More exciting news

I started to upload some very cute pictures yesterday, but was told I'm out of space.  Bummer.  Since I don't want to spend $2.50 a month for more space, I'm weighing my options.

For now, I wanted to share some big news.  Phil (Nate's brother) and Bridgett found out on Tuesday that they get to adopt an eighteen month old girl named Kristin.  I believe she's been in the same foster home for her entire life and it sounds like it's been a good one.  Phil and Bridgett will go to Hermiston next Thursday (the 6th) to meet her and begin the process of bonding.  They will be there as long as it takes to get her ready to leave her foster parents.  Even as I type this and as excited as I am, the thought of her being taken out of the only family she knows breaks my heart.

The biological father is fighting for custody, but is mentally handicapped, so it seems unlikely he'll get it.  Phil and Bridgett have agreed to continue to take Kristin to visit him, and they hope eventually the foster parents will want to see her again.  (Right now the foster parents think it would be too confusing for Kristin.  Obviously it would be at first, but not forever.)

If you would please pray for all involved, it would be very much appreciated.  There are bound to be some very tough times ahead, but Phil and Bridgett are THRILLED to finally be parents and if anyone is cut out for this type of situation, it's those two.

I'll post pictures of her as soon as I can.  She's very cute!

Big, big news

The other day at breakfast, while our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes were still on the table, Judson said he was going to put his binkies in them.  I started to say he couldn't, but then caught myself.  We'd mentioned a few times lately that it was about time for him to be done with them, but hadn't made any real plans to deal with them.

So I told him I thought it was a great idea to send them to kids who didn't have any and that was pretty much that.  He didn't ever put up much of a fuss about being done.  A couple of times, he'd say things like, "With binky, I can sleep.  Without binky, I can't sleep."  And once he said, "I want my binky."  I said, "What?" and he said, "I DON'T want my binky."  :)  He's been so brave and it hasn't really affected his sleep too much.

He has been chewing on his fingers during stories lately, which I've been discouraging.  Interestingly, he hasn't shown much interest in his little blanket bears, which he HAD to have with his binkies.  Maybe it's too painful to have one without the other.  :)

We are so proud of him, but I'm a little sad, too.  I sucked my thumb for FOREVER (fourth grade, I think, but only at night, so no one knew except for my family), so I understand having to give up such a comfort is hard.  What a big boy!  Now, if only potty training will be so easy...

These were taken two days after he stopped using his binkies.  I wanted photo documentation before we dropped off our boxes.  And, NO, I did not actually send his binkies away in the boxes.  In case you were wondering.  :)

Harvest Carnival

I meant to write this weeks ago (what's new?), but just wanted to quickly mention the Harvest Carnival we went to on Halloween, in case someone around here hasn't heard of it and wants to do something REALLY fun next year.  :)

It's put on by Calvary Chapel Corvallis and is held at the fairgrounds.  Everything is completely free, including all sorts of food - hotdogs, popcorn, ears of corn, churros, and I don't know what else.  (We didn't eat anything.  We were meeting Josh and Crystal Nelson there and ended up being a lot later than planned,due to Nate being needed at work.  Then it took Judson awhile to warm up.  Understandably so.  It was pretty crazy by the time we got there.)

Anyway, it was HUGE and so much fun.  Three different bounce houses for different ages, tons of game booths (with plenty of candy and little toys), a large petting zoo, hayrides and rides on an old firetruck around the fairgrounds (it was pouring, so I'm not sure they really did that part this year), and plenty of other things we didn't have time to check out in our brief time there.  So fun.  And what a great outreach to the community!

We'll definitely go back next year, right at four when it opens.  Crystal said it's pretty quiet for awhile.  

The biggest of the bounce houses

Frizzy hair, courtesy of the rain

They're ba-ack...

...and someone isn't as happy as I am about it.  But she started pulling out her little clips and I am bound and determined to grow out her bangs.  She mostly just hates having to hold still for a minute.  She'll get used to it.  :)

**She also really wants my big camera, so there is often crying when I pull it out and won't give it to her.

Mount Hood Railroad

A number of months ago, I got a deal on a family four-pack of tickets on the Mt. Hood Railroad ($30 for four).  It sounded like a fun fall outing, and I knew Judson would LOVE it.  About a month ago, we invited my parents along and had a terrific day.  The train left at ten and got back to the station at three, so it quite the excursion.  We stopped at a pear processing plant, and then we had a longer stop in Parkdale, where we enjoyed a picnic lunch.  Mt. Hood wasn't really visible, but that was okay.

Both kids crashed as soon as we got back on the train, and I was quite jealous that I didn't have either of them snuggling with me.

Cooper loved not being strapped in!

He's almost as big as she is!

Enjoying lunch out of the rain

The most fascinating part of the day was when the train passed this abandoned mill in the middle of nowhere.  The parking area was filled with all sorts of old RVs, camper vans, tents, and VERY interesting people, many who were dressed in tiger prints, neons, tails, and so on.  There was a "Deepurr" sign up and I looked it up when we got home.  It was called an all-night concert, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the only thing going on up there.  Hmm.  When the train passed on the way back to the station, the whole area was already packed up.  Impressive.

...and another one.

We drove past a stable today and saw a child on a horse walking away from us, with adults on both sides.  Judson said, "I think I saw Mary and Joseph."

For the quote book

This morning we went shopping for items for our shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  It started out really fun and ended not quite as positively, but I am still so excited about this opportunity to teach Judson about giving to others.  Most of the other giving we do as a family right now isn't as tangible for him.  I need to work on that.  Anyway, I digress.

While in the candy aisle at the store, I asked Judson if saw any Smarties.  He replied, "I see a lot of choking hazards."  Totally cracked me (and someone else within earshot) up!

P.S. I'm glad Nate has big feet so our shoeboxes are huge.  :)

Lee Farms pumpkin patch

The Willamette Valley sure knows how to create the perfect pumpkin patch experience!  There are so many FUN farms around here to visit.  Sadly, we only visited one this year.  October turned out to be pretty rainy and was over before I knew what happened.  Oh, well.  There's always next year.

A month ago, Jessica invited us to join her and her daycare kids on a field trip to Lee Farms pumpkin patch in Tualatin (about forty minutes away).  We had a little tour of the farm, got to learn how apple cider is made with an old press (I was tempted to tell them we once made 150 gallons in a day with a press like theirs...I think they would've been impressed :), drink apple cider, learn about different varieties of pumpkins, visit a number of animals (including brand new calves and piglets), pick out pumpkins, and go on a hayride.  It was a gorgeous day and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Notice the goat up high...

Miniature hay maze for little kids...with a big slide at the end

Someday I'll get a good picture of these two together!

Look at that form!  :)

Judson and Logan tandem jumping

 We finished our fun day with a picnic at a random park in Wilsonville (found by my GPS).  The best part was dessert - pumpkin donuts from the farm.  :)

Love, love, LOVE this seat!  It's covered in peanut butter in this picture, but very easily wipes clean.  I got it toward the end of the summer for our trip to Colorado, and it has definitely already paid for itself!  (We have so many picnics at the park on sunny days!)  It folds competely flat, screws on most tables, and CONTAINS BUSY BABIES.  :)  It's called the Inglesina Fast Table Chair (newest version), if you're interested.

Enjoying the sunshine and donut...