Another two weeks has gone by – this post might be a long one!!

Two weeks ago today we spent a big part of the day at Aspen’s place helping Aspen’s mama!

It is days like THAT ONE that is what dreams are made of!!!!

When Kay and I are together just picture the two of us and eight children….so it goes kind of like that picture in your head, ha, ha!

But we have fun, and the kiddos have fun, so that’s a WIN!

I took this photo all the way from the porch so it’s a little grainy, but it captured exactly what I was seeing – these guys all together just like best friends should be!

That afternoon, once we got the ones who needed to rest down to rest, I brought the other five back to Twin Oaks to finish out the day.

David picked up the boys on his way home from work since he literally drives by our home to and from work every day.

It was SO fun!

We hunkered down for a couple of normal school days that week as well.

It’s the good stuff.

Tate had swim therapy that week too.

Soup season is in FULL swing here folks!

And I am ALL in.

Yum, yum.

I make chicken stock once a week and we use it up!

I had a new recipe to try – Asian Chicken Noodle Soup.

I used these noodles, but not the spice pack that came with them.

It was a HIT!

I also made some banana bread to go with it.

Soup makes great easy leftovers for lunches too!

Of course there was lots and lots and lots of other food made too…

which is why I work on menu planning while the littles have their piano lesson!

I remember the night I made this meal.

Chad walked in the house getting home from work and said “It smells SO good, Mom, and I hoped we would have meatloaf tonight!”

Good job, Chad’s mama!!

A week ago Thursday we started to pack up to head on another trip!

We were headed to Illinois and Indianapolis to see family!!

We left late Thursday afternoon with Lane, Tate and Eliza and were also blessed to have Grant along this time!!

Our first stop was Peoria, Illinois where we checked into our hotel and headed straight to bed.

I got to room with this cutie pie, who was sound asleep in two seconds!

Most of the day that Friday we spend with Blake’s Dad and wife and it was SO wonderful!

Lilli made us a delicious lunch of soup, salad, fruit, and bread – with ice cream bars for dessert!

We had to get our traditional photo before we headed out!

I wonder how many years we have taken a photo on these stairs before we have to say good bye?

We headed to Morton late in the day to meet up with Blake’s Mom at our favorite coffee shop!

Such a fun stop, but always much too short!

Then early that evening we headed three hours further to Indianapolis!

The next morning we got an early start and went straight to my Mom’s place to be with my Mom and brother for the day.

Our day was full of visiting, some grocery shopping, a coffee stop, a stop at a hobby store that Lane LOVED, a couple of long walks because the weather was PERFECT, lots of good food, and more and more visiting!!

Sunday morning we had the advantage of the time change – an extra hour!!!

We had lunch at my Mom’s before the long, long eight hour drive home.

Our stay was much too short, but wonderful in every way.

We had a lovely drive home with a beautiful sunset!

It was so good to be home and we hustled around trying to get everything in shape for another busy week ahead.

Remember how our van had been hit and recently repaired?

Well….while we were on a six lane highway leaving Indianapolis, one of the parts they replaced blew off the van!

We could see it fly into the median and land in the grass, but there was no way to stop with all of the traffic all around us.

They ordered a new piece and hopefully we will have it soon.

Last Monday morning brought us back to our normal routine….important stuff like quiet time with hot cocoa, a new verse to learn, a new song to sing, read aloud time, and some piano study and lessons.

Our fridge and pantry were quite bare though!

I got creative and dug around to make some yummy things.

We were feeling the time change last week, and Ruby was too!

By dinner time we were cross eyed and trying to hang on until everyone got home so we could eat and call it quits for the day!

Tate had his last therapy appointment (for now, anyway!) on Thursday.

Miss Ashley gave us some new stretches to try to keep Tate’s back from hurting.

See that rolled up towel under his back?

Tate does all of his home therapy on his own – he knows it helps him!

Last week it was time for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes!

This is our official kick-off to the holiday season every year!

I took my skeleton crew to the dollar store on Wednesday to shop so they could each fill a shoebox for a child their age and their gender.

The next evening we had a packing party at our church that Kayla and David were in charge of, so we went to help them set up and get ready.

It was a success!!

I think there were about 60 people there and we packed over 100 boxes!!

Friday we woke up to our first snow fall!!

Winter is HERE.

Friday night Blake and I had a date night – first one in ages it seems.

I was excited and had a very BIG list of errands….and a second list of things I needed to tell my poor husband, ha, ha!!

We always end up at the grocery store (man, I miss the days my girls used to do that for me!!), but we were together, he is SO fun, and it was DATE NIGHT!!

This weekend was the first weekend in five weeks that we did not have plans.

What.

Blake and I woke up at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning and it looked like we had shimmied into an already made bed so that we would not disturb the covers.

We must not have moved all night long!

It made us laugh!

We started the day slow and lazy like and it felt so, so good.

We have lots of visitors to our bird restaurant these days, by the way, and the cardinals are starting to visit too!

Blake and Chad went to help some friends move at the last minute on Saturday, but my trio and I hung out at home slowly getting some things done.

It was oddly satisfying that there was no dirty laundry, even though I knew it would only last for two seconds!

I have not been taking care of myself in all of this traveling and busyness, as I am sure you already know – so Saturday I decided to focus on NUTRITION.

Like actually eating something, ha, ha.

Tate helped me out, of course!

He keeps our pickle jar full.

Then we decided to take a detour from the nutrition idea and make a cake.

Why not, right?

This cake recipe is from Joanna Gaines, so I can say she made us do it!

It was super fun to make with the kids and I heard it was the best cake we have ever had!!

The guys got home in the late afternoon and were thoroughly frozen.

When my hubby realized I took a photo of him like that, he sent me this photo that he took of me when he found me asleep when we were moving off of the farm.

Touche!

I made chili for dinner Saturday night for my crew and then made a nightshade-free “no-tomato” tomato sauce to make chili for myself as well!

Nutrition, remember??

It was GOOD.

Addie said it was the best soup she has ever had!

Are you counting?

That’s two wins for Saturday – best cake and best soup!

Saturday night we watched a movie, with cake and milk, of course!!

We finished the week on Sunday at church and then with Kay’s crew….and it was just perfect!

Of course there have been some perfect skies too!

My favorite!!!

And that’s a wrap of the last two very busy weeks!!

Now we are in holiday mode – are you?

Looking forward to many good things ahead, Lord willing!!

I love this time of year so much!!!

It really is the best time of the year!!

Happy November you all!!

Hope you are enjoying getting ready for the holidays too!!