Happy Birthday to my Mother-in-law Teresa!

She is celebrating 20 years of being 35 :)

Happy Birthday Grandma Teresa!!!

Halloween 2010

We decided NOT to let the kiddos pick out their own costumes this year, every year it's fairies or princesses or frilly girly stuff!  Jody really wanted to do Peanuts for him & I and then the entire family!  

Anna as Patty

Emma as Lila

Lizzy as Sally

Jack as Linus minus the blanket

Linus with his blanket

Jody as Charlie Brown :)  I was Lucy, but didn't get a picture of myself!  

Sunday evening we had Trunk of Treats at our church.  Basically people volunteer to decorate their "trunks" in a theme and hand out candy in our parking lot!  We have done this at the YMCA since Emma was a baby so both Jody & I volunteered to each do a trunk!  The students decided to decorate Jody's VW and I forgot to get a picture of it :(  Since we were the Peanuts characters what better theme than "The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"for the burb! We chose to keep it pretty simple...

Linus in the Pumpkin Patch

The moon with Snoopy's shadow

The Pumpkin Patch

Handing out candy to the kiddos!!!  Once we got home it was too late to go Trick or Treating around our neighborhood, but the kiddos were so excited to hand out candy to their friends and fellow trick-or-treaters!

They stood at the door and waited for someone to walk up and squeeled & jumped around when anyone looked like they may be walking to our house!

And Linus enjoyed helping himself to the candy :)

Pumpkin Carvin' Livingston Style

Saturday we decided to let the kiddos carve their pumpkins!  This was the first time we have carved them as a family!  Here are the before pictures of their pumpkins...

Lizzy looks creepy here!

Taking out the "guts" was NOT fun for the girls...

Jack enjoyed just "sweeping" the leaves!

Don't worry they were using "my safe cutter" as the knife!

Emma's pumpkin-she drew the face all by herself!

Anna's Pumpkin

Lizzy's Pumpkin-she wouldn't take a picture with it!

Jack's Pumpkin!  We decided to use the stick in on his rather than carving it!

The finished Pumpkins!

All a glow :)

On the front porch for all to see!!!

Coldstone

 Let me give you some background: we usually go out to eat just once a week, usually on Sundays.  One night a few weeks ago Jody & I decided to take the kiddos for ice cream!  After dinner we loaded up in the burb and drove less than 2 miles (it's great being so close to everything here!)  The kiddos were so surprised and shocked that we were at an actual ice cream place, what a treat!!!  We let them each pick out their own ice cream, they all picked cotton candy...

I love Jack's face in this picture :)

Silly kiddos enjoying their ice cream!

Jody's choice, Strawberry Cheesecake!

And my choice Fudge Brownie something or other!  It was sooo yummy!!!

We LOVE Coldstone!!!

Life, In Spite of Me

Last week we had the opportunity to have a guest speaker at our Wednesday night Student bible study!  It all happened by chance, but definitely by God's timing. Kristen Jane Anderson made a fatal choice when she was just a senior in high school at the age of 17 that changed her life forever and left her in a wheel-chair for the rest of her life.  After that fatal choice this young women made a life-altering decision to make Christ her Savior.  Since then she has spoken at numerous venues not only for students, but adults as well, founded the ministry, Reaching You Ministries to help people battling depression and suicide by giving them the hope of Jesus Christ!   Just recently releasing her book, "Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice" and was on Oprah a few years ago sharing her story.  I really encourage you to listen to this video, her testimony!  Click here for recent statistics from SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).  Thank you Kristen for sharing with us!!!