October

I can't think of a catchy title for October, like I've tried with all the other months.....trying to think of an "O" word to go with it. Maybe it'll come to me yet. Any ideas?! In the meantime, it'll just be plain ol' October.

Before we get to October, I was going through the pictures on my phone and realized there were a few from September that I never posted. Here they are - the kids did the Terry Fox Run with their school. Pretty proud of them for running/walking 5 km!!

 

So let's see, what was October? Oh yay!! You won't believe it but - camping!!!! :) :) Yup, our last camping trip of the year, our annual Thanksgiving camping trip with our most dearest friends, Jenn and Jay and clan. My sister and her family were there as well, so lots of kids to play with!!

Well, before we left for camping, we bought "new to them" bikes, get this, with GEARS!! So exciting if you are 5.5 and 8!! We wanted to get them before we went camping because where we go, there are amazing biking trails. The kids were so thrilled of their new bikes!!

Getting the ever-so-important badminton court ready....

The weather this year was so warm, we spent the day at the beach on Saturday!!

 

 

Food just tastes so much better outside!!

 

 

 

So many kms were put on these bikes..

 

 

 

Yes, he is crying....he was mad because his sister went first.....big deal, ya know!? Let's just say, this didn't end so well. After yelling at the kids for being selfish ('cause yelling at them isn't selfish at all....😐), I stormed off to the campsite. Lincoln followed, wailing away. Sigh. Just keeping it real here.

Anyway, other than that, it was a fantastic weekend of enjoying October. Jenn and I keep the weekend as "chore-free" as possible, cooking simple meals and using throw away dishes and cutlery. The men doing the few dishes certainly helps to allow us to keep our feet up :)

 

Other October moments.....the weather was just so warm and beautiful that lots of time was still spent outside. Playing "Blue Jays and Boston" was a regular occurrence after school/supper.

Big swing and a miss!!

 

 Although she wants to play, her attention span is, well, let's just say flowers, grass, and itty-bitty bugs capture her attention much more quickly than a fly ball.

Outside with two of his favourite things: food and books. Since school has started, this child is reading everything that he can. I find him often sounding out words, reading the ones he knows really well. I took this picture through the window of my back door - I didn't want to ruin the moment. :)

'member that large sandbox we built for him? Yeah, apparently the gardens are more fun....

As the weather turned cooler, the kids would spend any moment they could downstairs with the Lego. They go down here as soon as they get home and put their stuff away. And will stay down there until supper. I love it so much!! Have I mentioned yet how much I LOVE my finished basement?! This mess used to be upstairs!!

 

Lincoln had to get some x-rays done due to suspicions of scolliosis and/or one leg being longer than the other. Thankfully it all came back clear! Praising God for that!!

 

Our church had a small festival to meet the neighbours. The kids had a great time, with cotton candy being the hi-light.

 

All in all, it was a great month! The weather has turned considerably cooler now, with even a bit of snow already. Eek! Oh well - each day done is a day closer to spring!! 😉

Sweaty September

Our summer finally came....in September. And when I say 'summer', I mean hot, humid weather with temperatures in the mid to high 30s. Love it!!!

We ended August and started September doing what we do best. Camping :) This time we went with friends as well. Where we camped was just 20 minutes from our home, yet once there, it felt like miles away. It was a very cool weekend, with only an hour or two of "warm enough weather for the beach" weather.

 

 

 

There are mountain biking trails nearby and so a bunch of guys went and enjoyed themselves.

 

 

 

 

We came home in time to start school the next morning....a very eager Gr. 3er and a very nervous Gr. 1er. They've nicely settled into their respective grades now, and Keziah has learned that having me as her teacher is not so bad after all. "It's going better than I ever thought it would!!" her words :)

Part of Keziah's birthday present was to take her to a Blue Jays' game. She loved it!! Lincoln? Not so much - it was too loud for him. It was a very exciting game and we saw it all! The Blue Jays won 10-9. We took the train in...and of course had to enjoy a sausage from a vendor as part of the experience.

 

 

 

 

 

My favourite Blue Jay player....

 

Nathan took Lincoln to the Farm Show. He made the mistake of telling Lincoln back in August. I believe Lincoln asked his dad every single day if it was The Day to go. They had a GREAT time together!

 

 

 

 

Nathan and I headed to Texas for 5 days, 3 of those days spending with his peer group. We had a fantastic time, experiencing things we would NEVER experience in Canada due to the fact that what's allowed in Texas is NOT allowed in Canada.

Texas-big clubhouse! Those are sweet potato fries - they were HUGE!!

 We stayed at a very nice resort that had a few pools and waterslides. While it was very hot back home, it was way hotter here!

 

Is it bad to say that this was the highlight of the trip?! While it was so much fun, it certainly spurned a discussion of why these guns are even needed in Texas - why is it legal to have them? Are they really that necessary?? I don't think we would have had as much fun, if any, if what happened in Vegas had happened already.....

 

 

By the way, my aim was worse than a boy and a toilet. Well, with that pink and black one just above I was able to hit every single target, but not with any other weapon.

That was our September. By the end of the month, we were all getting into the groove of school. Lincoln is absolutely loving  it and is soaking up everything very quickly. It is so good for him. Keziah is also loving it, "soaking" it all up in her very methodical way. And I am thankful with the priviledge of being at the front of the classroom again, seeing my students grow in so many different ways. I love my job! Nathan has been very busy with the business and is looking forward to a time when things will slow down a bit. It has been a tough year with all the rain we've received - but it's been a year of reminders of Who is in control of everything. We are thankful for that comfort.

We also got family pictures taken in September (first time in almost 5 years!!), but that'll be the next post. Take care and thanks for reading!!