Busy Life!

It is a beautiful sunny day here and we just finished school! Some days we get done sooner and other days we fit school in and around errands or visitors, of which we had 3 today! Most of the time, visitors are a welcome break!!

Here is a picture of our cute house!! We really are loving it here. The space is so nice and is just working better for us, all the way around. The only thing that is bugging me is that we are trying to locate the source of an unpleasant rotten egg smell. The landlords had the plumber out but it hasn't been fixed yet. Hopefully soon!  

This is the only picture I have taken of the inside so far:) We are still finishing up unpacking a few last boxes, finding homes for belongings and hanging up pictures. It is really starting to look like a home! Our home;) This is a picture of one wall in the bathroom, where we have tons of built in storage! This takes the place of a hall closet, which we don't have. I do like the large bathroom a lot.

We had a chance to go apple picking the day after our move briefly. We were really tired but we absolutely cannot pass up a chance to get fresh apples! We may possibly have gone twice this year:)

Cute Mr. Z!

Samuel pretending to eat an apple to make daddy jealous!

Cutie Patootie!

My mom adores her apples, too!

This was the first apple picking. It was much warmer that day!

Zakkai enjoyed trying to climb up to find the most perfect apples!

Checking out how tall everyone is! (or isn't....:)

Getting taller....

And taller!! This kid is catching up to me quickly!

We have a cute backyard to mow now. We were able to get an old push mower at an auction for $6! Zakkai LOVES to mow the lawn and begs to do so any chance he gets. This was the day we got it and he seriously spent at least an hour mowing that day:)

Z letting Eliana help:)

Mr Z also belt-tested last week for his green belt!

He did really well and is very proud of his new belt (which he was about to receive in this pic!) He is starting some new fun things with this next belt, including using sticks for special routines. We are so thankful that he has the opportunity to do this!

We have officially entered the "busy season" of our life. We were in denial for awhile, fooling ourselves into thinking it was temporary but we looked at each other this past weekend and said, "I think it's going to be this way for the next several years!" (possibly with a sigh and a groan!

Between settling in to our new place, school, TKD, baseball, ballet, and Awana, our days and evening are really full. We may or may not be looking forward to the end of baseball season so we can have a couple of our weeknights back again. Thank the Lord for fall and winter!!

Remind me I said this when we are knee-deep in snow in a few months:)

A little Algebra, Leaves and an Answer to Prayer!

 So, you know, there's nothing like a little Algebra in your spare time...

That is, if you pretty much have a genius for a father;) Not my cup o' tea, I assure you! Math and I are not friends. We actually don't really like each other so I'm extremely thankful for a husband who not only likes math (really??) but is really good at it!

We took a little drive after church on Sunday to the library so Ben could pick up something. He took Eliana in with him so I sat in the car and let the boys play in the leaves for a little bit. A much better alternative to having them sit idly in the car and cause trouble!

It was really chilly out so they were pretty cold by the time they were done!

Such a beautiful fall day:)

I remember building big leaf piles when I was younger and jumping in them. A childhood experience every kid should have!

We did something big this weekend!! We cleaned out our garage (which really means that we shoved everything down into the basement~ha!) and squeezed our dear old Odyssey into it! It is a close fit but it works. This is a momentous occasion for Penny (she was newly Christened this week) because it was her very first time in a garage. Chicago was hard on her so she is looking forward to some new-found rest.

Side-note: The name Penny is short for Penelope, who is the mother of Odysseus. Get it? Aren't we so clever?!

So anyways, one of the reasons that we had to clear out the garage is....

Someone new joined our family and his name is Kermit! No, not the guy in the picture (that's Ben:), the car! We FINALLY have a 2nd car! We have been searching actively for about 2 months now and have wasted many a Saturday getting cars checked out and getting disappointed over and over. We met a nice guy at our church who has good contacts in the car business and he helped us find it. It is a 15 year old Honda Accord but only has 115,000 miles and while it doesn't look pretty on the outside (it IS old after all!), the mechanics are good and we are happy. We were able to get away with one car for 9 years in Chicago but unfortunately, public transportation isn't quite the same here so we had to give in.

It will take some time to get used to actually getting to go places or run errands on days other than Thursday only. I haven't driven much in the past 4 months. At first, it was really frustrating for me not to have the freedom to go places on my own time schedule and to rely on others so much. After awhile though, I finally came to appreciate not only the extra time with family members who were so sweet to pick us up each week but also, quiet days at home getting things done and just enjoying time with Eliana. I think I will still continue to make some days like that each week but I do know that we will definitely not take having a car for granted!

Thank you, Lord, for answered prayers!

Camping!

