Howling Halloween

The week leading up to Halloween is always filled with excitement. This year there was just a little bit more excitement than usual because not only did Halloween fall on a Friday it also happened to be a Friday that the kids had off of school. AND, this was also the first year that we told Joey that he could trick or treat with friends and have them sleep over. It was exciting, people!

Then Monday happened. Tommy came home from school achy and cold. He muscled through his homework and then asked to go to bed. That's when I knew he was really sick. Tommy NEVER wants to go to bed. He took a little nap, sat in a hot bath, and then tried to eat some oatmeal. I gave him Tylenol and, thankfully, he finally started to feel better. 

Ben had his last football game of the season that same night and Tommy sat in the car trying to take it easy. It was difficult for him because it was a balmy 60 degrees and he wanted to be out tossing the football and climbing in the trees with everyone else. Still I insisted that he rest. 

After the football game I rushed off to choir and Todd took the kids home and got them into bed. I was hopeful all would be well, but on Tuesday morning Tommy woke up feeling much worse. He had a sore throat, aches, hot/cold flashes, headache and stomach ache. Needless to say, Tommy stayed home from school. That same day Ben and Joey came home from school saying that they had sore throats too. 

Wednesday morning Tommy felt well enough to go to school. Ben and Joey didn't feel so great but wanted to muscle through anyway since it was an early day (out by 2:15). When they came home from school that day all three boys were spent. They did indeed muscle through and came home feeling exhausted and achy. Luckily, they didn't have much homework (unusual for them) and we had a full evening of sitting around, taking baths, and trying to rest up and relax. 

Thursday morning everyone seemed to be feeling a bit better, save for a rogue sore throat or headache, and they all went off to school. 

At 1:00 we got a phone call from school that Ben wasn't feeling good and had a temperature of 103. Ben was promptly picked up from school and brought home to be properly babied. Poor little pickle. He was miserable. And medicine didn't seem to help. He spent most of the day in his bed trying to sleep. By that evening Grace had begun to feel achy and sick too. It looked like we weren't going to be having such a Happy Halloween.

Here it was Thursday evening, we had two sick kiddos, and we just remembered that we hadn't carved any pumpkins yet. Joey and Tommy begged to carve their own pumpkins all by themselves for the very first time this year, and since Todd and I were busy comforting Ben and Grace they got their wish. As Joey and Tommy set about their work Grace got so excited by the pumpkins she forgot about being sick. Too bad it didn't work that way for Ben. He was so sad he couldn't join in on the fun. Todd tried to cheer him up by playing video games on his phone but Ben could only do it for a few minutes before he got a sick stomach. 

I knew in the back of his mind Ben was really worried about not being able to go trick or treating the next day. I could tell that weighed heavily on his mind. I tried to assure him that he could still get better overnight, that all he needed was a good night's sleep, but he didn't seem convinced. 

He may have been right. Ben came into my room in the middle of the night (it was the 6th straight night one of the kids came into our room in the middle of the night- ugh) to tell me he was so sick. I tried to offer him some medicine but he just didn't want it. He said his stomach hurt and he was so thirsty he was dreaming he was drinking Lake Michigan. I took Ben downstairs to the living room couch and got him to drink water. Then he drank some more. And after that a little more. Soon he started to feel better. Ben fell asleep on the couch with me next to him. In the morning, on Halloween, Ben was asking for food. 

Halloween afternoon I had all the kids lie down and sleep. Everyone had been so sleep deprived with all the late night visits to my room and the ick running around the house that I figured a little bit of extra sleep might give them the strength they needed. Luckily, this time, I was right.

All the kids woke from their naps feeling healthy and strong. Thankfully. Because they would need all the strength they could manage. All week the weather had been a nice 50-60 degrees and sunny. On Halloween the weather was 36 degrees with 50 mph winds. It was crazy!

Because of the hideous weather we scrapped all of our original costume ideas an wracked out brains for warm costume ideas. The boys all opted for either a soldier or a hunter and Grace went as a bumblebee. The kids were so bundled they didn't even feel the cold. 

Joey was disappointed when one of his friends wasn't able to come over and trick or treat but the other friend came and made a great addition to our group. We drove the kids over to my mom's house and started there. We took the kids around for a few blocks (can you see creepy Michael Myers following us in the above pic? CREEPY!) and then let the big boys go on their own. Joey and his friend went on their way with instructions to meet up with us in an hour and a half (in front of our old house) so that Tommy and Ben could join them and they could all all trick or treat back to our house by themselves.

