Lost tooth

Jared lost a tooth yesterday. It's been hanging on by a thread for a few days and finally came out yesterday. It was one of his upper front teeth. Now, when we practice his words, anything with a "th" or "sss" sound has to be said two or three times because it feels funny to him where his tooth is missing. Funny boy!


Becky did an inquiry project in class today about Autism. It was very touching to see her knowledge and understanding on the subject. I swear she really is a full grown adult in a young person's body. I was very proud of her!

Fall is really coming in strong. Everything is so colorful outside! I love it!

Home

I just spent the last 5 days in Kansas with my brother and his family! It was a lot of fun! They are such a beautiful family! I can't believe how much the kids have grown! It was a very fun trip! We visited the zoo, played games, made treats, visited Gene's work, and walked and drove around the area taking pictures. They have vines in Kansas that grow up the trunks of the trees and change colors in the fall before the leaves of the trees. So, the trees still have green leaves but the trunks are surrounded with red vines. It is really pretty to see!


Zoo Creatures:

Very pretty Snake!
What you lookin' at?
Sleepy Lion!
Cow with an itch
Black Swan


I'm grateful to be home now and am very tired! I didn't realize how much traveling I'd done in the past two weeks. It caught up with me. I was so tired this morning. But I had a wonderful time each place I went so I can't complain! It was nice to see and spend time with so many family members at Dad's funeral!


I can honestly say, I don't like traveling any more as much as I used to. I like getting to my destination, but I don't like the flying and driving in between. I got home quite sick to my stomach - motion sickness. I swear it's getting worse as I get older! At times I felt like I was on a boat in the sky - there was quite a lot of turbulence. I was very grateful to make it safely each place I went, though! And I was so grateful to get home last night. I missed my little ones and my Ratchet so much!! I just love my little family!!!

Random Thoughts

Jared really needed a haircut last week - his hair was getting a bit unruly. Richard got such a funny picture of him as I brought the clippers over. He looks terrified. Too funny!!

We are home now from Dad's funeral services. It was a nice weekend. The area he is buried in is so beautiful! We saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen on our way back home. It was very hard to see everything so final, but I felt like he wanted me to be happy. I felt a lot like singing. So, I sang! Cried quite a bit too. But I do not feel so sad about his passing anymore. Plus, I know he is with Lili now- which is comforting.

I also learned this weekend, that my dad and Lili will be joined soon by my uncle. He had a liver transplant not very long ago and had to go through chemo and radiation because they found cancer afterward. Well, the cancer is back and they can't do anything about it this time. If they give him chemo treatments, it will kill him because he is already so weak from the transplant. If they don't give him chemo, then the cancer will take him. So, they have given him 3-6 months to live. My heart just aches for his family! I know exactly what they're going through and it isn't fun! We are praying for them a lot! The Lord sure must need a lot of help up there!

Becky scored about 28 new bottle caps this weekend - thanks to Uncle Ben! We are so excited. She has now filled her 4th shadow box with bottle caps.

I saw a saying in a saddle shop a while back that reminded me of my father - it is:
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'WOW WHAT A RIDE'"