us. Since it wasn’t too cold, neither of us seemed to mind. We didn’t even pick up our pace, we just enjoyed our time together walking in the rain. As we went along, I realized that the activity of walking was a good representation for our relationship. There we were, side by side, taking this journey through life. Amy and I have walked together through every neighborhood we have lived in. As teenagers, we would each start walking toward the other’s house and meet in the middle. During college we would take walks around Tower Lake at SIUE. We walked all around the tiny neighborhood of Steeleville. When we moved back home, we once again walked the long country blocks, and are now enjoying the city lights.

But we haven’t just walked through the streets. We have truly walked through life. We walked through the difficulties of growing up together. We have walked through the stress of college classes and living on a tight budget. We have walked through the joy of new babies, and the incredible difficulties of building new houses. We have walked through the sad times of loosing friends, and being hurt by those we most trusted. When it seemed like everyone was against us, we kept on walking. We walked until we found new friends, and met others to walk with us. And just like the rain on us tonight, sometimes we got rained on through the journey of life. But, as each storm passed, we saw new opportunities as the sun began to shine on us again.

And so it is tonight as I write this entry. The rain falls, confident, sure, and steady, just as we keep on walking. So, let it rain!

Update on Pumkins

I Am So Disappointed

Well, I went to get the ultrasound today. I am pretty disappointed. They couldn't tell if the baby was a boy or a girl. I was very happy to see the baby. The heart beat was 144 beats per minute.
Everything looked good. They told me I could call in a couple of weeks and come in to check the baby's sex. I will keep you updated.

Make a Prediction, Boy or Girl?

This Friday, October 12th, I (Amy) am having an ultrasound. Hopefully if all goes well, they will be able to tell me the sex of the baby. Would you like to make a prediction? Just post a comment to this blog entry. I will post on here again when I find out.

What Were You Doing 5 Years Ago?

What were you doing 5 years ago today? Five years ago I (Amy) went to the hospital pregnant to be induced. By the end of the day, we had our first baby girl. Cassidy was born around 8 pm. I can hardly believe it has already been 5 years. Where does the time go?

Cassidy's Birthday Party

Cassidy & Callie posing for their picture.

Cassidy got a lot of nice gifts. She was pleased with everything.

We set up our bounce house. The kids loved bouncing.

We had Cassidy's birthday party on Saturday. It was a beautiful day. She had about 10 friends come, along with their siblings and parents. Nearly everything worked really well.

We took each child's picture with Cassidy as they arrived. After everyone arrived Ryan went to Wal-Mart and printed the pictures. The kids decorated a frame and we put the picture in for them to take home. Thank you to everyone who helped with this project.

We had a cake made by Mrs. Williams who lives close to the park. I have to say it was the best cake I have had in a long time.

The only real problem we encountered was with the pinata. Ryan make a really nice place to hang it, but it did not work as well with the added weight. Ryan had to hold the string, thus we have no pictures or video of the pinata. The kids all really enjoyed pulling the strings (no we did not get one that you hit with a stick) and scampering for the candy.

Each child left with their picture and frame, a few small toys and of course lots of candy. I think the party was a huge success.