Big Sisters are the Best!

Lilly is 3 years younger than maddie and so often times she really really gets on her nerves. Lilly adores maddie and wants to be like her and look like her at all times. She follows her everywhere and imitates what she does and Maddie at times just wants to be alone with her deep thoughts. At times Maddie can be a bit harsh to Lilly and the sisterly love is just not there. But then... she goes and surprises me.

The other day I noticed it was much too calm at bedtime and I walked in Maddies room to find her teaching Lilly how to brush her teeth and telling her that the cavity creeps would get her if she didn't brush really good. Lilly was taking all this information very seriously and was doing everything Maddie told her to do. It was one of those really sweet moments that makes a mom's heart all warm and mushy.

First Annual Wehrheim Halloween Bash

Lilly my sweet fairy

Did we mention Greyson likes cupcakes?

A very tired steve with a very tired and grumpy Greyson

Playing a competitive game of pass the pumpkin

Our spooky witches brew

The wicked witch of the west roasting hot dogs over the open fire

David checking out the ginormous pumpkin

Maddie and her best school buddy Mackenzie

We had so much fun having our first Halloween party for the kids. I am a Halloween fanatic and with my friend Therese's help we transformed the house into a haunted but not to scary wonderland. We had about 12 kids and their parents and had most of the festivities outside. The kiddos roasted hotdogs and then played lots of fun games and got to trick or treat around the yard. I was the Wicked Witch of the West and had a lot of fun playing that part including making a big witches brew made up of about 6 boxes of spaghetti stuffed with fake bats, worms and lots of other creepy crawlies that the kids got to pick out. Everyone had a great time and we are looking forward to making it bigger and better next year.

And Their Off...

Mom and I had some good girltime last week at one of my favorite places, Keeneland. This has become a girl tradition for the Crabtree family gals but this year my sister could not come because she is in nursing school hell right now. We missed you and love you sherry! After nursing school we are Big Apple bound so get your suitcase ready sister!

Mom and I won no money but we had a great time!!!

Fall Break and many pumpkins

I cannot get enough of fall. I love this season especially when the leaves actually change. But I am happy even if they don't. The kids and I love visiting pumpkin patches and doing everything that fall has to offer. We certainly got our fill of pumpkins last week as we visited Hubers as a family (steve was off- yeah) and then Biwater farms with my parents in Georgetown.

We managed to get by without any major mishaps on all these trips except for Lilly getting her finger bitten by a horse she was feeding.

We capped off the week by visiting Shannon, Kylie and Isabella in Shelbyville on Friday and then going to the zoo trick or treating. Oh yes and I forgot! We had two cool parties to attend on Saturday- a birthday party for Parker and a halloween party for Maddie's school friend Mason.

It was exhausting but oh so fun!

Zoo Fun

I think as a mom with young kids you always try to wake up with a fresh perspective on the day. You wake up and think that today my kids will have fun going to the zoo- They won't misbehave and embarrass me and we all will make memories that will last a lifetime.
That is just what I thought last Friday as we met up with Amanda (my cousins wife) and her two cuties, Jill and Caroline. I was really excited to hang out with them and thought Amanda and I could catch up and the kids would have a blast together and maybe get some education from the experience and on top of it all I could get some exercise.
Well the day did make lasting memories but I have to say it was very trying for me and Amanda. Poor Amanda was frazzled because Jill was sick and fussy and Caroline wanted to walk most of the way and go at her own pace (or run away). I was frazzled because Lilly was acting at the peak of her terrible twos fussing and screaming about everything she did not get to do her own way. On top of that she OBSESSED over a hair barrette that she threw away and then expected me to dig down through the half eaten pizza and hot dogs with bees covering it all in the trash and get it out for her. She COULD NOT let the subject go. Greyson was an angel through all of this.
So needless to say both of us moms were worn out mentally by the end of it all and our kids were overtired. By golly we gave it the old college try and maybe we got out two full thoughts in conversation the whole day.
Life is never dull right????

Letting Go...

I heard this song on my ipod the other day while I was running and I literally just started bawling. I think I try to control so much in my life at times and especially when it comes to protecting my kids. I think when I heard this it just reminded me how out of control I ultimately am and how at peace I should be just letting God take control of EVERYTHING, even my sweet babies.

In My Arms-Plumb

your baby blues so full of wonder

your curly q's, your contagious smile

and as i watch you start to grow up

all I can do is hold you tight

knowing clouds will raise up

storms will race in

but you will be safe in my arms

rains will pour down

waves will crash all around

but you will be safe in my arms

story books full of fairy tales

kings and queens and the bluest skies

My heart is torn

Just in knowing you'll someday

see the truth from lies

knowing clouds will raise up

storms will race in

but you will be safe in my arms

rains will pour down

waves will crash all around

but you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble

dreams may not come true

but you are never all alone

because I will always always love you

clouds will raise up

storms will race in

but you will be safe in my arms

rains will pour down

waves will crash all around

but you will be safe in my arms

1000 Words Of Hope

Yet again God spoke to me through one of His faithful. Last night I was blessed to have a three hour conversation with Elizabeth Vaughn at Starbucks (the conversation would have gone longer but we closed Starbucks down and our husbands called worried about us thinking we had been abducted)

Elizabeth and her husband Matt are Adventure Christian members like us and are embarking on an amazing adventure to start a non profit called 1000 Words of Hope. The premise of this amazing outreach is to give orphaned children and future orphaned children in Africa hope by simply giving them a family picture.

As most already know, 8 million children in Africa have already lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS and most don't have a picture to remember their parents by.

Steve and I witnessed this firsthand as we looked in Greyson's mom's home and saw she had one tattered picture of his father. We were lucky enough to take a great digital picture of that photo, but most of those kids aren't so lucky, and may even forget what the face of their loved ones looked like.

Steve and I think it is an amazing idea and such a great use of the gifts Elizabeth and Matt have. Elizabeth is an artist- and she simply wants to use her life and her talents to make a true difference and show Christ to these children.

They leave Saturday for their trip to Ghana and are leaving their 18 month old for the first time. I know how painful that experience is and I am truly praying for peace for Elizabeth imparticular as a mother as I see her pained everytime she even thinks about leaving her.

If you are reading this post please take a minute and pray for the Vaughns-
1. Pray for their safety
2. Pray for peace as they leave their child
3. Pray that the enemy does not get in their way or discourage them
4. Pray that others see Christ in them as they offer hope and love to the people of Ghana

I am continually amazed and blessed to meet people who have said yes to carrying the cross.