Happy Halloween!

I hope you all had a fun day! We hung out with a cowboy, pirate, Elmo, aerobics instructor and Jenna and her cute family. We had lots of fun!



30 Days of Thankfulness starts tomorrow. Can you believe it's already November? If you want to participate, even if you don't think you'll be able to do it everyday or you're starting late, email me or leave a comment and I'll add you to the blog list. You're, also, welcome to link back here using the graphic or the button on my side bar. I hope we all end November as glass half full people focusing on how much we truly have to be thankful for.

30 Days of Thankfulness

To kick off the "Thankful Lists" I'll be posting at least one thing that I'm thankful for everyday from November 1st through the 30th. I'd love to have you join me!

Even if you think you won't be able to post everyday or if you're starting late, you can still join in. If you'd like to be added to the blog roll to the right email me or leave a comment. You're, also, welcome to link by here using the button or graphic.

Happy November!



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Samuel's "Big Owie"

On Friday night we were at a friend's house and the kids were all playing. All the sudden we heard screaming and crying and Eric went back to check to see what happened. Then I heard, "uhhh, Morgan, you should come back here."

During the playing Samuel's finger had gotten smashed in the door. It was bleeding a lot, but it was hard to tell how bad it really was. We decided to take him to the ER and I was glad to hear from the nurse, as soon as we got there, that we'd made the right decision.



After two trips to the ER (Friday night and Sunday morning) and another trip to the ortho specialist (this morning) we found out his finger is fractured and it was cut and damaged at the cuticle. He has five stitches and it seems to be healing well, we're just praying that the finger nail grows back. They said it will take about a month until we'll know for sure. His next appointment is a week from today where they'll take out the stitches and do another check up. We'd love prayers for our Sammy!



And, those ER trips? Well, thank goodness my friend Alli was there both times. It's so nice to have a familiar face in a situation like that and we even had her as our nurse when she came on her shift on Sunday. Friday nights are apparently crazy and very busy and we overheard and saw lots of interesting things in the waiting room. As soon as we got in the back it was quiet and peaceful and we had great doctors and nurses taking care of Samuel.

The pictures are blurry because they were taken with my phone. The first one was on Sunday right before the stitches (he was sedated for them) and the second one was in the waiting room on Friday night.

What I Wore

I went shopping with my friend Cari the other day (retail therapy!) and got this top. It's pretty much a glorified sweatshirt....and I love it! It's super comfy and the sequins make it a little dressier. And, that weird face is because Eric took the picture as I was talking.





Top- Lulus.com
Jeans- Joe's Jeans (from TJ Maxx)
Shoes- Toms



Dress- Lulus.com
Cardigan- Target
Belt- Forever 21
Socks- American Apparel
Boots- Target

I am linking to Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy.

Delicious Food

Eric made another delicious meal with our CSA veggies. He sauteed beets, bok choy, and something else I can't remember with olive oil and rosemary. With a slice of bread it was a light (but very filling) and delicious meal.



The other night Eric and I watched a documentary called Food Matters. I highly recommend it. Over the past few years we've been improving the way we eat, but after watching this we're making even more changes.

It emphasized the effectiveness of raw food. Eating raw, organic fruits and vegetables can help cure and prevent so many physical problems. It talked about the importance of vitamins and supplements and one thing that stood out to Eric was that two handfuls of cashews are equal to one prozac.

I liked the part that talked about how one man lost 150 pounds in one year through a raw diet. You'll have to watch the movie to hear how exactly that happened. It's kind of gross.

Do you like documentaries? We love them!

Thankful Lists: Katie

1. I know my family loves me even though they don't agree with my decisions.
2. my children are healthy & happy.
3. my God makes sure our needs are taken care of during financial famine.
4. as strange as this may sound, I am thankful for facebook. without it, I would have never been able reconnect with certain people I have thought of daily for years.
5. vanilla lattes!
6. my father-in-law who butts in because he's needed, not because he's wanted.
7. the beach ... Hawaiian beaches at that!!
8. the opportunity to homeschool.
9. waking up with hope.
10. the brownies that just came out of the oven. mmmmmm!

Visit Katie at My Learning Curve
Email me your thankful list at morganf7(at)yahoo.com

Judah's Birthday Celebration - Part 1/Pumpkin Patch

I'm all about celebrating birthdays, not just on the day of your birth, but for the whole week. I want to make my kids feel special and loved on their birthdays. My mom always made holidays and birthdays a big deal and I want to do the same for my kids.

On Judah's birthday he woke up to six helium balloons, streamers, and a big "Happy Birthday" sign decorating the house. He, also, got his gifts from us- a new bike and two chapter books.

After we got ready and had breakfast we headed out to the first surprise. The boys had no idea where we were going.



An hour later we pulled up to Bishops Pumpkin Farm. I just realized that we've visited a different pumpkin patch each year since Judah was born. Fall is a fun time to have a birthday!



