Major Pain!!!

This past weekend i was just feeling awful, with a tired/weak feeling I just couldnt shake. the left side of my mouth was hurting pretty bad, too. So monday i went to the Doctor. And he said I had a bad gum infection! My wisdom tooth on the upper left is coming in sideways or something, and theres this big gap/space where little bits of food keep getting caught and it caused a bad infection in my mouth. I am in sooo much pain. it hurts to open my mouth, swallow, yawn, and especially EAT. ive had to get used to eating mostly with the left side of my mouth which is really aggravating. The pressure and infection is also causing my left ear to hurt, and my head to hurt, and me just feel really bad and achy all over! Not cool when i have so much going on during the day- taking care of 3 kids-- and all i want to do is sleep i feel so bad :(


Anyway, ive known for awhile that I was going to have to have my wisdom teeth taken out.. I was seen at thedentist a year or two ago.. and we were going to have it done but decided to wait b/c they werent really bothering me and it was soo expensive. But now the dr is telling me basically that i HAVE to.. im going to keep getting infections if i dont. So im on an antibiotic this week to hopefully get rid of the infection.. then I have a consultation with an oral surgeon on Friday for them to look at my teeth and hopefully they can make me an appt soon to get it over with. The dr is planning on taking me off my blood thinners for a few days so I can have the surgery, then Ill go right back on them. I just hope everything goes ok-- ive been thru so much lately, medically, and Im ready to feel like my normal self again! Wish me luck! :-P

2009 Halloween Party

Last Friday night I had a kids/family Halloween party. So much has been going onlately and I wnated to do something fun for the kids. So we started planning a Halloween party. We invited lots of people and i was surprised at how many people were able to attend! We decided to have it at our church gym, b/c theres nooo way we could fit that many people in our house :-P I think it went pretty well, we had the party from 6:30-8, We had snack foods, cupcakes and drinks. We had the big bounce house set up.. and the kids LOVED playing with the karaoke machine that the church has.. they would stand on the stage and sing.. it was so cute :-) My SIL brought the Kids Bop Halloween cd, so that was cool. Brooke and Caleb ran around like CRAZY the whole night--they had so much fun! They love playing with other kids. Rachel slept through mostly the whole thing in Aunt Nancys arms :) After the party it took forever to clean up and we were EXHAUSTED but it was so worth it.. everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We might have to make it an annual event ;-)



Heres some pics I took-- I wnated to post a few more but the internet is acting up..

My Sister-in-law and I

Brooke all covered in cupcake! ;-)

Jen, Ladybug Whitney :) And Ryan

Me, Shannon, Kelly, and Amy :)

*Recent Health Updates*

The other day I got an appointment set up with a Therapist. As many of you know, my DR diagnosed me with Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder after I got out of the hospital,and thats whats been causing all my anxiety and panic attacks. He advised me to get set up with a Therapist, and he thinks the therapist can help me learn ways to cope with the anxiety and learn to talk myself down before it turns into a full-on attack. He said its essential to work on this so I can get back to my normal life. So i called a program that is offered thru Arnolds work, and they set me up with a Man in Morganton. My first appt is going to be on the 27th. The first 3 sessions are free, which is nice, because Therapy isnt cheap! But i really hope this helps me, and I cant start to move forward in my life... I am looking forward to feeling like my normal self again! Im trying to stay positive!

Also, I had my blood checked yesterday and they called me with the results yesterday afternoon, and for the first time in SEVERAL weeks, it was normal!!!!!!!!! So i was thrilled. See, when youre on Coumadin they check your blood to see how likely it is to clot, and there is a number system-- youre supposed to be between 2 and 3 to be "normal." And for the past several weeks I was at a 1.4 and they couldnt figure out why. They kept upping my dose of meds over and over and then FINALLY yesterday my number was a 2.6! I was shocked that i jumped over a whole point in just 5 days, but I am just glad its up. When the numbers are between 2 and 3 I am at a VERY low risk of developing a clot-- that means the Coumadin is working the way it should be. If it gets over 3 though, then im at risk for bleeding and not being able to stop it (nosebleeds, gum bleeding, internal bleeding etc ) and thats very dangerous, so i hope my levels stay consistent at where they are! I get re-checked again in a week.

