Can You Smell It???

Fall is here! It really is, I think.
I can honestly say, I don't like one season more then the next, but I do LOVE fall.
The colors, the smell, the crisp air, the leaves blowing...Ahhh! I love pumpkins, mums, red leaves. I LOVE IT ALL!
I can't stand it, I love it so much.
But, I do believe I say something like that about EACH season.
That my friend, is the joy of living in the Midwest.
Sunday, after church the girls were kind enough to play on the porch for a few minutes while I snapped away on my camera.
Here are a few of my favorites!

Happy Fall!
~Chat soon!

Funny things...

So today, I was shuffling through some of Anne's papers from pre-school. She and I here were talking about the different things she had done. There was a picture she colored of Adam and Eve.
Mom-'Anne, what is this?'
Anne-'Oh, that's Adam and THE EVE'
Mom-'Oh yeah? Where are they?'
Anne-'They're in the garden, doing business...'
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Tonight, at dinner, we said our normal dinner prayer. Anne said that she had something to add. Adam told her to go ahead and this is what came out...

Dear God,
We love you.
Thank you for our family (**my heart was swelling**)
Have a good trip!
Amen

Ha! I was laughing so hard on the inside I had tears streaming down my cheeks.
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After dinner, Anne was picking her nose (gross, I know) I told her that was really gross and to stop. Immediately, Kate stuck her finger in her nose and laughed hysterically (common practice-monkey see, monkey do). I said 'NONONONONO!' She blurts out, "WHHHHHHHHY?" Adam says, just as calm as can be..."Because no one will want to sit by you." Kate responds in her default 'oooookkkkkaaaayyyy' and toddles off.

Once again, I'm so thankful for their quirkiness, and ability to make us laugh so hard we cry. Even on rough days they make us laugh till our sides hurt! :) I think that is one of their jobs, don't you?

Hoping you had a side splitting Sunday as well!

~Chat soon!

p.s.-mom, I'll post the pictures next time, this scenario trumped the pictures I took! :)

Junk...

Well, it's official. The germs have won. They got me! I feel like J.U.N.K. Not the kind of junk you would put in a box and put aside for later, or smile at and think of the fun you had while using it. OHHHH NO! The kind of JUNK that you just want to throw away, burn, or otherwise rid yourself of.

I somehow managed to catch this JUNK around 2pm yesterday, out of no-where. Hit me like a ton of bricks...I blew it off as 'getting into a pile of dust in my classroom'...my immune system had other plans. So now I feel like JUNK.

It's been a long week. Lots of things to do, get completed, to go to etc. I was REALLY looking forward to the weekend, and now...there is JUNK.

Adam is a trooper, he took care of dinner and entertaining the chicks while I lay half comatose on the couch. I finally 'came to' when I heard him say in a less then impressed voice. "HOW DID YOU GET SO WET, KATE?" Decided maybe I should throw the guy a life vest and help out. ;)

Anyway, due to feeling like JUNK, my patience is thin, very think, like zippo, not here! Anne decided she needed a snack before dinner...Adam gave her a snack (2 bowls of cereal...but I digress) so when it was dinner time, she was not hungry. I calmly told her that I was sorry but she needed to take a few bites of her dinner. I DON"T LIKE ZUCCHINI AND SWEET POTATOES, I ONLY WANT STEAK, she said.(the steak wasn't quite done...) I calmly told her again, that I was sorry but she really needed to try a bite of each.

She said in her most SASSY voice, while pushing the plate away. "WELL I GUESS I'M NOT HUNGRY THEN"....

And it all went down the tubes from there.

She was crying, Kate was crying, I was talking LOUDLY, I think Adam could have cried if he wasn't so scared I may tear into him. :) Just a junky night. Junky, junky, junky.

It goes on...

I asked her to come back in the kitchen (so we could patch things up...) She said "WHY?" I said, "because I need to talk to you a bit." She said..."Good, I need to talk to you too, can you come in HERE?" I just poured a little more wine in my glass and ignored her. Shortly after, Kate walked in...She was squealing 'YOOK, YOOK!' She so happily emptied my ENTIRE box of Puffs with Lotion bought just this afternoon...even gave them to me with a smile!