 We've been camping! Two years ago, we met my mom and stepdad in middle ground in Indiana and went camping; our first summer of camping:) We had such a good time, despite the beyond freezing nights (we learned some things that time!) that we decided to do it again the next fall. Only to be waylaid by knee replacements and broken knees and things like that on my parents' end. Bummer! We were all disappointed it didn't work out but were determined to make it work this year if we could ever get settled somewhere. Well, we did (yea!) and so we planned (yea again!) and we went!

This time we went camping in Waynesville, Oh, just under 1 1/2 hours away. We were all so excited all week for the chance to get away for a couple of days and roast s'mores, among other things:) My mom and stepdad were able to get there a couple of hours earlier than us and set up camp. We got there at dinner time, set up Thomas camp on the ajoining campsite and sat down to thoroughly enjoy some Southwestern Chili that my mom made and some cornbread that I made. Mmm!

One chair waiting for Ben. He must've been putting some final touches on our lovely dwelling.

Our home away from home! It has been a good tent for us, comfortably housing a queen-sized air mattress for Ben, Eliana and I (she will move up to her own sleeping bag next year!), two sleeping bags on either side for the boys and all of our bags.

After dinner, we found the perfect little dishwasher!

She spent at least 15 minutes soaping up everything and washing and getting herself all wet:)

Ben enjoying the fire; his favorite part of camping he says!

Mugga and Papa!

We had a horrific first night's sleep, unfortunately. Between some drunk carousing neighbors who showed up when it was dark out, decided to serenade the campsite with their ukulele and guitar duets (which weren't any good) until 11pm when I decided to call and complain,  a girl from their camp with a high-pitched screaming cackle of a laugh that wouldn't put a sock in it until around 1am, our air mattress having a hole in it which left us sleeping on the ground basically and me up most of the night with a very upset stomach, it was awful! Ben actually slept in the car, no joke. So we were cold, a little grouchy and exhausted yesterday morning but we quickly turned the night's events into some jokes and were happy to see our neighbors pack up and leave mid-morning.

We spent the morning in Waynesville, browsing their cute little shops and finding a local Wal-Mart to hunt down a new air mattress and some replacement ice. My stepdad also found a radio to tune into the Buckeye game:) We attempted naps and soaked in the peaceful quiet afternoon. It was really nice!

There was a pond down by the bathrooms so I walked down with the kiddos to throw rocks in the water and take pictures. Here's Samuel getting read to attempt some rock-skipping:)

Love Mr. Z's face! He does everything with his whole heart:) He had SUCH a good time this weekend. He was just enthralled with everything: the flashlights, helping feed the fire, making s'mores, and a million other things.

Just looking:)

Always ready to give me such big smiles! She loved throwing rocks in the pond!

It was a beautiful day! Sunny and 80. Perfect!

We turned on the Buckeye game, roasted some hotdogs and s'mores and had a really nice evening. We got all 3 munchkins tucked in bed earlier, which was good, since they were worn out! (Especially Eliana!) We slept SO much better last night on our new air mattress and with no wild college kids nearby.

We relaxed for a little bit this morning by our last fire and ate breakfast and then we slowly started packing up all of our gear. We had a really good time and have decided this will be an annual weekend each fall! We get better at camping each time and are so thankful for the fun memories it gives our kids:)

What's that white stuff?

In the past week and a half the scenery outside has undergone a dramatic change! We went from basking in the amazing reds, oranges and yellows of the trees to quickly crunching through carpets of fallen leaves, to watching the trees slowly strip themselves of their vibrancy and become bare, to this:

Snow! Can you believe it? The ground was very wet from rain so I didn't think any of it would stick but it did! We were trudging home from school through the blustery snow and Samuel said, "I can't believe it's snowing in November! It's only fall!"

Welcome to Chicago, kid. I clearly remember one of our first winters here when S was a baby, it snowed at the beginning of October! It is quite a change this month with the dramatic weather/scenery turns and the darker skies in the evenings. Not sure if I'm ready to be holed up for winter yet!

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Samuel is being teased at school at about a girl. He is one of 3 boys that was invited to a girl's birthday party, along with 17 girls! Apparently, Leah only invites the nice boys to her party and Samuel is one of them. He talks about her a lot and they seem to be good buddies but he was frustrated last week because kids keep teasing him and saying he "likes" her. He keeps saying, "Mommy, she's just my friend!"

It's crazy to me that 8 year olds are already talking about crushes! I told him just to simply state that Leah is his friend, no ifs/ands/or/or buts and just change the subject or walk away. Teasing is a part of life, unfortunately, and we just need to teach our kiddos how to handle it!

But crushes??? seriously? Maybe I was behind the times but I wasn't thinking in that direction at all when I was eight. My boy classmates were doing nasty things like picking their noses and eating glue. Or was it paste....

These kids are growing up way too fast! Slow down time, slow down...

Thankfulness and Fall!

