Full

Kate's class went on a field trip last week to a local pizza place!! My kind of field trip!! We all got to tag along and enjoy a great lunch after the kids learned all the ins and outs about making pizza. They were so sweet to include Carter in all of it...he thought he was SO big :) You can't see from the angle of the picture, but all the kids mouths were hanging wide open watching Mr. Keith toss that pizza dough...Super fun!

My little shopping buddy helping me out at Harris Teeter :)

Evidence that my boys really DO love each other...sometimes I wonder when it seems that Carter is constantly pushing Hudson, or tackling him, or taking his toys out of his hands, or some other form of aggravation. Still feeling our way through how to best shepherd little boys! But there are plenty of 'melt your heart' moments woven throughout our days too...Just happened to catch one.

I love to see my kids imaginations in full effect! Here they are in their 'Jerry car' (aka Bailey's holder for her food and water bowls). I'm not sure where the fascination with 'Tom and Jerry' came from because Josh and I haven't even seen that cartoon since we were young (a long, long time ago!!) and I don't think my kids have ever seen it. But it's one of their favorite things to play!

We had our first ever family movie night last night! We rented 'Toy Story', popped some popcorn, and everybody snugged up in blankets to watch the movie. Hudson only lasted through the previews, but Kate and Carter soaked up every minute :)

This morning was the annual Toy Chest at Bay Leaf Baptist Church. It is an absolutely amazing ministry for seminary families to come shop for Christmas gifts for their families. Everything is priced at a fraction of the retail cost, and all the proceeds from the morning go directly to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering!! The generosity is completely overwhelming. What a blessing to see the love of Jesus move believers to give radically! I went by myself last year and learned my lesson trying to navigate through the shopping for all three kiddos. This year we recruited our sweet friend Brandi to come over and hang out with the kids so Josh and I could go together. I'm so glad he got to experience it this year!! We had a great time spending the morning together and left so humbled to be on the receiving end of such incredible love and generosity!

And...the fog has finally lifted!!! I am 14 weeks and officially starting my 2nd trimester!! How is that even possible?! The exhaustion has finally improved and I'm so thankful. I actually feel like I can function again :) And check out the belly bump!! So very exciting! Me and the boys went a couple weeks ago for a check-up. The doctor was having trouble finding the heartbeat, so we got to have an ultrasound instead. Turns out she couldn't get the heartbeat because the baby wouldn't be still long enough!! An unexpected treat but such a blessing to get to see our newest little Reed!! It was Carter's first time ever seeing an ultrasound too, which was really cool...

Halloween 2009

Buddies :)

Not really Halloween related, but too sweet not to share. Carter and Hudson have been enjoying having their mornings together while Kate is at school.

Carter posing with the "big, HUGE pumpkin" outside Kate's school

Kate's school did a Fall Festival for all the kids. Jumpy thing: always a winner! Kate and Carter are front and center...

Gathering to get 'tattoos'

Kate and her teacher Mrs. Streit

Carter had a serious case of indecision all the way up until time to go trick or treating Halloween night. Trying to decide between Buzz Lightyear and Spiderman was very difficult for him. Here he is giving "Buzz" a trial run the day before. I really think I could squeeze his face off he's so stinkin' cute!!!

And here was Hudson's trial run the day before. He also had two choices, but I was the one with the indecision problem. Loved this costume, but he was not at all a fan of the big ears :) Adorable though, no doubt!

My 'pumpkin' cake

This one makes me laugh...look at the way Hudson is looking at Abby...who, incidentally, is the cutest strawberry I've ever seen. Stephanie's sister handmade it to go with Anna Kate dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake. She did a great job! Wish I was handy and crafty like that!!

Giving up on watching the GA/FL game to go out trick-or-treating on N. Main with the Lyons. Obviously, you can see we went with Plan B costumes for Carter and Hudson (aka Spiderman and Giraffe)

Seriously. Too cute for words. Better choice than Dumbo because it wound up being in the 70's(!!!) when we went out. He would have burned up in that Dumbo outfit with all the extra padding!

Love Miss Catherine!!

October

October was a big month for Team Reed! We found out we are expecting our fourth child (due May 2010) and Josh had ankle surgery to repair a torn ligament and remove some bone spurs. And that was only in the first two days of the month!

We were so incredibly blessed by the way our church body ministered to us leading up to Josh's surgery and during his recovery. It was extremely humbling to be loved on and cared for the way we were...really in too many ways to mention them all...but we are so very grateful for each and every one.

Here's Josh post-surgery with Justin, who was a HUGE help to us. (He's the one who volunteered to take Josh to his surgery at 5:30am and then waited for him and got all his meds and instructions and then brought him home). HUGE help as we didn't have anyone to stay with the kids so I could take him. The funny thing is, Josh doesn't even remember any of it. Pain meds. :)

My mom arrived the next day and stayed the whole week to help us, which was also HUGE! Again, way too many ways to mention them all...so incredibly grateful for how she loves us.

Kate got to be the 'star' student the week Mom was in town. One day she chose to bring in special treats to her classmates and wanted to do Rice Krispie Treats. I remember doing this with my mom when I was little, so it was fun to watch Kate get to do it with her now.

My cousin Amy (who lives in Durham) and her mom Janet (who is married to my mom's cousin Paul) met us for dinner one night. Super fun treat, since Janet lives in Maine and Mom is in Atlanta and they usually only get to meet up in NJ every couple years!

