Pumpkin Patch Tradition

My parents have 11 grandchildren.  Only 2 of them live closer than 2 hours away. Those two are mine. They used to take my brother's 2 children to the big pumpkin patch every year but they recently moved out of state. So, I was MORE than happy to let them buy pumpkins for my kids. There is a really cute area set up where you can take a picture of your kids on a tractor with hay bails around it. I LOVE Halloween and everything fall and wanted to get some cute picture of the kids. I decided to take the picture on the opposite side that everyone else was taking picture because the light was so bright and would shine right in their face and make them squint. My father (bless his sole, that old hobbly man!) commented that my pictures weren't going to turn out because the sun was shining right at me. Well, I did it anyway. And this post is to show him that they DID turn out after all. Rather cute too I might add. I should say that I took his advice to get way down in the shade so as to avoid the sun and that's probably the main reason they really did turn out well. 

It wasn't a real pleasant process because M#1 wasn't, shall we say, excited to take the picture on prickly hay. But, between 4 adults we got him calmed down enough to take a decent picture. 

 Attempt #1 (not so happy)

 Attempt #2 (not screaming but there IS some left over drool dripping out)

Attempt #3 (M1 is happy but now M2 isn't smiling anymore. Oh well, that's as good as it gets.)

M2's hair WAS done really cute until we got in the car to drive to the pumpkin patch and she must've overheard that I wanted to get cute pictures and she sabotaged it. That stinker-bum!

New things

Micah is rather sensitive about his head which really kind of sucks for me, the mom, because he falls quite often due to his cerebral palsy. When he falls he inevitably hit his head and begins to cry even if it was just a small "bonk". It's hard as a mom not to run over and give him loves but he needs to toughin' up a bit. He also doesn't like to have people touch his head or put anything on his head like a hat or head band. So, when I put this pumpkin head band of his sisters on and he LEFT it on I was so excited I took a picture. It's so exciting to see him do and experience new things. We have tons of therapy appointments and it get difficult for me to run around all week and have people push him to do things he doesn't like to do. This week we had 5 appointments for different kinds of therapy. Ugh! It's makes it feel worth it when I see him do/try  new things. I love my little boy so very much and I'm grateful for the things I am learning because of his challenges. Heavenly Father surely knew that I needed this humbling experience to enjoy all the simple things in life.

 Now, my little spit fire, Mattea. She's always been sassy which was fantastic when she was fighting for her life in the NICU but not so much now that she is almost two. Two years old? Really? How is it that my 2 lb babies are going to be turning two years old? The only answer I have for that is because they are a gift from God. They are a daily reminder that God loves me.

Back to Mattea, she really is a sassy-pants. She's talking up a storm lately. She used to only use sign language to tell us what she wanted. My dad used to say that she was never going to talk. Well, she must of heard him one time because she started copying everything we were saying. Somehow she has associated "no, no" with daddy because when she is telling Micah no, no or repeating back to me that something is no, no she says "No, No Daddy"

She has also started to go outside in the back yard without me knowing. Often times I will catch her playing in the dirt or with the outside broom sweeping up the sidewalk.

I love my baby girl so very much and take many opportunities to tell her so. I have a feeling that God sent her to me to strengthen my patience. That really is an area where I needed work so it's a real challenge some days when I'm on the phone with my mom and trying to tell Mattea, "no, no. the peaches don't go in your hair." or when I come up from the basement and she is throwing the dog food up in the air like it's confetti and scattering all over my freshly mopped, and swept floor.

New Pictures