Bittersweet

Wow, it has been a while since I have updated the blog! We had a great second half of October. Jeff and Brennan followed the book "Pumpkin Patch Parable" and carved a pumpkin just like the farmer did! Brennan also picked a baby pumpkin for Tulie. (Jenna's nickname) We had good times going over to friends houses and watching Steelers games. We also went up to PA and Morgantown to visit Brian. He is really doing great. He is progressing quickly and we anxiously await our next visit next week. While we were up there, Brennan was able to go to the garage with Pappy one day. And Bren, Jen, Mom and I had a nice day shopping and going to lunch. Granny came to visit as well. Grandma and Pop Pop Grubbs took the kids on Friday to Chuck E Cheese, so they had a blast on the trip up north. We came back and before we knew it was Halloween and our Big Ben and Cheerleader were out collecting their candy. Our neighbor had a wagon attached to his tractor so Brennan was in his glory parading around the neighborhood on that! :) Then we finished the month with great friends and a fire pit night, with Smores for everyone! Ok, almost forgot, back to the title of the blog, today was the last day I will be providing childcare for Vanessa and Landon. It is completely bittersweet. It was a hard day, b/c they are wonderful children and we had a great time with them.......but with us making a trip up north each month-6 weeks, I knew I had to let go of some of my responsibilities. I quit my bunco group and cancelled a few trips, but something else had to go and I was afraid it was going to be my MOPS group.... but to find out, it was the kids. This does allow more flexibility in our schedule when we can make our trips, and it does take some responsiblity off my plate which is good for my family right now. Bittersweet........

Go Fish

We had a wonderful weekend! Jeff and I enjoyed driving to Charlotte on Saturday and actually having time to talk to each other! :) We went to visit a best friend from college that I have lost touch with in recent years. Jessica was the first friend I met at college. College was a very hard time of my life, even though I didn't realize that while I was going through it. It was great to see her and catch up! She has a baby son Collin (8 months) and she was so hospitable with gifts and food. Her home was very warm and inviting; we wished we could have stayed longer to visit. We had to head out to the "Go Fish" concert. Brennan could not wait to see the concert. This is one of Brennan's favorite bands. (He is really into music)

Poop

We started the day on Friday with Brennan stepping in dog poop outside of Planet Child so Sharon brought us an extra pair of shoes. Brennan had a great time playing with Davis and Grayson and Sharon and I enjoyed talking and catching up on the past few weeks. Jenna loves PC, she clapped when we got there! Then we went shopping at Kohl's in Fuquay for the first time after dinner......it was fun, BUT Jenna had pooped out the sides of her diaper. So you can see why the title is appropriate for this day; but it was still a great day! :) After all poop is normal!

Celebration Dance

We did a celebration dance tonight after we got word that Brian was moved out of the hospital to the rehabilitation center. This will be a much better place for him and it is time for him to start working those muscles again! We are so happy he doing as well as he is just 26 days after a near fatal fall. We had a good week last week. At my MOPS steering team meeting, Christina and I were surprised with birthday cakes :) and after that I met my friends from our church dinner club at the Cheesecake Factory, can anyone say weight watchers? But it was a wonderful night out. It is always great to talk to other mothers of young children!
Brennan had a great computer bug class again last Thursday! Then on Friday, we went to a Corn Maze. We went with our wonderful friends Stephanie and Hailey. At first, Stephanie and I thought the farm was the beginning of a scary movie but then it turned out to be a fairy tale. I mean it really couldn't have been better. We got to ride a hay ride, go on multple tractor train rides, go through a corn maze and we missed the kids from the YMCA by an hour or so......so we had the place all to ourselves! Then Saturday, we took it easy......for the most part, ran a few errands. Sunday morning was quite hectic. Jenna did not want me to put her down pretty much all morning, and it was hard to "work" in the nursery. So Ryan came over and babysat when I went back to church in the afternoon and my sister, David, and Ryan ate dinner and put the kids to bed while I was at my meeting at church......so a busy afternoon and evening, BUT so much easier than the morning. Then on Monday, Vanessa and Landon came over part of the day and we made hand bats and pumpkin faces. They came back today (Tuesday) and we made pumpkin masks and decorated a pumpkin. Brennan is already so excited about Christmas, I have to super focus on the fall and what makes this season so wonderful! :) Vanessa and Landon are coming back tomorrow, which means I am missing my piano lesson:( I am trying to practice so I can play Christmas music by Christmas!