We had so much fun!



Judah and Samuel loved petting the animals...Silas not so much. Judah even held a miniature goat!



We rode a train.





Rode giant rocking horses.



My dad met us after lunch.



And we took a tractor ride.





Out to pick pumpkins.







And pose for pictures. Of course.



My dad got Silas a giant pumpkin.



The boys played a little longer, got super tired, and then we went home to rest before surprise number two.

Judah's 6th Birthday!

Dear Judah,
How can I sum up the past six years? How can I put into words how much I adore you? Of course I can't. But, I hope you know. Your are so special and the apple of our eyes. One of the reasons that I wanted to homeschool is so that you'll always be the favorite in the class. That, as a student, you would always stand out, get attention, and be praised and encouraged in everything you do.



One of my facebook friends (and, by the time you read this you'll probably have no idea what facebook is), who has children my age, recently wrote a post saying that for every correction or negative statement you give your child they need ten positives to counteract it. She said that there is a lot she regrets raising her children, but that God is faithful to fill in the gaps.



I have been trying to be more strategic and intentional about praising and encouraging you. As the oldest it's easiest for Papa and I to put the responsibility on you. We always ask you to do things to help us and reprimand you when you retaliate against a sibling. As the oldest we really are learning to parent on you. I'm sorry for our mistakes. Our prayer and desire is that you know who you are. Your name means "praise" and when we named you that we were, of course, thinking that it meant that you would praise God. I pictured you being a great worship leader (and, who knows, maybe you will be), but I also see that it means that you need praise. I really do think that (one of) your love languages is words of affirmation and that's how God created you. I want you to always be confident in our love for you.



But, most of all, I want you to know that God is faithful to fill in all the gaps. As much as I hate to think it, I know that we will let you down. We will fail you. But, God will never let you down and never fail you. My prayer every night is that you would, "know God all the days of your life." It is the only thing that matters to me. I don't care what you choose for you career/school/marriage/life/vision/etc, but I pray that you would be a man of God. That what ever you do that you would walk with God. And, where ever life takes you we will adore you just as we did as we gazed at you in your first few moments of your life and as we do right now.



I love you, my sweet boy. I am so proud of who you are. You truly amaze me.
Love, Mama

What I Wore: Almost Fall

First, and most importantly, Happy Birthday to my sweet Judah boy! I'll have an official "birthday post" tomorrow, but I can't not say anything. My first born baby is six. SIX! How in the world can this be?


(soooo handsome!)

This week my outfits were very uninspired. I wore (undocumented) workout clothes more often than not. And, I think my husband is getting tired of taking my pictures. I'm going to have to get a tripod.

Another thing, and I hate that I even feel this way, but I'm frustrated with the baby weight I still have to lose. After Judah it seemed easy to lose the weight and has gotten harder with each subsequent pregnancy. Or, maybe it's all the cookies from my favorite bakery. I want to enjoy life, I'm way against dieting, but I need to eat less sweets or I'll always have these last 15 lbs.

So, eat less (but definitely not no) treats and I, also, want to start running again. I had just started before finding out I was pregnant with Finley and I need to find the motivation (oh yeah, and the TIME) to start again.



Top and tank- Target
Jeans- Forever 21
Boots- Target (that I got for free thanks to Swagbucks giftcards!)

On Finley:
Dress- Tea Collection
Tights- Gap





Dress- Made by Lex
Cardigan- Target
Belt- Lulus.com
Boots- Target (same boots!)

Linking to Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy

Odds and Ends

Right now Eric is in the kitchen making a "special Mexican topping" for our ice cream. (Should be interesting!) So, I thought I'd hop on here real quick and post. I meant to do this much, much earlier, but today has been super busy. I had a busy weekend, too, And, actually, this whole week is going to be busy, busy, busy. Not in a bad way, but in a slightly exhausting, but fun way.

My Judah boy will be six on Wednesday. I have so many emotions, but I'm mostly trying to ignore them and focus on making him feel super special. He's been counting down to his birthday for months, so I'm hoping the actual celebration lives up to his expectations.

Yesterday was my friend, Jenna's diaper shower. Here baby Toby is so, so cute! I made this banner for the shower.



I have two dresses on their way for my girly. Another Misha Lulu from their surplus store and another one that I bought from Reachel at Cardigan Empire. I love dressing up my little doll.

Here is my girl, with her bearded Papa, wearing the jammies that he picked out for her. It's already fun watching the daddy/daughter relationship!

Thankful Lists: Vénusia

1- The faithfulness of God, even more when I am not on the track
2- My super husband, always so comprehensive.
3- The two wonderful loves of my life, my son and daugther.
4- The fresh air of autumn
5- The family that I have in Jesus, even more in my church
6- My daughter go to bed earlier now.
7- Coffee when my kid are asleep
8- Good family time we can spend in those days
9- The friends that God gave me, so patient with me
10- Apple season= apple pie season !

