Pumpkins, Parties, & Packing

We made our trip to Mainstay Farms last weekend for a visit to their pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful day a little warm for what I like October to feel like, but still great Fall Texas weather. We trekked around the farm pushing the little boys in their double stroller, took a hayride pulled by a really cool tractor, walked through 2 out of 3 mazes, and played up,down,under, and around their 3 story tree house. My personal favorite, besides picking out the pumpkins, was the 100 foot slide "The SuperChute". Tru and I rode down this bumpy black slide on itchy burlap sacks and had a BLAST! Tru had his face painted and we munched on a harvest trail mix while we waited with the twins. It was the best day!

Then yesterday we celebrated the twins first birthday...one year! It is amazing that a whole year has past since they were born. I think about what we were doing this time last year and the fact that it involved very little sleep. I vividly remember our first night with the twins,it was a little rough. Thankfully, we adapted quickly as did they and now they sleep beautifully and have since about 3 months old. What a difference a year makes. So we had few people over for pizza and cake Friday night. The little boys loved it. We served their pieces of cake straight on their highchair tray and let them eat it with their hands. So cute and very messy, but mostly cute. Liam dug in. He didn't hesitate at all. Levi actually waited until after we finished the birthday song to try his piece and put his face in his cake a couple times. Did I mention how cute it was? Blue and green frosting was all over them. So much so that the bath water was a lovely shade of aqua green. All in all it was a nice first birthday I'll post pictures later this week.

And in the middle of pumpkin patches and birthdays we're packing and getting ready to move back to our hometown at the end of this month. We worked our tails off today packing and moving things into the garage so that loading will be quick and easy. We moved here to help with starting a church a couple of years ago. It's an awesome church with a great church family and passionate Pastors who live what they preach. We were privileged to serve at The Way Church and we have met so many awesome people while we were here. Even though we are sad to leave J and I know that our time serving here is up and we're looking forward to the next chapter in our lives. We have family and friends in our hometown and we're excited about going to our church there. The whole process of moving isn't fun. I just try to focus on the "after" the move stuff. I like unpacking and getting settled and with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner it will make this season back "home" even more fun and special.

Mercy Come Morning Book Review

I finally finished Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It was previously released as Christmas Every Morning. The story is about Krista Mueller a college history professor who has made a life for herself far from everyone who loves her. But when Krista recieves news that her mother, who has been battling alszheimers for many years, is in her final days she rushes back to her hometown in New Mexico. Upon arriving Krista is faced with old feelings of bitterness and unforgiveness for her mother who is quickly fading. Krista is also met with the possiblity of rekindling her first love for an old friend, Dane McConnell, who has been caring for Krista's mother. She begins to sort through her mother's past as well as her own and in the process sets things in motion for healing for the relationships in her life...
There is a bit of mystery that pulls you into the story as Krista searches through her mothers letters seaking out answers from the past. I liked how Lisa Tawn Bergren mixed the present and the past together with such ease. She tells a story of how important it is to forgive and not let bitterness steal away time, just how Alzheimers steals away the time and memories of the people who are afflicted with it. The characters in the story were genuine. I did have a hard time liking the main character, Krista, until a little later on the book when things begin to unfold. All in all it was a good read.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.