Our house under the leaves!  I absolutely refuse to let Justus rake it up when it is this pretty!

Our little Benjamin who isn't so little anymore.

I'm just gonna throw this out there....

Depression may be setting in! We have been home sick for 2 weeks and one day now.  And it has been just a delightful time.  Though, the past 2 days everyone was starting to feel better, and the weather was in the high 60's, it was just beautiful....and so good to start feeling well again.  Until today...it's raining, and I couldn't sleep last night due to the congestion so, finally at 4 or5 (can't remember), I threw back the covers and got up!  Enough!  We have started taking Emergen~C the last 2 days...hopefully we will be on the mend soon because...


on Tuesday, I am going to Pittsburgh to meet up with some friends for lunch and shopping!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't believe it!  I am so excited!  And I don't have to take even one kid with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OH MAN!  Come quickly Tuesday!  Chloe, however is jealous, and so she said last night, "well, if you're gone all day, whose gonna take care of the animals?" (Hands on Hips...)  WHO CARES!?!?  I do believe we have left the animals for longer than this before, since I will only be gone during school hours, but she did give it her best shot. :)

Good news on the kitty front.....

We drove to the little farm market where we got Tom from this summer, and his Mommy just had another litter of kittens!  So we reserved one that looks almost just like Tom, and it's his brother, so that helps ease some of the pain in our hearts!  I will post pics as soon as we get him, on the 31st! Any name suggestions?  We have apparently been going with people names for our animals, Sarah, Esther, Max, Tom, etc..this one is a boy too.  I liked Jack, but Justus said no....any ideas?

A day at the park and a au revoir to our mon cheri chaton....(dear kitty)

Do you ever wake up one day and think "where have the last two weeks gone?"  I did that just this morning...we have been sick for 2 weeks tomorrow.  And Chloe woke up with a tummy ache today, having never fully recovered from her flu.  AND!  Our little kitty Thomas J. Willoughby Snow died yesterday.....and Ty and Iz still have snot coming out of their noses, AND!  I still can't hear well out of my ears because of the snot in my head, AND, my throat is scratchy!  When will it all end?  I don't know, but I do know that today, as soon as I can clear the Nyquil from my head, I am going to get out of my pj's (if I am able to find some clean clothes) and head to Mustard Seed and buy some vitamins....I NEVER GET SICK!  NEVER!  I can't be sick.  But alas, I am.....
Now onto the cat..he loves Chloe, and followed her to the truck the other day, hoping above all hope that today was the day she would finally be proud enough of him to take him to school....so, he climbed into the wheel well, thinking that that would be a great way to achieve his goal.  As you can guess, it wasn't.  So, goodbye our little Tommy cat! 

We were driving on the highway the other day and our lil' Chloe shouts out "Mamma, there was a dead penguin on the highway!!!"  Right here in Northeast Ohio!!!!  Hahahahaha.

Happy Sweetest Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been such a wonderful day so far....really. Sittin' here recovering from the NyQuill I took last night with a lovely box of tissues and on occasion, getting up to take care of the children. Though, several "sweet" things have happened to me through this whole sickness.... This morning, Ty was so sick, he nursed and then slept right in my arms. He never does that. I know that was one of my last few glimpses of his precious baby self sleeping in my arms, happy and content after nursing...So sweet. Isaac is feeling better, though he really has wanted me to just "stratch his back" alot. He will come and put his little head in my lap and say "stratch Mamma". Awwww! Isaac is a Daddy's boy thru and thru. I tell him "I love you Isaac" and he always replies "I love Daddy too!" Hehehehe, and he really does love his Daddy! I made Taco Salad for my Sweetie today, it's his favorite. We won't be celebrating big this year, staying at home wiping noses, but one day we will wish for these lazy days where we all sit in front of the tv watching Pooh Bear all day. I am happy and content and almost thankful for the flu as it made me sit and enjoy my children like I don't normally get to do. Ben and Chloe are recovering. Ben is almost all better, just a bit of a cough, and Chloe is still coughing quite a bit. So, they are bouncing off the walls with energy. It's been fun! Happy Sweetest Day!

Date night!

Justus and I try to have dates regularly, but so often something comes up, or no money to go do anything....etc. But last night, we had a free date. Our Science center in Cleveland offers an annual Teachers night. When we first go there we got a box lunch...(not the best food I've ever had on a date, but hey, it was free!) Then we got to walk around the Science center and play with all the cool things there like a bunch of kids! I have never seen Justus so happy! It was cute. Then we got to go to the IMAX and watch not one, but 2 films! OY! I have never been so sick. I guess my tummy has gotten old right along with the rest of me. But, we persevered. Then we stopped by Chipotle on the way home and ordered a burrito to split! And!!!! Guess what? They gave us a free drink! Craziness! We spent only 8 dollars the whole night! See? I am a saver! I should go shopping right now! What a great night with my Honey! I do love that man! I thank God for a husband who is the leader of our home. I have never had to make a hard decision for our family, or even worry about the decisions being made in our home, I know he will do it. I don't have to worry about our finances, he does. I don't have to worry if our electric bill will be paid, I know he will pay it. I did truly marry my night in shinning armor.

Fall Festival at Baumans Farm in Rittman

We have made it a family tradition to go to Bauman's Farm the last couple of Falls for their family festival! It is so much fun. They have a beautiful apple farm, house, barns, and little shop. For 3 saturdays in the fall, they have a petting zoo, hay maze and wagon rides. So, we are still eating apples, a week later....Not sure what to do with all of them, any ideas? We had such a great time. Titus ate off of various apples he found on the ground....OY! I hope they weren't planning on harvesting any of those. The only casualty of the day was poor Chloe. They had a little kiddie ride where the kids sit in barrels and a small tractor takes them around the farm, so we sent all four kids off! HA! Justus and I just sat there on a swing not knowing what to do with ourselves..."what will retirement be like?" About 15 minutes later, here they come, rounding the corner....and poor Chloe looked so upset. You can see her in the picture. There was a bee in her barrell and it stung her 2ce. Then she "stomped it!" She is still having problems with that bite. Poor girl! We had such a great time, and again, any apple recipes are appreciated.

Our Chloe got saved last Tuesday, September 22. She had been struggling with the decision for a while, just wasn't ready. So, on Tuesday afternoon, right after school, she asked her Daddy if she could get saved. He led her to the Lord right there in his school room. Justus and I had a date planned that evening, so we went out to eat and then got a cake for Chloe so she would always remember how happy we are for her! Ty especially enjoyed the cake, check out his face.