"It's just a haircut, babe. It's not a big deal. His hair is so long...just do it, or I will!" These are the comments from the hubby lately, regarding the baby boy's beautiful locks. It was the last comment that got me moving. Kelly doesn't give haircuts - he butchers my boys!! I wasn't going to let that happen, so I called our friend, Trin. Okay, it was getting a teensy bit too long...Chloe actually put it in a ponytail on Monday! But his beautiful blonde locks are just so precious...I didn't want to do it!

Yet another moment in the last four weeks when I REALLY miss having my phone. I don't have any before and after pics of my baby's haircut! :(

Trin did a great job. He looks very handsome. And not much like a baby now. It's just hair..it's just hair...no, not really. It's the reality that he's not going to be a baby for much longer. I know when Cadie gets here, I'm going to look at Cas and just be amazed that he's a full blown toddler. How do I know this?? Because it's happened every. Single. Time. The joy of having a new baby in the house brings the bittersweet knowledge that my other babies are growing all too fast. It's a reminder to cherish every stage of their growth, because it's slipping by quicker than I could ever have imagined.

Trunk or Treats

So the kids and I have hit the Halloween season full throttle. First came the planning of costumes. Molly had a plan for her and Chloe early on, and they decided to add in the baby brothers to the theme. Molly is going to be Batgirl, Chloe is girl Robin, Chancer is Batboy, Cas is Robin, and Caleb is Batman. Their girlfriend Hannah has reluctantly joined in, now, as well. She is going to be the Joker - she's not as enthusiastic as the other two, but is a really good sport! When we started Googling Robin costumes, we were a little taken aback by the...um...adult styles that these costumes had. So we decided to make our own version of girl Robin, rated G! We ordered Cas' costume, but Caleb already had his Batman costume - it was a Christmas gift last year (yay for clearance items!!). Canon decided he wanted to use the wings that Connor had made out of cardboard for him recently and be a dragon. So I reshaped the wings, painted them black and silver, spray painted a scale pattern on them, used an old black shirt and pants and sprayed the same pattern on them. We got some black hair spray and some face paint, and voila! A black dragon. Connor was trying to decide what he wanted to do. He didn't participate last year, but kind of wanted to this year. He decided on being a dragon rider, to go along with Canon. Now, I know most people aren't as into the fantasy genre as we are, but I had no idea how hard it would be to find anything that would work for a costume! So, I broke out the sewing machine and pulled something together. It's come out pretty cool, and he's very pleased, so bonus points for Mom! Hopefully, we will get some great pics Friday night. So for those of you counting, that's one store bought costume new, one clearance costume from out of the toy box, and three homemade costumes for the Quinn house. Three is my limit, definitely! You'd think I'd have saved a ton of money, but yeah...you'd be wrong! ;)

Last weekend, our church, Crossway Baptist, put on their annual Fall Festival. Bouncy houses and obstacle courses, lots of fun games, and hot dogs and drinks - oh, and don't forget the candy! I worked the bottle bowling game for the first hour or so of the day, so the big ones took Cas around to play and bounce. They had as much fun helping him with the fun as they did doing it all themselves! I love watching them enjoy his excitement. It's one of my favorite things about having all these ages at the same time. They got enough candy to share with 10 kids, and had it stashed all over the place by evening.

Sunday after church, we headed to Bolivar to meet Ariel and go to some local churches for their Trunk or Treats. It was a lot of fun. I love seeing how many churches and communities have taken the opportunity to turn something that the evil one means for harm and turn it into a way to minister to our neighbors. To have a little fun and reach out to some families that may not otherwise come to a church event. There were plenty of creative and unique things going on, and everyone had a great time. Some of the more interesting things we saw were a toilet paper toss game where they had made an outhouse out of cardboard boxes. One family had made an Angry Birds game - the boys loved that one! They all came home in sugar comas and passed out till midmorning Monday.

Tonight we headed to Evergreen for the annual chili cook off and trunk or treat. Even though the crowd was much smaller than in years past, the people who put forth the effort of putting it on make it all worth while. The kids love seeing their old friends; and, again, they got enough candy and sweets to make them sick for a couple days!

What's that, you say? Halloween isn't even until Friday?!? Oh, my...well, at least thekids are getting to wear their costumes several times. Here's hoping for no cavities from our house to yours!

