More Fall -

 I intended to get the baby bushes pictures right up, although I'm sure my average readers have fared alright with the wait. I used fake stone edging from Home Depot that has spikes to secure into the ground. We thought it may only be temporary, as JD would build edges that match our 1,000 retaining walls, but we really like it and may just leave it long term. 

This is the right side of the front porch - 

  

Here's the long side run on the left side of the porch. Once the garage is done, I'm going to put a little matching "Christmas" tree at the end also. The ground just isn't leveled completely yet. We moved the roses out along the fence and are hopeful they will make it; they were dying where they were. 

I also planted three blackberry bushes on the middle layer of the back yard. I wish I had purchased six as I'm sure they are going to be sold out when I finally make it back to Lowe's to see; I guess I could mail order them.

Here is our October 31st happenings. My attention to costume was exactly as follows:

One hour before time to leave for Harvest Party, I asked the kids if they were dressing up. A few said yes. I said, "well, go find a costume." They are minimal, but qualified for candy at the trunks of the Harvest Party. We went to a local church for the first time with local friends, and it was small but nice. There was just a lot of eating hot dogs and hanging out with friends time.

  
There was a face painting booth, so the lady helped Selah be more "indiany" - 

  
And Bella more "princessy" - Bella is a super adorable kid, but her fake smiles at this age aren't working in her favor. It seems they all go through this stage.

  
Here is Elijah's little friend, Tie. He spent the afternoon of the 31st with us since his momma is Tori's CC Challenge tutor. Our classes were moved to Monday this week but Tori's stayed Tuesday. Elijah has loved him since he came home from China well over a year ago.

  
Speaking of a different kind of love, since the English language is lacking in different needed words for love - I love avocado oil if you haven't tried it. It can cook in high temps, unlike olive oil, and has such a good flavor. We use it to cook eggs, meats and veggies. We buy ours at Costco, of course, but I'm sure it may be available other places. I highly recommend it. 

Yes, this was Nov. 1st and I let Bella sleep in her face paint and wear it the next day. It stayed on well so she must have slept on her back only. I figured the sheets needed to be changed anyway!

Jenny

Geema in Fall

My mom, or Geema as she is more commonly known around here, was visiting  this last week - it went way too quickly but it was a nice visit. The day she was flying here, the kids and I went on a farm harvest field trip.

We were quite entertained by the llamas - I think I should have gotten one over the donkey!

Julia looking "llamaee"

I took a picture with the younger kids and Geema, (I so often forget that I'm impressed I got her with most of them.)

I decided that nine years of living in the house without respectable bushes was about eight years too many, so I went and bought little bushes that Geema helped me and James (and often Selah and Bella) plant along the front.

We go into town on Wednesdays for piano lessons; we decided to take a walk along the river afterwards. James and Tori are at drama at the time the four "youngers" and I make the piano trip each week. 

Moriah went to work the last day Geema was here, but Alei and Alyssa came over to see her one last time. I should mention that Moriah turned 20 while she was here, so we had a family cook-out and cup-cakes. Chris even surprised her with some fireworks. (We like to keep the neighbors guessing!)

And then, she had to leave, and Elijah and I found ourselves back at the river again while we waited for Julia at an appointment.

I spent today on school, bills and a paper mountain, but tomorrow I'm going to put in the border on the flower beds we planted and obtain a large volume of mulch - then I'll post pictures.

Jenny

Happy Fall

There is no good reason I haven't blogged in so long, other than my pace of life; often a month seems to fly by at the speed of a week. I handed Tori the camera the other day and asked her to take some pictures for me and I would blog accordingly. My only request was for her to get the guys building the fence.

Here is my new living room rug and curtain purchase. The old ones were very old and it just hit me one day that I didn't care for them. 

Elijah and Selah spend their days playing basketball and football. This old weedy patio provides hours of entertainment!

Here is Shaun, who works on the garage construction most Saturdays, building stall fences with James. This will make juggling animals in and out of the barn so much easier! James is currently painting the goat fence.

Hopefully this will be the last of the old white truck that doesn't run, we donated it to a man that repairs vehicles and donates them to worthy causes. 

The Blue Tractor is in need of a very expensive repair and will not be running until we send (and pay) the tractor specialist. It's sad!

Since our log splitter was a tractor mounted item, we had to purchase a gas powered one instead. This messy pile will all burn in the wood stove this winter.

If you can see those sticks along the driveway; they are crepe myrtles that I planted. I put in 13 along this stretch of the driveway and near the chicken coop.

Here are some happy weeds and happy girls.

Our chicken and guinea population really grew this year in spite of me planning on it not growing.

The wood pile in the barn decreased a bit for fence building.

Of course there is Chewy; he doesn't like to miss any action. I have been letting him out of the fence when I'm outside to eat the wandering weeds. He does fine but likes to block cars that try to come down the driveway; he's a good guard donkey.

Here is the "pasture" we cleared four years ago; it's looking far more like the forest again. 

Tori did tell me that Bella accompanied everywhere as she took pictures.

Amazing how many summer flowers are still growing; it's getting cold at night so they don't have long left.

Fall flowers - 

Have a happy Wednesday - our new Wednesday schedule is piano lessons and Costco in "town". 

 Jenny

 

Consolation Prize

We were supposed to be on vacation all last week at the beach on the Outer Banks. We planned on leaving Thursday and decided Wednesday evening that  the dropping temperatures and high waves from the hurricane made it seem rather unpleasant. I think we would have spent the days trying to think of things to entertain the children and that thought is just exhausting to me.

We instead stayed home and did one long day at King's Dominion. Sunday was Patriot's Day and the park was only open to military and supporting jobs. The weather was perfect and the lines were virtually non-existent. The kids had a blast. 

We arrived as the park opened at 10 a.m.; Moriah joined us at lunch time. The kids are all dare-devils; only Bella wasn't tall enough for the highest ride challenges but she still rode some scary roller-coasters (so did I ). Elijah and Selah rode everything - I mean everything. The Drop Zone and the biggest, scariest roller coasters on the east coast. They rode things I have never considered.

First ride - the Bezerker. It rocks until it teeters upside-down and then flips several times. There are my youngest four all lined up!

Chris took a full-time job and is NJ for training so Moriah hung with us.

of course, she is talking to Chris....

When did Tori and Julia grow up? Crazy!
 

They all rode this - I took the picture. Heights and I don't love each other!

We stayed until closing at 8 p.m. This picture was taken about 7 after walking over 17 miles according to the Fitbits. 

 Jenny

 

That Back to School Photo -

My back to school photo only contains half my homeschoolers. It was pouring rain when we left and we just didn't have photo time. This (rather pitiful) photo was taken at the end of the day when Selah and Bella had already headed home. James is only attended co-op on Wednesdays this year while the rest of us do CC on Tuesdays.

Tori is in 7th grade and started CC's Challenge A program. It is correctly named as it is challenging. I'm very pleased with how well she is doing. I am doing the Latin with her, which is rather time consuming; but I think we have learned about an average year of Latin in the first three weeks!

This is the first year that I am not tutoring Elijah's class; instead Selah is in my class. Both are doing well with the transition. It's funny but they all have taken up doing their school on the floor - until they need my help, then they have to join me at a table.

Happy Labor Day!