Michael and the Big 3-0!

Happy 30th B-Day to my brother-in-law! His lovely wife (my adorable sister) planned a surprise night out for him at the beautiful Argossy Casino. He was surprised, and the night was a fun-filled success. (Good job, Denise!) We pigged-out on PRIMERIB at the beautiful buffet, and embarrassed Michael by having him blow out 30 candles on his birthday cake...in the restaurant! Then, we headed over to the casino where his friend, Mr. "Mater" had the awesome experience of winning $350 on the pennies machine! To prove my own level of my casino experience, I was corned by the casino "blue-jacket geek squad"--AKA casino security! What did I do?! I wasn't even gambling!!! Okay, I got busted for TAKING PICTURES! Did you know that is a big no-no? Well, I do now. (So, as a result, I have no pictures to prove it, but the Tuscan-style interior is impressive.) The night just flew, but it was packed with memories of a fun time together. So, Michael...Here's to the next 30 years!!! We are proud of the man you have become, and we love you!!!

A NEW Baby Jesus

There's a new BABY JESUS at our house this year!

{Okay, so I have always enjoyed playing dress up....Back in the day, as I became "too big" to play it myself, I showered my creativity on 2 little sisters and 1 little brother, and I would dress them up in fun costumes. Now that I'm a mommy, you can be sure my kiddos get to endure...uh...I mean enjoy this pastime that I love! It sure does makes me happy.}

Here is this year's annual Forred Family Nativity.

And just for kicks, take a look at our FIRST family nativity!

Faith, Family, Friends

This Thanksgiving Day marked occasion for me to reflect on how thankful I am for FAITH, FAMILY and FRIENDS...or as in our case, the FRIENDS who share our FAITH who are our FAMILY. I am reminded again our God's love for us as He provides loving companionship with our fellow brothers and sisters. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity..." is a true statement. Aunt Jennie, you are such a sweet person, and we are so glad you are here to share in our lives!!! Thank you James and Heather for your sharing this day with us, as well as your warm hospitality and amazing turkey!!! Bailey's, thanks for coming over and for helping make our time festive. You guys are all family to us! (And for the record, girls, we had better show those boys who really controls the the Wii next time!)

After some persuasion, we decided to go back home to the Wichita area for a couple of days. We ended up being glad we did. We were able to spend some quality time with Joe's mom, brothers and their families, as well as with my own sisters and their families. We further enjoyed a wonderful time with our fellow brothers and sisters in our home branch that Sunday morning. I really wish I had taken our camera to church...Seeing them all again was heartwarming.

Grandma Pat's Wassil--yum!

The Mommies and their Babies

Joe and Jon

I always think of Thanksgiving as the Holiday Season Kick-off...a time to reflect on so many blessings, with Christmas being the culminating event of what we should be most thankful for-- our Savior, Jesus Christ. May this season be marked with reminders of these important things...

The New Guy Finds a Friend

Just an FYI-Jake and Hadlee (aka "Chin-Chin and Chin-chil0tta) are cut out of the same cloth and are always a hoot when they get together...they really have natural comic talent. They always make up their lines as they go., and it's so fun to watch them be funny-and clever! Fun Times with Friends are Fantastic! (Just ignore the talking and the whining baby in the background.)

Is the World Big Enough?

I don't know if the world is going to be a big enough place for this guy....

(Carefree) Bedtime Routine

...and not to be OUTDONE...

I think the onset of cold weather has instigated some pent-up energy at my house...
...maybe it's the gymnastics lessons....
When I tell them that it's time for our BEDTIME ROUTINE, this is what I get!
***The Forred Family Circus***

Crazy, I know.
This crazy mom REJOICES in seeing and hearing my fun-loving, energetic CHILDREN being their wonderful, carefree selves.
(Except, of course when I'm REALLY tired...boooo)
Every child desperately needs this.
Yes, there are social graces. expectations.
discipline. manners. safety concerns. instruction. rules. commandments.
They need that too.
BUT
I don't EVER want to hold them back

from the CAREFREE childhood they deserve...

They are packed with spirit, talent, and gifts.

They have limitless capabilities.

That's what I think.

Now, with that said-GET IN BED!

The New Guy

After a long week with no computer, it was returned good as new...Hooray. Now, I can finally upload videos! So, here is the one of my funny-man in a clip he calls, "The New Guy."

Man! I love to laugh!!!

Is it time?

Is it time for a HAIRCUT?!

