Halloween Fun

This weekend consisted of several Halloween activities. To be honest, we usually don't have much Halloween activity at our house, other than the usual trick or treating on the actual day. However, this year, there was an office Halloween party so we all dressed up! We also went to the school carnival and there are more festivities to come this week.

Matt and I toyed and toyed with what to be. We even asked for suggestions (and got some good ones) from friends. One suggestion was Bill & Hillary. Matt and I (not that either one of us are huge Clinton fans) but we thought that would be easy and hey, we were from Arkansas. We could both throw on a suit and a mask and we would be set. So, we ordered our masks and they came in on Monday. Matt brought them home and I thought they looked great and incredibly real. Too real. Jordyn took one look and SCREAMED and SCREAMED and SCREAMED. She's definitely a republican!! We thought maybe she would get used to them, but no. That didn't happen.



So, we were on to plan B. At this late in the game, there is no time to order anything and get it on time. Since Germans don't celebrate Halloween like we do, the pickings are mighty slim. Just as a side note - we did find one costume store about 15 minutes away and the Germans do have a costume party that they celebrate in the month of February. Thats about the extent of my knowledge at this point. So, back to Matt and I. Oh yes. Plan B. Britney and K-Fed. It required no wig, and we could come up with enough stuff of our own to make it work. We did make a swing by the costume store and picked up a few things to set off our outfits which helped.

On our way to the Halloween party I told Matt it would be a cruel joke to play on us if nobody else dressed up! I'm paranoid like that and he is the boss and all. To our liking, the majority of the office were dressed up too. We had a great time, but I don't plan on dressing up again anytime soon. So, here are the pictures of ALL of us at our Halloween party. There will be more to come on Wednesday....









Before I close, if anyone is interested in the latest with Scott and Jennifer, please refer to the link at the right - The Whitsons. Becca is getting information faster and easier than I am so I have been checking her page every so often.

Update - Regarding Jennifer & Scott

From what I understand now, the so called "mass" that they thought was a possible tumor in Jennifer's uterus has turned out to be another baby who didn't make it. The other baby does still need the heart surgery and it is a fairly common procedure that can be corrected in womb. There is talk of her going to LR Children's hospital, but I'm not sure if all this information is completely accurate. Please continue to pray for them.

Have a good weekend...

It's getting cold here. Soccer has come to an end just in time for the cold to arrive. Great season, Landen! They were 5 - 2. I think Landen really learned a lot this year and had some very good coaches. He officially knows more about soccer than I do.

Prayer Request

I don't normally post a lot of request on this, and to be honest, I toyed with whether to post this or not, but felt I should. Matt and I grew up with some great friends in our church, Scott and Jennifer. Jennifer is pregnant with their 3rd son and is having some problems. From what I understand, there is some bleeding in the uterus and they have found problems with the baby's aorta. It needs to be operated on in womb. As if this wasn't enough, they have found a mass in or near (again, I'm sketchy on details) her uterus and they believe it to be some type of tumor. To further complicate matters, Scott and Jennifer are missionaries and are currently living in Africa. I don't know where or when she will be having surgery, but please keep them both in your prayers. I know it must be extremely difficult for them. Thank you.

You can't miss it...

Last weekend, we headed to Luxembourg, Luxembourg for our usual weekend adventure. I, for one, was in for a surprise. I didn't realize it was going to have such a large "city" feel. I was thinking we were heading to a mid size village for an afternoon stroll. WRONG! It was a city of large buildings and lots of people. Thank goodness we have a navigation system now. We also have learned to take Matt's small SUV instead of my giant Explorer. My car wouldn't be making it in most of the parking garages around these places. Its fine for where we live because its very rural, but we won't be driving it on any trips I'm sure. It screams - AMERICAN! lol Its easy to pick us out around here, that's for sure. Matt's a really good driver and doesn't get nervous. Me, not so much.