Catch-up or Ketchup

So recently, I decided when I get ketchup packets and don't use them with fast food, keep them and use them later....... a practice that many people probably have done for a long time, but I usually just threw mine away with the fast food bag (along with any unused napkins, which I am also keeping) It makes me wonder, with everything costing more should we be getting in debt or should we be learning to live off of less. Today, Brennan told me that "he needed the candy bowl with the hand in it" at Target. I gently said, "Brennan, you want that, you don't need it" He was ok with that and when we got home, at lunch today he said "Mommy, I really want that candy bowl with the hand in it, maybe I can ask Santa" I told him to take a minute and look around at our beautiful house, food on the table, more toys that I can count in a day.....we have to always be thankful for what we have not always thinking of what we don't have. As I taught that little lesson today, I recalled a poster I had in my classroom "People learn by what you do and not what you say". So very, very true. Ok, the end of my babble and back to reality.

It has been a while since I have updated my blog, Brian still in the ICU and he has a feeding tube and traech and will hopefully come off the ventilator in a few days. It is hard to be so far away to feel the disconnect; but it is hard for those that are there. Just continue to pray, really no matter where we are that is all we can do.

For my birthday, Jeff got me the K-cup coffee maker, and we have been enjoying trying new coffee flavors and teas. We went to the Third Day concert, with good friends and Third Day was awesome as usual, but we want them to tour by themselves! :) That concert certainly did our hearts good. Jeff had a Fidelity golf outing, which he was able to escape and relax for a day. We enjoyed going to our wonderful neighbors (Kevin and Laura's) to watch the Steelers game. Brennan also was playing Rock Band with "the guys". Brennan has been wearing a Steeler jersey every single day since then. Plus his Granny B got him Steelers socks and I can't wash them fast enough. He takes them off before bed and puts them on when he wakes up. Brennan also started his Computer Class (he is a computer bug) at Planet Child; this also gives me one-on-one time with Jenna which I LOVE. Our friend's the Bruty family (Jeff, Jen, and Hannah) came to see us from Florida. We went to the NC State/FSU game on Saturday which was pretty awesome for tailgating and 20 minutes, but then it poured down rain. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and wished they lived closer. We may try to plan a trip down to see them and go to Sea World soon! Brennan starts his at home preschool tomorrow! :) and Jenna knows where her nose is!

Because of lack of time and the fact that I am SO behind on the blog, I will attachthe snapfish link for the month of September. Copy and paste this into your browser to see snapfish pictures.
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=359301222810120255/l=428373701/g=8944876/cobrandOid=1000001/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

My precious husband

I don't have much time, and thinking back to all the things we have done in the past week.....this isn't a day to record that. Today is a day where all I can think of is how much I love my husband. His brother Brian is unconscious, he took a hard fall from a roof last Wednesday. Today Brian and Ashley celebrate their first wedding anniversary; not how they would have ever imagined. We hold to the hope that Brian will wake up soon and start to recover from this trauma. But all I can focus on is how much I love my Jeff; he means so much to me and our family. He really is my dream come true.
People often say "let me know how I can help" dear Brian, so please pray for Brian to wake up, pray for God to be Ashley's strength and courage as she has none of her own right now, and pray for all of the family. But most of all what YOU can do to help, what would warm my heart is if YOU pour out LOVE on your loved ones and those you encounter this day; tomorrow is never promised to any of us.

Let's play baseball!

That has been all we are hearing at the Weller household. We went to our second Durham Bulls game this past Friday night. Brennan was over the top into the game this time. He still enjoyed the cotton candy guy, but the actual baseball made a "hit" with him. We have been out in the yard playing every day. Jeff lets me hit a good bit when we all play ....remembering the good old days....... Jenna managed to stay awake the entire game and for fireworks (didn't even cry) We had such a wonderful family night out! On Saturday, I had my MOPS retreat so Daddy had some special time with the kids. Then we went to dinner club and had a blast. Dinner club is a little group of families with young children from our church. Jeff is SO good with all the children, we are so thankful to have him! We take turns hosting and do pot lucks. This time was "comfort foods" and everything was delicious. It has been such a great way to connect and I can't wait to make some of the recipes. My good friend Amy makes the BEST apple pie, but I don't know if I have the patience to do all that work! :) So yummy! Then on Sunday we went to Matt's house for a labor day gathering.(Jeff's boss). And Monday, CiCi, Ryan, and Marissa came over and we went swimming and grilled out! and we of course are still really enjoying the wii! (I am the bowling champion!) Did I mention that the dining room to school room conversion is almost complete?