beyond stressed

Last week was one of the most stressful weeks I have ever lived. So I guess now I am beyond stressed? :) Nothing big or horrible happened but so much happened in so many arenas of life. I am just really happy last week is over. This week is also going to be busy, but more of a normal busy, not a meeting every night, 8 things on the calendar everyday, newspaper articles, public hearings, hours of counting $ in "a safe room" :>, finding someone to watch Ella Kate every other hour so I could do what I needed to do, and having my stomach in knots for days kind of busy! Yes, thankfully I am beyond that kind of stress!

I am very excited about decorating for Halloween & Fall this week. Our poor house has undergone so many of my "projects" since last November. I am no where near "done" with everything. I've begun to wonder if I will ever feel as if it's "done". It has not been very fun or easy living with things off kilter for so long. But finished or not, I have decided to take a break. I have also decided from now on I will have to hire more things out. Rob and I can paint, but anything beyond a coat of paint takes way to much out of us. So... things will not happening very fast because I will be waiting for the money to pay someone else. But projects won't be dragged out for weeks or months making us live in chaos either. Live and learn.

So even though I am in the middle of redecorating in the living room and the kitchen is still dressed in the undercoating of the wall paper I pulled down last March I'm quitting for a while. And it's nice not to have that on my mind all the time. Rhett's room is finally done. I just have to get in there and hang pictures and put books in shelves etc. Hope to have it wrapped up and post pictures soon.

This is one thrilling post, isn't it? :)

In other news, Rob, Kolby and Rhett got to go to Farm Fest this weekend. We were all supposed to go until Ella Kate started running a high fever Friday night. I couldn't take her with us and I just couldn't leave her so sick, so EK and I missed Farm Fest! :( I was so bummed! Still am. Rob and the kids had a great time though. They got to see some of my favorite people and do things you only do at Farm Fest. Things like pumpkin ball, bottle rockets, hayrides, and so many other Fall/Farm like things. They all came back with fun stories.


This year our family stayed in a cabin at a near by retreat on Lake Bob Sandlin. Rob, Kolby and Rhett all loved it! We hope to go back some weekend this year to get away from it all...well all but sewers, microwaves and heat/AC. I'm not much of a camper.

ANYWAY, I'm glad they got to go and had such a great time. Our family was blessed to be included in Farm Fest again this year. Thanks so much Dick, Ruthie and family! With the big kids gone and EK subdued, I got to do some things around the house which was so nice!

AND to make me feel better, Rob bought the Christmas tree I have been wanting from Sam's today!

Yay! It's tall like our old one (that fizzled out last Christmas) but thin so it doesn't take up half the room. And it has 1600 little clear twinkle lights already strung perfectly all over it! Gotta love that! Usually Christmas decorations before Halloween make me feel ill, but not this one! I have looked at trees all over town and this one is my favorite for our house. I may have to put the tree up before Thanksgiving this year! :)

But in the mean time I have to say that I LOVE PUMPKINS!

I love to see them in my house, yard and all over town. I love the smell and taste of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake, and yummy ginger pumpkin scones! I love orange pumpkins, white pumpkins, painted pumpkins and carved pumpkins. Pumpkins make me smile. I have even decided orange is one of my top three favorite colors. So happy pumpkin season bloggies!