Anyway, we kept hearing of a big playground with a pirate ship and such so the kids were all excited. We were told "you can't miss it!" Well, guess what, you can. It took us about an hour and a half of walking around before we actually found the park. The kids were losing faith. We had been just a block from it a few times, yet we somehow didn't see it. We eventually found the tourists office and Matt headed inside (the rest of us watched a gay male couple make out.) He came back out with a map and off we went. The pirate ship had been found!! The kids played and Matt and I listened to all of the different languages being spoken. All of their signs are in French & English. We heard both being spoken, a little German, and a few others that I'm not sure of!



After playing for a while, we headed back to the food court, so to speak. Ahh!! Guess what we found? A Chi'Chi's mexican restaurant. We'll definitely be going back to check that out, but we'll have to save that for a later date. The kids were hungry and needed a snack. Of all the things to pick from, what do they want? McDonald's. Gotta love it. It was the most crowded of everything there and Matt stood in line while I entertained the kids. Matt and I opted for some candied almonds that a man was making in a booth next to McDonald's. They were expensive, yet warm and delicious.





After all was said and done, we found some bathrooms which is always quite a feat. Not only do you have to have change, you need the exact amount and even exact coin denomination in some cases. Sometimes it takes us two or three tries, lol. In and out, in and out of the bathroom... searching for just the right coin. This isn't going to be fun when Jordyn begins potty training. When ya gotta go, you gotta go. For now, it is fine. Back to the parking garage we went, found our car (which we occasionally lose as well) and back to our so called home in another foreign land.

He shoots, he....

scores! Landen's soccer season is coming to a close. Today he managed to score 3 goals which was the most he's scored all season. He really plays his best and enjoys defense the most. His team is 6-1 which shows they have had a lot of good coaching. Good game, Landen.

Happy Birthday, Jordyn

Our Little Princess is 1!

Yes, the time has come. Our baby girl has turned 1! We can't believe the year has already past. Its been eventful, to say the least.

I took Jordyn to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and she weighed in at 22 lbs and is 29 1/4" long. I'm really not exactly sure how this compares to the boys, but I think they were both a little bigger. She did NOT enjoy getting weighed and measured. I'm sure she won't enjoy her 1 year old shots either, but we have yet to do that. She also goes for her kidney reflux test on Tuesday which we are dreading for her.

We celebrated with just our own little family. I had debated inviting a couple of sweet little girls over, but decided against it. Jordyn had fun and so did the boys, and I didn't have to worry about if my cake flopped! It actually turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. That being said, I realize I need a little help in the cake decorating field, lol. Abby?! I needed you. I won't be sending mine to Paula Dean, that's for sure. You'll notice on the slide show the balloons say "It's a girl." You just have to get what you can around here, ha! Good thing she can't read.

Jordyn - you walk everywhere. No more crawling for you. It sure doesn't take long for you to get from one place to another. You pace around and when you fall you get right back up. Let's see... you're eating pretty much all table food with a few containers of baby food here and there out of ease for mommy. You do enjoy your food. You are down to one bottle at night before you go to bed and I really think you are ready to give this one up as well. I will probably let it go as soon as the formula is gone. You have adjusted to milk out of a sippy cup really easily. You love to eat cheerios, yogurt, meat sticks (ick!), and crackers. You have 2 teeth on the bottom, but are beginning to bite again so I wonder if the top are on their way. You like to undress in the car. As soon as we buckle you in, you immediately pull off both shoes and socks and then proceed to see if mommy has put a bow or clippie in your hair. You then hand them to your brothers and say there. You laugh like its a game, but mommy and daddy do not enjoy this game. You really despise the vacuum cleaner, too. Just the sight of it makes you cry - much less the sound of it. Mommy about breaks her back trying to hold you and vacuum the house. This also applies to the hair dryer and mixer. Must be a gender thing, because if I recall correctly my niece didn't enjoy the vacuum either. Now, lets discuss your hair. We are convinced it isn't growing. Yet, when we look back at your pictures we realize it has. Anyone have any tips to make it grow faster? Baby Rogaine? j/k The boys think you're the best thing since sliced bread, and so do we. You are loved beyond all words and we are so thankful God gave us a little princess! Happy 1st Birthday...

I'm posting a couple of her baby pictures and one now. I'll get a slide show up of her birthday soon. I'm headed out for a girl's night so I don't have long.