HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

New Adventure
I'll be embarking on a new adventure tonight as I begin teaching a middle school Bible Study. We are starting tonight with basics about the Bible including basic facts and how we got the Bible we have today. As usual when I get ready to teach something I end up learning more than the kids! I'd love to have your prayers to bless this new ministry. I'll keep you posted!

Field Trip Alert
If you are looking for a fun road trip for you and your kids this weekend, check out PBar Farms in Hydro, Oklahoma. One of my friends went this past weekend and is still raving about the huge corn maze. My mom, sister, the boys and I are going to head out there this weekend to celebrate Kristen's 25th birthday. I can't believe my baby sister is 25. How old does that make me???! Never mind! LOL

Lorikeet drinking nectar. 

Chase's favorite part of the zoo...cotton candy! 

Cole loves the lorikeets! 

Zoo Fun
Since the boys are out of school for fall break, we took the afternoon and went to the zoo. The weather was beautiful. Everyone else had the same idea as us. There weren't any parking places left at the zoo so we parked next door at the Omniplex. We had a great time at the zoo. It didn't seem to be that crowded once we got inside. The best part of the zoo...the lorikeet exhibit where you can buy nectar and feed the birds. I was wearing a bright orange shirt and as soon as I walked in the exhibit, birds were all over me. They were even on my head. It was hilarious!

Feeding and Posing all at the same time! 

Horsin' Around (I just couldn't resist!) 

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
We went to Chester's Party Barn with Chase's preschool today. We got lost in a corn maze, went on a hayride, fed the animals and generally had a lot of outdoor fun. This is one of the best days, weather wise, we've ever had at Chester's. Last year, we almost froze our tails off and spent most of our time in a barn playing in the huge sandpile. (By the way, I did get a digital camera so look out...pictures galore!)

Fall Fun!
We went to a Fall/Halloween party at a friends tonight. What a blast! We had pizza and then the kids carved pumpkins (or should I say the parents carved the pumpkins), broke a pinata, went on a tractor ride and made smores. The weather was perfect and the smores were more than perfect. Next time you make a smore, use two marshmallows and double chocolate. Delicious! It was just nice to spend time outside with the kids having fun. (By the way, I didn't buy a digital camera yet, but I had one in hand tonight. A friend loaned me hers to try out. Awesome! Instant prints!)

On My Nightstand

• Leaping Beauty by Gregory Maguire - A children's book
• The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
• Murder in Montparnasse by Howard Engel (Oh no... I just noticed I checked out the wrong book. There is a book of the same title by Kerry Greenwood which is the one I thought I was getting. Oh well. I'll give it a try anyway.)
• Holman Book of Biblical Charts, Maps and Reconstructions - Can't wait to look at this one. Kristen saw it at the library and knew I would like it.

Title: A Police House Artist: Cole 

Title: Mom
Artist: Chase (3 years old)

One More Thing
Left something off my list...drinking an ice cold coke out of my new Peanuts glasses. ;)

10 Good Things About Today
1. Nice crisp autumn day cool enough to wear a jacket.
2. Jamming in the car to "Crocodile Rock" with a 3 year old who has a freshly buzzed haircut who keeps saying "I love that crocodile song!"
3. Sunshine
4. Halloween sugar cookies
5. 2 big pumpkins the boys picked out at the store
6. House pictures drawn by Cole
7. Freedom!
8. A clean car (at least the outside)
9. Freshly mowed yard that is still green (thanks to Chris!)
10. Grandmas who let the kids spend the night.

American Presidents: Life Portraits

I've always been interested in presidential trivia so this site tripped my trigger. In fact, I've got several books about the presidents kicking around here. I have always found that kids love this sort of information, too. They are fascinated, as am I, by all the interesting things that happened during presidential terms. Back to the site, just pick a president at the top of the page and voila instant information at your fingertips. Cool! Be sure to look at the left side of the page for "Did You Know?" facts.

Fun Greetings
Beat Greets is a site you can use to send e-cards to other people. It features lots of new and old songs. It is just plain fun! They also feature a few Christian artists. Enjoy!

Jackpot!
While cleaning out some things in an old trailer this weekend, I came across some treasures...10 Camp Snoopy glasses put out by McDonald's many years ago. Jackpot! I packed them up and put them through the dishwasher a couple of times and now they are going to be my "everyday" glasses. I also found about 6 Coca Cola glasses. Another jackpot! My favorite Camp Snoopy glass is Linus pulling his blanket out from a picnic lunch Lucy and Charlie Brown are having. The bubble says "The struggle for security is no picnic." Classic. Charles Schulz was a genius!

Struggle for security 

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by mark haddon
I had the pleasure of reading this book this weekend. It is quite a bit different from your usual novel since this story is written from the point of view of an autistic 15 year old boy. This book gave me insights into the world of an autistic boy and helped me understand where he was coming from. I found the book most interesting, perhaps, because I am a former teacher and had a few autistic students in my classroom throughout the years. I wish I had read this book then because I would have understood them better. Original, interesting, entertaining, heartbreaking and a mystery all woven together...what more could you ask for? Read it!

Cruisin'
I just returned from my peaceful weekend. Wonderful! The boys stayed with their grandmas and we hopped in the convertible (Did I mention it is red? What could be better than cruising in a red car?) and took a two-lane highway to Lake Tenkiller. It was so nice and relaxing. I don't know what it is about riding in a convertible or on a motorcycle, for that matter. Something about that wind hitting you in the face and feeling the sunshine makes you feel better. We had beautiful weather! Today on the way home, we had to drive with the top up because of all the rain. It was still fun! So, now it is back to reality. But, I feel refreshed and renewed and I'm ready to tackle "real" life.

More Sonic Sunglasses
These pictures are posted especially for Jan. Hope these photos make you laugh!

Sonic Sunglasses 

Verse for the Day
"...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Cole's Family Portrait
Cole has recently decided that he is an "artist." He does all of his pictures in a trademark blue marker. I'm so excited because this is the first time Cole has ever been interested in drawing and writing. He has been drawing on everything he can find. There are pictures everywhere. There is a drawer full of pictures he has drawn to give other people. Now about this picture: The two largest people are his Grandma and Papa. The two little guys on the left are Cole and Chase. The rest of the heads and dots in the picture represent the rest of his family including grandmas, great grandmas, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The Blogger is Back
I know you have been frantically wondering why I have not posted in a whole 4 days. I think this may be the longest I have ever gone without posting. It has been crazy around here. And, I do mean crazy. We have had four deaths in the family within the last 6 weeks. I just haven't felt much like posting. I've been busy with family stuff and the boys. I haven't really felt much like doing anything. I'm not really sad, perhaps numb would be a better word. Today, I feel more like myself. I'm trying out a new blog look and hope to get back to posting more regularly, although I will be taking most of the weekend off. I'm headed off for a peaceful weekend to look at fall foliage. When I get back, I'll hopefully have some good pictures to post. Darn! I really do need to get that digital camera so you don't have to wait around for me to get the film developed. ;)

Kyndal--rambling as usual

Verse for the Day
"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."
Ps. 84:10

Child's Play
Today while we were outside, Chase (age 3) decided to use sidewalk chalk on our neighbor's driveway. When I walked over and asked him what he was drawing, he replied "A masterpiece." Unbelievable!! But wait, it gets even better. When he was finished I asked him who it was a picture of and he replied, "Leo Lionni." Leo Lionni is a childrens author and illustrator. Chase has been reading his books at preschool. I can hardly wait until Monday so I can tell his preschool teachers!! LOL