Autumn photo shoot

While Paxton was taking a nap today, Harper and I headed outside to have a little photo shoot in the nice fall weather. I have been toying with the idea of doing her 1 year photos myself and saving some money. So this was kind of a test drive to see if I could hack it as a "photographer." Of course for her REAL pictures there will be outfit changes (at least 3!!) and different scenery, but like I said this was just a test run. What do you think? (I bet the neighbors thought I had lost my mind cause I was laying in the grass for different shots) If you click on the collage you can enlarge it, and don't worry, big brother has his own collage coming tomorrow for his 3RD BIRTHDAY!!!

***Well actually I was informed after I posted this that the collage will NOT enlarge. Does anybody know how to do this? I have no clue****

Changes.

“It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.”

This week has been full of changes. Josh and I sat down this week and decided that I would stay at home with the kids. I have been working at the YMCA since we moved here, I started out in membership and recently took on a position as the Youth and Family Coordinator (while still doing membership). So each week I work 15 hours in membership and 15 in my coordinating position. I love my job, I love the Y, but working for a non-profit organization doesn't pay a ton. We finally realized that after all was said and done, I was only bringing home $100 a month!! So we decided I would stop working membership and only do my coordinating position because the hours are a lot more flexible (I have to work 15 hours a week, doesn't matter when, basically make my own schedule) plus I really love that position and am excited about all the new things we are doing in my department. Sounds great right?

Well I am feeling all sorts of emotions. I am nervous because I have always said (and still think) that being a stay-at-home Mom is the hardest job EVER! I am sad because I will be taking the kids out of daycare, and they love it there!! Well Harper may be too young to realize what's happening, but we have been talking to Pax about it and he is sad. He has gone to Jenn's house since we moved here almost 2 years ago. She has loved our kids and taken such great care of them, we are so grateful to her for being so wonderful with our children. She not only took Pax in when she wasn't taking any more new kids, but then she took in our little "surprise" baby too. My kids love Jenn, I know this when Pax asks me on Saturday mornings if he is going to Jenns' house and when I say no, he gets sad (thanks Buddy) and I know it when Harper aka "Mamas Girl" pretty much lunges out of my arms when I drop her off in the mornings. You CANNOT put a price on good childcare, and you CANNOT put a price on someone who genuinely cares for your children. When I ask Pax how he feels about staying at home with me he says "but I will miss Jenn and my fwiends" cue tears!!! Gah! I told Jenn about our decision today, and I cried (duh), and she was super great about it (duh again).

So I guess we are about to start a new chapter in our lives. If anyone has any advice on staying home with kids, please disperse now.

Another big change that happened this week is Josh's Grandma Hall took a turn for the worse. She has alzheimers and we have watched helplessly as this awful disease robbed us of an energetic, INDEPENDENT, talkative, loving woman. This weekend she suffered a stroke. We don't know how much longer she will be with us, we have been told not long. She is a great woman, I miss her so much already, I don't want her to suffer.............some changes really suck!

Pumpkin Patch

So I already posted these pics on facebook, but need to post them on here for our family who doesn't facebook. We had so much fun yesterday. Walter's Pumpkin Patch is AWESOME! I did some new photo editing with Picasa, I might be a little obsessed with that now. It took me an HOUR, but I had so much fun doing it. Check it out online, it's free to download and you can do some cool things with your pics.

Here is my funny Mom story for the week (and it's only Monday!):

I was checking my facebook tonight, and Pax was sitting at his desk (I THOUGHT he was coloring). He is 3 (well almost, little less than a month to go) so I don't really watch every little thing he does. All of a sudden I saw him grab his bath towel off the floor (hadn't gotten around to hanging it back up after bath, whatever) and he starts spitting into it. I look closer at him and his whole mouth is BLACK!! I jump off the couch and run to him not knowing if he is coughing up blood or his LIVER and then I see it......the black crayon. WHAT! He has huge chunks of it in his teeth, his tongue is completely black, he is drooling blackness, it's a big huge black mess!!! I made him gargle water and spit it out and then brushed his teeth for like an hour. I am pretty sure it will take a week to get it all out of his teeth. I didn't take a picture of it cause I was FREAKIN OUT the whole time wondering if he was going to throw up, or I dunno.... DIE!!!! Gah! I am pretty sure it's safe though, they're non-toxic right? Oh life with kids......never a dull moment. Hey maybe that should be the name of my blog ( I have been wanting to re-name it) "Never a Dull Moment" cause that pretty much describes my life. Earlier tonight I looked down the hall to see where Harper had crawled off to, and I see her standing on top of a Lego box in Paxs room!!! Sheesh!

I know I have a ton more pics of Harper than Pax, but he was NOT wantin me to take his picture. HERE and HERE are my blog posts about the pumpkin patch last year. It makes me so sad to see how little Pax was (me? not so much). So much changes in 1 year!!