Lots of People, Parties and Praise

Cheers from the Storm Trooper, the Princess, the Ninja, the Victorian and the Pirate!

It is one of our traditions to celebrate these three birthday boys in November. 

Happiest of Birthdays to you!

We love our friends! Here is a group of homeschoolers on a field trip to the Botanical Gardens. We often get asked if we have "off" of school when we are out during public school hours. We happily answer that we homeschool and the learning never stops =)

Best buddies Kaden, Maverick, Sam, Sy & Eli

We recently set this basketball arcade in the boys room- not sure the long term plan, but for now, it has been hours of fun competing and beating personal bests.

Silas turned 7 this month, and we threw an impromptu Minute to Win It party. 

These are the sweet boys that joined us...

How quickly can you put together a cereal box cover?

Or transfer balls from one bowl to the next?

Their willingness to try these hard things blew me away! What a fun group of boys- praying they develop rich godly friendships in the years to come.

I found Theo here one day (I think it was Thanksgiving) probably taking some reprieve from the chaotic atmosphere of planning and preparation. May as well read some classics :)

On Thanksgiving, we also celebrated Viv and Sy's bdays. My sister did an amazing job hosting (though I hardly have a picture to show for all of her hard work!!).

So fun celebrating with cousins!

Here are our future world changers for Jesus- our community group's kids 

enjoying some pulled pork and fruit at our last potluck. We are so thankful for each one!

You know its CC day when....4 vans are all lined up 

outside of a building full of classical kids ready to learn!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 

We have so much to be thankful for, and praise God for the blessings that he bestows on us. We don't deserve one bit of them, but because of the cross, we can enter into a personal relationship with our heavenly Father who cares more about us than we can even imagine. 

From Train Bells to Wedding Bells

Just yesterday we celebrated the marriage of Grandma Marian to Leo, ages 87 and 85 respectively. The ceremony was fitting, the decorations simple, and the company happy to see these two 'spring chickens' start their lives together. Praise God for the union of marriage!

5 handsome boys helping the newly weds celebrate!

Let's start at the very beginning...of October, that is! Theo and I took a canoe ride on Silver Lake in Laona WI, where we spent 4 relaxing days with our family. 

We gazed at the sun setting,

Swam in the cool waters, 

And road a steam engine into a small village. This gentleman kept things rolling along...

...and kept this crew in line!

Not sure about these two, though! Cousin Reuel and Theo waiting for the train.

A short, but sweet time! Where to next year?

We received tickets to the Packer-Cowboy 

football game thanks to some super generous friends.

Fifty yard line, 30 rows up...can't get much better than this, 

though a win would have been the icing on the cake!

Raking leaves at their first fall...

Pile it up, jump in, giggle, repeat.

Later in the season- pushing down the leaves in the trailer to make room for more. We usually have many rounds of raking here, with plenty of old oaks & hickories making their canopy over our home.

A sneak-peak of some fall school pics. The day was so beautiful & sunny- we took a little stroll through Greene Isle park.

Most days look like this...all working on different projects, eating snacks, and some little ones making their way to the table top...

We carved a couple of pumpkins this year & baked their seeds- yum!!

Earlier this month, Silas became a little bit richer and a little bit smarter- 

now he knows to not ever put money in his mouth again!!

Visiting with cousins in their beautiful new home in Oshkosh- all the boys!

"Mom, like my outfit?"

Not a finer moment...The boys and I took a quick trip to Menards to get a small can of paint for our living room trim. We paid, and were leaving the store, and I dropped the one and only can they had that we needed in that color- AHHHH! I was with 3 boys- people jokingly passed us & said, "uh oh, which one of you did it?" Do I dare raise  my hand?! I admitted it! BUT needed to get a shot like this! 

Our dear friends the Carlsons visited all the way from Arizona. We had two almost full days and one evening running around with sticks, playing school, catching up, & putting together shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. What a blast we had! 

Here is Gretta and her friend Alaina working on their 

Essentials of the English Language 

school work- so much more fun with friends!

And lastly, Leila working on her reading. I tried to capture a look she gives me when she doesn't remember a sound of a letter- but she new I had my phone out! 

That's all for now. See you in November!

Our Favorite Season is Here!

Happy ner-style Birthday to Gampy on September 1st! 

Love, Fred and Bob A.K.A Sam and Cade

Girls day out! Such beauties!

With girls comes creativity, crafts, and clutter!

Getting ready to get our nails painted...

What color are you going to choose?

Magenta, blue, pink & purple- oh my!

OO-La-la

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream (and good-looking photo bombers)!

Baths and bedtime...

11 FULL games of LIFE for these two. 

Favorite occupation: doctor & police woman, least favorite: sales person and mechanic.

Taking a walk to Lambeau for pre-Badger game fun!

Here are Uncle Bri, Grey & Jax at Grandma and Grandpa's church picnic...

Sam used a ticket for a cruise through the country streets with this guy. He loved it!

Silas loading his nerf gun to win coins.

Gretta and Theo face-painting.

One last hoo-rah in Door County. The water was....cold!

Leia came with us, along with Grandma and Grandpa- probably the last (outdoor) swim this year!!

Enjoying the perks of the library reading program with free supper at Pizza Ranch- yum!

A few before and afters...thanks to my cousin Beth for another job well done!

Gretta's new look!

Before...

After! So handsome.

And this sweet girls mug shot...

Shorter is much easier to comb!!

Leila turned 5 this month.

Her favorite color is blue, she has been enjoying Classical Conversations (her first year!), and some of her favorite things to do are dress up, play make-believe, and play with dolls.

Celebrating this girl some more. Praise God for such a sweet gift!

Card first...

Everybody, smile!

I can't get enough sleepy pictures from this guy. 

All ready for school, mom!

Look away from the camera if you love chalk paint!

Hours of fun!

Leila and Gretta chose to make watermelon rice krispie bars for their presentations at CC.

The boys made ninjas. Hieee-ya!

As long as the work is getting done, yes, Darth Vader can join you. 

After a long day of CC, we took a stroll to Kwik Trip for 75 cent muffins. 

This was 2 minutes of pure quiet!

And finally...pumpkin days at Uncle Mike and Aunt Julies!

Our hayride to the pumpkin patch was exciting!

How tall this fall?

Peek-a - boo Gretta and Leila- Loo

Can I take this home?

Cousin love!

Little monkeys in big trees. Until next time!