The month of November is a time of reflection of everything to be thankful for, but I am grateful every day for the gifts God has given me. I have a beautiful son who is growing rapidly before my eyes. He turns 5 at the end of the month and I still wonder where the time went. His imagination is boundless along with his energy. He captivates me with the bluest eyes I have ever seen and I love to hear his adventures and stories when he dresses up in his costumes.

And little Miss AnnaBelle Farrar is constantly exploring her surroundings more and more each day. She has a fierce determination to tackle any obstacle that comes her way and she doesn't give up, a quality I want to nurture even more. I never knew how much a little girl would touch my heart.

I have a wonderful life, a great soulmate for a husband who loves me and his children with such loyalty and devotion. And it's the little things in life that make us happy, just spending time together as a family.

And Then There Was Ida.....

What a week, what a week. Ida brought rain Wednesday and then developed into a nor'easter Thursday and Friday and hammered us inland with 8 inches of rain and wind. The Norfolk and Virginia Beach area and the Peninsula were hit the hardest and some people are still without power. It was ranked as one of the Top 5 worst storms in Hampton Roads.

I was prepared for this one and made sure the kids got out to play before the rain set in. It was tough because they are getting over sicknesses and I wanted them to get some Vitamin D from the sun and simply run around for a while.

We spent some time in the Fall garden and it is coming along nicely. The broccoli is heading, as well as the cabbage and lettuce. AnnaBelle was the last one to get sick, but hers didn't last long. She shook it off quicker than any of us. I wonder if that dirt eating helps?

Walmart had their Halloween costumes 90% off and I grabbed as many 4-6 sizes that I could find. He ended up with Captain America, Megatron (pic above) Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper and Batman. He was speechless when I handed him a few. I gave them over a period of a week and they occupied him while the rain and wind pounded outside for two days straight.

Ellie stayed glued to the couch and must have a bladder the size of the Titanic, but even that sprung a leak, so she had to go outside to face the elements and was not a happy camper returning looking like a soaked rat.....So we don't need to see any rain for a while. fingers crossed.....

Just Put a Quarantine Sign on the Door

The past two weeks have seen all of us down with chest colds, sinus infections and a general funk. I started it off with a sore throat the week before Halloween and it then migrated into a sinus infection this week. Nathan has a chest cold and cough and AnnaBelle is fighting one off. George has just come down with the illness and well, you know men, he's the most pitiful of them all!

Yesterday was in the 60's so I let them ride with me down the lane to get the mail. We picked up a few pecans along the way. They are starting to fall everywhere, and when I opened a couple they were still wet, so I'll spread the ones I pick on newspaper on the mudroom floor. Can't wait to start crackin'. I have an almost "crack" addiction to shelling pecans. And it was quite a lucrative season last year.

Nathan stayed out of school almost the entire week. I sent him on Thursday because it was picture day and I didn't want him to miss the class picture. He did real well and I told him if he was feeling bad to let the teacher know. Well he took full advantage of that and I got the call around 10 that he was crying and coughing, so off AnnaBelle and I went to pick him up. We decided to make turkeys to hang in the windows on either side of the front door. It was a fun project and Nathan did so well cutting out the colorful turkey feathers from construction paper.

Miss Priss has been begging to get on the old computer we have. I have games on it for Nathan and she has seen him playing them and wants in on the action. I think she has about 15 screens open right now!

Yep, we need a magician or a magic wand to bade away all of the germs that are infesting Woodland right now. What we really need is a good freeze or better yet snow for a week!!!