I wondered if Joey would plan it out and be responsible enough to meet us when he promised but as we pulled up to our meeting spot we saw Joey and his friend (also named Joe) sitting on the grass in front of our old house. Not only did it make me melancholy to see Joey sitting in our old front yard but it made me so proud that he kept his word and got there early so he wouldn't keep us waiting.

Grace had had enough trick or treating so we left Tommy and Ben off with the Joes and told them to be careful, stay together, mind their manners. I was a nervous wreck as I drove away from my boys. I went trick or treating by myself (well, with a friend) at a very young age but it is a whole different story when it is my own kids. HA! I'm not ashamed to admit that 30 or 40 minutes later I hopped back in the car, found the boys (they told me the route they would be taking to get back home) and asked them how they were feeling and if they wanted a ride back.  They were having so much fun together that they wanted to keep walking back to the house even though their buckets were so full they weren't trick or treating anymore.

When they got home there was a roaring fire, pizza, and apple cider waiting for them. It really turned out to be a fun evening. The kids felt good, they had a blast, and they got home safely. All was well.

There was only one little hitch in the whole night, and it still irks me to think of it. Not even a half an hour into trick or treating a woman handed out candy to my kids and said, "Aren't you a little old to be trick or treating?" What??? My kids were too confused to even answer. I stepped up and said, "Well, they are dressed in costume, they are being polite, and they are having fun. You're never too old to trick or treat. Let's let them be kids as long as possible, right?" She didn't answer me. She just stared at me. I added, "It is good innocent fun. Let's let them be young and have fun." And she just stared at me.  I stared back and said again, "Right?" She continued to stare. I was FUMING. So angry. If I was thinking properly I would have added, "They are 5, 7, 9, and 11!!!!!  What age to you deem to be an appropriate trick or treating age???" AHHH!!!!   It honestly made me so angry. I just don't understand people like that. People complain about kids growing up too quickly these days, the innocence of youth being gone, and then when kids want to be kids they get this kind of response. I just don't get it. And my kids aren't even teenagers yet!  So maddening. I wish people like that just didn't hand out candy. I tried not to let it ruin my night because the kids didn't seem bothered by it, but it sure bugged me. Put a real damper on my evening. Dopey lady.

Anyway, other than dopey lady it was a very fun Halloween night.

The next night Todd and I had a costume/vampire party to go to. It has been a long time since I had a Halloween party to go to and being the Halloween fan that I am I was excited to go. It was so much fun!

It has been a crazy week, full of sickies and sleepless nights, frigid unbelievably windy winter weather, and Halloween fun. Thankfully we had all day today to sit around and recover. And hopefully we have gotten all the sickies out of our system before the next wave of holiday fun begins.
How was your Halloween?

Flying Through Fall

We are quickly making our way through October. Before you know it Halloween will be over and November will be upon us.

Here we are, almost to Halloween, and we haven't had one opportunity to get to the pumpkin farm. If our schedule wasn't keeping us away it was the weather. There just was never a good moment to enjoy one of our favorite fall activities.

This weekend was our last chance to get in some pumpkin farm fun and this time we were granted the most perfect fall weather. Saturday was warm and sunny with just enough wind to cause the remaining orange and yellow leaves to cascade out of the trees in huge luminous sheets.

Even this weekend proved to be a challenge in getting to the pumpkin farm. Todd was up north, Joey had a football awards ceremony, the kids had homework. Still, we managed to make it work.

It was a long awards ceremony (2 hours) but it was fun seeing Joey up there with his coaches and teammates one last time and listening to them all hoot and holler for Joe when his name was called. Plus, it was kind of neat being in my old high school again and pointing out to my kids where my dad's photo hung in the school. They thought it was pretty cool to see their grandpa up on the wall of fame, too.

Still, once the ceremony was done the kids were more than ready to leave. We did not stop at home. We did not pass go. We went straight to the pumpkin farm. We had waited long enough.

Fun was had, people. Fun was had.

The kids obliged me and sat for a few seconds so that I could get our annual family pumpkin patch picture. Unfortunately, because Todd was up north it was not really our whole family, just the kids. But, beggars can't be choosers, right?

The kids ran around picking out pumpkins, apples, pies, and cider. They pet all the animals and played in the haystack maze for hours (I should have brought a book). By the end of the day the kids were tuckered out. Still, we went back home, picked up our Molly, and took her to the dog park for a bit of exercise.

We rounded out the night with pizza and a nice warm fire as we watched Halloween themed cartoons. It was a fantastic fall day.

The next day Todd came back home, heard all about our fun at the pumpkin farm, and decided the weather was so wonderful another trip back to the pumpkin farm was a great idea. Besides, he knew how much I wanted to get my family picture.

Needless to say, the kids were thrilled to be going to the pumpkin farm two days in a row.