We've been having a fall-ish weekend over here:) We really enjoy our weekends together, since they are usually the only days we have all together as a family. The kiddos just soak up their time with Daddy, and vice versa.

Friday night, our friends stayed for dinner and a game after coming to pick up Baby C. We haven't had company in awhile and we really treasure time with our friends! Baby C went to sleep in his car seat in our room and Eliana took that as a sure sign that he and his mommy and daddy were spending the night! She said, "Where are Miss Emily and Mr. Ben going to lay down? Where are you going to sleep? Downstairs?" It took some convincing to get her to believe me that we weren't having a giant slumber party:)

Saturday, we went to an annual craft bazaar/school fundraiser event. Many different types of vendors sell their homemade crafts and have little stations set up around the gyms of a nearby school. We saw some really cool things like jewelry, crocheted character hats (Minnie Mouse, Yoda, Puppy, Hello Kitty, etc.), ornaments, quilts, and more. One jewelry vendor saw Eliana crying (naptime + runny nose= slightly grouchy 3 year old) and gave her a free beaded bracelet, which I think she has lost already....It was very sweet!

And we were supposed to go to some friends' for lunch today after church but it got canceled due to sickness in their house. Instead we spent a quiet afternoon; the boys playing outside with friends, me napping on the couch, Ben playing his guitar and Eliana playing with flubber:) We completed our relaxing day with chili, pumpkin pie with an oreo crust and a rousing game of Scrabble with the boys! Zakkai did a pretty awesome job for this only being his second time ever playing. He needed a little help here and there (Zakkai "voguez isn't a word, buddy") but we were impressed at how well he did. He was in tears in the end because he lost and refused to congratulate Daddy on winning. We are working on learning to be a "gracious loser." :)

I have seen people doing their month of thankfulness and I am behind but I will just say that I am really thankful for my family and I treasure our time together:)

Weekend Celebrations!

Do you mind seeing yet another picture of a tree?? I think this is the last one. Maybe;) The peek season for trees is over, I believe, as lots of leaves fell with the rain and cold wind that blew in. This past weekend we were in amazement every time we went out! Can't remember a fall with such amazing, vibrant colors!

We all have varying degrees of colds over here. Ben probably feels the worst out of all of us, with a nasty cough that keeps him awake. I tried to drug him last night (with consent, of course!) but that only worked half the night. Hopefully he will get better rest tonight!

Since it is so chilly out, I have been enjoying making one of my favorite foods....soup! Soup is so amazing. Versatile, filling, hot and delicious! Last night I whipped up a homemade vegetable soup which turned out really good! Well...most of us thought so. Eliana isn't so keen on vegetables all mixed together. Makes it too hard to pick out the ones she doesn't like, I guess!

Here is the link for that soup: Vegetable Soup. It was pretty easy and great for leftovers today! I served it with Homemade Saltines. They are pretty easy and good if you don't over bake them:)

On Sunday, there was a special presentation at church for third graders, as I mentioned. The church sees it as a pivotal time in the kids' faith journeys and presented them with their own Bibles. The week before, they had a parent meeting where parents got to write in the covers of the Bibles and/or highlight any favorite verses.

Samuel was so nervous when he realized this presentation was happening in front of the church! He almost didn't go! But thankfully he calmed down enough and now he loves his Bible so much, that he has been reading it every night and morning!

The children's director, Sandy, who does an amazing job, had some words of encouragement for the parents and the church, then for the third graders. She sang them a little song that she wrote for them and then they called each child up and presented them with their Bibles. I got a quick little video of Samuel below. After they filed out, they went into the sanctuary (where another more traditional service is held at the same time) and they got prayed over. It was really neat!

After that, we quickly left church and headed over to our friends' church, where Baby C was being baptized. We were only able to make it to the last hour of church since ours started about the same time. It was a very beautiful service and afterwards, we went over to their house, where several family members and friends were gathered to celebrate. We loved meeting their families and seeing the love they have for each other. It was easy to see where our friends get their gentleness and sweetness from!

Our kiddos just loved experiencing that and Eliana has asked every day since if we can go back to Baby C's church "tomorrow!" :)

Explaining time to a three year old is like banging your head against the wall. Over and over:)

Have a great night!

Fall!

 This weekend is prime weekend to enjoy the beautifully colored trees! I took another picture of a yellow tree that is close to our house...

So pretty!

October was my month to have my "date" with Zakkai. We couldn't squeeze in a time so we had it today~ hey, close enough to October! This morning Zakkai and I went to a packing party for Operation Christmas Child at our church along with lots of families. We all signed up to bring 20 of a certain item (socks, soap, matchbox cars, balls, etc). All of the items got arranged on tables covered in pink/blue/or green table cloths. We grabbed a box, decided if we were packing for a boy or girl and went from table to table, starting with the essentials (soap, washcloth, pair of socks, toothbrush/paste and a little bible) and then added toys!

