It's Thursday...

So, I woke up this morning realizing it is already Thursday.  Busy week, I guess.

Some fun highlights from the week...

  The boys carved/painted their pumpkins finally.  Jake drew a face on the pumpkin and cleaned it out and carved it all by himself (with a little help on the teeth getting the pumpkin cuts out).  Joe painted a scary pumpkin.  "Don't look yet. I'm painting a scary pumpkin. Isn't it scary?"

  

   Aunt Rachel and Uncle Eric watch the boys once a week during swim practice.  Well, the boys had a treat when Eric pulled out all his tractors and trailers and trucks from when he was a kid.  Eric had gone to his mom's to retrieve them, knowing the boys would enjoy them.  Next up, I hear, is Eric's retrieval of his Lego collection...which is pretty extensive! :)  I'm glad the boys can enjoy time with Eric and Rachel...and I'm glad they are willing to invest time in the boys despite their work schedules!

   School has been fun this week.  Finally feels like we are getting to do more than survive with the basics.  Jake's reading is improving each day.  This week, he seemed to click with how to tell time.  And his repetition with addition facts is starting to show it's value.  We also added piano and PE to the agenda yesterday.  Both boys worked on some piano skills for the first time...Jake by sight (ie...Jen) and Joe by ear (ie...Amy).  I taught Jake some things and had him practice (Dozen a Day warm up book...for those dying to know).  Jake hops off the bench after a bit of practice and Joe slid right in...and played the exact thing...by ear...correct notes and all.  Joe is the most subconscious sponge!!!!!

   Jake has been going to swim practice for an hour.  Yesterday he did extra kicking so he swam an hour and a half!!!!!  He is sleeping better! :)

  We almost have the wood burner up and running in the house.  Josh has been faithfully working on getting it ready to run.
   Jack and Josh spent Saturday afternoon cutting down the upper part of the "dead tree".  However, this was the part that was NOT dead and was at least 3-4 feet across. So, it took longer than expected...but finally came down. 

This was around 3 pm.

Where else can we make a cut to loosen it?

so close...

I missed the shot of Jack flexing with a manly roar at the boys after the tree finally yanked free.

6 pm...stuck in the ground while dragging it with the tractor...but at least it is down!

  That is all for now...seeing as I'm looking out the window to a pink glow which means my favorite part of the day is about to break through...the sunrise.  I'll be in the kitchen enjoying the view...

 


  

 

Handy camouflage

   So, I have been trying to figure out how to finish the walls in the boys' room.  I got the idea of painting a camouflage border...but ...figuring out the best way to accomplish that was a whole other challenge.  (as if there aren't enough challenges to think about these days)

  I had decided to create a stencil.  But at the last minute decided to do something a little more abstract (b/c I was afraid the pattern wouldn't repeat well enough with a stencil).

  Fortunately, one of my former runners, Taryn, was in town for the weekend and wanted to come by the house.  When she found out I was planning to paint, she offered to throw on her painting clothes and help.  As we brainstormed some ideas, we came up with using the boys' handprints to create a camouflage pattern on the wall.

  Perfect...!  :)

Big "firsts"

  Last week we noticed that a combine was working at the Miller farm down the road.  So, we were able to talk with Bill on Sunday and find out what his schedule was for the week this week.  The boys were anxious and ready to ride in a combine.  So, my job was to find one for them to ride in! :)

  We drove over to the farm and parked by the house...trekked through the already harvested part of the corn field...and headed to the combine.  Bill saw us coming and drove over to pick us up (since he was just getting started).

  So the boys and I rode (one standing and one on my lap) for about 5 acres (about an hour)...and enjoyed learning several things from the inside of the combine.  And we saw a deer and 4-5 rabbits (who now have no home!).  The boys loved it.  In fact, toward the end...Bill asked if they were bored yet and they quickly and enthusiastically said, "No!"

   On Wednesday, we saw 3 deer in the yard (right by the barn) and we were able to enjoy watching them from the family room windows. (and we traveled the house...window to window...as they moved) :)
   Then, Jake took his first tests in school.  And he made an "A" on each of them (math and language).
   He also read from his Bible reader for the first time and did very well.  Nothing like hearing your child able to read God's word by himself.

   Then, Jake had swim practice for the first time.  Mom ended up coaching him and another boy that we know from library and church.  But, it was good to see him working hard and trying new things.


  And...for the first time in 3 weeks...we have HEAT!  (Of course, the weather is warming up now for a stretch...)

The big trip...

 October found us gearing up for Jen's wedding in Colorado.  So, after Grammie and Grandpa picked us up from Indiana, we started the trek toward Colorado. 

First stop...Saint Louis...The Arch...(or "the march" as Joe kept calling it).  I wasn't sure if the boys would be keen on traveling up in the Arch.  But they didn't hesitate to do it...and they loved seeing the view (and the details) of everything at the top.

 Once at Andy's condo, we found a playground with a BMX/skateboard park.  The boys quickly took interest in trying out the BMX park after watching some other kids at it for awhile.  They did well... although my heart took a beating with every narrow escape from disaster. :)

 We spent a day at RMNP.  We were very glad that the weather had allowed us to even travel the main road through the park.  It was actually snowing (not collecting) while we were at the Alpine Vis Center.  Joe wanted to sled on some nearby snow from a previous snow.  We tried to explain where he would end up if we let him on a sled...!   A huge highlight was spotting lots of elk...and getting to hear them bugle.  God's creation is amazing.

Jen and Andy headed up to the condo Friday night.  And it snowed Friday night...so we had some fun Saturday, playing in the snow...!  (The boys were VERY excited about the snow!)  And it was 3-4 inches of great wet snow...

We traveled to Golden...a beautiful drive through the canyon with the fall colors.  We stopped to take pictures on the bridge so we could update the pics from 3 years ago!  And we spent the day at the Colorado RR Museum...lots of neat stuff to see there.

Then, we headed to Boulder...for the wedding.  Friday's lunch was at Andy's sister's house.  So, the boys had fun on the trampoline there...

Friday night was the rehearsal...

And then, the wedding day...!

(Peeking out about 2 minutes before walking down the aisle!)

We trekked back to Indiana with a stop in Kansas City.  We got to spend a day at the Union Station seeing trains...and a stop at Legoland.  The boys thoroughly enjoyed each...especially when they got to stand on a bridge and see a train go under them...seeing the engineers waving back at them!  :)

Simple pleasures...simple blessings!   Special memories...