Helping Carter make a birthday cake for his buddy 'Mr. Blake Grubbs'. Carter thought the mixer was too loud :)

But, it was all worth it when he got to lick the batter...

Mom got to come in and read "Amelia Bedelia" to Kate's class. Always a favorite!

Mimi!! Love her!

Celebrating Abby Lyon's 2nd birthday at Rolesville Park.

Kate and Carter were enthralled with their party favors...glowsticks! They took them in our closet as soon as we got home from the party so they could see them well-lit :)

Little man

Team Jenkins came in town for Board of Visitors. Got to spend some great time hanging out with Bowdie and Andrea and their boys. Precious friends from home. We miss them so much!! Carter thought he was SO big hanging out with Jarrett, Blaine and Jacob!

Cheering on Josh's flag football team since he is on the injured reserve this season...

We skipped the big NC fair this year and went to a local fall festival instead. Probably not even in the same league as the fair, but we were looking for some low-key fun for the kids. We all enjoyed it...playing games, eating hot dogs, decorating cookies...

Hayride!

Kate on the pony ride

Carter with his 'shooter gun' getting all the pumpkins

Hudson going for the donut

Odds and ends with friends

One of Carter's favorite ways to spend his time...with all his trains. And cars.

Sassy little miss sporting one of her finds from the consignment sale

Remember WAY back when I posted that video of Carter walking around with his 'big belly like Rachael Davis'? Well, Tucker Davis made his debut on 9/10/09! Here he is getting some Kate-love with his proud big sister Lana. Aren't they so cute?!

Here's another new big sister!! Laney came to hang out with us one afternoon while Hugh and Hollie were at a dr. appt. The battery in my camera had died the day we went to meet Mattie, Laney's new baby sister, so no pics of her...wah.

Kate has been wanting to get Bailey a new bone for months now but all the ones we saw were way too expensive for what she was going to do to it. Josh and Kate finally scored one for her when they were on a daddy-date...Bailey was SO excited about it!!

This picture cracks me up. Jordan Lewis and I had gone walking with the kiddos, and were chatting out in the front yard afterwards. Look at Hudson pulling on Lily's bow, and it's not even phasing her one bit.

If you can't find Hudson, odds are this is where he'll be. By the shoe basket. The boy loves his shoes. Seriously.

Lunch for Catherine's birthday at the Village Deli. The love affair between Carter and Abby Lyon continues :) It really is the sweetest thing.

Stephanie, me, Carter (this was like the 8th shot of this pose (Thanks Tori Beth!!) and he suddenly decided he wanted in just when it was my cameras turn), Catherine, and Brandi Golden. Sweet, sweet friends. We had a great time celebrating Catherine!!

Climbing trees

Meet Sandrine. One of my favorite people I've gotten to know up here :) She and Jeff are our small group leaders, and we have been so blessed by our friendship with them! Our husbands were both out of town for the weekend at North Wake's elder retreat, so we decided to meet up at the seminary to enjoy the beautiful day. Affectionately known as the Doyle boys in our home, our kids love playing with them! And they have introduced Kate and Carter to the art of climbing trees. :)

Hudson obviously sat this activity out :) Love that little face. Get to see that all day, every day. Sigh. Love him....

Go girl!! Check out that concentration!

Love those expressions of sheer joy! Nate and Kate are big buddies and just about the same age.

Caleb, the oldest. He was leading the way :) He's got quite a lot of experience climbing these trees!

Carter and Josh (the youngest Doyle). They're both two, and have a great time together.

Can you see the dirt all over his face? Do you think it bothered him at all?! Not a bit. ALL boy.

Nen and Pa!!

Josh's parents got to come up for a few days in late September! Yay!! It was a super fun visit...we got to show them around Wake Forest a little more than the past few times they've visited! We had also put together a *little* to-do list of a few projects for Pa to help Josh with while they were here. He's our favorite handy-man ;) And I got to spend some time with Nen checking out the shops of downtown Wake Forest, which was a treat for me as it's not something I get to do very often :)

Here we are enjoying our lunch at Steak and Shake...looks like the waiter forgot to give Nen her hat ;)

Have I mentioned that I LOVE our front porch? And I love it even more now that Pa helped Josh fix the screen door so that it actually keeps the bugs out!! Here's Pa taking a much deserved break with the boys...

A must on our list of places to take visitors...A la mode for gelato!! Yum...And isn't it so fun that you get to sit on a real horse's saddle while you eat?! The kids think this is so cool.

Hudson is not quite big enough to take on the saddles yet, but he seemed pretty happy to be hangin' with Mommy. As long as he has his red shoes, he's happy these days!

Here's Nen with her baby!! Can you tell where Josh gets his good looks from?! :)

It was such a blessing having them up here with us! The time went by too fast, as always. Looking forward to the next visit!!

Hilton Head 2009

We go to Hilton Head every year with my mom, usually in the fall. It didn't look like we were going to make it down this year because Kate's school didn't have fall break when the seminary did. But Mom was going anyway, in mid-September which was a little earlier than fall break. On a last minute whim, I loaded up the kids (BY MYSELF I might add since Josh couldn't miss class!!) and we drove down to Hilton Head to have some time with Mimi and one last hurrah at the beach in 2009!

Our time there was too short, as is always the case when we're with family. But we sure did have fun! Love you Mimi!! Thanks for having us :)