This morning when I opened the devotional book I am using for my quiet time I saw today’s date.

I really could not believe that the end of October is upon us!

There is so much fullness to life these days, and we are enjoying it all.

Fall has been beautiful this year!

Why, yes, of course I have photos!

Thanks for asking!

It has been rather rainy sometimes.

The rain came in day long down pours it seems, which continued to wash out an area of our land over and over again.

On a Saturday back at the end of September the guys got after the project of filling in that area once and for all!

They drove back and forth to David and Kay’s place to get the rock that they used to fill in the huge hole.

It rained on and off all day that day – a misty kind of rain – but they just kept working as they were determined to get it done.

Here are my photos from the dry front porch, ha, ha!

Good job, guys!!

While they were out there working, I spent a big part of that day just BEING with Tate and Eliza.

So needed. For all three of us.

We worked on memory verses, played games, read books, and finally finished Eliza’s tie blanket!

Isn’t it cute?!

We do have a rule here at Twin Oaks that we must get outside every single day!

It’s good for everyone of us, even the Mama here, in so many ways.

Of course we love the rainy days too, but mostly because that means a certain favorite someone cannot work!

He usually shows up right at a meal time, smart guy!

He also likes to steal all of my children!

Someone may have gotten older at the end of September.

Of course her children made sure she was spoiled all day and also made sure she ate like a queen!

These two were responsible for that.

They did a great job because dinner was SO good!

Of course Addie Mae made all my dreams come true and made me a cheese cake too!

We are still very predictable in so many things – like Friday night date night!

You all – this is important stuff!

My love language is TIME, which happens to be the one thing we do not have much of.

It makes me thankful that Blake purposes this time for dates where we can talk, plan, be still, and actually look at each other!

We have been going to Viroqua for date night lately, which is only 15 minutes from Twin Oaks.

A couple of times we have enjoy the salad bar at the Co-op.

It was yummy!

Another predictable thing is that fact that we eat!

And cook! And bake! And grocery shop!

I did not have very many food photos this time!

Of course you know the predictability of broken things.

Thankful for a handy husband!

If you haven’t already noticed the predictability of where are two pups always are – let me share this photo!

Or this one!

They love me, just saying, ha, ha!

They actually love us all – and love to be NEAR.

Of course I have a feeewwwww photos of the grand babies.

I actually don’t take as many these days – but I still take some!!

We watched those grand babies for the weekend last weekend so David and Kayla could get away for their fifth anniversary!

Haircuts are predictable.

Every three weeks kind of predictable!

I cannot do haircuts anymore because I am having trouble with the grip of my right hand.

I have dropped those expensive clippers too many times and actually broke one of them and it had to be replaced – I guess that is one way to get out of doing haircuts!

Blake took over for me and is doing a great job!

Addie Mae got grocery for us one week and grabbed a special helper to go along with her!

I love how purposeful she is about pouring into relationships with her siblings!

This photo – BE STILL MY HEART!!

The kiddos are doing SO well right now – thriving!!!

And growing in their sleep!

We are getting into game season, even though we truly play games together all year round.

We had a new one we tried recently – QWIXX – and it was fun!

This young man wanted a new bike.

His current bike was way too small.

The kiddos ride their bikes on the land here at Twin Oaks and love to speed down the hills on them!

Our budget for a new bike was zero dollars.

So Lane rode with Blake to the dump to drop off our garbage every Saturday until he found a bike there that was his size and in good enough shape to fix!

It was pink, so he wrapped it in camouflage duct tape.

It had a broken inner tube, so we bought one for $4 at Wal-Mart.

He scrubbed the rust off with some steel wool.

Now he has a new bike!! And LOVES it!!

Let me end this post with a photo I certainly want to be in our little scrapbook here!

Snow on the deck.

On October 12th.

Taking that photo made me think of my Dad.

He and I liked to talk about the weather a lot!

Not in a boring “how’s the weather?” kind of way – but in a detailed kind of way.

I’ve been missing him a lot lately.

I really meant the words that I titled this post with.

We should not be allowed all that the Lord allows!

Friends – this is our TEMPORARY home.

And yet it is THIS good!!

I can’t even imagine what eternity will be like, but based on what life is like here, I know that it will be INCREDIBLE.

Praise the Lord for this privilege called life!!