Tashaness--Princess Party!!!!!

My Tasha. My Twin. One of my best friends since we were 5. She came on Thanksgiving break to visit! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The fun! 

While she was here we were able to have our PRINCESS PARTY! 

All of us "big princesses" doing it for our "little princesses!!"

Tammy, Katie, Tina, Emily, Abby, Candice, and Tasha made this party fantastic with the help of all the mommies and daddies-- and our PRINCESSES looked darling!!!

Tasha and Katie, who bring so much happiness into my life in GA and MO, hit it off right away! FUN!!

17 little princesses!

With a teeny-tiny Snow White Hallie Girl. What a little doll she is!!

Why can't we dress like this every day?! It's such fun!!

Sleeping Beauty and Esmeralda-- and make sure to notice McKenna's face!!

Never too old to sing and dance!

"Be our GUEST!!"

MY Princess! <3

Disney Sing-A-Long= SO MUCH FUN!

Aren't these fairies just the prettiest in the world? Such blessings to my life and sooooo many others!

A party full of incredible memories, a million giggles, sweet music and hugs, and pretty, precious girlies!

Sunday night supper with my Concordia family. Glad that Tasha got to be here on a Sunday and meet my family here. I love the bond that we share because of Duluth. Growing up there for our "whole lives" is something that I will always cherish. And being here now... *Happy sigh* yeah, I cherish that, too. I love our Sunday nights together. I love Sundaya in general... Bible class with my kiddos, worship to our KING, lunch and afternoon with my Leonards and other Higginsville friends, evening worship, and then supper as a congregation. 

LOVE to start my week this way!!

Tasha is totally awesome. I'm so glad that she was out here. We had some busy times, some homework time, and some amazing talking times. We have a lonnnnnnng history. A very good one. Life without the gang, without Duluth, without our parents, our pets, our hobbies, our singings, our trees... life just wouldn't be as grand. It's wonderful to re-connect. To remember such incredibly good times. We enjoyed some rainy days at home, some movies and singing and cooking, and Tas reading to me! :) 

My kiddos are getting used to going to and from the airport, so any friends who wanna come visit, get to meet the best people in the world, enjoy the darkness and stars at night, the flat, wide land during the day, the awesome hills around my house, and my sweethearts, then COME ON to MO!! :)

 

Sooooooooooo not ready for my Asha to go home... But looking forward to going home to GA and seeing her and bunches of friends there again soon. Best of all, our friendship will last forever-- for all eternity! 

Love you, Asha!

Peacefulness and my little angel!

 

Thursday are just amazing.

From the first moment of the day, just knowing that it's FAMILY FUN NIGHT makes everything go wonderfully and feel happy inside! 

On this Thursdays we headed to Aunt Debbie's... the day had been beautiful, I kept meaning for us to get outside to play... but we were busy with this and that and didn't get to it.

 

Until now. Carter was asleep. And I was telling McKenna about the 70 acres... and she wanted to see it. So we went to the little tree-house. It was such fun.

 

Just me. And this little angel. This blue-eyed princess. This sunshine-maker. My sweetheart.

To hear her giggle when she swung-- and she wasn't afraid to go high, I can tell you that! My brave girl.

She giggled and giggled. Talked, enjoyed the "little things" and kept asking if we could have "just a few more minutes."

I wasn't about to leave. Not until she was ready to. The one-on-one time with her was absolutely precious. The love that she brings to my life is beautiful. It makes me a better person. She pushes me to try harder to live for God and love every minute. To truly be thankful for life. 

We climbed, told stories, watched the sunset, talked about our sweet family we would be able to spend time with for the evening, sang songs...

And took pictures of the prettiness around us. She loves to take pictures. She loves to be outside and watch things grow. She reminds me so much of Aunt Shauna. More every day.

What an awesome time with my Kenna Girl. So thankful to know her. We're looking forward to being home with Mom in Heaven! <3 Until then,  

Live, Laugh, and LOVE! 

