Monday, October 31

Sugar High

down to the wire costume preparations
candy hunting with new neighbors
library costume party
sweet dreams, for sure!

Saturday, October 29

Monday, October 24

Wednesday, October 19

Good 4 Now


Oh!  The dreaming, and magazine clipping and pinterest looking...it's all been fun. 

Sadly, as the school year wound into full gear around here, the home improvement/decorating/organizing has slowed to a near halt.  Sure there is the occassional weekend project that actually gets started AND completed.  For the most part, however, Paul and I are back to the planning and saving mode. 

Though not the most dramatic, it's a good stage to be found.  A fun time to actually LIVE in this house without thinking something needs to be fixed immediately.  Sure enough, you stop noticing that awkardly hung towel rack, or peeling kitchen paper border and just live your life!

In the meantime, the list changes (and invariably grows)! 

And at the end of a very full day: the school room (above) IS picked up, the children ARE loved, cared for, and sweetly sleeping, the puppy WILL sleep in the kennel without trouble and the two homeowners crawling into bed...well, they ARE the most satisfied with their lives they have ever been.  Praise be to God!

Tuesday, October 18

Farming at the Market

Without a garden of our own this summer, we've made a point to hit the Saturday morning market the next town over.

It's a place of great food, good prices, and high ideals.  Out of the three, one of the previous list comes for free, though sometimes without the asking.

Amish farmers sell their useful wares.

Organic and non-organic produce round out the price list from high to lower.

My staple at the market, strangely, isn't grown on a local farm.  Kickapoo coffee's "Iced Maple Latte'"s are a treat that can't be beat!

Asian farmers have varying flower boquet BY THE WEEK!  And they are beautiful!

My favorite market picture of the summer...look at those carrots!!!

Friday, October 14

Kids in School

Did I share our "first day of school" photos, yet?

Boy, do they make me crack up.

  Home Educated with capital HE (for hee hee haw).





Wednesday, October 12

Big Rig

We lost some big limbs on a few big trees.

PJ and I hitched the branches up to our tractors.

Then we dragged them across the yard.

It was good work with a great kid.

  Good thing I had some help.

Sunday, October 9

Camping It (summer rewind)


We went as a family with one of the summer camps for a few days to a county park. 

It was the prettiest little spot and just what we needed to spend a few warm days and cool nights together. 

We did get some rain and thunderstorms.

The youngun's handled it great, and even enjoyed the (thankfully) dry tent with heaven's bowling league making strikes upstairs!

(PS. No thunder and lightening shots...ha ha)

(PSPS. Gratuitous hair shot!!!)

Thursday, October 6

Science


The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups.
We're working through another science book from the amazing (and enthusiastic?) Janice VanCleave

 

It's not so much about learning the results of the actual experiment, but of the scientific method.

Overview of the Scientific Method

A recent experiment had us make Blubber! 

  
 

It makes me laugh that the directions instruct you to label a storage baggie "BLUBBER :: DO NOT EAT". 
As if!



Wednesday, October 5

Purple Palace

No, I haven't created a room in our new home as an homage to Liberace. 
 Lena chose purple for her very own (regularly sized...thinking back to our old place) room.

 It was a bit of a struggle finding just the right blend of purples to fit (ahem) both of our tastes.  

  
She's a little more Electric Purple and I'm a little more Lovely Lavender.  

  
Just trying to keep her a little girl as long as possible (insert "good luck" here). 

 Somehow, we find a way to keep everyone happy!