Exciting Weekend

Goal
This weekend, Andrea had a soccer tournament. She played hard all weekend and her team came in second! The games were very close and exciting to watch.

After two games on Saturday, the girls started Sunday’s game knowing if they lost, they were finished with the tournament. The home team was playing on their own field and Andrea’s coach cautioned them that they were playing a tough team “who knew every bump and blade of grass in the field”!

The game started out with each team trying hard but no points being made.  Then, just before half time, Laureen kicked the ball to Andrea, who made her very first goal! As parents yelled and screamed, one of the mothers told me that the goalie had not let any balls get through the whole tournament!

Both teams struggled and played hard the entire game.  The game ended with a score of 1-0!  It was neat watching the girls come up to Andrea after the game and congratulate her on her great goal. Listening to Andrea talking about the game, she mentioned she made a point, but focused on how hard her team played and that they won.  That was the winning point for me!

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Candles

Mark and MeganLast night was cold! Andrea and Allan shivered through soccer practice while the first snow of the season fell. It did not last long, but Andrea remarked it was fun practicing in it.

While they were at soccer, the rest of us were home enjoying the beautiful fall colors. We roamed the woods and then headed inside for hot chocolate.

Because we all love candles, we decided to experiment with candle pictures. Mark watched Megan Audrey candlesquirm and wiggle and blow out the candles and offered to snuggle with her so she would sit still.  I think the two of them is my favorite of all the pictures.

I plan to try again soon, we will have many dark winter nights to play with ideas!

At the Park

Andrea  AudreyAdrian MeganEven though it is cooling down quickly, it is still beautiful outside.  Mark had a biology class so he was not able to be at the park while Audrey and Adrian had a primitive living class. Before heading home, we took a little time to pose for pictures.

Princess Megan

Princess Megan
Princess Megan 2013

We put Megan’s hair up in “princess braids”–two braids pinned to the top of her head– for the first time on Saturday.  Andrea was excited because it used to be her very favorite hair style.

Megan liked the style and kept talking about being a princess. It looked as sweet on her as it did when Andrea wore it.

Andrea fall 2005
Princess Andrea 2005

 

Autumn Waterfall

Waterfall

We started a photography class this fall. My Dad bought us a DVD that has many neat ideas that we will work on. Right now, we are traveling to different locations attempting to capture some colorful fall pictures.

The kids realize that each camera has its own strengths, but they all prefer mine.  When I see that someone has found a really neat picture idea, I let them borrow my good camera. I would love to see each child develop their own photographic style and be able to start a portfolio to use to encourage others.

Imagination

LS pretendingThis afternoon, Megan came outside all dressed up.  Using two metal bars, she was playing a “violin”, humming a song only she knew. She also was imaging some story that was inside her head.  As she roamed around the yard, she seemed oblivious to the other kids playing. Watching her, it was obvious that she was mimicking Lindsey Stirling.

We discovered Lindsey Stirling by accident on YouTube.  She plays violin and has very creative videos; they are all very imaginative! When we turn on her music, LS mimicMegan will turn it up louder.  She will watch the video and ask for more.

Being a day shy of three, it is wonderful to see how God has created her imagination for us to enjoy!

 

 

Sweet Apple

AppleWe went crab apple picking at Allan’s parent’s house yesterday.  There are “tons” of crab apples this year, so we might go back again to pick more. Mark says we have to “pick more so we can try to make a dent in the tree”.

So far, I have canned 5 quarts of crab apple sauce and have a large crock pot of apple butter simmering. Unless I find a better, faster way to heat the applesauce to 212 degrees –which I was told it needs to be to can it properly–I will either make fruit leather or freeze any sauce I make from now on.

Friends

Monkeys

We enjoyed playing at Oxbow Park with the Mitchells. They are getting ready to move, so our Oxbow dates are going to be much farther apart then they are now.

After playing with a baby snapping turtle that Mark found and playing in the volleyball court, the older kids worked hard getting everyone up in the tree. “Miss Ginger” and I tried to persuade Megan to sit with Adrian, but she refused.

Shadows

runningFor the last few weeks, we have been trying to walk two miles every day. Megan enjoys getting out of her stroller to run along with everyone for part of the trip.  Sometimes I take my camera because we have seen some neat things on our walks. We have discovered a family of swans in a nearby pond, found a neat green frog while looking at milkweed and was extremely close to an inquisitive hummingbird.

I had stopped to talk to a neighbor down the road when I noticed the girl’s shadows.  I was able to take one picture before Megan tripped over her feet and skinned her knee up.