There was more feeding of animals, more haystack maze, more apple goodies (pie!!), and more pictures.

 We even managed to get our annual family pumpkin patch picture.

As I placed our new family picture over the top of last year's picture in the frame I couldn't help but look back at past years' photos. Ten years worth of fall family photos taken at this orchard. I saw just how fast each of those years came and went. Amazing how quickly the falls flew by.

It may seem silly to make such a big deal out of getting this picture every year but I just feel like I have a limited amount of years left when the kids will happily go along on little family trips. Soon the family outing to the pumpkin farm won't sound so appealing to my kids. Soon they will forgo the pictures and trips and opt for hanging out with their friends instead. It is the order of things. The way it goes.

But for now, I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to capture it. I'm going to remember it.

Party Time

Each year the kids' school puts on a Halloween party complete with tasty food, sweet treats, a dj, a haunted house, pumpkin contest, games, crafts, and a costume contest. Last year my little stinkers took home first prize for the best group contest. You may remember me posting the pics...

I knew that there was pretty much no way we could do better than those costumes from last year so the pressure was off. This year the kids just dug through our huge bucket of costumes and picked out something that suited them.

Grace ended up being Belle (and really, she did look so much like Belle. I wish I would have gotten a good shot of her hair all done up in a bun with curls coming down- she was THRILLED), Ben was Harry Potter (even though there were three other Harry Potters at the party and some of them with authentic ties and scarves and cloaks, ah well- Ben was the only one with the SCAR!), Tommy went as a creepy ghost, and Joe went as Jason (even though he has never seen the movies). 

Joey had planned on going as a bumblebee as a joke. He put on this bumblebee costume (toddler sized) and it made us laugh so hard. He was really excited to wear it until he told his friends at school about it and they didn't really get it. Dang. I still got a couple of funny pics of him in the costume, though. Possible blackmail? 

Of course I had to dress up because I am a gigantic nerd and I love Halloween. This year I decided to pick a costume that would be a bit like therapy for me.

I decided to be a clown.

When I was a kid my mom made me wear a clown costume (it was my brother's hand me down) on Halloween for approximately 4 years in a row until my bff stepped in and offered me one of her extra costumes. I hated that clown costume. Mostly because I was terrified of clowns and it seemed like a cruel joke to make me dress up as one.

I hate clowns. I mean hate. There are very few things I am afraid of and clowns are definitely on that short list. I am terrified of clowns.

It started in Kindergarten when Ronald McDonald came to visit our class. He was enormously tall and I was sitting on the floor in the front row. He kept bending down putting his makeup caked face right in my face and talking to me. He smelled like sausage. And looking back now I think he was drunk. He kept saying things that didn't make sense ("Promise me, kids, that when you are old enough to drive and you see a yellow light you will SLOW DOWN!!!"). Even the teachers were looking at each other wondering what he was doing. He scared the crap out of me and thus began my fear of clowns.

Stephen King did not help my fear either, if it needs to be said.

So, anyway, I decided to dress up as a clown this year and see if that would have any affect on my silly fear of clowns.

Nope. No affect. As a matter of fact, as I was putting on my makeup I was trying to make it more cutsey and yet every time I stood back and took a look I thought, "Nope. Still creepy." Ugh. Stupid clowns. Stupid costume.

Despite our less than thrilling costumes we still managed to have a good time at the party. Joey disappeared to hang with his friends and Tommy, Ben, and Grace made approximately eighteen thousand crafts for me to carry home. The kids stuffed their faces with spookey treats, screamed through the haunted house, danced up a storm, and ran around after their friends.

Overall, I'd say the party was a success.

WW- Fans

 Annual Packer Pics 2014

WW- The View

A bench with a view.

(This one is for Betty)

A tree with a view.

A Hunter's Heart

(Caution: There is a sensitive hunting picture at the end of this post.)

I know many people don't understand hunting. I know the negative connotation that comes with it. I know there are a few hunters out there (kill for sport types) that give the rest of the hunters a bad name.

Having grown up around hunters, and marrying into a hunting family as well, I know what really lies in a hunter's heart.

True hunters are conservationists. They take care of the land, tend the land. They make sure the land is healthy and the animals in it thriving because they know how delicate an ecosystem can be.

When I am describing hunters to someone who is not familiar with the way of life I often bring up the American Indians. They were the ultimate hunters and yet they worshiped the land and the animals in it. The land and animals were sacred to them. True hunters are the same way.

