The Past Week...

   I'm back again.  I don't have much time for blogging these days.  Wesley's been keeping me quite busy.  He's had a touch of colic, but it looks like that is getting a little better.  But now, he's finally caught the cold that I've been trying so hard to keep him from.  Christian and Audra have already had two bouts each since the cool weather showed up, and I too have been battling it.  We managed to spare Wesley from getting it until now.  Its almost impossible to keep two, runny nosed, adoring older siblings out of Wesley's face!  :) I can't hardly stand the sound of a baby trying to breath through congestion!  It really makes me nervous, to be honest.  RSV is very real to me, and I simply don't sleep much at night when one of my babies has a cold, especially when they are so young.  I pray this one will pass quickly. 
   I've been trying to get some sewing done in my "free" time.  :)  Audra needs some new skirts so I've been getting a few made.  I love sewing for her!  There are so many "fun" prints to work with and so many designs to play around with.  I've got some mending to catch up on as well, but there a HUGE difference between sewing and mending.  Sewing is fun...mending is a bore.  :)  Well, we're being honest, aren't we?  :)  Dress pants with cuffs are the worst!!  But it needs done so I just need to buckle down and do it. 
   Wesley is growing like a weed!  My other two children have always been small, and still are.  Christian just graduated out of 24 month pants this past summer!  He's three years old!  Audra can still wear some 6-9 month clothing and she's going on 19 months now.  Wesley...he's a month old today, and wearing 3 month old clothes!!!  He's really a big baby!  His hands have been huge since birth and he  really hasn't grown into them yet.  Christian's not going to have a chance against him in a wrestling match in another year or so!  Wesley will simply sit on Christian and the game's over.  :) 
    Thanksgiving and then Christmas is right around the corner!!!  No, I'm not ready for it yet.  At least, I've not done my shopping yet.  I'm very much ready for it in heart!  I LOVE Christmas time!  The lights, the music, the snow, the coats and mittens, the shining wrapping paper, the cider and cookies, the decorations...   There's just a "spirit" in the air.  I pray this year, it will be the "right spirit".  Too often we get caught up in the tradition of it that we forget the meaning, the reason.  Lets keep Christ at the center of Christmas this year!  Lets not get so caught up that we forget the ultimate gift that HE gave and be truly thankful for it!  This year, we're going to involve Christian in the gift buying.  Its time he learns the real meaning of Christmas and art of giving instead of just getting.  We're going to pull his little bank down from its place high on his shelf, give him some money from it and let him do his own "shopping" for his family.  He's excited about getting involved and it'll be a great lesson for him.  Its never too early to teach about giving and being generous. 
   Having a family is wonderful!  And having children to share Christmas with has been especially fun!  We do small decorative boxes on the mantle instead of stockings, two big ones and now three small ones.  My eyes smart with tears every time I add another little box to the mantle.  God has truly blessed our family! 
   We're planning a trip to TN the second week of December to spend an early Christmas with family.  It'll be so good to see everyone again!  We're hoping to make a trip to McMinnville one day that week as well to visit some folks from our old church there.  It'll be strange going back.  Its hard to believe its been a year already since we left there.  So much has happened in that time! 
  

Audra's hair is FINALLY long enough for pig tails. :)  Just barely though...

"Tonto" on Scout.  :)