Already it is October. This is my all-time favorite time of the year especially when it is cool, but still sunny. I need to get out and winterize my yard in the next couple weeks. There are just a few bushes and plants I want to move around. An outdoor painting project is calling me if I can get to it before it gets too much cooler. Then I will be indoor painting again! I have another livingroom and some trim to paint. All of which are fun projects for me!
School is going great for the girls. Everyone has been coming home happy and we haven't heard too much worries about the bus teasing anymore either. Kelby and I have been praying for the kids that bother her. We know lots of kids don't have home lives like ours and maybe they are sad inside and that is why they tease. She's learning to love others. It has been a character building, teaching opportunity!
Our trip to Arizona a was very fun. The girls were in the pool at all times that we were at someone's house. They were in and out, but mostly in. Anika just played in the water on the steps because she isn't as dedicated as the older girls.
We got to see lots of cactus and lizards while we were there. One day we went to the Desert Botanical Garden and Monarch Butterfly exhibit which were interesting, but it was a bit too hot to be outside for very long. The next day we went to a gold mining ghost town. We even went to church in a little ol' church house. It was a real service in a neat setting. Then we went on a "choo-choo train" ride around the town and heard about the old days and the mines that were there. Then the girls got to pan for gold.
We enjoyed seeing everyone down there. It has been two years since the girls were last there and even longer since Mike went down. Anika even learned everyone's name and has been talking about them!
Anika decided she wanted to be potty trained while we were gone. It started at the airport on the way down. She kept asking to go and has continued to do well back at home. I tried panties, but we aren't quite there yet. I'm sure it won't be too long. I'm so excited. She also started saying multiple word sentences while we were down there. It was amazing. She's growing up all at once.
My sister and her baby boy Gabriel are doing great. Mike and her husband, Victor, seemed to get along too. That baby is so adorable. Now that I've met him, I'm really going to miss him. I hope he isn't Anika's age by the time I see him next.
We hope to take it easy this weekend to recuperate after our vacation, though we have some yard work and a dump run to do. Now that our vacation is done, I'll have to get back into the swing of things. My bible study has started up again, so I'm very excited about that. I keep meaning attend the school's parent group meetings, but I haven't made it yet. I guess that is one way to keep from getting too involved!
As a just-for-fun side note, you can now Buy Books from me if you want. I got a super deal on the consultant kit for selling Usbourne Books. They are all really neat kid's books. If you want to buy books as gifts for Christmas (or for my girls - wink,wink), you can do it through me! Check out my website. I can also do "parties", but that isn't my goal. I just wanted to get a discount on the books and have them available for anyone else that is interested. I got enough books to make the $25 worth it already. The girls love the sample books I have already received too, so the books sell themselves!
I hope everyone else is enjoying their fall. I hope to get some pictures posted soon. Gigi, you'll be so excited to get high-speed internet to see our pictures faster! You won't believe how great it is. If you ever see a picture you like that you wanted printed, just let me know and I'll order them up.
Love you all! ~ Shawna
