The Blogging Butterfields: October 2010

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Yeah, so I really thought that living in Europe would make Halloween much less crazy for us. Apparently, I was completely wrong. Although, I am very proud of myself: having 3 kids has made it MUCH easier for me to simply say "no" to doing things that I don't want to or shouldn't feel obligated to do. And that's huge for me. This year has been pretty enjoyable for all of us. Except maybe Jay, but he's sick on top of being busy. Today was a little crazy, but not too bad. Also, we decided not to buy costumes this year, but to use what we had in the dress-up bin. Hence, Emma has worn a different costume every.single.day this week! :)

Weds, we went to the library on Landstuhl for their story time, which was Halloween themed this week. The kids made ghosts, listened to Halloween stories, did the Monster Mash, and frosted cookies.

On Thursday, the kids' school had their Halloween parties. We got to go into Emma's classroom and decorate cookies with her before the kids all had their costume parades.

She was still napping when we got there. Her little tutu'd butt was too cute!!

Harry's friends, Blake and Katelyn (twins!) went as Thing 1 and Thing 2 this year- SOO cute!

This year, Jay and I couldn't find the energy to carve the pumpkins, so we just let the kids color on them with sharpies. It was a total cop-out, but they didn't seem to care at all!

Harry made his with "3 round eyes, square toofers, and a beard like GaGa." (Hi to GaGa on skype in the background! lol)

Emma's punkin has "everfing" on it. :)

John-John's pumpkin- its little like him!

Friday, we had our friends over for a playdate. It was CRAZY with that many kids in the house, but so wonderful to have good friends, both for the kids and I. Three other American families live in our village and we all have 4 year old boys (plus a bunch extra!) and the kids all get along wonderfully. Such a blessing!

Evelyn and John, they're dating and they don't even know it! She's about 6 weeks older than he is, and he's a good 3 pounds heavier already!

Saturday, we started out at the firehouse on Ramstein for their open house. The fireman came to the kids' school a few weeks ago and Harry has been talking about going to their firehouse since then. He also informed me that "when you catch on fire, I will push you down and drop you, and then stop you, and then roll you." It took me a good minute to figure out that he was trying to teach me to "stop, drop, and roll." Too funny!
Emma was completely fascinated with the firetruck. Maybe we have a future firefighter at our house??!!

The kids with Sparky the Firedog

After the firehouse, we had a birthday party for one of Harry's friends, Kaelyn. It was at the Gymnastics center on base, and was quite nice and relaxing as the instructor took the kids for the whole 2 hours while the moms got to sit and chat! That does mean I didn't get any pictures, but oh well. :)
Then, we had the Fall Carnival at the kids' school. We only made it for the last hour, but we were all pretty burned out by then, so it was good to only have that long to do games.

Emma and I doing the cakewalk

Emma wanted a "frocodile" painted on her face!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

My Beautiful Children!

He gets bug-eyed when the flash goes off :)

He has such old man looks, just like Harry did!

So beautiful

She's the proudest big sister EVER. :)

Batman, wicked-nice Witch, and my little pumpkin

My boys

Sweetest little smile

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Happy 3rd Birthday Emma!

My Emma. My one and only girl. She turned 3 on October 13th, but I'm just now getting to her birthday post. Typical neglected middle child, right? Right, Dad? LOL

She was my biggest challenge while pregnant, and is my biggest challenge as a child. They say age 2 is a good preview towards the teenage years, and if so, we are totally in trouble. Emma works her magic on everybody- she is the best people-reader I've ever met. She knows exactly what buttons to push- good and bad! She's also the sweetest little girl I know, so nurturing and loving towards her brothers and her friends.

She's my kid that when she's quiet or out of the room too long, it means she's stealing Harry's toys, trying on my makeup, or pouring shampoo all over the bathroom. She's also the one who can be counted on for a hug or a snuggle or a kiss whenever she can tell someone looks sad.

She's so passionate and wonderful, everything is either the best or worst thing that has ever happened to her. She's been racing to keep up with her brother since the day she was born and I see that trend continuing. :) Lord help Harry when she starts dating his friends!

I swear she started smiling immediately. :) October 07

so sweet and SO much hair! 10-13-07

She skun her nose in the pumpkin patch- it made a heart-shaped scab for her 1st birthday! Oct 08

Oh, I miss those baby pigtails and that little squinty smile! Oct 08

Such a pretty girl! Oct 09

One of my all-time favorite pictures- Oct 09

She looks so grown up... Oct 10

She's got such a great personality. Always happy and goofy! Oct 10

And a few more... :)

Gramma, Ems, and Harry at the Gartenschau

Jumping with Daddy at her bday party!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Harry's first field trip!

Harry had his first field trip this past Thursday. They went to the Sunshine Pumpkin Patch in Gerhardsbrunn. My friend Tina from Spokane was visiting us for the week, so she got volunteered to come as well!

Even little Johnny got to come!

The kid loved chasing the chickens!!

His whole class!

The Perfect Pumpkin!

Helping his friend Lauren

Tina got roped into carrying both hers and Harry's pumpkins! Thanks Tina!

A Military Wife

The Military Wife

A Poem

When she was a girl, her dreams were bold, as bold as her fine, free gaze;

And every gift of grace and mind was hers in her younger days.

When she was a girl, a golden girl, with a soul as fine as fire

She could outshine the brightest jewel that a rich man's love might buy her.

Yes hers could have been the glittering path through a careless, carefree life.

But she fell in love with an soldier, so she became a military wife.

Away from the home of her childhood she marched at her husband's side.

For she chose a wide and winding road when she became a bride.

And sometimes the road was a hard one, so different from what she had planned;

And sometimes she wept for the home she had left as she lay in a foreign land;

And sometimes her steps would grow weary as she followed the drum and the fife;

But she set about making the world her home because she was a military wife.

She learned to build a hearth for them wherever her man was sent;

And she knelt to plant a garden every time he pitched their tent.

Yes, she always planted a garden though she never saw it grow,

For she knew before the flowers came that she would have to go.

But she left each garden gladly though it cut her like a knife,

For she hoped it might bring some comfort to another military wife.

To the hardships in her married life she brought one simple truth,

A promise that once was spoken in the ancient words of Ruth:

"Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God."

She shared his joys and sorrows as they made their way through life,

For she was proud to love a soldier and to be a military wife.

She bore the weight of worrying what fate might hold in store;

And the wordless fear of waiting when her soldier went to war;

And the nights that she spent fearing that her waiting was in vain;

And the pain of wanting someone she might never hold again.

But she bore his children gladly through uncertainty and strife,

And they never heard her crying for she was a military wife.

She raised a military family with the faith her love had taught her;

And she gave the pride she had inside to her son and to her daughter;

And she taught them to love freedom and to know what it was worth,

As they helped her plant her gardens in the corners of the earth.

And she never wished for better than the road they marched through life.

Because she was as much a soldier as she was a military wife.

*This poem was posted on a spouse's network that I follow on Facebook. I don't know who the author is, but I really liked the poem, so I thought I'd share it with you all, some of you being fellow military wives.*

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Heidelberg Trip

Heiliggeistkirche

Jay, Emma, and Build-a-Bear Germany (we promised her one when she was potty-trained and lo and behold, she found one in Heidelberg!!)

We also took Gramma and Grampa B to Heidelberg. This was one of the places that I went when I was here in high school and have always wanted to return to. Its amazing and the castle is incredible. Gramma and Grampa opted not to go inside the castle, but I'm sure I'll have another chance to take J and the kids inside!