A Few Images From Our Week:

Just in case anyone was worried, Doug HAS gotten a new Halloween costume in time for the big day. He wound up picking it out himself. No, I did not take him shopping. But, over the weekend, his Texas grandparents were visiting and on the way home from church Sunday afternoon, we decided on a whim to head to Branson. Yea Yea, the girls and I spent several hours shopping at the Branson Landing (a wonderful, scenic outdoor mall along the banks of a river that feeds into Lake Tanneycomo). Doug, his Dad, and his grandpa went their own way. Doug was dying to go to the Disney store, so that was their first (and only) stop. The rest of the time they just sat at a table outside the fudge shop nibbling on candied apples! The first time we passed their resting spot, Doug begged me to let him show me "something" he had found at the Disney store. We whizzed in. He led me straight to the Power Rangers (size 10) costume and noting the 40% off sign, I scooped it up and bought it. We were in and out in about sixty seconds flat. No trauma! No drama!



These are the beautiful roses Grant gave me first thing the morning of my 46th birthday!


Today Miss Rayna informed me she had made me a "birthday card". Actually, it was a picture folded down the middle that had nothing at all to do with anyone's birthday! I was quite impressed, though! I think my six year old has a future in comics strips! I love all the dialogue she fit into her picture! (In case you can't read it in this photo, there is a picture of a mom, a dad, Rayna, and a small dog with pointy ears. The words read, "Thak you Mom for giting uss a puppy!!!!!!" Then there is the label "Dad" over the lone male in the picture and he is exclaiming, "STOP Rayna!" and above the small girl (with the very large head and much more hair than the rest of us) are the words, "OO my gosh Mom a puppy mom" I love it!


And I have NO IDEA what they have been doing to my oldest daughter this year during the school day...every single day this week, she has come home and collapsed in the living room and SLEPT SOUNDLY. This the child who, to function at maximum efficiency, required (WANTED) only about 4 hours of sleep out of every 24 hour period from the age of 8.5 months until shortly past her 13th birthday. Some switch flipped in her brain when she turned 13 and she turned into a nap-monger! Now she's catching up on all that sleep she disdainfully forsook her first 13 years, I guess!

Today the kids all had "early out" and we were home by 1:15. Her KC, MO grandparents were here visiting for a few minutes, but, the moment they left, Darcy went comatose. I can tell she is SOUND asleep, because her eyes are partly open. When she is faking it or just beginning to drift off, they are closed. When she hits deep sleep, though, they always open just a tad. That was a bit disconcerting when she was a baby, but I'm used to it now!


And, I just have to reprint here the first few sentences of my little sister's blog entry for today:

Annika is now the proud owner of a completely closed abdomen. Muscles and everything!

I gave Dr. Superina a big smile and said, "All done!"

And he grimaced a little and said, "Well. Let's hope."

Clearly, you can see why Jörg and I adore him.