Soccer Soccer Soccer Soccer...and Halloween

October was JAM packed with soccer...every weekend, almost every night of the week.  Exhausting - completely exhausting, but so fun.  Silas had his very first tournament and we went to Beavercreek for the Haunted Classic.  It was a lot fun hanging out with all he kids and families.  They had definitely done this a time or two based on how prepared they came for the tailgating!

Silas' team has had a rough season - trying to mesh a lot of boys to these 2 teams. This first tournament though, the played awesome!!  They won all 3 of their games and made it to the final playoff game.  They lost it by 1 or 2 goals but it was so great to see them all play hard, know where to go and what to do... so fun to watch their work come together.

Justin and Ella's Orange Strikers also had an awesome season. Undefeated during the regular season!!  They got bumped up to a tougher bracket in the last tournament and went 0-1-2 but they played so tough against these teams.  

Just as much as Ella loves playing, Justin loves coaching - funny for someone that never played soccer - ever!


There wasn't time for too much else in between soccer this season...though Ella and I got out for a couple walks and took some fall photos. Here is one of my favorites from Hayden Falls. 

I have a bunch from her and me that I should post.  She has a great eye!


We also managed to make time to get to the pumpkin patch (barely) in between Ella's last tournament games. That is why they have orange hair - they got sprayed with hairspray at the soccer game :)

We were totally behind in planning Halloween costumes. The Monday before Thursday Trick or Treating, we still weren't quite sure what they'd be.  Ella decided she wanted to be a scary baby doll and Silas originally wanted to be the Man with the Yellow Hat (from Curious George) but it was too hard to find an all yellow suit.  He ended up being a Zookeeper, Monkey Division.  Banana included.  They both looked really cute (ignore the photobomb in the window :)

The weather this year was perfect for Trick or Treat night.  50's and dry (unlike last year!).  They finished up with a firepit and hot cocoa at one of the neighbor's houses. 

And now, here we are in November...one more soccer tournament left next week (for Silas and it's going to be COLD!!) and then on to worrying about getting Christmas shopping done!

Who Needs Weight Watchers??

I've decided to create my own Infomercial on how to lose 9 pounds in 9 days!  Results guaranteed!  Just lick some raw chicken and the rest will take care of itself...

The Sunday evening before Halloween, I started to feel icky.  My stomach was unsettled and I felt blah. By Monday morning, I was in bed and miserable. Fever, chills, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting...it was bad.  I figured I had a nasty GI bug and I'd be better in (hopefully) 24 hours.  And then I was hoping I'd be better in 48 hours.  And then by Wednesday, I was so bad that Justin took  me to the ER for IV fluids and medicine.  I could not keep anything at all in my body.  Water and Gatorade went right through me and any form of food at all got thrown up.  It was all I could do to lay in bed and make it to the bathroom when I needed to (which was about every 15 minutes). On Friday night (day 5 of being sick), the ER called me at 9:30pm to tell me the labs had come back and it was salmonella.  I was shocked but that REALLY explained why I felt so terribly horrible for so long.  I went in the next morning and they gave me antibiotics.  The entire next week I was still having symptoms and pain so I got to go in for a CT scan to make sure my appendix and other innards weren't infected.  Luckily, all looked good.  After 2 full weeks and 9 or 10 days with no solid food...I was beginning to feel better.
When I was really sick the first week, Ella made this sign to go on the bedroom door:

One of the best decisions made was to go ahead and go on my Hocking Hills trip with book group towards the end of week 2.  Donna offered to drive me there and back, and I could lay around there just as easily as at home.  It was GREAT to get out of the house and away from the sick bed.  The change of scenery did me good, as did all the food that everyone brought.  It really jump started my appetite again and I was able to eat again and get some calories in me.
I sat on the wonderful porch at our cabin/house and soaked in the sun and read magazines.  I took a couple small walks and dozed off when I felt nappy. I got to stare off at the cows...

and watch the pretty grasses blow in the wind....

and breath a little deeper on my walks around the property...

 

It was exactly what I needed for a healing weekend.

and I'm sure that Justin was ready to get me out of the house too...

While I was sick, Justin took total care of the house and kids, while trying to work too.  It really kicked his ass.  Together, we really do a great job of dividing and conquering.  That one of us was totally down for the count made both of us realize how lucky we are to work so well together.  It really made to think about my health and being more proactive in keeping BOTH of us healthy.  

Unfortunately, while I was sick, Ella was also not feeling so hot.  She must have had some kind of stomach bug (she did not have salmonella symptoms).  She got sick an hour before Trick or Treat and did not get to go :(

Silas was sad that we didn't go with our neighbor friends like we usually do.  Mason took him around the neighborhood but it was a bummer of a Halloween for all.

Silas did look good in his costume though - which luckily Aunt Amanda was able to help him figure out how to get it on!

Ella's very cute costume will have to wait until next year now...

In the week leading up to my Salmonellaism (which I still have no idea where I got it), we finished up soccer for both Ella and Silas.

We have a couple months off before they both start indoor soccer in January.

I ran my 3rd Half Marathon the Sunday before the sick Sunday.  It was not my best time of the 3 (2nd best time) but it was mentally the easiest of the 3 and the most fun.  I ran with a few friends and it really seemed to make the miles fly by. 

   

Heather and I crossed the finish together.  So fun 

running with her!

We also managed to squeeze in our annual pumpkin patching - and Mason's girlfriend, Yamine, came with us.  

 And for Halloween, Justin and I dressed up as Flo and Mayhem (the insurance commercial characters).

(sorry about the blurry pics)

So that is the last month...I hope to never repeat that salmonella (or anything resembling it) ever again!!

Flash Backs!

I've been feeling like everything is a deja vu lately.  Especially with these two boys.  Sometimes I see and watch them side by side and think I'm hallucinating. 

Mason - 2002 - at Kuhlwein's pumpkin patch (above)

Silas - 2011 - at the same place

I remember when we were there and seeing Silas in the blue with the orange pumpkin, reminded me so much of the picture of Mason.  Tonight when I was looking for some other pictures, I found it.  Mason is about a year older or so older (hence many more missing teeth!).
Often, when it's just me, Justin and Silas (when Ella and Mason are out with doing who knows what), Justin and I will feel like it's the pre-Ella and Silas days.  It's a funny feeling!!

Pumpkin Patch '09

Sunday was a beautiful day for the

Pumpkin Patch!

We made our annual trek to Kulhwein's (which has gotten quite expensive...) and had a great time on the hayride, in the corn maze and walking in the muddy pumpkin patch.

A man there with his 2 daughters
asked me to take a family picture of them,
and was nice enough to return the favor.
1st time we've had a picture of all of us there together.

Miss Ella looking all toothless and golden.

I always love being in the cornfield looking up on a blue sky day.
I like the contrast between the colors.

Even though Silas looks like such a big boy to me these days,
he still looks tiny in the middle of the corn maze.

Silas James lugging his perfect pumpkin around.

Ella on her pony ride. His name was Tony (for real).

Silas on his pony - his name was Gizmo (so says Si)

A quick flashback - this is one of my favorite pumpkin picking
photos of Mason (2002, age 7)

And 7 years later...Mason has a new hat that he likes to wear.
He's cool like that.

It was a perfect pumpkin picking day - sunny, not too cold, great colors...beautiful,
beautiful, beautiful. One of the reasons that it's my favorite time of year!!

Pumpkin Patch

Saturday we finally made it to the Pumpkin patch - loads of fun as usual. We did the hayride, ran through the corn maze, picked our pumpkins and slogged through a little mud.

Ella in the jumping thing - looking like a raging lunatic!