Lord have mercy. Please give me a good day tomorrow because if I haven't made myself clear...TODAY WAS JUNK!

~Chat soon.

P.S. I know you veteran mommas are cracking up....hope you enjoy! ;0)

WANTED...

...extra hours for my day.
Willing to negotiate.
Prefer 3 extra a day.
Please call Sara if you are available.

~Chat soon

Glowworm...

A treasured family friend from years past is a friend of mine on facebook. She is a very close friend to my mom, her husband was my Sunday School teacher growing up, and we became friends with their kids through youth group.
Mr. & Mrs. Francisco now live in California where Mr. F is a Pastor in a Lutheran Church (forgive me, I don't know the name..)

They are really great people. I have never been teased by a person as much as I was teased my Mr. Francisco. I have great memories of them. (our family really misses them!)

Mrs. Francisco posted this link to a great devotion.
It is perfectly inspirational.
After I read it I had a nice peaceful, warm, feeling.


I think you should check it out here...

Thanks Mrs. Francisco for sharing it!
Hope you enjoy it too...

~Chat soon!

someone has a BIRTHDAY today!

mom's birthday is today.
she is my best friend, hands down.
the woman would give you the shirt off her back, and her pants, if you asked.
i think she should be the model for 'mom of the year'.
her humility, kindness, caring, sincerity and giving ways have helped shape me into the mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend i am today.
without her i would be lost and i mean LOST!
i hope she has a great day today.
we all know she deserves it.
may this be the best year ever!
love you, mom!

~chat soon!

Wierd Stuff

Labor Day weekend we went to our parents 'country homes'...Adam had mentioned during the ride that he wanted to take me to see something and to not forget my camera. This is what he took me too...


This is the road leading up to the creek

This is what was in the creek. OOPS!

I would LOVE to find the person with story...If I had to guess, I bet it is a good one!

The girls were napping, so Adam and I snuck out while the grandparents stayed with them. I had mentioned to my mom that he wanted me to see this car that had fallen into the creek, a very long time ago. Without blinking an eye, she said "Oh I wonder if that was Ricky so- and-so's car...I remember there was a story about that once!" HOLY COW! My question still is...WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE IT THERE ALL THIS TIME? Surely someone has been missing it. ;) When I find out, I'll let you know!

~Chat soon!

visitors...

Adam came in from outside to announce to the girls that he found something.

They both came squealing.

He unveiled...THE CATERPILLAR!

They both were very intrigued by the new little friend until....he crawled up Adam's arm!

HOLY COW! You would have thought it was snake! :)

Needless to say, they became quite attached.
We did let him go shortly after dinner.
Maybe we need to get a pet.
Just kidding! Weak moment. Pet free home, except for the beloved Goldfish, Dorthy!

A Prayer...

Lord...
Today we sent to you a father, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, grandson, and friend.
He has a huge heart, a contagious laugh, and a kind spirit.
We know that You, along with all the others we have sent before him, welcomed him to his new home with open arms.
Please remember those left behind are sad and lonely. Wishing he were here. Can You remind us You truly know best? Continue providing your strength, peace, and mercy on us until we are all together again.
Let him know that he is missed, yet we understand that You have a different idea.

...Amen

**Another angel watches over us. Jason Lloyd Verseman 9-27-71~9-12-09**

Just because...

...sometimes it feels good to smile for no reason!
Happy Monday.
~Chat soon!

A letter..

Dear Hormones,
You drive me CRAZY!
When you are here, I am unreasonable, irrational, ugly on the inside, and all around nuts.
Please leave me alone.
I know my husband and children would be forever grateful.
Regards,
Sara

P.S. I know you will come find me again in a few weeks...YOU AREN'T WELCOME!
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Been a rough couple days, can you tell? ;)
~Chat soon!

Never will forget...

