Happy Halloween!

One of my favorite times of the year is upon us. I love Halloween! It's so much fun, and the idea of dressing up and being someone different for a night is exciting. Even Bryan and I are dressing up this year. I'll be posting pictures of that after Saturday night.
BUT LAST NIGHT...
The boys wanted an extra night of trick-or-treating so we headed to the Decatur Mall to their Halloween event. We got candy from the nice store folks and decided to enter the Costume Contest. There were probably 30-40 kids in Parker and Logan's category, but they won the two top places! They were so cute as Mario and Luigi. When they called Parker's number I thought that they probably wouldn't choose both, but then they called Logan's right after. Both boys got gift certificates to spend in the mall. Of course we had to buy something before we could even leave! Money burns a hole in my children's pockets quickly...sounds familiarly like their mom. :)
Anyway, it took a lot of time, and our bedtime was LATE, but it was worth it. Somebody tells me their picture is in the Decatur Daily today. I'll have to round up some change and check it out. I am posting some pics of my own for now.
Have a wonderfully spooky and exciting Halloween! Enjoy it for what it is - a night to fill your belly with candy, play dress-up, and get yourself so hyped up on ghost stories that you have to turn on all the lights just to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night! What a fun night of make-believe!

What A Month!

I never thought when I typed that last, happy post that we would have been through so much!
We got the crawl space and floor project completed. I am so thankful, but I think I would cry if you told me it had to be done again. I am relieved. I feel blessed. I feel extremely tired from all of it. Here's how it went down:
Day One: Saturday brings the moving of furniture and pictures off the walls. We decided to paint as well, so that was some extra work we put on ourselves. But how often do you have all the furniture out of your living room? Sounded good at the time.
Day Two: Bryan misses a family gathering to start painting. I am extremely horrified at the color I picked out when I get home. But, it will have to do. Painting is somewhat completed by late (LATE) Sunday night.
Day Three (Day One of the actual floor work): Bryan gets up early to go ahead and rip out the old laminate and help the guys out a little. I take Parker to school that Monday morning, and when I come home I find Bryan in the middle of the floor, crouched down and holding his shoulder. He fell through the rotten part of the floor and is in a lot of pain. The workers get here and Logan, Bryan and I take off to MedEast. After waiting, and lots of pain (for Bryan) we find out he has fractured his shoulder.
From there, everything's pretty much a blur. Doctor's visits came and went while the work on our house continued. We were so focused on Bryan's injury and what was next for him that we forgot about the work that was being done. Even through all of that, WE ARE SO BLESSED! We have a wonderful uncle, Bryan's Uncle Ricky, that came and while he thought Bryan would lay the new flooring and he would help, HE ended up laying the new floor and Bryan helped. We are so thankful for him. We have had a lot of family help through this project and it's been a blessing.
Fast forward: new flooring down, walls painted, furniture back in (thanks to our Deacons and Pastor at Berea - we love them too!) and my rug came in a couple of days later. Oh, and all the underneath work and the gutters are done too.
Whew! In that week we learned Parker had received the honor of Student of the Month for September, despite the craziness going on in his home! Logan and Parker are both thriving in school and doing great jobs. We have two great, patient little boys!
Today Bryan learned that his shoulder is healing nicely and surgery is not likely. Thanks, Lord! Should start some PT exercises in a week or so.
I will be glad to see October come to a close, and as fall sets in I am truly warmed by all the prayers and concern - and assistance our family received during this wild time. You know who you are - GOD BLESS YOU!
Will post some pictures in a few days.