Where to Begin?

Wow, it has been awhile and so much has gone on since I last posted. 

One of my friends from work stayed with us during the first two weeks of November before she moved out of state in connection with a new position.  I am sure she really enjoyed the chaos that is our house each night after work until the kids go to bed! 

We went to Amelia's 6th birthday party (her mom, Angela, is one of my best friends from law school) on the 16th.  It was at Monkey Joe's and the kids had a great time.  It is good times with friends like these that I love living back in the Midwest.  Something better make it worth it because it is COLD right now and I am certainly not here for the weather!

Ryan in the toddler play area

Ryan loved the toddler bouncer

This is as good as I could get of all three of them

Amelia (in the purple shirt), some friends and Drew and Kaley

Last Sunday was World Prematurity Awareness Day.  I was planning to do a post related to it that day, but a tornado hit and I never got around to it.  Andy was not home when it happened.  Drew and Kayley were in the basement playing.  Lesa was in the kitchen and Ryan and I were upstairs.  The news had been predicting bad weather, even tornadoes so it wasn't completely a surprise, but it was still a little shocking to hear the sirens go off late Sunday morning.  Lesa went right to the basement.  Ryan and I looked out the window, but it didn't look that bad.  It was hailing and windy, but it didn't seem like a tornado was imminent.  We headed to the basement anyway and turned on the tv.  That is when we realized a tornado was ripping through Washington, a town on the other side of the river and home to a number of our friends.  I immediately started texting my friends over there and most were ok, but two of my friends lost their homes.  And both families were home when the tornado hit so on top of having no home, they have the extra trauma of living through it.  I cannot even imagine. 

Lesa and I spent Sunday afternoon gathering things for our friends and we took everything to the family member's house they were staying at.  This week has been busy helping them run errands and gather more items that they need.  Another friend and I took the clothes they were able to find to the cleaners.  And our coworkers have been amazing about donating and buying things the families need.  Anytime my friend told me something she needed, our friends and coworkers got it immediately.  Next week we will hlp them move into their new rental home.  I seriously cannot imagine how hard this is for them. 

 

View of the tornado path through Washington

I haven't heard the final numbers, but it appears over 1000 homes were destroyed or damaged.  The community support has been unbelievable.  Everyone wants to help.  I used to think that only happens in small towns like the one I grew up in, but it definitely happens here too. 

On a brighter note, I went downstairs to the basement last night to this (Andy tells me anything goes in the basement):

 

 

And here is a video of Ryan on the roller coaster:

Trick or Treat

We had a rainy Halloween, but it didn't stop Drew and Kayley from trick or treating.  They had been waiting for it all week and a little rain wasn't going to stop them.

Andy went to Drew and Kayley's school over lunch for their costume parade.  Because of the rain, the parade was in the gym.  Drew was a pirate and Kayley was Princess Aurora (for the 3rd year in a row). 

I went to Ryan's party in the afternoon.  He was a pirate too.  He was super cute, but refused to wear his hat. 

The kids were pretty wired when they got home from school.  They were very excited to go trick or treating.  Drew decided he didn't want to be a pirate anymore so he went as a White Sox baseball player instead. 

 

Ryan was really in no mood for anything.  He was only happy if he was eating or being held.  We took him for the first few houses, but then I brought him back to the house.  When Ryan and I left them, the kids were cold and were planning on going to a few more houses and then coming home.  About 15 minutes after I got home, Andy called to say they were really into it and were probably going to be awhile.  They had a lot of fun, but came home pretty wet.

Refused to look at me...

 

...until he got his snack in his mouth

And we are off

 

Rain doesn't stop them

Ryan enjoyed himself

Last stop of the night was our house!

 

Here is the result of Ryan being up a little past his bedtime:

This is my favorite.  :-)