My Favorite Season

I love fall. The crisp air, the crunchy leaves, football games, pulling out my hoodies, boots and jeans...and pumpkin. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin carvings, pumpkin candles, and pumpkin baking. Oh, the baking! The kids and I have been hard at it this week. We have made 2 pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin spice cake and pumpkin bread. This week, we plan on making about 72 pumpkin muffins to freeze for easy breakfasts...don't be jealous, I won't rub it in, too much...but the only reason I won't is that I have a broken phone and can't take pictures of all the yumminess that is ensuing in my kitchen! Mmmmm.... ;)

What Matters Most

How many of you have a best friend? How many of you have had the same best friend for years? Now how many of you have had that same best friend all your life? I'm talking, your whole life. Like, you don't remember this person not being there...for everything. Well, my best girlfriend and I have only had each other for about 12 or 13 years. We didn't grow up together, but I seriously can't imagine life without her. She is my sister, my confidante, my bust-a-gut laughing partner. We have shared all of life's ups and downs, and I'm a better person for it. But there are 20-some years of our lives that we didn't share... our daughters are the best friends that I'm talking about.



Coco Mae and Molly Moo. Partners in crime, managers of mischief. Through thick and thin, these two have done it all. I can't tell you how many memories that they'll have tied to one another from their childhood - too many to even think of! From camping trips to concerts, they've shared many of life's important firsts together. They are preteens now, and they don't always have the same interests. Growing up and growing apart, unfortunately, go hand in hand for a lot of people. But these two don't give up so easily. When you have a bond this strong for this long, you will always have something to hold you to that person. Tonight definitely reminded me of that.



It was a wild and crazy, goofy night! The girls were so hyper to be going to see Colton Dixon together again (we saw him at Winter Jam earlier this year), their excitement was palpable. Steph and I just laughed and sighed intermittently at them all night long. They can make the most minor thing a major life moment, and I love that about them. Chloe on her own is a boundless ball of energy, but add Molly to the mix, and you get borderline chaos!! But I love every minute of it. I loved watching how they could be so completely silly together in one moment, then so completely caught up in worship in the next that nothing else mattered. Because that's the chord that binds them. Yes, they are both INSANE over Colton Dixon. But they are even more passionate about their Lord and Savior. It's not a night either will forget soon...and this mama won't either. Even at 11 and 12 years old, they know the important things in life are eternal. Glow-in-the-dark shirts and posters will fade in time. But their pursuit of Jesus will grow stronger as they grow older. And I hope and pray that they'll be chasing after Him side by side...best friends forever.

Remembering...

If you had asked me even a year ago what October the 15th was, I would not have had any idea. Yet, today, this year, it has great significance for me. Two sweet friends let me know that they had thought of me today in an extra special way. Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. I can't tell you how many times over the last few months that I've had to mentally shake myself and literally count my blessings - including this sweet, rainbow shaded one I'm carrying right now - just so I didn't break down in a heap and lose myself in grief...as much as I love and feel for and have sincerely prayed for and with those dear friends who have gone through such a loss, I know I never truly understood the despair. The agony. The fake smile below tear brimmed eyes. Until I dealt with them myself. It is an empathy I wish I did not have to have, but I know that God is using me to be a blessing to others through it.

Am I glad we lost Cat? Of course not! But I hold tightly to the Lord's promises. He loves me. He loves all my babies. And He has blessed my life in so many uncountable ways. He is good. It's hard to put into words, but to know that Cat being in heaven with Jesus has given us the blessing of knowing Cadie soon...is beautiful. I will hold Cat one day. I will know her intimately, and we will spend eternity together. Will the pain lessen over time? I'm told so. Will Cadie take Cat's place? Never. But she will always be a reminder that though she is our sixth blessing on earth, she is truly our seventh - number six is in Heaven. I know there will be times (because it's already happened, and oh, the pain it caused!) when I miscount when I am in a hurry to get the kids in the car...1,2,3,4,5,6...who's missing? Oh, wait...she is right where she is meant to be.
So for all my friends who have lost a baby, whether before or after birth, I share your pain. You do not walk alone. We will carry on. We will not forget our sweet ones. But we will live more abundant lives...for them.