*Monday*

We didnt get to go see my mom Sunday night for her birthday, because my sinuses were acting up really bad, so she decided to come over and visit us Monday morning. (She had taken the day off work for her Birthday) I love it when she comes over because she always makes us breakfast-- I miss her cooking! I cant cook good at all, so its always nice when she cooks me something :-P So we had some biscuits and bacon and yogurt. And she spent the day helping me with the kids, and helping me clean up the house. Our laundry had piled up more than you can imagine over the weekend, since i hadnt been feeling well. So we did all the laundry, folding and putting it away-- felt so good to get that accomplished! Then we worked on cleaning and rearranging Mine and Arnolds bedroom.. I really like how it looks now. Now all it needs is some new decorative things to hang on the wall-- the walls are pretty much bare right now. Mom even put us dinner in the crockpot so itd be ready that evening so I could eat before I went to Scouts and so ARnold wouldnt have to cook anything for the kids. Lastly she watched the kids while I got a shower and got dressed. Then i got all the kids down for a nap and mom left. It was a great day and Im glad she came to visit :)




Monday evening I was going to a GirlScout Leader Seminar at the Girl Scout office in Hickory. I went with my Sister-in-law since shes the other leader of the group. She came and picked me up and we went over there around 6. The class was supposed to last from 6-9pm.. which seemed like FOREVER but it wasnt that bad. I had my notebook, pen, and was taking notes, so it felt like being in college again :-P But the class was really helpful. The woman leading the class taught us how we were supposed to run a Girl Scout meeting, and what things to cover. She told us important things to remeber to do, such as get health history forms from our girls, and to set up a list of Rules for our troop so things dont get out of hand. She told us different fun things we could do with our troop, and how to earn badges. And she also went over the Leader handbook with us. I have 1 more class o take, and an online test and then im "officially" a leader of my Brownie Troop :)

*Rachel is 4 Months Old!*

Rachel turned 4 Months old on Sunday. Sunday was also my mom's birthday, so I think thats pretty neat :) I wont post my moms age though-- dont think shed appreciate that too much :-P

Rachel is growing like a weed. She doesnt like tummy time too much, but when I lay her down on her tummy she can raise her head up really well and look around. She is trying hard to master rolling over. So far she only gets over halfway, on her side, but i can tell shes close! Brooke and Caleb both rolled over for the 1st time around 4 1/2 months, so if she follows them itll be any day now!


She has her 4-month well visit checkup at the Dr today, so ill post about that later :)

*One Year Ago*

I forgot to post this the other day, on the 15th. But exactly one year ago last Thursday, I found out I was pregnant with Rachel! I cant believe its been a year since all this happened! :)

I remember it like it was yesterday-- I wasnt even "late" yet but I just had a feeling I might be pregnant. Arnold kept saying I wasnt-- he didnt want any more kids, at least not yet :-P That evening we had to go to Target to pick up some things, and I picked up a 2-pack of pregnancy tests. Arnold thought it was a waste of money, but he just went along with it. As soon as we got home i ran off to the bathroom to take a test, b/c I just couldnt wait any longer. I stand there for a minute or two and i swear I see a pink line show up. But its very faint and I think my eyes may be playing tricks on me since i knew i wanted it so badly. But then it starts to get a little darker and Im about 99 percent sure that its for sure positive. So i run back outside (Arnold is out at the van still bringing stuff in that we had bought). I said... Ummm I have something to show you". And i showed him the test. And he went about as white as a ghost. He went to the fridge and got a beer after that :-P That evening I sat on the living room floor assembling Halloween Goody bags for a party I was taking the kids to the next day. Arnold sat on the couch and kept saying things like "ARE YOU SURE its positive? You should take another test". Eventually i ended up taking another test, and this time the line was even darker so he finally believed me. :-P I was letting it all sink in, and i was so excited. I got online right away and started telling my friends. I feel bad now that I didnt tell our family first, but I just HAD to tell someone! :-P