I remember as a kid, people would say "I remember where I was when JFK was shot, or Martin Luther King Jr." "Do you remember when, Elvis died? they would say". I could never figure it out. Why in the world would these occasions be etched into someones mind for l.i.f.e.



8 years ago today, I remember as if it was just yesterday. I was standing in the hallway and I remember a fellow teacher saying that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.



I remember thinking, "that's why I don't like to fly, I wonder where the World Trade Center is?"



Then it all came out. The horrible crash, the building collapsing, the Pentegon attack, the plane in Pennsylvania...I didn't think it was going to end.

I frantically called Adam who was in college and BEGGED him to come home. I called my dad and begged him NOT to go to work. He couldn't. SOMEONE HAD TO PROTECT US. Parents were picking up their children left and right. I just knew the world was ending.

I went home and on the way stopped for gas. Everyone else was too, I thought they surely knew something that I didn't, so I better stop too. The traffic was horrible. People were crying, looking distraught. I didn't quite get the picture, I had yet to SEE the news. Just heard the radio.

When I got home, mom was as big of a mess as I was, which doesn't happen. Ever. She was watching the events on t.v. I hadn't yet had the opportunity to see the footage (at the time, we didn't have good internet at school-if any.) I was crying asking mom if we were going to be okay. She stated she didn't know, and we should go to church. So we did.

We sat with others, praying, for the unknown. What a vulnerable feeling.

I hope that in my lifetime, in my kids lifetime, in their kids lifetime, nothing like that happens again. EVER!
On the news this morning they showed the front cover of a newspaper, that had President Obama and a quote-"Today, we are all New Yorkers" (or something like that.) While I know that it happened in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. It effected all of US some way. Because we are ALL AMERICANS!.

Maybe it is eery to hash out all those feelings again, maybe it isn't. Either way, I felt the need today. I know that I will NEVER forget.

~Chat Soon!

Labor Day Weekend-Part 2

Sunday we spent the day at mom and dad's. It was g.r.e.a.t!

We went fishing. Dad caught a big Bass!

The girls just played their tails off, in honest-to-goodness fun.

I really am a country girl at heart. I love it. The bugs and other critters, not a huge fan, but I could get past that!

Thanks for putting up with us mom and dad (and Barb and Phil) we really had a great time!

~chat soon!

don't forget to click on the pictures to make bigger. they're better that way! :)

Ham and Beans...

Just having a nice dinner of ham and beans.

Anne says (out of no-where) "Hey guys?! Why do hummingbirds hum???"

We say-"WHY?"

Anne says-"Because they don't know the words" followed by her slapping the table and giggling until I thought beans were going to come out of her ears.

Her laughing is soooo contagious!

This is the life....

~Chat soon.

Labor Day Weekend-Part 1

Saturday morning we headed to Southeast Missouri where both mom and dad were born and raised and where Adam's parents have a country home as well.

We stopped in to see Grandma Verseman. Anne was beside herself to see "MeeMaw Great". We had a wonderful visit. The girls were well behaved. The nursing home has a 'bunny garden' where there are live bunnies to see, it was a nice visit. The best part. My grandma had her NAILS PAINTED! Too cute.

Back on the road, we headed to the Wedel's. PawPaw had fun things planned, vegetable picking, wagon rides, and just all around good times.

I took a TON of pictures so stay tuned for Sunday's adventures!

~Chat soon!

T.G.I.F.

It's FRIDAY! WHOOP WHOOP! It's also a long weekend!

We are heading to the Country Life this weekend.

A whole weekend of nothing but running, screeching, fishing, sitting, everything that has to do with relaxing and fun-we hopefully will be experiencing.

Now, this leads to the picture. I have put off a lot of things this week so my to-do list is long, very long.

As I have been scurrying around, I remembered the quote that is on my FAVORITE picture that Adam bought me this summer.

It really is my mantra. :)

Happy Friday, and Happy Labor Day!

~Chat soon!

P.S. Susan, we will be in Perryville around 9:30am. Hope to see you! :) (sniff!)