New Places to Love -- Bird Preserve

It's turned a bit cooler and more rainy this week.  And, somehow as fall approaches I find myself missing Michigan more.  We had so many places we loved to go in the fall, and so many traditions we loved to do together.  I've realized I need to be more proactive at finding places we love and traditions we do here.  So, tonight we headed to a bird preserve I'd been to with the scouts.  It was a fun chance to walk and do a little geocaching.

Elizabeth brought her princess skirt because I told her there was a castle-like tower.
(See over her shoulder in the photo.)

Aaron (and Elizabeth) each accidentally took a spill off of the "boardwalk".
And were each thankfully caught by the vegetation...instead of landing down further in the swampiness!

 

We knew with a princess skirt, some Nerf swords, and a real tower ...
that we were bound to get a great shot!  :)

Book Club

I hosted our neighborhood book club at our home this week.  The book was reviewed by someone else, but I got to make the treats and have it at our home.  Fun to have a reason to try some recipes.  I made pumpkin cupcakes, a chocolate poke cake, and a strawberry dessert.  

The book was "Kisses from Katie", which I thought would be kind of unrelatable.  (A 20 year-old girl from the U.S. goes to Uganda to volunteer and ends up staying and adopting 14 girls in the process.)  But, it was actually a great read for me right now.  It talks a lot about finding your own personal purpose.  I love when she says, "This is the spot on the map where God has asked me to do the things I do."  

It makes me realize again that this is the spot that God has given for me to do the things I do.  And, makes me what to recommit to finding my purpose here in this place...and then doing it!  

Shooting Date

 

Greg and I finally had the chance to go together on a date to a shooting range near here.  It made us realize how spoiled we were in Michigan to go to such a beautiful place to shoot with so much distance between shooters.  We kept on accidentally bumping the rifle next to us just trying to refill out ammunition.  

Greg has gotten really good!  And, it's fun for me to "brush up" a little.  Mostly it's great to have a hobby we can both enjoy so much individually...to do together.

Pay Day -- Go Karts

 

We have jobs that the kids just have to do because they are part of the family, and jobs that they do to earn money.  A couple Saturdays ago after they had worked really hard, we decided to pay them with a fun time instead of money.  Elizabeth rode with Greg and then Nathan and Joshua got to each drive their own on another track.  Nathan is pretty sure it's the best thing he's ever done in his life ... "Totally Epic"!  He told Joshua that he knew the strategy to race car driving, and we kind of laughed.  But, he went on to pass every car on the track.  Joshua, who was a little tentative at first...and we think got a bit of a "dud" car...putted around loving it anyway.  And, finally as they were finishing up he was able to pass three cars on the way in to park.  (We're pretty sure it was "illegal" because all the rest of the cars were slowing down purposefully.  But, he finally saw his opportunity and proudly took it.)  These kids can definitely get the "money's worth!"

Elizabeth's First Day of Preschool

Elizabeth's last year before Kindergarten and first year in a paid preschool.
Exciting times for this growing-up girl!

Born to be Awesome

We periodically look this cute thing up on the computer just to remind ourselves again how much we love this.  Just have to post it here as a memory of this season of life!

Boys' First Day of School

Joshua in 2nd Grade
(Who doesn't really care too much about school clothes
...except for a funny shirt for the first day.)

Nathan in 4th Grade
(Who loves black, gray, and neon green, and graphic prints;
and feels his best "look" for the camera is the no-smile stare.)

Last Hurrah of Summer

We celebrated the last weekend of summer with one last trip to the pool and
dinner at Red Robin (thanks to certificates from the dentist for no cavities)!

Raingutter Regatta

Nathan took this picture himself of his Raingutter Regatta boat. 
Since I'm a Webelos leader right now I got to help make the treats for the evening --
Rice Krispies rafts with a little sail made of scrapbook paper and a skewer in each one.

Taking Aim...

Nathan got a BB gun for Christmas this last year, but we've had a hard time figuring out when and where it was best to let him use it.  After checking out several options, Greg took the boys to get bales of hay to be a buffer in our back yard.  It's turned out to be a fun thing for the three guys to do together.

Checking out the target.