Dark Fashion

Do you think my husband is distracted? Last week he showed up for a day-long business meeting (a number of hours away) dressed like this. He discovered his mistake when he got out of the car. At the end of the day the owner (a woman) of the building project looked down at his shoes and asked, "Did you do that on purpose? A fashion statement?" Brad said, "I hoped no one would notice." The owner replied, "It was the first thing I saw when I met you this morning." This sort of thing happens when you dress in the dark trying not to wake any of the kids up before you leave for work. Oh dear. So funny.

Some Slices of October

Fun in the leaves with our neighbor girl, Melissa...

Creative music makers...

Daddy-Daughter Time

Thanks, Atticus...oh well, Thea's sneezing anyway...but Brad is a cutie

Thea naps wherever...

Yep -- more angst

Haircuts & Attitudes

Aunt Bekah comes to visit and love on her nephews & niece

Outfit from Great-Grandma Trellis, Great Aunt Caryl

Shoes from our neighbors the Deems

The ladybug costume my mom lovingly made Thea Belle!

A Weekend with Lincoln & His Princess

Brad's mom and dad took Atticus & Dietrich for a three-day weekend! Because of Brad's "scheduled procedure" we thought it might be a good idea to lessen the chaos for a few days. The boys had so much fun with their grandparents and cousin Max -- bike rides, the park, a place like Chuck E. Cheese, an apple orchard, and such. And Brad & I had such a relaxing weekend with the two little kids -- truly felt like a vacation. Thank you, Nancy & Tom!! And Brad is doing great -- he says, "No big deal." -- What a stud.

Super-Duper Cape-scapade

So in my on-going attempts to get Lincoln included in his older brothers' play, I decided Lincoln needed a super cape like the ones my mom made for Atticus and Dietrich last year. Super heroes are a popular theme for them, so...the capes get used quite a bit.  I spent a week of cramming some sewing time into the crevices of our life, and voila -- a "Lincoln Super Cape". Great, right? Look at the reaction...oh, my...so sad...I haven't tried introducing it since the day I gave it to him, I'm sure he'll like it later...But too funny.

Truth! Beauty! Goodness!

These are the photos from Thea Belle's announcements. Just in case someone doesn't know what her name means -- Thea is short for the Greek name Alethea meaning "Truth". Belle is French for "Beauty". Adelai (rhymes with Adonai -- the Lord's name) is German for "Noble & Kind" or "Using your nobility for the good of others" which we translate as "Goodness". Our family motto is "Truth, Beauty, Goodness". The definition of "motto" is "a short saying expressing the guiding maxim or ideal of a family, organization, etc., esp when part of a coat of arms". This particular maxim has a strong tradition in historic Christianity. I believe much of who God is and what He requires of us in His Word can be brought under these three principles. We want our children to desire and pursue 
Truth (as God has revealed in His creation, in Christ, and in His written Word), 
Beauty (found in God Himself, found in the world He has created and given to us) & 
Goodness (also as defined by God in his Word -- personal holiness as well as doing good towards others). Amen.

This is the dress I made over the summer from a super-soft pillow case. (The best set of sheets I have ever owned -- a wedding gift from Thom & Teresa Shelow -- thank you! -- that sadly 'died' as sheets but have been re-born as clothing (-:)

Dressing Thea