Willie's School Pictures!

Willie's preschool did a dress-up photo day a few weeks back. Willie came home and told us he cried, so we weren't expecting much. We were pleasantly surprised!!

"I'm A Basketball Player!"

...is the answer to every question these days! And this is why.....

Here are our Halloween-time photos in NO logical order!

First, these are the owls I made the kids for Halloween treats.

Willie is picking out his pumpkin on his preschool pumpkin patch field trip.

Farmer/Tractor Ride Driver, explaining the VERY important safety rules to a bunch of whining toddlers.

Ready for the ride!

Hugging on Teacher Melissa's leg...his comfort zone.

On our way into the patch with Teacher Melissa!

Out on the town getting "choc-o-late!"

Trick-or-treating at Jodi's...although he never actually said it there!

Halloween classroom party!

After the Halloween Costume Parade at school.

Singing and dancing through the parade...until he decided it was more fun to actually play with his basketball!

Ready for the school parade!

FULL of Thanks.....

This year, more so than past, it has been very easy to think about all of the THINGS we don't have - some of them we never did; some of them recently lost. But, as I look forward to a holiday tomorrow, to be spent with one of my best friends, healthy family, a home-cooked meal, and laughter - I realize I HAVE 4 "things" right there that a lot of people don't this year.

In our little community of Poway, on Monday, a single-mother was killed by a drunk driver at 7am, while walking to work at our favorite local mom-spot - TARGET. They had recently cut her work hours, and she started walking the hour walk to work, to save the cost of gas. And just like that - two kids are left with zero parents.

Yesterday, Will and I went together to pick up Willie from preschool (lucky in itself), and received a note in our mailbox that one of the preschool moms has terminal breast cancer, and they are gathering donations to give her family a memorable holiday together. And just like that, SLAP...reality. We HAVE more THINGS than we ever had before.

I HAVE a husband who may have been laid-off, but is willing to work, and eagerly supports his family - a husband who has taken this "misfortune," and turned it into - hot, home-cooked breakfasts for our son, taken the "hurry" out of getting ready for school, taken burdens off of my to-do list, and YES...put up all of our Christmas decorations already!

We HAVE a healthy, happy, sassy (WHAT?! Where did he get that?!) almost-three-year-old son, whose eyes lit up when he saw all of the Christmas decorations. A little boy who tells our cats to be "good, so Santa brings you a guitar." A son who tries our patience, but also tries successfully to make us laugh every single day.

We HAVE family and friends who care enough to check in on us, whether it be cards in the mail, phone calls, or simply reading what we have to say here. I have been accused of being FULL of a lot of things in my life....luckily, this season it is THANKS.

Happy Thanksgiving...be THANKFUL.

Tessa & The Wills