I just love this time of year!!!

All of my grandmother "Cookie's" great-grandkids. Well there are a couple missing from the picture. This is from our September/October birthday celebration at her house.

As you can already tell, I love Halloween. It is just a fun time. The kids are excited about going to Party City to pick out their costumes. We have already looked through a magazine and online. Steven has his picked out. Matthew is not quite sure yet. I am the type of person that LOVES scary movies and playing pranks. So it is just so much fun this time of year. On top of that Matthew's 5th birthday is coming up. I am doing a joint party for he and Kendall towards the end of October. We will do a little dinner on their actual birthday. I can't believe he is almost 5 and Kendall will be 2 in November. Where has the time gone?

I love party planning so doing a double party is just so cool. Well actually it will be a triple party. My cousin Rachel's little boy will be celebrating his 5th birthday as well. Throw in getting ready for Halloween, well I am in such a good mood. Halloween kicks off the holiday season. A time for family and friends and just being thankful to God for another year. WE have a lot to be thankful for this year. Brian is off treatment and officially cancer free!!! He had no ill side effects from the radiation. Thank you to everyone for your prayer and support. I have made some new friends this year and hope to continue on to strengthen those friendships.

Ending this post with some Kendall cuteness. She and her daddy and I had a tea party in her room right before bedtime. I had to grab the camera and get pictures of it. Her grandmothers will be so proud.

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7 YEARS!!

7 years ago today...

I was still living in the basement apartment at my mother-in-law's and it was just Steven and I. Steven was 18 months old at the time. I turned on the television and saw the first tower on fire. I was very confused because the station was on MTV. At first I was like what a strange video, then got to thinking wait a minute, this is MTV they don't play videos anymore. I continued watching the screen and saw the second plane hit the second tower.

My heart stopped. I was glued to the television. My heart ached for everyone inside. I tried changing the channel cause I couldn't handle it anymore but the footage was everywhere. All of a sudden the first tower fell and I broke down. I scooped Steven up and just held him tight. I couldn't believe it, that big huge building just fell and there were people inside. After the second tower fell I called Brian at work. I couldn't reach him the first dozen times I called. He finally called me back and said he wasn't in his office because he was in the lab watching what was happening. Then I could hear over the loud speaker of his work someone telling all the employees to go home and go home NOW!! You see he works right next to the Naval Air Station so I was panicing. He said he would be home shortly.

After he got home we sat and just watched the footage til we were both sick to our stomachs... the twin towers were now gone, the Pentagon had been hit and a plane had went down in a field in Pennsylvania. I was getting pissed by this point, there is not use sugar coating it. We ended up going over to Dana's house and just ended up spending the day with our friends. We called our loved ones up and told them we loved them. My heart still aches every time I see the footage.

I use this day as a time to reflect and remember those people who lost their lives that day 7 years ago and I will NEVER FORGET!! I hope you don't either. I am so proud of our men and women fighting for us. I am glad they are doing it too. I am proud of my brother Jeremy who is in the Marines. He missed his daughter's birth
and is missing out on seeing his kids daily just to be fighting for our country.

I am proud of my friend Britney, who is sacrificing the time she could be with her 3 year old son and new husband to be a Military Police Officer in the Army stationed in Afghanistan. She wanted to give her son a better life.

My cousin Tyler will be deployed on September 15, to Afghanistan and leaving his wife at home.

I have a friend who actually gave his life in a training accident outside of Afghanistan. He was so proud to be a member of the United States Navy. He always said he would be proud to give his life for his country. We thank you. Rest in Peace, Jason E. Lawson (9/24/80-3/12/02).I am proud of the families of these soldiers, of all the soldiers. I thank you.
I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!

There are so many more videos that I want to add, but it would just be easier to go to YouTube.

"Mommy I love my new school!!!"

Matthew started Pre-K at his new school today. He was soooo excited he couldn't stand it this morning. When I picked him up this afternoon. I asked him..

Me: Matthew how'd school go today?

Matthew: Good, they have a Potato Head and I played with it.

Me: That's neat, did you make any friends today?

Matthew: Yep!

Me: Do you know their names yet?

Matthew: Yep!

Me: Well, what are their names?

Matthew: Who?

Me: Your new friends that you made.

Matthew: I don't know

Conversations with a 4 year old are interesting to say the least.

It was a surreal feeling this morning to walk him to class and leave. I have been working at the same school as him since he was in the one year class. It wasn't hard t leave him at all, just very weird. It will just take getting used to.

Kendall enjoyed having the house all to herself today. She played so nice and quiet. It was a nice change.