Happy 41st, my Love!

We did "40" so big, Will was happy to have low-key 41st celebration. I made his favorite dinner and cake, and we just had a great family evening in. We do that a lot.





Will loved his cards from the kids best, but I think his second favorite gift was the picture of him with his sweet Grandma. We needed one in the house!

A night in "Italy"

In November, our good friends, the Woods, started an awesome new tradition: a quarterly dinner club where the hosts decide on the region or type of food they want to feature, and the other couples cook and bring what they are asked to... and we all enjoy! There are just four couples, which is perfect. Our first dinner was at the Woods', and it was a blast. We all enjoyed incredible food from Italy and had a wonderful time! Oh, let me introduce us, starting at 12:00: Chad and Kristy Wood, me (Will is taking the picture), Kimberlee, her husband Steve across the table, and Carri and Eddie Roman. This is one awesome group of people, folks. FUN!



Kimberlee brought these yummy appetizers: tomatoes with goat cheese and herbed oil and an artichoke bruschetta. MMmmmm.....


Will took our picture, enjoying Carri's minestrone soup. It was the perfect Italian starter and smelled amazing!




Our hosts with the mosts... and their incredible, handmade pasta, rolled into cannelloni, stuffed with deliciousness. Chad and Kristy stayed up until 3am the night before our dinner, making this dish. YUM.


Love this picture of Kristy and Carri too. Such joyful friends of mine!



Here's my sweetie and me.. and the pie I brought (Lime and Blackberry Italian Meringue), per Kristy's request. Thank you, everyone, for the delicious food! Thank you, Woods, for this fabulous idea and for hosting our first regional cooking club night. Can't wait for the next one! See you all in France in February....

Meet the Bickersons.

Levi and Sullivan are good friends. Levi is often the odd brother out when Zane and Titus team up. But he always has his baby sister to fall back on. In fact, they play together pretty much every day when Levi finishes his school work. Sometimes she plays Lego Ninjago with him; sometimes he plays dress-up with her. Fortunately, he has never dressed himself up, but he is willing to help her put all of her accessories on. Looking at the happy couple, it's hard to imagine that they bicker a lot, but they DO. They also love each other a lot. :)

Fancy Nancy!

Sulli loves looking at Fancy Nancy books so much, she actually got the pose perfect!

So Very Thankful

October was a hard month. But a good one. At a routine check-up, my doctor found a lump in my breast she wanted to have checked. She ordered a mammogram and an ultrasound. As if that were not unsettling enough, the mammogram came back fine, while the ultrasound showed a suspicious mass. This was not the one the doctor was concerned about. I was referred to a surgeon immediately, who ordered a biopsy. It is during these dark times of waiting and uncertainty that we fall on our knees before God - more than usual - and He draws nearer to us. I am always thankful for these times of growth, though they are never fun. Jesus was merciful and loving in so many ways. One was the overwhelming peace He gave me. Even when I was scared, I had peace.... if that makes sense. He used my husband and children to comfort me in such sweet ways. Will wrapped his arms around me, praying for me several times daily. The kids wrote scripture verses down for me.... ones that meant a lot to them. It was precious. They all prayed for me constantly. Of course, I had my wonderful parents to talk to and pray with (poor Mom bears most of my burdens)... as well as my sister and dear friend, Cody. God also had my surgery date moved up a whole week, so my wait time was shortened. Finally, the lump was benign... a HUGE answer to prayer!!! Will got me this cake to encourage me, somewhere in the middle of this ordeal. And the "thankful" vase was a gift from one of my sweetest friends, Heather. She prayed with me several times and got the vase for me with the thought that I will keep it out and remember the Lord's faithfulness. I will, indeed.

Pumpkin Patch Day Disaster

Mid-October. HOURS in the car - most of which were the last mile of the drive. Crowded. Over-picked. Hot. Ugly. Let the rotting pumpkin behind the kids speak for itself. This was the day we had. Why?! I am done with pumpkin patches. The kids could hardly muster a smile... just look at them! Except Sullivan, of course, because she finds joy in EVERYTHING.