Visit Vénusia at Buttons in a Cup Mama
Email me your thankful list at morganf7(at)yahoo.com

First Sale!

I am so excited to have made my first etsy sale! My items have been featured in several treasuries (see a few here, here, here, here, and here), but not until a few days ago have I actually SOLD something!



How about a little etsy sale? From now until October 31st take 25% off any purchase. You'll have to buy it, pay for it, then I will reimburse you for the 25% back into your Paypal account. I'll be listing more stuff all month, too.



See how excited Finley and I are to send this package to Australia?

More Sleep and Good Food

Last night we had a much better night's sleep. None of us were really that sick (well, with the exception of Eric, who had a fever with his cold), but Silas and Finley had been sleeping horribly.

They would both wake up several times in the night, waking each other up over and over. They have their own rooms, but I guess they were sleeping lightly. Finley wanted to be nursed and Silas held on the couch or come in bed with us. Then, Finley would wake up for the morning between 4 and 5. l would go back to bed around 8 when Eric got up with everyone and wake back up around 10. Thank goodness this all happened on the weekend.

Last night Finley woke up once to nurse and Silas came in bed with us around 3, but didn't wake up until 7:30 when Judah (who came in my bed when Eric left to go to work) and I got up. While not back to their normal sleeping, but was a huge improvement.



This was my lunch the other day. It was delicious! The night before Eric had sauteed up a bunch of our CSA veggies as a side. There was eggplant, mushrooms, green bell peppers, onions, and zucchini. I took two pieces of whole wheat bread, spread pesto on one side of both of them, put the veggies in the middle, and grilled it in the waffle maker.

Visiting Disneyland

via

We are planning a trip to Disneyland (in California) next month. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've been looking forward to this since Judah was just a little baby. I know the boys will loooove it. I've already asked on facebook and gotten lots of great tips, but I must ask here, too. Do you have any tips for me?

Where should we stay?
Do you know of any packages?
Tips for going with small kids?
Best rides?
Best shows?
Etc, etc, etc?

Feel free to leave tips, tricks, favorites, and links.
Thank you!!

Thankful Lists: Emily

1. That I have a God loves me no matter what
2. That I have an awesome husband who is my best friend
3. That I have been blessed with three amazing children
4. That I have so many family and friends around me who also love me no matter what
5. That I have this lap top so I can type all this out from my bed, ha
6. That I have a God who not only loves me but watches out for me so I don't have to worry
7. That I have a radio station that I can listen to positive music on (KLOVE)
8. That I have the opportunity to teach my children from my home or wherever ;)
9. That I have the opportunity to also send said children to school for a few hours a week
10. That I have so much freedom in the country I live all because some really brave men and women are willing to stand up and die for it.

Visit Emily at Once and Again
Email me your thankful list at morganf7(at)yahoo.com

To My Husband

Remember when Samuel used to call you "Poppy"? That totally cracked me up.

But, it cracks me up even more when Silas calls you "Popeye." I know you don't find it as hilarious as I do, but I just can't stop myself from telling him to say it again and again. And laughing. A lot.

It's only because I love you.



I told Silas to give Papa a kiss on the lips, but instead he stuck out his tongue. So, Eric did too. It made me laugh.

9 Month Well Baby

Finley had her 9 month well baby appointment yesterday. She was 19 lbs, 8 oz (75th percentile) and 29 inches (95th percentile).

Last night we went to dinner with my mom and an older man was eating there by himself. The whole time we were there Finley and the man were smiling and looking at each other. When we were leaving he asked her name and then shook her hand saying, "We had a great time, didn't we, Finley? We had fun!" She's always smiling (and now waving), so makes friends where ever we go. Especially with the older crowd and little kids.

Finley started getting a cold on Tuesday, then the rest of us yesterday, so we're looking forward to a relaxing weekend and hoping for a super quick recovery.

What I Wore Wednesday With Silas

Well, I guess two outfit pictures is my new normal. It's only Wednesday and it already feels like a long week. With yucky drama and a congested baby girl who was up in the night I'm tired. I'm getting my hair done today and I'm super excited. It always makes me feel so much better.

Every time Silas sees Eric taking pictures of me he wants to be in them, too. A little ironic, though, because whenever I try to take pictures of him alone he hides his face, looks down, and says "no." I guess he just doesn't like solo pictures?



Dress- Thrifted, but I recently saw it here. It made me even more happy for my great thrift shop deal!
Sweater- Target
Pumps- Target

On Silas:
Shorts- Target
Shoes- From Emily



This is an awkward pose, but it cracked me up that Silas was trying to put his hands on his hips like I was. But missed....

Dress/Muumuu- Thrifted (and, yes, it really is spelled muumuu. I looked it up.)
Belt- I don't remember....

Visit The Pleated Poppy for more What I Wore Wednesdays.