The next day I took the kids to a Halloween party and all my friends were coming up to me and congratulating me and asking me how i was feeling. I still was in shock that i really was pregnant! We werent trying or anything, but we werent really preventing it. I know Arnold didnt feel ready, but I did. I always wanted 4 kids. Anyway, that evening Arnold and I were going to a Joe Bonamassa concert in Charlotte w/ his dad and his friend Eric and his daughter. Arnold had told Eric... but we still hadnt told our families yet, so the whole night we knew we had a big secret and it was so hard not telling Arnold's dad... but we managed to keep it a secret.


The next night my inlaws watched Brooke and Caleb while we went out on a "date night." We stopped by Hallmark and bought a congratulations card. Inside we wrote "Congratulations, youre going to be Grandparents again" and when we got back to their house that evening to pick up the kids, we handed the card to Arnold's mom. She read it and just smiled real big and said WOW. Then she passed the card over to his dad to read, and I cant describe how he reacted... hes a tough person to "read." They asked us if we had told MY parents yet and we said no. I was afraid... i knew my parents didnt approve of us having another child so soon, and I was afraid they wouldnt be happy and they would just be so worried for us.



The very next day we left for Myrtle Beach. We were going down there for a week with my parents. We were planning on telling them sometime on the trip but everytime i got ready to, i chickend out. It was tough explaining why I was so tired in the afternoons and felt nauseous a lot of the time. The trip came to an end and we STILL hadnt told them the news. So the next weekend when were at their house, I went into the kitchen where Mom was cooking and said I had something to tell her. Im pretty sure she knew what I was about to tell her because I was crying at this point. After I told her,she just hugged me and said everything was going to be ok. She said she was excited to be having another grandbaby. I was glad she took it so well. I know i should be a Grownup and not care so much what my parents think anymore, but i still do. :-x



Anyway, we finally went to our 1st DR appt a few weeks later and found out that we were INDEED 100% pregnant, and my due date was set for June 25th :)

The Positive Pregnancy Test

Very first Pregnancy Pic- At 4 Weeks

And the very end-- Day before my C-section! :)

*My Little Pumpkin*

I was taking some pics of Rachel this morning in one of her Halloween outfits, so I just had to share :) I got the parts for the pumpkin last year at Target when all their Halloween stuff went on clearance. They have all tons of kinds-- puppies, kitties, characters, etc. I need to find a "boyish" one for Caleb.

Rachels Sleeper says "I take after my Mummy" :)

Rach & her Princess Pumpkin :)

What is this thing, Anyway?!?

