The Pumpkin Patch

Have I mentioned lately how amazing my hubby is? He has been working crazy-hard this week. He's working two part time jobs right now until he can find something better, but with the crummy economy, there's no telling how long that will take. I miss him while he's gone, but I'm in awe of his dedication to providing for us. I am so glad that I get to spend life with my friend, that we get to share life's experiences together, and that we can raise a family together. Through all of the ups & downs of life, I have found such comfort in the knowledge that I have a friend by my side for the journey.

Since our schedules have been a little askew and we were feigning for some family time, we checked Drew out of school early on Wednesday and went to Tate Farms. We had SO much fun! We played in the cotton and the corn, pet the farm animals, and took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. With the perfect fall weather & my boys at my side, it was the perfect day!

Ups and Downs

What a week!!

Sean's brother went out of town, so we got to watch his little baby puppies for him. They are so adorable, and even Sean who "hates little dogs" played and cuddled with them.

Sean and Drew had a fun boys-only day. They met a bunch of Sean's friends from work and rode four wheelers all day in Paint Rock. They rode to a waterfall and then followed a trail up a mountain where they both said the view was amazing. I'm so glad that Sean takes time out of his crazy schedule to just be with Drew. He is such a great Dad!

I went to the doctor this week. Madison is doing great and my glucose test was fine, but I'm a little anemic, so I'll have to try and choke down a few more pills each night. Only ten more weeks to go though!!

Despite the pleasant start to our week, it ended rather terribly. Sean was laid-off from his job. They laid-off a bunch of people, demoted a bunch of people (including Sean's boss), and completely closed a division that they had just recently started all due to the "poor economy." It really stinks...Sean really liked working there and then there's the whole absence of insurance and income with bills to pay and a baby on the way. Oddly I haven't completely freaked out yet though. Sean is such a hard worker and has always found a way to provide for us, so I have no doubt that he will continue to do his best to take care of us. Sean has such a positive attitude about life in general. He has been through such heartache and experienced such a great deal of loss, yet he believes that everything happens for a reason and is able to find the best in each situation. He simply called me to explain what had happened as he was on his way to the VBC to start working his second (well only job now)...no fussing or pouting or cursing of the economy, just the facts and an optimistic attitude. Life is so random, but at least I know that no matter what happens or what trials come our way, I will always have what matters most to me...my family.

Blog Hopping

I was doing a little blog hopping last night and found this HILARIOUS blog
http://itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/
I must warn you, it is not for children [Sarah Beth], the modest, nor the squeamish, but I thought it was great. It is written by an L&D nurse who shares stories about all of the crazy patients she sees each day. If you like reality TV, baby-daddy drama, and a little gore, you should check it out.

The Color Pink

A few friends, family, and co-workers have asked if I was registered anywhere for the new baby girl. I hadn't thought much about it until my amazing visiting teacher and some dear friends decided to throw us a baby shower. I am so exited! We loaned a lot of our baby things to friends and never got them back, and we have blue clothes galore but nothing girly, so I am SO EXCITED to start getting things ready for our little girl. I must admit... I was in a bit of denial. I kept telling myself we'd buy some diapers and a few dresses and call it good, but as I was registering, I realized how many things we really need. So thank goodness for amazing friends and online registries. Here's the link...be prepared for intense amounts of pinkness, lace, & flowers :)

http://www.target.com/registry/baby/014399700195998

Fall Break

This week was fall break. YAY! It really wasn't that much of a break...we still had work and for some reason, there seem to be more chores, more laundry, and more dishes during "breaks," but we still fit a few fun adventures into our week.

I drive to Athens once a week to get the information that I need to make marketing reports online, and while we were there, we stopped to play at a kids park. For such a small town, it was really a beautiful park, and we had a great time running around and playing on the castles and swings.

On Sean's day off, we drove to Atlanta. Sean hasn't had a day off in a couple of weeks, and we hadn't seen his brother in a few months, so we decided on a whim to head that way. The leaves had just begun to change colors, so the drive through Chattanooga was beautiful as the bursts of color welcomed us into the mountains of Tennessee. In Atlanta we went to the aquarium, Olympic park, Lenox Square Mall, and then met Sean's brother and our sister-in-law for dinner. We always enjoy spending time with them and wish we could see them more often! I'm so thankful for Sean's family (his grandparents, his brothers & S-I-L). They have truly embraced me as a part of their family and have taught me how to love unconditionally, to be a friend, and to give more freely of myself. It's amazing how we can spend our entire lives with our siblings, but are able to find the same love and compassion for a family we simply marry into. Maybe it's just all of the things we've experienced together in such a short time that has brought us so close; but even so, I feel blessed to be part of the Glouner clan.

So this week wasn't full of lazy days in PJs like I had planned, but we were given the opportunity to spend time together and the ability to recognize the strength and comfort that comes from the gift of family and friendship.

Festivals, Playgrounds, and Waffles

It seems like the days are just blowing by. We have SO much to do to get ready for Miss Madison (convert the office into a nursery, set up the crib, buy all of the baby necessities.) I have really been putting it all off; I just need a bit more time and a lot more energy. Despite the long baby-to-do-list, we have had an amazing week! We went to Drew's fall festival at school. The games were kind of cheesy, but Drew won a prize at mini golf, made a valiant attempt at knocking the teacher into the bucket of water, and used all of our spare change to vote on his class's pumpkin.

After the festival, Drew came with me and we worked a few hours at the Big Spring Jam. Sean worked the WZYP stage this year and worked 96 hours in five days. He was exhausted but had a lot of fun, and we enjoyed going for a few hours on Saturday to walk around and have some dinner with him.

The rest of the week was filled with the normal routine until Drew surprised us with his amazing culinary skills! He decided (without even being asked) to make the family breakfast. He woke us up and guided us to a table set with warm ego waffles and microwave bacon. I couldn't decide whether to cry or squeeze him to death! He is such a cool kid.

To wrap up the week, we went to a birthday party at a cool new glow-in-the-dark mini golf place. It was so awesome! Drew had a great time, and I am so glad that he's been able to make such wonderful friends.

This week is fall break, so hopefully it will be full of days in PJs and lounging around...doubtful, but a girl can dream :)