Weekend Fun

These pictures are all out of order, so you'll have to forgive me. I'm too tired to move them around! It was a fun weekend but a long one, so bear with me.

This weekend I went home to spend some time with the family and also do a little business. For those who don't know, I have recently become an Usborne Books consultant. I was not looking for more to do, but this was an opportunity I just felt I couldn't pass up. I'll tell more about how it all came about in a future post, but let's just say it was a God thing. Anyway, my younger sister agreed to host a party for me, and it was a great success thanks to all who came (a big thank you to my mom and older sister for their support!).

Yesterday, we crowded around the computer (because the game wasn't televised in our area) to watch the Huskers play. It was a nail-biter to say the least, and we were pretty much on the edge of our seats the entire time. They did pull out a win in the end. Here's mom watching:

Meanwhile, the kiddos enjoyed playing on the property at Nanna and Papa's house. Ozzie got in on the action too.
I don't know...do you think they like each other? : )
Cody and Cass...such a sweet duo.
The gang on "the rock." Look how tall Thing 1 is!
At Culver's...chicken strips, french fries, and ice cream ALL around!
Hope you have a great week!

Harvest Party!

This past weekend brought lots of fun for the kids. We decided to host nine little boys in our home for a Harvest party. Why did we do this, you might ask? We thought it would be great fun, of course! And you know what? We were right. Everyone had a blast.

These pictures represent some of the activities we did during our party. Below, Jerry carves a pumpkin while I read "The Pumpkin Patch Parable." That is a wonderful book!

All the boys made flubber. I've never seen anyone have so much fun with glue, Borax and water. Entertainment for hours!
We played "Wrap the Mummy." Caden and I won. We had the advantage. He was the littlest to wrap!
And then Jerry played "Wrap Mommy's Face." It's a good look for me, don't you think?
Here is Caden at his preschool party. This is the costume parade. Now introducing...Mr. Conductor. I remember when Cody wore those!
MMMMmmmmmMMMM! Yummy cupcakes!
My little boy who insists he's not little. "I'm NOT little, mommy! I'm BIG!"
Finally, 'Lil Red and the TaeKwon Do Master.
Happy Harvest, friends!

Trail of History!

This has been a busy fall with lots of outdoor learning opportunities and good old-fashioned fun! We've been blessed to find some unique ways to tie in our activities with our curriculum.

This past weekend, we attended an event called the Trail of History. We had never gone before, but everyone we spoke with said it was something we would not want to miss, especially in light of our study of the "Little House" books. After paying for our tickets, we started out on a long walk through a beautiful prairie and the trail.

The boys spotted a wooly worm and learned from Daddy that the length of its stripes can reflect how long the winter will last. I won't tell you what this one shows (but I will say I think we're in for it!).

As we came up over the hill, we saw people getting rides on wagons.
Here's the view as we approached the event.

We learned about the weaponry used in battle. Caden tries out this kid-friendly version. (There's a reason his name means "Warrior!")
Here the boys play old-fashioned games. Below, a game of darts using a wreath made of twigs and corn cobs!
Candle making...
This was really scary...the medic's area. These are the tools they had to use in the 1800's and there was NOT anesthesia. Can you imagine???
The boys loved this...the Blacksmith shop.
This is in the Servant's quarters. The children all had to sign a contract and agreed to not whine, complain or bellyache. They were kept in the area until released by one of the masters. Here's Caden grinding corn for cornmeal. He enjoyed that! Both the boys had to carry wood, clean rugs, and grind cinnamon and peppercorns for cooking.

Check out the bull...
This event is truly a walk back in time. All the food and clothing reflect the 1800's. Everyone working the event stays in character the entire time. One of the neat things we learned while there is that the people who "set up shop" for this event actually stay there all night in canvas tents. And they camp out like you would have done back in that time. No modern conveniences whatsoever. Thankfully it was a relatively mild weekend, but they told us that they've come some years and been very cold (it has even snowed).

It definitely caused us to be grateful for all the things we take for granted that make our lives so much easier than those of the early settlers.

We have decided to wrap up our reading of the Little House books. Once we began reading "By the Shores of Silver Lake" we felt it was time to move on. Jack (the dog) dies, Mary loses her sight, and the family is on the move again. Laura is now 13 and is not the carefree, tomboy of a girl she is in the previous books. We've had a blast with the Ingalls family, but we felt it was time to bid them farewell!

