Mr. Hero Saves Wife!!!

That's right. He did it! I knew that I would be typing it soon enough. Actually he did it a few days ago. I HAD to go out to the laundry room to get the Christmas decorations. So, being chill like I am, I calmly walked to the laundry room door and banged on it like a crazy lady. I knew that this clever tactic would scare my nemesis away and I would not have to deal with him. Imagine my horror when I opened the door and he was lying there at my feet!! Apparently crackers stuck to the trap with peanut butter was a smashing success (ha!). How he managed to tear himself away from this treat is beyond me. But, I really don't care. He is no more. *whew*

Grandparents, Dedication, and Thanksgiving...Oh my!!

Kevin's parents came to visit us last week. They were here for Olivia's dedication (Kevin's birthday was the same day too) and for Thanksgiving. It's hard to believe that I've been with Kevin for almost ten years, yet I've never spent Thanksgiving with his family.

They arrived on Saturday afternoon. Benjamin had spent Saturday morning cutting up a very large (and skinny) branch. He then decided that the best use for this branch was kindling for a bonfire. So, we changed our dinner plans and had hot dogs. I had a can of chili leftover from Benjamin's school Fall Fest, so I heated it up for the hot dogs. Imagine my surprise when Kevin's mother said that neither she nor Kevin's dad had ever had a chili dog. They have also never had corndogs. Perhaps those are Southern things? Anyone else never have these before?

Here is a picture of Olivia all bundled up with Grandma and Papa during the bonfire.

The next day, Sunday, was Olivia's dedication. We had been waiting for Grandma and Papa to be here before we did it. Uncle Phillip and Pastor Coleman did the dedication together. Phillip is very close to our family, and so having him as a part of it was especially meaningful. We were also joined by Aunt Debra and Uncle Dennis.
Our little Olivia Rae on the day of her dedication to the Lord! We are blessed!!

Pastor Coleman did the Bible readings and the charge family and friends.

I love the way Olivia is looking at Phillip in this one.

Phillip did the prayer and official dedication.

I cried. Kevin cried. Phillip's eyes got damp (or it could be allergies...Texas is awful like that!). During the prayer Olivia thought long and hard about whether or not to take over the microphone responsibilities. She decided against it. 8-)

Olivia and Papa after church.

Thanksgiving was great. I was a bit late putting Mr. Thankful Turkey together, but when it was finished, it was quite spectacular. For those who don't know what this is...we make a turkey out of my scrapbooking materials. Then we make several feathers and mail them to our family and friends. They write about what what they are thankful for on these feathers and then mail them back. On Thanksgiving day, we read them and then put them onto the turkey. Mr. Turkey then serves as a decoration. Mr. Turkey didn't get done until a couple days later because apparently Grandma and Papa are far more exciting than some paper turkey (turkeys can't play Rummikub!) Here's Mr. Turkey:



We had the Phelps family (Roy, Maxine, Phillip, and Ranae) over for Thanksgiving this year. It was wonderful having so many special people to spend the day with. We had a lovely dinner, told jokes (even laughed at the bad ones...uh...not that there were any bad ones), played games, and just relaxed.

After dinner, Benjamin talked Mrs. Phelps into doing some artwork with him.

Olivia and Uncle Phillip in The Thanksgiving Dinner Recovery Chair.

The Benjamin/Grandma team during our Mille Bourne game.

I was very proud of how attractive my pies turned out!

Oh, and for the first time ever (drum roll please) I made dressing that was fantastic! And for that, I am extremely thankful!

Because he lives...

....I will not walk into my laundry room. That's right! The rodent is not lying in the trap as I had hoped. Kevin has relocated one of the traps in hopes of catching him warming up by the dryer. Cross your fingers!

Luckily for me, Kevin is willing to save me the trauma of walking into that room and seeing the creature and is toting the laundry back and forth for me. I can handle that.

In other news...today the boys (Benjamin, Josiah, and Jasper) decided to dig a hole. This was not just any run of the mill hole, mind you! This was a hole that started on both sides and met up in the middle. It would have worked too if it weren't for the excited jumping on top of the hole when they got close. Now, while this may sound boring to some, to a group of boys this is great fun. We're talking about fun that keeps them busy for an hour. It also helps to keep my garden aerated. So, we both win! Nothing like a little child labor disguised as happy play time! (j/k) They were proud of themselves!



Today I also worked with Benjamin some more on his math. For those who don't know, Benjamin only goes to school for 1/2 day. The school does their academic stuff in the morning and uses the afternoons for centers and playtime. I figure I can save money and he can have playtime here. In the afternoons, I do some work with him at home as well. Today we worked on double digit addition. He wasn't so sure about it, but I knew he could do it. He loves math. He surely didn't get that from me (I may have to call it quits after this double digit addition). I showed him 2 problems and he just caught right on. He did the rest on his own and got them all correct. He was just tickled with himself...well, and Mommy was tickled too!
Well, this blogging thing isn't so tough after all. Sweet!