(photo courtesy of two doting sisters)

Halloween: What's it all about?!

Moving up in the world...

At 22+ lbs, it was time to get Little Man out of his baby carrier/car seat. He had stopped napping in it, so there was really no other reason to keep him in it. Naturally, this made mommy and daddy a little sad and nostalgic, but as you can see, HE was more than ready for the change. When we got him all buckled in, he laughed and clapped his happy hands!

And then, as we drove off down the road, he grew very serious and kept pointing out the window! It took awhile for him to get used to seeing out the window, but now he's quite the happy camper. Sigh...time marches on.

Pumpkin Party

Recently, we carved pumpkins for a Family Home Evening Activity. Since our October theme is "Service", we decided to carve an additional pumpkin for a neighbor who was unable to do it for herself. The real fun came when it came time to leave it on her porch. The ol' "Knock and Run" game is such a favorite with us! The excitement is intense and the giggles are bountiful! What a fun way for us to "serve others".

Renaissance!

Jousting tournaments, music and dancing, roasted turkey legs and comical side shows...the smells, the sights and the sounds of the KC Ren Fest are always exciting. There is much to see and do and we have never left disappointed. From the colors of the costumes to the colors of the characters, our family enjoys this Autumn tradition.

Girls Night Out-HSM Style!

H.S.M. Here We Come!!!

Our new neighbors have quickly become our very good-fun-fast-friends as our children are all within the same age range and we have so much in common! So, for Sadie's birthday, all we girls got to go see Disney's High School Musical on Ice! How fun is that?! It makes me so happy to have little girls so that I have an excuse for such entertainment. Thanks for the invite Jami! Good memories were made.

Excitement on every face!

The Show was FABULOUS!

Souvenirs were a must!

Happy Birthday Sadie! BFF!

The ride home...zzzzz.....need I say more?

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Today marked Joe's official transition from Chiropractic Student to Chiropractic Intern...the final phase this Education Process! What an achievement! Here, Joe gets his Clinic name tag...He says that it makes him feel like he's "not just pretending"!

The Interns and their guests were treated to a Luncheon and Ceremony....

And Dr. Beckley candidly reminded us all that, "The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train coming toward you, but it is actually REAL LIGHT!"

Congratulations, my dear, hard-working husband! Your accomplishments are my accomplishments and I am so proud of your dedication to your education and our future! Here's to White Coats and Business cards! Don't leave home without them!

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

This week, I read an entry from my journal in October 2004 (when this picture was taken), and I made an interesting discovery. Interesting to me anyway. Among my scribbles about funny things things my kids said and did at the time, I read this:
"Jacob continues to grow and mature into a fine young boy...his interests seem to be expanding...Jacob likes Star Wars and Spy Kids, even if I have to sit with him to watch because they are so intense for his active imagination. A good day to Jacob is when he has memorable fun and he doesn't get yelled at. He still can and does act impulsively and is obnoxious a lot of the time, but at least it's not ALL the time...and he takes a consequence for a wrong choice better than he used to...
"Katelyn loves clothes (and fashion). Is the first one dressed every AM and has changed 3 or 4 times before I am dressed! Lately, in this (cooler) weather, she doesn't even want to put a coat on so that "people will see my pretty...(whatever clothing article...) She even does this on school mornings when we are only gone for a grand total of 8 min and she doesn't get out of her car seat either!
"Madelyn loves to help...esp. in the kitchen-dishes, stirring, cracking eggs...she loves to cook. To keep her feeling like a helper, she will pull a chair beside me and the stove, hold my arm, and 'help' me stir---she says, 'Look, I'm not burning my arm!' Another thing is that she love to play w/toys (the other 2 don't so much.) AND, she will play by herself w/her toys...wow!

"Yelling, fighting, and not handling frustration seem to be the bigger issues these days. If a situation escalates to that point, it's all over! But, we seem to be having more even-keeled times than not lately, and those times are so heavenly that I wish I could capture them and put them away safe. I LOVE watching the children display loving affections to each other. I love it when they discover something new. Like, Katelyn surprising us by cleaning every inch of the bedroom without being told. Or, Jacob wanting to learn something new with his hands...even sewing with a needle and thread. Or, Madelyn acting silly and making us laugh. I love learning and growing along beside them. I love being at a point where the overall condition of my house doesn't keep me from enjoying THEM. I'm glad to have finally learned that we will all survive day to day living even if every detail of that day is not perfect. This knowledge has eased my life up in the most surprising ways. It makes my life more peaceful on the inside and I am starting to notice small changes on the outside because of it...."