Zakkai LOVED it! He is our little helper and is always eager to jump in when asked. He packed 5 boxes up and before we knew it, with all of the families helping, all 250 boxes were packed! They asked for helpers to stay and re-check all the boxes to make sure the essentials were in each one (because with kids helping, you never know! We did find a couple boxes filled with only toys:) and Zakkai asked if we could stay and help. He ran back and forth carrying re-checked boxes to the tables. Such a sweet boy!!

(ignore the mess in the background!) I made Baby Anna a little mattress and pillow for her cradle today, which thrilled Eliana to pieces!

Doesn't she look cozy? Eliana tucked her thumb in her mouth and settled her baby in for a good nap:) She is easy to please, this girl!

Speaking of, we are on the hunt for a toddler belt for her since she all too often sports "plumber butt" these days, except when wearing leggings. We went to three different stores looking for a pink belt today, to no avail. She is so excited for her pink belt:) I think I am going to have to hunt online. It isn't always easy to find things for petite little girls!

And she is petite! She had her 3 year check-up last week and she is once again 3rd % for height and 25th for weight. I did the height predictor calculator for her yesterday and it has her only being 4 ft 11 inches tall!! I do hope she reaches at least 5 feet but we love her, teeny tiny and all:)

Tomorrow is a busy day, with a special Bible presentation for third-graders (Samuel) at our church and the Baptism of Baby C at his church. A special day!

Now I am off to end this fall day with the perfect and oh-so-wonderful treat of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice cream. Mmm.....

Popeye Kids!

Last week was such a long week for me and some of my days just seemed to drag by. This week is full almost every single day with activities! Eliana and I have been invited out twice this week to visit friends, which will be fun. I do enjoy playing pretend, reading books, watching Sesame Street and strapping and unstrapping Baby Anna into her latest contraption 108 times a day (Okay, maybe not the last one) but adult conversation is awfully nice!

I decided that Mondays would be a good cleaning day for me since it is always a day that E and I are trapped car-less at home. Today along with scrubbing the bathroom and other little tidyings, we pulled out some fall/winter wardrobes. Wow, can it be already? Last week, we were melting in 99 degree weather and this week, we are wearing jackets or sweatshirts to go to school!

Eliana gets such good use out of her wardrobe since she's a little mite. She has definitely grown taller throughout the summer but is still quite comfortable in her 2T clothes. She has a bunch of 3T clothes ready and waiting but winter may be half over before we break those out!

The boys, on the other hand, grow like weeds! Zakkai always has insta-wardrobe from Samuel, which he loves and Samuel hates. Samuel has a very hard time letting go of things and really hates to say goodbye to clothes, especially ones he really liked. That's why I do this sort of thing when they are NOT around! Samuel will need several things to fill in the gaps in his wardrobe, especially after I convince him that it is not a fashion statement to have his wrists and ankles showing all the time:)

I actually got my kids to eat some sautéed spinach tonight! Zakkai loved it and asked for seconds, Eliana sneered at it for a few minutes but ate 3/4 of it and Samuel ate it but pronounced it just "okay." Not bad! I will keep trying!

Maybe, just maybe that healthy, very green spinach will balance out the apple pie we may or may not have eaten for breakfast......:)

Fall Weekend!

 It has been a lovely fall weekend for us, starting Friday night! Ben alternates heavy/normal work weeks and this past week was his heavier one, made even longer by the amount of traveling he does either by car or bus/train. He rearranged his schedule so he could get home right when it was time to pick up the boys after school Friday! It was gorgeous outside so we thoroughly enjoyed our walk and letting the boys play on the school playground for a bit.

Yesterday we made a mini apple-picking trip! We are planning to go again when "our" apples are ready but yesterday we just enjoyed picking one bag of Honeycrisp, which we have never picked before. And of course, there was the lure of amazing donuts and a wagon ride!

Eliana was a fuss-bucket yesterday because she just can't kick this cold but she did enjoy munching on some apples!

The boys were thrilled with it all, of course! They can fit a lot of apples in their bellies:)

I love this picture! Right when I asked them to smile, Eliana took a big bite out of her apple:) She would halfway finish one, tell me she was done and then ask for a new one. She works it!

We got yelled at for doing this! The guy came over and apologized for yelling and was very nice but he was just afraid Samuel would fall. I guess he's seen it happen before!

Today was rainy and chilly all day so after church, we all got in comfy clothes and just relaxed! We made chili (yum!!) and I just took a fresh apple pie out of the oven. Hmmm....it's calling my name right now. Or maybe that's just Ben calling me, hoping for a piece....:)

Hope your weekend has been good!