Pipsqueak Surprises Us All

 

All it takes for the exhaustion to set in is to close your eyes for a second...

Can we just take a moment to enjoy that double chin?!

Mama #2 made the adorable going home outfit and Mama #1 brought a bow- JUST IN CASE.

Everyone thought Pipsqueak was a boy.  I said I was on 'team girl' only because no one else seemed to be (except the great grandmas) but in my heart, I really thought it was a boy.

I thought Pipsqueak would be teeny tiny- because Corynn seemed to barely gain weight and her belly seemed so small her entire pregnancy.

But early on November 2nd, Pipsqueak came into the world, surprising the world with her own little perfect self.  A head full of dark hair, jack rabbit feet and a rather impressive double chin.

9lbs and 6oz of MERCY and GRACE and STRENGTH and LEGACY and BLESSING and GIFT.  

Naomi Elisheva, a name that means delightful blessing from the Lord.

And that she is.

Halloweening

 Happy Halloween from Teddy Roosevelt, his pet zebra (yes!  He really had one!) and his prize hunting mounts...

I've been told by my middle son that this may be Judah's last year dressing up.  

Which means he is becoming a boring old person.  ;-)

Regardless of what happens next year, I am glad that he was a good sport this year.  Our theme wouldn't have worked without him.

He nailed Roosevelt too, didn't he?!

If Teddy looks a bit quizzical here, it is because he was being blinded by prescription glasses from Salvation Army whose lenses I could not pop out with breaking them.  

Ah... but wait!  He sees something!!!

His ferocious kill:

Moses didn't really understand that he was a wall mount and not actually a living, hissing, ferocious cheetah.

Apparently, I didn't understand either.  Pretty sure wall mounts don't smile...

I didn't have to spend more than $2.00 on glasses for Judah.   I *did* spend more than that because I bought felt and brown paint on Friday because I was uptown and couldn't remember what colors I had at home.  (And yes, I had them already,  sooooo.... that was frustrating.)

Oh- and I bought black hairspray for Ineke.

But I didn't sew a single thing and the grand total was less than a fancy coffee.

  Easiest year ever!!!

In my opinion, the age old debate about Christians celebrating Halloween or trick-or-treating doesn't apply to us at all. 

Because this is what Halloween looks like for us...

Visiting and bringing joy and laughter to a handful of special "old people" living nearby is just about where it's at.  

ORANGE you glad?

I am not perfect at it, but I'm doing my best at keeping these blog posts coming. 

For the last week, I have been Frankensteins' monster, with staples in my head- and yesterday I made meals for people, delivered them hither and yon, got my staples removed (a monster, no more!) and then whisked home to make Glupper for a crowd.  It was too busy to blog- but not because I was busy holding a new grandbaby.

Pipsqueak is hanging on and so shall I, as best I can.

But today, too, there is very little time!

Costumes to make!  Pumpkins to carve!  Chili to cook!  Nacho Cheese Bugles to eat!  

There is much to be done...

With zero inspiration and even less time, in honor of Halloween, I gathered some ORANGE things in my life.

From the last bit of butternut squash soup, to picnicking with the moon on our last night of eating on the porch, to a sunset Adele' admired, to the epiphany of using crunched up lasagna instead of spaghetti noodles in chicken soup, to the oodles and oodles of BEAUTIFUL tomatoes, to Judah's first deer (!!) to saying goodbye to our monarch friend... 

orange you glad I posted?!  ;-)