~Wacky Weekend~

Our weekend started early because Gregg took a day off on Friday! It was beautiful... but a little cool. I did a bunch of grocery shopping but did have a few minutes to relax. Kiersten needed some outside time so I took her to see Ginger. She grabs and apple and runs out the door to see our neighbor's horse!

We had a fall fellowship at church. I took my camera but didn't take any pictures! Jordan drove our golf cart and pulled a wagon for some "hay rides." Some played Frisbee football while others stayed indoors and played games. I chose to stay inside and chat!

I made a pumpkin dessert for our annual cook off. Despite my best attempt, I didn't win. But these are super good anyway! Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake (I used an oreo instead of the graham cracker crumbs)

Poor Eric got hurt at the very end of the night. I was already home and in bed when the guys got home. Gregg woke me to check Eric's head. He had a big gash in it from the trailer gate falling on his head. I thought he looked ok and we all went to bed around midnight.

We woke to snow! Unbelievable. I remember it snowing twice before thanksgiving but snowing in October is a real surprise!

It was our week to clean the church so we did that early in case the roads got bad.

We went out for Chinese afterwards:-)

Gregg enjoyed making rooster tails of all the slushiness. The boys loved watching the slush fly. We stopped at the farm for milk and found the front of our van covered in snow/slush/ice! Nathan was really funny. He was so happy to see snow! He got really excited when he noticed that the sky was even white!

We woke to this beautiful sight this morning.

Our neighbors were trying to bring in all their cauliflower on Friday. I guess the soybeans will be ok because no one brought them in before the storm.

Church was canceled for the morning so we had our own devotions and went outside.

~Eric Lost His First Tooth~

Eric has been feeling like he is missing out. All the kids a year younger than him at church have all started loosing their baby teeth. At 5 1/2 he hasn't lost one! A few weeks ago he noticed one wiggle and was so excited. Tonight, while eating chicken, he lost it! He didn't know it came out until he bit down on it and spit it out! Haha!

Happy boy!

~Little Craft Show~

Just over a mile from my house in an old barn is the cutest little craft show that I just love going to every year. It is always freezing cold but I always find the cutest Christmas Ornaments and sometimes I even find Christmas gifts.

This year I found these really cozy recycled mittens. The outsides are from recycled wool sweaters and the insides are recycled fleece. They are soooo warm and cozy!

I always look for an ornament I can recreate... doesn't that sound better than "copy"!!?!?

I love the fabric one and that will be so fun to make! The holly is painted canvas I think... It looks nicer in real life. The little mitten is so easily made but for 50 cents, I couldn't leave it there!

I also came home with whoopie pies... my boys will let me go to the craft show every year now:-)

~MY Blanket... MINE~

Well, I got my fingerless gloves done... and my scarf... but got distracted before I got my hat started. I wasn't sure which pattern I wanted to use and while I was thinking, this bunch of yarn appeared in my room:-)

Lucy over at Attic24 is having a ripple-a-long. She is making another ripple blanket and has invited everyone to join in... well, I just couldn't help myself! I love the pattern. Many ripple blankets have been popping up on her flicker page and they are just lovely. I saw one that was crocheted through the back loops for the color change and I really liked that... so that is what I did.

So, my ripple blanket journey has begun.

It looks like this is after week one (1/6th of the way done)...

This yarn isn't my normal cotton... I splurged on bamboo ewe yarn:-)

11 colors, 22 balls of yarn, 66 rows of color... can I finish by Christmas?!?!?!

~Blessings~

#499-515

campfires with friends on beautiful fall evenings

mountain pies

homemade french fries

"new" bikes for my growing boys

my little sweetie making it to the potty on her own a number of times

undisturbed sleep... I rarely have to get up at night with a child

library books

starting Christmas lists!

fleas... yes, that was hard to type down. We have been trying to get rid of them for about 2 months. My living room has never been so clean... and I am totally tired of picking fleas off dogs every afternoon.

soft, colorful yarn growing inch by inch

a pile of heavy blankets to climb into at the end of a long day

the crunching sound you hear through open windows while children play

our baby chicks now laying eggs

time spent at the best little craft show

the smell of fall candles (Candied Caramel Pecan is this years favorite)

two birthday celebrations to plan for

finally making it through the Old Testament in my chronological reading plan

~Family Photo~

I've been wanting a new family photo and this time of year is just great for those! We did not all match well but it was a beautiful day so I drug the family across the street after we got home from church for a photo shoot... this was before lunch so we had to work fast!

I saw this idea and though it would work great since it is hard to take our own picture!

Then our neighbor came out and offered to take a family photo... didn't it turn out great!

Nathan had so many funny faces in all of the pictures that I will just chalk him up to being silly!

So, do I go with the "traditional" or the photo shop photo??!?!?!

~Sewing Spree~

I was so happy to have a Saturday sewing spree again!

I made a new trivet cover,

A new table runner,

and had the dining room all nice and clean!

Kiersten helped me put these in the dinning room windows.

I am going to try to put a little flower on the ribbon.

This and the fall smelling candles I got is all the fall decorating for this year. Just a touch!

I do love my normal table runner, but thought I'd change it out for fall and Christmas.

~Yom Kippur and the Passover~

Last week and we had a Jewish man as a special speaker at our church. He was helping us to see the scripture through Jewish eyes. I really enjoyed listening to him and anything along those lines has been catching my attention.

This radio broadcast stopped me in my tracks. If you don't have 4 minutes to jump over and listen, here is the main point....

Yom Kippur is the day of Atonement. The day when the Israelites sacrificed for their sins. First a bull then a goat. They also sent a scape goat out into the wilderness (symbolizing a pardon for sin). The question was... why didn't God send his Son to die on this day... rather than the Passover. I thought that a very good question indeed!

Two reasons were given

1. Jesus was never mentioned to be a bull or goat, but a lamb. The lamb was sacrificed in the Passover.

2. Yom Kippur was something the people did. The Passover was something God did.

There is no sacrifice that we could take part in that could save our eternal souls. It is totally a God thing...Grace. Isn't God great!

~Hats~

I finally finished my latest crochet project (I can't show you yet because it is a gift) and was able to get to the long promised hat for Nathan! He wanted it to be bright orange! I added the black stripes.

I followed the directions but the hat was too small for him. It fit Kiersten perfectly. Instead of pulling it all out, I thought I'd give it to a little boy that might enjoy it.

So, I started over and added another increase round and made it three more rounds long. Perfect.

I need to add the flower but I made this one for Kiersten.

Here it is with the flower!

Eric saw Nathan's hat and wanted to choose his own colors. He did not want only 3 stripes he wanted it all striped. I aim to please so I had him choose the color at the start of each round. I think it turned out very nice!

My next crochet project is fingerless gloves, hat and scarf for myself! I'm so excited!

~Blessings~

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playing flashlight tag with my kids

taking care of scraped up knees with the little lady watching and learning

new recipes to try

flowers brought in by my little loves

a good well check for my 2 year old

fingernails that can take apart any "stuck" lego pieces

piles of clean, folded laundry put away

boys picking out yarn for their own winter hats

finally finishing a crochet blanket

and starting a project for myself:-)

a good hair cut and teeth cleaning all in one week (appointments are so hard to set up for a busy home schooling mom!)

a good carpet cleaner

boys... oh my boys...

pulling winter clothes out of the attic

online sales and free shipping codes for the rest of the clothes we needed

pumpkin this and pumpkin that!

the promise of warm sunshine returning after a few really cool days

good sermons that challenge