One of our outings on the trip was to the Precious moments chapel. Kirk was gracious enough to take me, though wanted no one to know that he actually was there... this is the only picture I have of him to prove he was there... we were leaving the parking lot.
This is the way I found Samuel after his nap. Clothes all wrinkled and off kilter, 1 sock on the other sock half off and the hair.... what can I say about the hair?
I think he knew that he looked atrocious, as he would not sit still or look at me when I broke out the camera. He kept shaking his head and saying "na na na" (this means no, no, no)
Apparently he had himself a good sleep. His hair did not go down -- I combed it, I wet it down but it would not go back to normal until bath time when I washed it.
while in Branson, we took in a few of the sights.... the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile was there auditioning for new singers of their song... (too bad Samuel doesn't sing yet ha) Just couldn't resist taking the picture... not everyday you get to see a giant hotdog on wheels!
Today we decided to walk down to the water and enjoy the beautiful day. The water was so clear and blue. Very pretty, the weather was perfect (mid 80's) and there was a nice fall breeze in the air.
we skipped rocks. This was a lot of fun, I haven't done that in YEARS!
It is truely amazing how trees can grow just about anywhere. This tree was growing through nothing but rock.
What a miracle... it is God's ability to not only create life in a lifeless environment, but for that life to have strong roots and thrive.
As of this point he has no idea he will be staying with MA and PA while just Kirk and I travel. It did not seem to phase him in the least though when they picked him up. He did not even look back (broke my heart, but at least he was happy, I would have really been sad if he was sad too.) Off to Hollister, Missouri we go. The condo we stayed at was right on Table Rock Lake. (just outside of Branson) It was Beautiful there. This is the view from our balcony on the 4th floor. It was all screened in which we figured out why the next evening... Mosquitoes and spiders! (It felt just like home ha)
here are some pictures of the Dam and the river
We were hoping to see some fall color this time of year, but because it was still warm it looks like fall will be late and who knows if the leaves will change before falling off. Oh well, it was still just as pretty to be able to see TREES and the Ozarks.
I am sure that everyone out there knows someone who is affected by Autism. Whether it be a relative, a friend, or an acquaintance. Thanks to people who have public access and are able to utilize the tv and internet circuits (like Jenny McCarthy), we have all been able to see and hear about some of the trials of those dealing with autism. Here is a simple way to help out with research, just watch a short video. It was made in conjunction with the organization Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks created a music video of the Five for Fighting song, "World", which features images of autistic children and their families. The band is generously donating $0.49 to Autism Speaks for each time the video is viewed - the funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal. Five for Fighting
Please take a moment, it's only a minute or so, to watch this short little video
Just in case you are leary of this and are not sure that it is true, I did do the search on snopes as well as the five for fighting site. It is legit! Let's all try and help! Thanks
Well, I may not have won a prize, but I did get a treat...
Alright, here is the scoop. Several years ago, we held a garage sale to help raise some money for medical expenses for a friend of ours who's husband was diagnosed with Leukemia. This lovely duck was in the sale (no one knew who donated the duck, we had received many donations from various sources)
My friend Michelle was bound and determined to sell this duck. (Not sure why it was her mission, but it was) In fact everyone who came into the garage was shown the lovely duck, and was told how they needed it in their home. I specifically remember a poor, unsuspecting man who wandered in the garage. He asked us if we had any hunting stuff. Michelle jumped up and said no, but we have a lovely duck, that can be considered hunting stuff right?! Needless to say, after all of her hard work the answer was always the same... "No". Well, a couple of people ran to starbucks for a coffee run, Michelle just so happened to go as well. Perfect, now was my chance. I purchased the duck, for I had a plan for it. When Michelle came back, she was so excited to know that someone had actually purchased such a fine piece of ceramic. Boy, was she surprised when under the Christmas tree (at our annual Bunko Christmas party) there was a gift just for her. There it was, the duck with all it's ducklings full of Christmas chocolates, wanting to go home with Michelle. However, this little duck apparently did not want to stay with her as it showed up around valentines day full of candy just for me(I think it was valentines day?!) Now it is the travelling duck, it goes back and forth for all kinds of events throughout the year. You just never know when it might turn up. My treat was Halloween, only this time there was something different.... it had multiplied. Michelle and Brian had been out shopping on one of their day trips and ran across the smaller version of our favorite friend. Who would have ever guessed that there were 2 of these lovelys out there?!!
Thanks for the sweet surprise Michelle!!
You just never know where you might find things around our house. Samuel has decided he needs to rearrange things. He puts them in places that I would never imagine... I started finding things throughout the house and thought I should start taking pictures of my discoveries. Here are a few of the things I have found.
my kitchen towel was found in the trash can
My sandal was missing for almost a week. Imagine my surprise when I found it in the cupboard that Samuel is allowed to play in.
Baseball gloves anyone?
What a sad sight to see. We opened our garage door on Sunday morning before we headed to church and what did we see? Little orange flags all around the parameter of the lot directly behind us. We knew it was bound to happen, we just weren't expecting it yet. They are preparing to build 2 new models ~ one directly behind us and one right next door. We have enjoyed the openness for the past almost 2 years. They just built the fence a couple of months ago. That was a sad day as well for you see, just past the road on the other side of the fence is a pasture full of cows. We have a great view of them from the upstairs windows, but this great view will soon be obstructed (probably totally blocked) from the new house being built. So very, very sad!!!
Ethan and Savannah
Rod and Kelly 
