48/52::Michael and Santa::November 30

48/52 ~ Michael got to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas. Same as last year (and the year before that, and the year before that) ~ a hula hoop :)

♥

46/52::November 18

46/52 ~ Photographically speaking, this is not the best picture, since it's not as in focus as it should be; viscerally speaking, it is perfect! :)

Michael is g-tube fed; this picture was taken last night as Dad helped him. The look Michael is giving Steve is priceless. ♥

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16 Things About Me::November 17

On facebook, there is a meme going around where someone is given a number and then has to tell that many things about themselves, then, if you "like" it, you are given a number too. I wrote mine up and then realized I'd like to save it for later. This is what I wrote:

I've been given lots of numbers because I really do like the stuff people have written, but the highest number was 16, so here goes:

1. I lived in the hills of TN for a year. 2. While I was there, I lived in a mobile home. 3. For a month, during the hottest part of the summer, we didn't have electricity and ran an extension cord from my in-law’s chicken coop to power either a fan or a lamp, but not both at the same time. 4. I lived less than 5 miles from Alan Jackson. 5. After that, I lived on a 120 acre farm in Kentucky for 5 years 6. The Amish were my closest neighbors 7. My house was Amish built, but renovated with electricity by the “English” family who lived there just before us 8. It was only heated by wood though. 9. I am an excellent fire builder 10. While I lived there, I started doing web work for a real estate company in Kentucky 11. I still work with them 12. I put up the information about the auction for Dumas Walker when it was sold a few years ago 13. The Kentucky Headhunters, who sang about Dumas Walker, came from a town about 30 minutes from where I lived. 14. While visiting teaching, my companion and I had warning gun shots fired at us (we were at the wrong house, thank heavens! ) 15. To get to my house, you had to cross a creek. 16. I personally understand why someone would say that they will do something, “If the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise”.

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45/52::November 10

Michael has taken to putting an exercise ball on the trampoline and lying on the ball. He'll stay out there playing for hours. Today, I decided to get a picture of him:



I have no idea what the rainbow colored fairy dust stuff is. It appears in some pics and not in others. I think it makes the picture look fanciful though, so I'll use this one.

When I darkened the entire image so it was mostly black, rainbow colored blobs were present. I have no idea what kind of magic happened, but it was pretty awesome.

♥

Family Day::November 5

A couple Sundays ago, Josh, Hayley, and Amber came to visit and it turned into a spontaneous Family Day. We went target shooting, and then went to the only park that still has a merry go round (at least in our close by area)

Many took turns pushing and then jumping on.







As I was going through the pictures, I noticed that Josh still does the same thing with his tongue that he did when he was a little boy :)



And then Steve got ahold of the camera, and my comfort zone was gone! I'm not usually in front of the camera! (and I certainly wasn't ready for it! I wore the comfy-ist clothes I have, since I had had a long, hard day at the ER with Bill all morning - he had been admitted for the same old thing he'd been hospitalized with several times before - 3 or 4 times since Aug. 15th - nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. I hope that the docs can figure it out and help prevent it.)







Amber found a bumble bee - I was worried about the big kids playing on it until I looked closely at how solidly it was built. Then we all had a turn :)





I wasn't so sure I wanted a turn!! Look at how much she is pressuring me! LOL :)







There was no way I was staying on for another ride! LOL ;)





We knew things were getting serious when she took off her nice jacket!







Watch Michael's face. He hadn't looked at the camera all day. Every time I went to take his pic for my 52 week project he would look away like this.



But then Dad called his name and he looked... so surprised it was DAD behind the camera and not mom! Hahahahaha!









This was a funny story! So, Michael found a pair of little kid socks in the gravel. Watch the socks and everyone's reaction:



He tosses the socks onto the merry go round:



Matt and Josh see them and try to figure out where they went.



Matt tried to reach out and grab the socks and wound up falling off. I love Emily and Amber's reaction! (Am is on the righthand side, almost out of the photo frame) Hahaha!



I told Amber and Emily to play in the leaves - the lighting was great (for pics) and fall leaves are fun :)

Amber tackled Emily into the leaves...



So Emily dumped leaves on her :)





Then Amber made a snow angel with leaves (lots quieter and more peaceful!) :)


Michael didn't want to leave! While everyone else went to the van, he stayed on the merry go round. It *was* a fun day! I hope to have a repeat soon ♥

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Happy Birthday, Dear Hayley!!::November 3

It took me a long time to be able to get pictures of Hayley blowing out her "birthday cake", but last Sunday, I finally managed!



It wasn't really a cake though. I sent Josh and Hayley to the convenience store with some money and the instruction to get Hayley her favorite pastry.



I had wanted to make her a real cake... or at least a Rice Krispy Treat... or any kind of treat, but I had been up late at night with Bill on Saturday night and took him to the hospital just after 5:30 Sunday morning. I got home around noon, so I wasn't up for baking. I hope she didn't mind, and she didn't seem too, and they got her a peanut butter bar (I think that's what the wrapper said anyway.. You'll have to correct me, Hayley, if I'm way off the mark. ;)

Hayley is the newest addition to our family, and this was her first birthday with us (We celebrated very late though - her real birthday is September 30 - we'll do better next year!). I learned that she doesn't like attention to be directed at her and that she doesn't like her picture taken.... poor girl for having a photographer for a mother in law!! I tried to make it as quick and painless as possible, though!

Hayley, I have loved getting to know you these past months! Thank you for being sweet to me and our family! I love you very much & I hope that you have a wonderful year this year!!

♥

44/52::Halloween::November 1

Red Riding Hood / Big Bad Wolf, WWII Soldier, Homeless Trick or Treater (sign says, "WILL TRICK OR TREAT 4 CANDY. ANYTHING HELPS. GOD BLESS!" :)), Minnie Mouse, Red Angry Bird, Spooky Baby. Such a great bunch of kids that I love! :)
(Matt is missing from the pic because he was at a Halloween party with friends.)


A photo of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.

I'll count this as Michael's weekly pic for this week. He had a great time trick or treating, loving to look in everyone's house to see if they had a ceiling fan - he is obsessed with those things!! - and loved visiting with everyone. He makes me smile :) I'm so thankful for this kid!

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