*Monday's Scout Meeting*

Well our Brownie troop grew by 5 more girls, so we had a total of 8 girls Monday night! Everyone seemed really nice and eager to be there. Jennifer and I had had alot planned for that evening but with getting everyone registered and introduced and such.. we ran out of time faster than I had hoped. Anyway, while we waited for all the girls to show up, the girls that were already there sat at the table and drew pictures.. they all talked and got along really quickly, like they had already known each other for years! (i wish i was that outgoing lol :-P One or two of the girls were really shy, but they opened up by the end of the night. I remember being that girl back in Girl Scouts :-P So anyway, we have this group of eight 8-year old girls and they have SO MUCH energy its ridiculous. I wish i had HALF the energy they do :-P I had forgotten how hyper kids that age are... and how hard it is for them to sit still and pay attention. We went out into the hallway and got into a big circle (which took 3 or 4 times yelling at them basically to get them to quiet down enough to hear what we were doing) Then we went around the circle and everyone said their name and 1 thing about themselves. We taught them the GirlScout sign, the GirlScout Promise, and then did the friendship squeeze. We then told them it was snack time and they all went SCREAMING and running back to the room. Well we share 1 HUGE room with the older girl scouts, and their leaders were telling us "SHHHHH!" on the way in the door but we just looked at them helpless... Jennifer and I are very similar... we are both quiet, somewhat shy, and hate having to yell or discipline. My own mother says Im not hard enough on my kids :-x But anyway... we finally got the kids settled down and handed out snacks. I had brought the snacks this week, and i got packs of peanut butter crackers, and some candycorn. Jennifer had forgotten that id brought snack and brought chocolate chip cookies! So we decided to hand it all out. We thought we might as well overload them on sugar and send them home to their own parents! HAHA! :-P So during snack we went over the History of GirlScouts. We were supposed to let the girls act out the story, but by this time we only had about 10 mins left of the meeting. So we just talked and then recited the Girl Scout promise as a closing to the meeting. They left such a mess all over the table from snacktime-- they are really supposed to clean up after themselves, but they all ran off when their parents got there... so the cleaning up got left to us. I think next week we need to go over the responsibilities of the Girls with them :-P Jennifer and I have a leader training seminar next Monday night,and I hope that will give us lots of info on what we're supposed to do and how we handle things better. I was a Girl Scout for SEVERAL years growing up but i never knew being a leader could be so tough! I never was much of a leader though, i feel uncomfortable telling other people what to do and guiding them. So hopefully Ill gain some confidence this year.. lets hope so! :)

*Rachel is Growing Like a Weed!*

My baby girl is 16 weeks old now! I cant believe how fast the time has gone by! She is laughing and cooing even more now. She also sleeps 5-6 hr stretches now, which is nice! Still not sleeping thru the night yet... hopefully soon. brooke slept thru the night at 3 weeks! But anyway. She went on her first stroller ride the other day. This baby LOVES being outside! I was pushing her down the street and stopped to look at something and she started whining. Then when i started pushing her again she stopped :-P When the big kids are taking their afternoon naps, sometimes she and I got outside and sit and I read and she sits in her carseat and just looks around. Sometimes she falls asleep.. thats what she did Friday and why she got the little sunburn! She also can sit a lot better in her Bumbo seat now (its actually a Bebe Pod seat-- we got it as a gift at my babyshower-- but its the same kind of thing) her head control is great! She just so sweet and I love her! I dont want her to grow up because I know shes my last baby :( Ill just try to enjoy it! :)

16 Weeks Old!

First time in her Bumbo!

*Busy Saturday*

Saturday morning Arnold let me sleep in till 10 which was so nice! Then we all got ready and drove down to Morganton. The kids behaved the whole was, I was shocked :-P We went to lunch at Hams. I got the grilled cheese and Chili, and Brooke reached over and helped herself to my chili! LOL that kid is so funny, and she will eat ANYTHING.. the drs are amazed. Anyway, halfway thru lunch I accidentally knocked over a cup of milk and of course it spilt all over me and soaked into my pants. Oh well, im used to being dirty now that Im a mom :-P


After lunch we went to the Morganton library. We drove around forever trying to find it. We just took the kids to the library for the 1st time a few weeks ago, at the one right down the road from us. But the morganton library is bigger so we decided to go there this time.They have such a nice kids' area. The kids did puzzles while I picked out some books for them. Then i picked myself out a few books, also.



That afternoon my Aunt Mary was in town and so she, 3 of her boys (her other son didnt come into town) and my mom came up to the house to visit. We dont get to see them much since they live in Raleigh, so it was nice. They werent able to come into town for Brooke or Calebs birthdays, so they brought their birthday gifts with them. Caleb got this M&M car that dispenses M&Ms... of course he loves that :-P And Brooke got some dress up clothes. She immediately put on the wedding veil and butterfly wings... she loved it! :) Then we all went outside to play, and of course Brooke had to tide her tricycle in her dressup clothes, it was so cute :) After awhile it started to rain and we came back inside. The kids had a BLAST with their cousins.



