September = Busy

Okay, here is one massive blog about what has gone on in September that has prevented me from relaxing in front of my computer and talking to you all :-)

Fisher-Price Party:

Through a great advertising website called houseparty.com David and I won a Fisher-Price Play Date Party. FP sent four of their huge newly tweaked or brand new toys for FREE with the following conditions: that I agree to hold a party on the first Saturday of September and that I invite at least 10 other children under the age of three. It was a blast - totally chaotic and completely worth it.

Chaotic shot, but you can see all four toys (one in the very back)

Overview of party

FP Bouncing Pony including a wireless video game connected to our TV!

David behaving very badly and very well.

Fall Festival:

Okay, so first a brief Air Force lesson. Chris does a job in the Air Force. That job is done with other people. All the people at Minot AFB doing Chris' job are part of a Group, there are three different Squadrons in the Group all doing the same thing, but with different people. (AF people - I'm leaving stuff out, I know) There is a spouses' club (or at least socials) for the squadron, the group, the wing (an even larger group than the Group), and the base (which has two Wings).

Chris's squadron's spouses' club has, typically, one fundraiser a year called Fall Festival toward the end of September. This year it was Saturday, September 20th. The money, typically, goes towards the squadron's holiday party, as well as, spouse morale boosters like welcome, farewell, and baby gifts. Fall Festival is a four hour event where our squadron sells scarecrow kits and straw to stuff the scarecrows, holds a bake sale, and has children's games and activities. We also allow other spouse organizations (other squadrons and groups) in the same wing as Chris's squadron come and hold their own fundraisers.

In February, I volunteered to be Fall Festival Coordinator, meaning that I became the person who had to make sure everything got done and everyone was tasked appropriately. So, I've always had something to do since February, hosting work meetings at my house to get kits made, working with other groups to coordinate what they are selling (8 other groups total), getting paperwork, advertising and materials together. But September really is the big work month for Fall Festival. It's all the last minute things that I knew would need to get done but I couldn't do in advance.

When I volunteered for this it was with the knowledge that Chris would be home, a flight commander, able to help me organize volunteers, gather materials and take care of David. That, as you know, changed.
So, basically, I was going to need more help from other people, people I had never anticipated needing a lot of help from. Everyone really stepped up. A friend volunteered to watch David for the entire day, a couple of spouses helped me take care of special needs that hadn't been accomplished and the entire spouses group moblized, as they always do, to bake and volunteer at the event. Here are the fantastic results of our labor:

The night before Fall Festival we has a caramel apple creation celebration at my house: above is the fruits of that labor: appox. 150 caramel apples.

This is all the stuff that had been stored in my basement loaded up in one very full truck to go to the Fall Festival location on base.

Volunteers behind tables of shirts and jeans used to make scarecrows.

One of the children's games.

Two of the older children of one of the guys in Chris's squadron painted children's faces all day.

The bake sale tables.

The scarecrow making area.

Close up of scarecrow area: David is in the center, in the stroller wearing the white sweater. The friend who watched him brought her two children (and she's pregnant with her third) to Fall Festival and made two scarecrows (one for her family and one for mine) even though her husband is gone for training for six weeks!
One of the other Group's had a "jail" as part of their fundraiser. You could pay to have people "arrested" and then they had to pay to get out of "jail". Above is Chris's squadron commander getting arrested. She was a great sport!

Below are some smaller shots of the other stands at Fall Festival:

From right to left starting with the first row: Security Forces, OSS/OGV, Fire Department, Helicopter, 740th, 742 bouncy castle, 742 table, Maintenance.

I know that's a lot of media about one event, but gosh, I'm just so proud of what we did! And you know, it was a LOT of hard work, but the event was fun, really fun. I spent some time during Fall Festival just walking around and creating memories. Next fall we won't be living here (like 90% sure) and I'm actually going to miss this supportive community so much. I know someone in almost every picture above, by first and last name, and I can tell you what street they live on and at least one thing we've done together or a great conversation we've had. These are days that I will treasure in my heart for their preciousness.

My birthday:
My birthday was last week. I've had lots of different visits with various friends to celebrate. Below are the flowers Chris sent me along with all the birthday cards I received from various friends and family.

Other Concerns:

Since about a week before Fall Festival David has been ill. He's been working to breath and even breathing treatments weren't helping. I almost took David to the emergency room rather than going to Fall Festival. While I did go to Fall Festival, my neighbor, Dr. Incredible, ran into my friend, who is also a neighbor, who was watching David. Dr. Incredible was not happy with David's lungs and when I came to pick David up he came over and gave me a lecture about how I should have come to see him (at home) before now. I mean, I know he had made that offer, but I hadn't really thought he was serious. He was, and he was mad I had not come. (So mad, in fact, that when two other people who've seen him told him they were friends with me, he told them to yell at me too!) So, over the next week Dr. Incredible made three more house calls and had us come into the clinic (WITHOUT an appointment!!!) and now David is feeling better. He is using some medication I prefer not to use, but well, we really had gotten to the point that he had to use them or he was going to end up in the hospital with pneumonia.