The week of incredible Christina-time!

Lookie! Lookie! At who's in my house!!! It's the one and only 

Christina MaryKatherine McAfee! =) =) =)

My sweet sisters (notice their awesome hoodies!?) enjoying time together. Not only was it great for me getting to have Christina here with me, but I loved, loved, loved getting to see her out here with the people who make my world go 'round! 

What a blessing!

My kiddos loved Christina. We'd already Skyped and talked on the phone and looked at pictures, so they "knew" her. McKenna asked me if she were coming to live here like I do. We would have loved to keep her that long! :) We had Candice come with us to Darren's for 2 days in a row, and we had a BLAST! We cooked, cleaned, did school, played, read books... we "LIVED"!! And it was fantastic!!

On Friday afternoon we went into the 70 acres, climbed up in a treehouse, and continued to read. It was one of the highlights of C's visit~ This girl time, reading good books, knitting, laughing, enjoying the pretty weather. We are homeschoolers for sure!

"Time together is just never quite enough..." 

How does the time fly by so quickly?! 

We were already towards the weekend!

But, we couldn't help but want the weekend to come, because we had plans. BIG plans. Oh. yeah, baby! We went on a girl (and Carter) road trip! ~FUN~FUN~ We all spent the night at Aunt Debbie's, then up early, and towards St. Louis we went with my kiddos and my sisters, the music going, the car full of happy smiles, and many snacks...

Before going to the Arch, which was the reason we were going to St. Louis, we stopped to see the Rutherfords. It was wonderful to be with them again. We enjoyed a couple hours of visiting with them, being out of the car, the kiddos getting to play with Hannah, and a great lunch. 

Christian friends... nothing beats that!

Christina LOVES tall monuments. This is certainly a tall monument! And it was AWESOME! Walking through the park towards it was one of my favorite parts. It reminded me so much of being in DC, which is one of mine and Christina's favorite places. (Doesn't she have SUCH a cutie patotie smile?!)

My incredible traveling companions!! We walked down to the river, we walked all around the Arch... we even went to Illinois! I would go anywhere with these dear girls and Carter!

They are some of my best friends. Some of the people who help me most in life to stay living for God. Some of the sweetest, craziest, funniest people I know!

Inside the "egg"-- the tiny little car to get up to the top of the Arch. What FUN we had during the 8 minutes we were in there... Singing, laughing, watching out the window, and yes. Screaming. For the fun of it. Not because we were scared. McKenna told me at first that she would not go up into the arch because she would be too scared. Well, she went, she loved it, and she wasn't scared. Get up and try new things. If a 5-year-old can, so can you. She pushes me on every day to be the best I can be, I can promise you that!

My Missouri Sisters! All three of us call Missouri HOME. I loved getting to go the the Arch for the first time while Missouri is MY state. This is a dream-come-true. But the best part about this... is that our "dream come true" is Heaven. And the three of us girls are working towards that together, while we call the same place on earth home as well. THAT is the biggest blessing, the best present, the happiest thought about any friends or family I know. When we are Christians and headed towards HOME!

My sweethearts made my day. This was the farthest I've been away from home with them, just me. And it went really well. We learned a lot that day. We laughed a lot. We cuddled. Hearing Carter's voice while I was driving home saying, "Kara, I just want to cuddle with you." ~Sweeeetness itself.~And thankfully, holding his hand was enough since I couldn't do anything more than that while driving...

My ChrisTina. She is just amazing. It was great to have here her. To remember what I LOOOOVE about her. And a few things I don't-- when it come to tickling! hee hee Notice her nice Arch shirt? I loved everything we did. Going out places, being with friends, we had two nights of a gospel meeting, Bible class, Family Fun Night, a homeschool gtg, road trip, worship, luncheon... we were busy!

And I loved that she was able to be with friends she already knew and meet some more! The people at my congregations are what make this place outstanding!!!