That evening Arnold went out to get us some dinner and brought it home. We ate and the kids played while I looked thru an ABC Distributing catalog. I just love their stuff! Its so cute and pretty-well priced! I saw a ton of things i am wanting to buy as Christmas gifts this year. It just feels so strange to be talking about Christmas-time already... this year has FLOWN by! :) After the kids went to bed Arnold went downstairs to play guitar for awhile and i got on the computer. My SIL called and we talked for a good 30 minutes or so. We're starting to talk alot more and hang out. we've really gotten close and I love it! I never had a sister so its like having one now! :)

The kids at the Morganton Library

Outside the Library


Rachels 1st Stoll in her umbrella stroller :)

Brooke in her dressup clothes :)

Riding her tricycle :)

*Stressful Friday!*

Friday was a rough day for me. Ever since I started having all these medical issues I have good days, and I have bad days. Friday I started having some bad dizzy spells. Even sitting on the floor Id look around and just feel strange. Thank goodness my mom was coming over to visit that morning because I had a panic attack :( I had been doing so good... it had been 4 or 5 weeks since id had one, which is GREAT for me. I felt the feelings coming on and i just freaked out. Its hard to explain one to someone whos never experienced it before. Your whole body feel tingly, numb, you get dizzy, hot, flushed, and you have all these crazy thoughts in your head like youre going to die, or you wont come down off the anxiety. I feel the constant need to move when I have one. And it doesnt get better until the pill kicks in.

So anyway, mom took the kids outside to play while I was waiting for my pill to kick in. I decided to call the Dr and ask about my dizzy spells. They said for me to come in at 2pm for an appointment. So while we waited for the appt we all sat outside in the backyard and played. Mom went to get us some lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and we ate outside. My pill had kicked in by then and i was starting to calm down. Being outside always makes me feel better when im anxious. I got some reading done too, which I love to do but never find the time now with 3 kids! :-P We were out there so long I got sunburned on my face! It pretty sad that I got sunburned in October. Im just so white! haha :-P I felt bad b/c even Rachel had a little sun on her face... and her head since shes basically bald! I had her in the shade but she still got a little.

Anyway, i went to my Dr appt. I had gained some weight (darn antidepressant, it increases my appetite, i hate that side effect!) My blood pressure was a little high, but not too bad. The nurse looked in my ears and found out that I have fluid in there. She thinks thats what was causing the dizziness. She said ear infections and fluid can mess up your "equilibrium" and make you off balance. She prescribed me an anti-dizzy medicine to use as needed. Anyway, i thought i was doing well but i had another panic attack while at the dr! It was so embarassing. The nurses were really nice though, they let mesit with them and brought me some water... and I waited on Arnold to come get me-- i had to call him to drive me since I cant drive when im having an attack.

When we got back home i was starting to feel calm again. Mom went home.. and Arnold and I got the kids ready and decided to take Brooke and Caleb to the Oktoberfest. We walked around for awhile and ran into some people Arnold work with. Then we went to get dinner. I know they over-price at places like that but DANG. Our dinner was $28!!! And all we got was 3 PLAIN hotdogs, a sandwich for Arnold, and 2 drinks!! That was just ridiculous, in my opinion. And of course the kids decide to take the buns off their hotdogs, throw them in the grass, and then cy and scream when i throw them away. It was just soo crowded and the kids were acting up so we left after a little while. Hey, at least we got out of the house.

Raising 3 kids is HARD!!!