So my observation is... that this journal entry could have been written TODAY! Wow, am I surprised to see that the personalities and characters and even the little quirks about each one of my toddlers-at-the-time AND our daily life-at-that-time have not changed much. Naturally there has been tons of learning, growth and maturity since then, but I think the marvel of this is the evidence that we each have an eternal nature, indeed! And by eternal, I mean "has been and always will be." How blessed I am to have children with strong spirits to teach me and help me to grow! How blessed I am to have been taught the gospel principle of pre-existence(Jeremiah 1:5) and to know (especially now) that many things in this life are eternal. I have been reminded that even though this physical life is certainly full of challenges, I've taken note of some patterns and seasons, and even some predictability, and that makes it seem more manageable somehow (especially on days when "balance" seems to be teetering)....Further evidence that I have a very wise Heavenly Father who is in control and who loves me very much.

The Finish Line? I Hope Not!

The GOOD news is: I participated in my first-ever 5K!!!

About two months ago, I began to exercise in earnest. I have about 10 lbs. of Post-11 pound Baby Stuff to get rid of around my middle, and if I'm getting up at 4:30am with the fussy-teeth er, I'd might as well head to the gym at 5:30am, right? And if I'm going to the gym at that god-awful hour, then why not shoot for a goal, like a 5K or something? Seemed attainable. I had the best motivating friend, who provided just the right amount of push to keep me moving (thanks, Heidi!) After a couple of good weeks, we decided to sign up for a local 5K. I have always wanted to take up Running, and I was so excited to do this 5K. Not ready to run the entire thing, yet, but excited AND dedicated just the same. So, when the big event started, I felt ready. I pushed myself as hard as I could as I did intervals of power-walking and running. I was surprised on how challenging it was, (er, uh....maybe how out of shape I am?) but it was great to actually be going for it, finally! As I pushed forward, I calculated all the things I will try to do the next time, for I fully intend to RUN the ENTIRE course next year. Well, by the time I hit the final leg of the course(about 1/4mi.) I thought my lower abs and hip/pelvis area and legs were going to actually ignite. It was painful. But, I didn't care, because it was great to FINISH and to not be LAST! (I won't tell you where I placed....just know I wasn't last!) Okay, so I know I have a lot to learn and a long way to go before I'm in the league of competitors, or any athlete for that matter, but it was a personal triumph for me.

So the BAD news is: I broke my ankle!!!

The day after the race, the post-run pain became all about my ankle. After a few weeks of enduring the pain and swelling, (I really thought it would get better sooner than this) I went to the doc today and X-rays made it official. Waaaah! He said no running! Not that I've been able to use it much since the 5K anyway, but an actual verdict?! Dang. Okay, Dr. Ormond is not here to cure what ails me, so does anyone have any realistic advice for this athlete wannabe?

Let the Games Begin.....

Thanks to a new neighbor, we found out that we were eligible for some great scholarships through a local recreati0n department! So, to get the party started, Jacob gets to participate in Fencing....AKA Getting to Sword Fight "For Real"! This will keep him occupied until wrestling season starts. Our darling daughter duo will "work" at developing skills, and hopefully a little confident proficiency in Gymnastics. You should have seen Maddie trying to learn to cartwheel in her first class...It's classic. And Katie has been doing"Ice cream Scoops" on imaginary balance beams since last week. And lastly, I can't leave out today's picture of Little Man...tackling a few more feats of his own. See the teeth? That's #8 popping out there on the bottom! Champion Teether, no doubt. (How old do you have to be to participate in the Olympics?! Is there a category for Super Baby, yet?) Hmmmm.....

Summer Daze to School Days

Well, the switch has been made. We've traded our Summer Daze for School Days. Our first day of school could not have been better. Jacob was happy to get started with his laptop...Katelyn was happy that her entire outfit was perfectly coordinated... and Maddie had a little anxiety in the morning, but by the time I picked her up, she was BEAMING and exclaimed, "I LOOOOVE school!" (Oh, the power of priesthood blessings AND prayer!) Hooray! And by the way, if it looks like Maddie's blue school bag is big enough for her to fit it---it is! She HAD to have this one! (All parents of Hannah Montana fans can sympathize, I'm sure!) I suppose it was my bad for letting her choose it herself! SO! If summer HAS to end, then I'm thankful the new season has started on a good note! So...here's to all you school people out there! Have a happy, new school year---full of learning adventures!