Christina had a fun time takin' cool pictures while we were rockin' out to Celine Dion and Spirit in my car! I laugh so much when I have Christina around. She knows me so well. She gets all our jokes. Sisters forever! 

We mentioned it was deer season... Christina told me to take a picture of her with the deer that Darren got while we were in St. Louis. I told you. This girl makes me smile!! 

I wasn't ready to send her home on Monday... especially because she plays the piano so beautifully and I LOVE hearing it in person and not over the phone... But... I am SO very thankful that she was able to come. We all loved it. We're counting down until she come backs... and anyone else who wants to come, 

BRING IT! =)

This and That...

What a lovely time of year this has been! We've been able to get outside often to enjoy it... especially those piles of leaves ALL over the yard!

Carter runs straight through them. It's hilarious! He's so short, they're so tall. He just disappears for a minute and then come out laughing on the other side. Must be an interesting time in those leaves. TOO cute and funny. I have to giggle at him every time. And then build the leaves back up so that he can do it again!!

Soccer is over for this fall. It was such a fun time. Our little team got better every week. They were adorable to watch. Loved that we had friends on the team to play with and hang out with afterward. Loved the time outside in the sunshine... and sometime pretty cold!

For Kenna's last game a lot of the family came to cheer- it was such fun. It was COLD that day. But warm on the inside. The parents and grandparents and friends make a "tunnel" at the end of each game for our kiddos to run through as we cheer for them and tell them "good game." That last game there were HEAPS of people, so we had a LONG tunnel. The kids went through it 3 times. They were so happy. :) The little things. Really. Are so important.

A time that was not such fun was the doctor visit for my little kitty cat and super girl. Time for shots... But. We made it through, we won't have to go for a long time again, and hey. Those were some pretty cool band-aids!

McKenna took 4 shots with only a sharp intake of breath and "Okkkk. That one hurt," on the last one. She was AMAZING!

This is deer season. Something that I've known about because of my Leonards for a long time... but since I've never lived with hunters before, I'd never paid much attention. Welcome to living in the country and having lots more guys in my life! =) Obviously McKenna has it, too... and here she is being a big buck! I told Darren that I think I got the biggest one-- and I didn't even have to shoot! Look at those antlers!

LOVE this picture~Taken by my sweet Can-Can. It cracks me up every time I look at it. Little Man was drinking some hot chocolate, a favorite with both my kiddos and myself. It spilled ALL over him, so we took his clothes off... and then he kept right on drinkin'! Yummmm! "But. NO. Pictures!" hee hee hee

My Abby Girl. We were able to share 11:11 pm on 11/11/11 together! It was a special night! We've been 11/11 buddies for years... our whole friendship! It was a good time. So thankful for Christian sisters!

~Autumn~

 This time of year is one of my very favorites.

Love how every day it looks different around us. I love the range of colors. The brilliantness of the dry fields and the red trees.

 The glorious sunshine through the trees as they lose their leaves.

 You can't just LOOK... you have to PLAY, too! =)

 You have to get out and enjoy the sunshine, the cripsness, the feeling of just being alive in this lovely world!

 How can anyone look at THAT and think there is no God? 

"HE shines through all that's fair!"

 Take time to look up, to play in the leaves, to be still. 

To LOVE.

 To examine life. Your life. Are you living for God? Am I? Is there anything else I can do to show GOD to all the lost around me? A lesson I heard just recently quoted a movie, but said to look at it in a spiritual way:

"I see dead people..." The lost. "They don't know they're dead." They need to be taught. "Someone has to tell them." If we, as the church, don't tell them, who will?

This time of year makes me think of my Reynolds, my Missouri, my Stacy... I am so blessed to be able to call this place HOME now-- to be in my MO, with my Stacy... and so many others. No matter what's going on in life, nothing is more important than being right with GOD and living every moment for HIM. 

"Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness!!"