Overdue Updates (plus tons of pictures, of course!)

Wow, this semester has been by far my busiest! 

So far I've been up to my ears with teaching preschool (my practicum for my degree), normal class workloads, growing a baby, chasing a toddler, running a business, and editing fun stuff like this:

 It's been SO fun, but I am feeling SO busy! Whenever I have down time it's editing time, not tv or nap time like I'd like at this point :o)

 

I also just found out that the little lady in the last couple you see pictured will be singing in her graduation ceremony (convocation) and she's asked me to accompany her! I'm so excited! She sings like an angel and I can't wait to revamp an old piece that she and I traveled all over performing years ago. I really can't wait!

As for Mitch, he's READY to be back in school. We just registered for next semester. I have so appreciated him during this semester (his "off-semester" of the year...mine is April-July like a normal university schedule, but his is Sept-Dec of every year). He has been Mr. Mom and has taken care of me when I come home from school exhausted and sick. I am feeling much better now, but it has been a rough few weeks for all of us! 

Mitch had the chance (aka HUGE BLESSING) to work for AFP, Americans for Prosperity. It is a non-partisan group that made millions of calls all over the country (mostly swing states) before the election, informing people and reminding them to vote. He could work 1-40 hours per week, coming in whenever he wanted, which worked out perfectly with my schedule. In fact, after doing some math, we decided it was worth it during the 3 weeks the job lasted to have our sweet friend and neighbor, Juanee, watch Nathan for a few hours, a few days per week, so Mitch could be at work while I was at school. We were able to have him grab enough hours to get us through Christmas and January (until our grant money comes...always a guessing game when THAT will happen...), which we were getting worried about. They spoiled him when he was there. He called it the happiest call center he had ever seen! Free food and drinks whenever you're there, candy every hour, prizes for answering random questions, etc. He had several people very angry with him on the phone, cussing him out and worse. He is glad it's over, but it was very worth it while it lasted. 

 

Other than that, he keeps himself busy donating plasma, working evenings on campus, and going duck hunting whenever he can (he just walked in the door from hunting, actually!). 

I realized I never posted about Halloween, Nathan's birthday, and other fun things we've done! Poor Nathan has just kind of been caught up with whoever has time for him during our busy semester. We're both in school from January-April, so it'll be even busier then. 

 

But, it's made him great at playing on his own. He has never been independent at all, and the last thing I've wanted is a clingy 6 year-old who won't do anything on his own. So, our busy-ness has helped. All he does these days is play with his trains. He got several more Thomas figures and engines from his grandparents (and a few from us) for his birthday, which he's just in love with. 

 

Whenever we go down for a nap and we're taking him back to his room he says, "Nigh-night, Thomas! Nigh-night, Percy! Nigh-night, James! Nigh-night, Harold! Nigh-night, Henry!" (The list goes on!) He knows all of their names and loves watching Thomas and Friends. He doesn't get to watch as much as he'd like, but he has learned a lot from them. 

 

He'll eat carrots for the first time since baby food because one of the engine drivers grew carrots for a vegetable contest! Sweet! Grow green beans and peas next, please!! He has also learned what cymbals are has learned probably 25 new words from that show alone. I always recommend it to other mom friends; whenever one of those engines doesn't have a good intention or is selfish, their end result never works out and they have to be humbled. Kind of deep for a kids' show. I love it.

I haven't finished pictures of Nathan's birthday yet, but here are some of what we've been up to:

Halloween:

Nathan was Charlie Brown for Halloween, because his hair is still mostly invisible in pictures, being the same color as his skin!

There was a cute little family Halloween activity one night. My friend Amy and I went with our boys while our husbands were working. Nathan wasn't quite sure about the hay ride!

After the hay ride we tried to take pictures with the horses "ho-sees", because Nathan always likes pictures of them and can neigh like a horse. Turns out it was a little much...

Haha I find this hilarious...

Nathan and his best friend Burton, who was a monkey. They loved the cheap-o little dum dums that were being given out!

 This morning it snowed for the second time this season. We are lucky that this is all has fallen this year! Well, we are lucky, the farmers are not. Don't worry farmers, more is coming, I'm sure!

I fall in love with this kid every time he looks at me :o)

Goofy boy :o)

Then it was Toby the train's turn to look out the window!

 Like I said, we are never without our trains!

  We are getting super excited for Thanksgiving! This year, most of all, I wish I could be in three places at once. I want to be here, where my sister and her friends (all people I grew up with) are coming to our house and celebrating with us. It's going to be tons of fun! I also wish we were going to be in Wyoming with Mitch's family, and in Kansas with mine. Oh family, why are you so far away!? Oh, western US winters, why are you so deadly to travel through!? Thank goodness for Skype!