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful time of the year. Our pin oak tree is bright red and the earth is certainly displaying God's majesty. Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Apples!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." ~John 15:5

This week, we visited our favorite local apple orchard. We had an absolutely beautiful day for it!
First stop, the petting zoo! The kids enjoyed feeding the goats most of all.
I saw this bench in the restaurant and thought it was so neat. The engraving reads: "Come Lord Jesus, be our Guest. May our home by Thee be blessed."
We went with my friend Diane and her two kids. Here they all are sitting outside the teepee.
Another great photo op that we took while apple picking. Left to right we have Cody, Andrew, Rachel and Caden.
Here is my dear friend, Diane. She knew which kinds of apples to pick for our day of baking (yesterday). We made applesauce, apple cobbler and apple pie. I also have her to thank for teaching me everything I know about making sugar cookies. She has been a great teacher!
Here is Cody standing next to one of the hundreds of apple trees we saw that day. All day, while looking at the bountiful harvest of apples, pumpkins and produce at the farm, I kept thinking of our loving Father, who prunes us and helps cut off the dead branches in us so that we will be most fruitful in our lives. It's not always easy to be "pruned" but God always has a purpose in it! (John 15:1-2)
Here I am with all the kiddos. We picked 25 pounds of apples!
Happy Harvest everyone! I hope you find time to enjoy this beautiful time of year.

The Latest and Greatest (A.K.A. Prepared to Be Bored)

1. Jerry's show is almost done. Well, sort of. The cast has two more opportunities to perform the production at various churches in the area. So, we'll have Daddy back. Kind of. He was asked if he was going to audition for the next production and his quick response was, "Dolly said 'no'." We want daddy back for a while. He has loved doing the show though, and I predict we'll be a part of this theatre family for a long time to come.
2. We went to our church's fall fest this past weekend, and I wish I could say it was fun and relaxing. I was singing and on my own with the kids, who were not following directions, and so it ended up being a pretty "hairy" day. I didn't take a single picture. Not of the pumpkin painting, face painting, or the bouncy house. Oh well. There's always next year!
3. Fall has definitely arrived. We were going to go to the apple orchard yesterday, but the wind and rain kept us from venturing out. Instead, we checked out more books from the library and got some cleaning done. Which the boys completely undid in about an hour's time. To which I lamented, "WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER???"
4. Awana started last night for the boys, and so you know what that means: Jerry and I have a weekly date night! We went to Caribou coffee, Jerry humored me by letting me stroll around Bath and Body Works, and then we went back to Caribou and sat next to the fireplace and talked. Without interruption! I just love that man.
5. School is going great for both the boys. Caden is loving pre-school, and I am so thankful for God's leading where Cody's education is concerned. He has brought us all the right people, resources, and ideas to make this year a great one so far. Jerry told me last night that he is seeing the fruit of what we are doing and that meant the world to me. I am completely confident that God has brought us to this decision of homeschooling, but the weight of the responsibility sometimes causes me to doubt myself. I am wholly reliant upon God for each and every day!
6. Cody is still playing violin and taking Taekwon Do. He was doing a roundhouse kick yesterday and hurt his knee, and for a moment I thought we were going to need to take a trip to the hospital. Once he calmed down and I saw he wasn't swelling, that he could walk on and bend it, I figured he was okay. His knee is still bothering him, though. I think he bruised pretty good when he fell.
7. I am teaching 24 students a week (praise God!) and really thankful that my studio is completely full, more than it has been in the past five years. I'm so thankful for the business and for the wonderful children God has brought my way to teach. I am also leading worship on Thursday mornings for our women's bible study for the next eight weeks. We are doing "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed" based on the life of David. It is written by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur. It has an intense amount of homework, but it is a wonderful study so far.

Thanks for reading (if you still are)! I hope you find time to enjoy these crisp fall days and take in all the wonders of the season. I got Caden's new pre-school calendar for the month of October and loved seeing things like "Harvest time!" and "Field trip to the Barn" and "Pumpkins!" This is such a wondrous time of the year. My only regret is that we can't head back to the Smoky Mountains to view fall in ALL its glory! God created the heavens and the earth. ~Genesis 1:1

Have a wonderful week!