Pumpkin Fun

Once again it was time for the annual White Family Pumpkin Party! This was our sixth annual - can it really have been 6 years?! Each year we've gotten bigger and better.



This year there were over 25 kids - yikes! But I think everyone had a great time.

We had witches, vampires, superheros, animals and even a cute little skeleton...



my personal favorite, of course!


Did I mention that fall finally found it's way back to Missouri? We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. We played games, ate good food, played and played and played some more




oh yes, and carved some pumpkins



Wishing you all a Happy, Happy Halloween!

What happened to fall?

I tired of all this rain and drizzle and cloudy and gray and cold! What happened to my colorful, temperate, beautiful October? Why did we jump right to November? I LOVE October - November, not so much. Don Harmon says 60s and sunny this weekend. I hope he's right. I miss my fall.

One more week

So this clinical instructor job is going pretty well. I'm enjoying it, learning alot, reliving nursing school and realizing how much I love where I work. I haven't keeled over yet from lack of sleep or getting up before the dawn. My body has been a bit confused with the getting up at 5am instead of going to sleep then. Well, now I only have one more week - ONE MORE WEEK - of three days of daytime clinicals, then I'm pretty much off for the month of October - well, for clinicals anyway. I can do this, I can do this, I CAN DO this. Man, I can't wait 'til October!

Fall is Calling...

Summer is official over and fall has begun. I love fall. Then again, I love the changing of all the seasons. Summer to fall is my most favortie. So thought I spend some time out in the yard enjoying the end of my summer flowers and the beginnings of the fall changes.

Good bye pretty pinks & purples...






My Burning Bushes are starting to catch fire.




Here comes the changing of the leaves. Aren't they beautiful?






Wanna come hang out on my deck under this beautiful canopy? I'll supply the drinks.



Fall is calling...

A Pirate & A Princess

It was Toonfest time again in Marceline. The streets were blocked off, the Barnyard Olympics were set up and many mini pirates and princesses were strolling the streets. This year we added a princess, Miss Delaney Gray, and a pirate, Brett Beard to our seasoned Princess Kate. A great time was had by all!

They all rode in the parade on their select floats. The princesses were perfect with their little cupped hand waves and blown kisses.





The princesses were escorted by Prince Charming into their tea party and served by many "real" princesses.





Our pirate was pumped to ride the "ship" float and journey to Skull Island.



He was most taken with Captain Richard Jack.




Pirate Brett got to raise the mast, swashbuckle, search for treasure - GOLDfish crackers! and steer the ship.







I think I heard "the best day ever" said quite a few times!

My New Adventure

I've started a new job. Didn't quit the old one, just added another. I know, I am my mother's daughter. I am now an OB clinical instructor at Johnson County Community College. It started out that I would be covering a 12 hour shift at St. Joseph Hospital for an instructor out on maternity leave for the fall semester. I was super excited when I found out I'd gotten the position. I've always wanted to be a clinical instructor. I had such an awesome instructor - Kathy - when I was in nursing school. She inspired me to become a labor nurse and want to be a clinical instructor. A big thanks to Laura Sulentic for referring me for the position too! Well, as usual, something else came up and they needed someone to cover Tueday & Wednesday 8 hour shifts at my hospital. How could I pass that up? Learning a new skill in a place that I am most comfortable? It could only help me at my Thursday clinical, right? So now I'm doing both. That means 3 days of clinicals, Tuesday-Thursday and then my usual Friday & Saturday nights of regular work. Whew! I haven't worked 5 days a week - ever!

It's been two weeks now and I've been re-evaluating my decision. I'm really enjoying the clinicals - just missing my family. Somedays I feel like I'm letting them down by not being there and keeping up on things. It's only for the month of September I keep telling myself - and everyone else! I'm just feeling a little guilty.


I miss sending Kate off to school with a good bye kiss.




I miss spending every waking moment with my little buddy.



Maybe this is good for me though. I am definitly appreciating my time with them more. And remembering why I don't work the day shift!

A fun filled weekend

Last weekend was filled with fun for the White family. We don't usually do much over Labor Day weekends. I'm usually working while Steve & the kids just hang out at the house and do the usual weekend things - play with the neighbors, ride bikes, destroy the house. But last weekend they headed back to Marceline (while I worked) to put new lights in the wonderful new screened porch at Poppa & CoCo's. I had a great work weekend. It was just like old times at SLS. We were dead. I was working with some of my favorite people. We did some crafting, too much eating and a lot of laughing -- good times, good times.

I headed to Marceline on Sunday to meet them and for my favorite 2 yr old's birthday party. Charley is the big #2! It was a fun filled day at the Country Club park in Marceline. There was lots of playing, giggling, bubble blowing and cake eating - success!





Isn't she a peach?! I could just eat her up!


Hamming it up for the camera



What would a birthday party be without a dog pile o' Zane?!






Later that night we took a little trip to Brookfield with our friends the Stewart family and watched some big, beautiful balloons at the annual Pershing Balloon Derby.





Balloons aglow.



Monday we went out to the R&S Bison Ranch for a birthday gathering to celebrate Aunt Nicky. Yummy ribs!


We made it back Monday evening in time to get prepared for bed and school the next day. A busy, but fun filled weekend - boy was I whipped!