3 1/2 Months after rachel was born, I am still trying to get adjusted to having 3 kids! I only have 2 arms so its hard to get everything done that i want to get done in a day. We are in the process of potty-training (TRYING TO) Brooke and Caleb.. they wear pullups sometimes, and diapers sometimes, just depends on whats going on. Well they are both having major issues the past week and its SO frustrating! Caleb wil poop in his diaper while hes in his crib, and then dig in there and smear poop everywhere! I swear, ive had to give him a bath every day for the past week because he does that! We've tried spanking him, talking to him firmly, and nothing works. He keeps doing it :-( One day was particularly bad-- he had smeared it all over Him, his crib, and the WALL. That was a MESS to clean up! And it smelt so bad! He has been getting poop under his fingernails (gross, i know!) and its been so hard to clean that Arnold has had to use little toothbrushes to scrub his nails. As if that wasnt bad enough.. Brookes thing lately is when I lay her down for a nap, sometime during the afternoon she takes off her pullup, and pees in the middle of the floor! I have had at least 3 puddles to clean this past week! She strips off her clothes all the time recently.. ive heard its just a phase but i wish shed stop it! I have no clue why the kids arent actually SLEEPING during their nap times. They are only 2 and 3, they still NEED a daily nap! Theres no way im leaving them up all afternoon for them just to be cranky in the evenings. Plus, i NEED some alone time every afternoon... thats the only chance I get to take a shower and eat some lunch.



I didnt mean for this blog to be a vent, but it came off as one, lol! Well maybe this will make me feel better. Iknow the kids have been stir crazy the past few days b/c its been cold and/or rainy, so last night we decided to all go out as a family to Pizza Hut. Bad idea. One kid was crying for a bottle (Rachel) one kid was screaming because he couldnt get a hang of using a regular cup (Caleb-- we had left his sipcup in the car on accident) and one kid was jumping up and down in the booth and just being downright embarassing! (Brooke) Thank GOODNESS there was only a few people in the restaurant at the time.. because I was about to lose my mind. I would have been more embarassed, but these Ativans ive been taking lately for my anxiety help with my shyness out in public too, which is an added benefit! :)




Anyway, through all the hard times and stress I must remember that I always wanted kids, and now i have them.. and I am blessed. They are for the most part good kids, and they are all healthy, which im so greatful for!

Here are a few pics of the kids the last week..

~Monday Madness~

Yesterday Arnold had to go to the dentist. He hasnt been in a long time and kept putting it off, but he finally decided to go. We had to pay $200 upfront! Man, that definately hurt the bank account. But from what I understand he turns something in and we get the money back soon, so that made me relieved :) Turns out he has 2 cavities. He wasnt really surprised, his teeth had been hurting him pretty bad lately. So he has another appt to get those filled. My wisdom teeth are coming in and im going to have to have them out, but itll be awhile since im on blood thinners. Thats ok with me-- im terrified of going in to have that done! :-x



Anyway, yesterday evening was girlscouts, and it was also a birthday party for a little girl and all the kids were invited. But arnold didnt want to take all 3 by himself.. so he just took caleb, and i took the girls with me to Scouts. The little girl is watched by my Sister-in-law, Jennifer, during the week (she has an in-home daycare) and whenever i was in the hospital back in July and my SIL watched the kids a few times, Caleb and her got really attached so now we joke and say they are girlfriend/boyfriend. They are so sweet! So anyway, Caleb went to the party and Arnold told me that he just kindof stood around not doing much.. he seemed lost without Brooke! That kid copies EVERYTHING Brooke does, so i wasnt surprised. But he ate some pizza, and had some cake, and he had fun. Jennifers husband took their daughter Rebekah to the party too, while she was at scouts with me. So it was a night of the DADDYS doing the stuff for the kids for a change :)

We had an ok Girlscout meeting-- didnt go quite as planned. Our girls are only 8 so they have a hard time sitting and paying attention for an hour... and last night we went over the history of Girl Scouts, so they were pretty bored. They ran off halfway thru the meeting to play in the Church gym... lol. Brooke loved getting to go and play with the older girls. Rachel didnt do too well.. she cried most of the evening.. I really think my poor baby is starting to teethe :( We had a leader meeting after the regular meeting and we were discussing future events. Our zoo trip has been postponed till next Spring because our Brownie troop doesnt have the funds right now for the trip. I had to leave the meeting early because Rachel and Brooke were now screaming, but who can blame them-- it was nearly 9 pm and they are usually in bed by 8! But anyway, i was ready to get home and rest last night after all that. :-P

Heres a few pics Arnold got of Caleb at the party last night...