My whole family is full of animal lovers. And hunters as well. I have spoken with many people who are opposed to hunting and they just can't understand how a person can be both, but it is true. I have so many memories of my father saving baby birds or squirrels or a baby deer. I know Todd and his father have always done the same. I love seeing videos of hunters saving animals in a river or caught in a trap. True hunters appreciate animals and nature and want to see them thrive. Population numbers are carefully watched (and also regulated by the DNR who only give out so many hunting tags per season according to the numbers) to ensure the species remains strong.

It is not easy to kill an animal. Todd has told me numerous times that the older he gets the more he appreciates the animal's sacrifice and it makes him teary eyed every time. The animal's life is a gift to us and we are thankful. It is not taken lightly.

Many people say we should just go to the store and buy our meat like everyone else. But I feel that now, more than ever because of all the hormones and fillers in meat, hunting is a healthier way to eat. Last year Todd did not get a deer and we definitely missed that meat.

For Todd hunting is his zen. He can get up at 4:30 in the morning when it is still dark, climb up in his tree stand, and sit there all day until it is dark once again. He listens to the wind sifting through the leaves, he watches the raccoon and turkeys pass by underneath him, he silently chuckles as the chickadees and gray jays get closer and closer to him, checking him out. He is happy seeing the mother doe with her fawn and watches the young yearling scamper by him, unaware of his presence above them. He is content to let them pass. He feels one with nature. Just sitting. Even if he doesn't see a deer all day he comes home with a lightness to him and a calm smile on his face.

Hunting is a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation as well. Skills, information, stories are all transferred to the up and coming hunters. It is a father/son bonding (although in my family it isn't just sons, there are many, MANY mothers and daughters that are skilled hunters as well). Father passes on information and skills to his son (or daughter) that he received from his father who received that same information from his father as well. It is a history.

This past weekend Joey and Todd packed up the truck and went up north for the youth hunt (an opportunity for kids to hunt with an adult). This is Joey's second year participating and though he didn't see any deer last year he had such a great time that he knew he wanted to go again.

This year Joey saw a deer.

The first thing Joey did was pray over the deer and thank God for the animal. I could not be any prouder.

Hunting is not for everyone. I don't feel the need to try it. I like shooting guns but the only thing I could shoot an animal with is my camera. I wouldn't want to be a hunter, but I'm thankful for the hunters in my life. I'm thankful that they know the responsibility they have in being a hunter and that they take it seriously. I'm thankful Todd is the type of outdoorsman and hunter who can show our children the respect, responsibility, and gratitude nature deserves. And I'm thankful that my son is now yet another example to me of a grateful and respectful hunter's heart.

Seek Joy

I drove down the road through a car wash of honey and rust colored falling leaves. The light seeped through the tunnel of trees and reflected off the fluttering leaves as they danced across my windshield spilling onto the road. It was a moment of pure joy.

A smile spread across my face and I just couldn't help but gasp at the beauty unfolding in front of me.

I had a moment.

Joy.

I have been actively seeking joy lately. Seeking joy in all things. 

Sometimes that is easier said than done.

Recently I realized I had been suffering a hormonal imbalance for the last few years. This past summer it came to a head in both physical and emotional ways. Weight gain, horrible skin, sleepless nights, feelings of anxiety, extreme moodiness, grouchiness, and quick temper all seemed to plague me and wore themselves on me like a heavy cloak. Like depression. 

Todd noticed. I'm sure the kids noticed. And eventually I noticed. 

I had previously attributed my exhaustion and moods to motherhood (not to mention the last few years have been tough ones for our family). Taking care of a family of six is not easy. It can wear on a person. But I wondered when I began feeling like my life was more of a chore than a blessing. When did I become a person who is always noticing the bad and overlooking the good?

I used to be a very joyful person. I used to be a very upbeat. I always had boundless energy. I was quick to make a joke, always ready to laugh. I was always busy and I thrived on it. I was spontaneous and, to be honest, I was a blast. I was always able to find joy in simple things and have fun at any moment.

I wanted to get that back again. I wanted my kids to know that person better. I wanted to be more like the person Todd first fell in love with. I didn't want to feel like I was faking my way through the "fun" days or having to try so hard to be happy and relaxed.  I didn't want it to feel like such work.

I researched how to balance hormones naturally and started taking supplements. It has only been a month and I can definitely feel the difference. I am already more relaxed, more energetic, more patient, and more myself.

I wouldn't say I'm back to the old me yet but, hopefully, I am on my way. Once the physical issues resolve themselves there is still work to be done. Life is not easy. There will always be worries and issues.

Being joyful and happy takes practice. I think it needs to be pursued. I think a conscious effort needs to be made. Negative thoughts need to be quickly stamped out and replaced with the positive. The more I think it the more it will happen. I'm working on it.

I am seeking joy in all things.