Eating Pizza

The birthday girl (Calebs GF) ;-)

The pretty cake :)

Having some birthday cake

Opening her present from Caleb

Lynyrd Skynyrd!

So everyone who knows me well knows how much I love Skynyrd! Ive been to 7 of their shows. I was supposed to go to their concert w/ KidRock in Charlotte back in July, but that happened to be the week i was hospitalized with the blood clots :( Anyway, i was looking up their tour schedule the other day and it says theyre coming to Greenville, SC on Oct 24th! We've actually been to one of their concerts there before, a few years ago. Its a 2-hr drive, but worth it to me! Arnold said as long as we can find babysitters for all 3 kids we can go! He gets his bonus check this month at work so we'll have the extra money! I am sooo excited! I joke and say that they came back around the Carolinas just for me... since i didnt get to go see them back in July ;-) Also, they just came out with a new CD. It had been several years since theyd made a new one. I bought it Friday night at Best Buy. Its awesome! I loved all the tracks! One song was particularly awesome because it was talking about how Obama cae around and is trying to change things, but some things are for the worse... its called "That aint my America!" Most of you know im a die-hard Republican so i loved that song! :) Anyway, just wanted to share my good news. :)

Hildebran Redneck Festival

Saturday night there was a festival in Hildebran, right down the road from where we live. It was called the Redneck Hildebran BBQ Festival & Benefit or something like that. It was held in this huge field seperating two houses in Hildebran. The two families cooked up huge amounts of BBQ, slaw, baked beans, desserts and all that good stuff. Arnold's band played as the entertainment. They sold raffle tickets for about a month. The proceeds went to pay for the food, and the rest went to a local teenage girl who is having to have spinal surgery. She was at the festival and seemed like a real sweet girl. I didnt hear how much we raised in total, ill have to ask Arnold.. but i hope its enough to help her family out!


The whole thing was so much fun. We took lawn chairs out, and they also had tables set up. There was a crowd of about 200 people. My mom went and helped me w/ the kids. Arnold had a lot of his family come out, and some people from work. The kids loved seeing their daddy play on stage, that was their first time getting to see him play! The band did great... Arnold was nervous at first but so excited. The whole evening was just so laid back and fun! It started to get really chilly quick though. And the kids were getting sleepy, so unfortunately I had to leave early and take them home and put them to bed. The band played two sets, so i got to see half of the show. What i saw was really good. They had a tip jar set out and Arnold said they made like $110 in tips, so id say the people liked them!





Heres just a few shots I got from that night..

Waiting on the band to start playing

Brooke playing on the tire swing




Caleb in his ROCK & ROLL shirt :)

EKP

Shane on left, Hubby on right :)

*Our Trip to the Pumpkin Patch*

This morning my mom and I took Brooke and Caleb to a Pumpkin Patch. It was Calebs first time going, so I was excited to take him :) The place was called Foothills Cornmaze... it was in Morganton. They had a HUGE cornmaze that you could go through, but we were afraid the kids would be scared, so we just stuck to the other activities. We first went on a hayride, and the kid really liked that. We were driving really close to come corn and the corn stalks kept slapping caleb in the head and he was going Ow! Ow! Ow! haha until we found out what was going on and moved him :-P We went out to a small pumpkin patch and the kids picked out the ones they wanted. Then we rode back up to the front of the farm. We took a few pictures. Then we had a picnic lunch that mom had brought along. All in all it was a pretty fun morning. I just wish i had worn short sleeves because I got HOT! I had thought it was going to be cooler today!



Here are some pics that I took this morning...

The kids on the Tractor made of Hay

Sammy The spider :)

The kids with their Pumpkins that they chose




The kids and I on the Hayride

Miss Cool :)