First Day of School 2023

by Steph // Monday, August 21, 2023 // Comments off

Believe or not, school started for us here at Moschel Academy one week ago!

I have always started school the second Monday of August.

I had SO many reasons not to do that this year, but knew that the Lord would bless my efforts even in all the other busyness that was trying to take me away from this goal!

And He has.

Of course He has.

If you have been here awhile, you might remember that we have first day of school traditions!

We always have a special breakfast, see all the new school items for the year, and have school photos taken.

We added a new tradition this year – but not just for the first day of school – and it currently is my most favorite tradition EVER!

I asked Blake if he could stay home later in the mornings and long enough to eat breakfast with us from now on, and he said YES!!

Well, I have tears in my eyes just typing that.

Our special breakfast on the first day of school was bacon, scrambled eggs, and homemade English muffins.

I somehow slept through my alarm that morning – I know!!!

I still was able to be in God’s Word while the bacon cooked, so it was all good!

We had some furry visitors for the first week of school, and they did not know our meal time rules, ha, ha!

The children were SO excited about their new schedules.

I had also switched up all of their chores several weeks ago, and they have mastered them already.

I like to have the chore rotation and learning done before the first day of school.

I have chores too!

Mondays are my laundry day – but we all have laundry chores.

Our first day of school photos are another favorite tradition of ours!

How I enjoy looking back at how much the children have grown and changed.

Look at my line up this year!

Eliza Claire, 11 years old, 6th grade

Tate Owen, 12 years old, 6th grade

Lane Stevan, 15 years old, 10th grade

And just like that, our 2023-2024 school year began!!

These three are enthusiastic, diligent, full of initiative, and just a joy to be around!!

We are running with strong interests that Lane, Tate and Eliza each have, and it is a joy to watch them learn and grow in the areas that interest them!

Eliza is currently is all about animals.

Hence the goats and chickens in our backyard!

She also loves anything paper and pencils.

And of course she LOVES playing the piano.

She also is very athletic, and enjoys reading too.

Tate’s love has been, and continues to be the kitchen.

He and I enjoy working in the kitchen together, and I just praise the Lord that his love for cooking and baking is so easy to fulfill because we have a lot of bellies to feed here!

Tate also loves to read.

He devours books.

And he loves being with people.

Lane still is pushing toward a career in engineering.

He loves all things computer, and excels at computer aided designs, building robots, math, and science.

His mind is amazing!!

Lane loves to read, and he loves to eat, ha, ha!

He enjoys being outside as well.

Blake and I marvel in the children and how very different each one of them is.

Fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord Himself!!

Here’s to our school year!!

For growth, learning, enjoyment, fellowship, and that we will finish in the spring looking back with no regrets!

Happy school year, everyone!!

Summer Days of July

by Steph // Tuesday, August 8, 2023 // Comments off

How I enjoy looking back at a post like this one in the middle of our long Wisconsin winters.

July is the BEST part of summer!!

It actually gets very hot here – just not for very long – and most of the time those hot days are in July.

MY FAVORITE kind of weather.

We were outside a lot – and I will continue to purpose being outside a lot – because it is just so good for us!

We gave Blake a Blackstone grill for Father’s Day!

He finally went and picked one out several weeks later and we have used it endlessly since then.

I KNEW he would love it!!

He enjoys cooking so many things on our deck now!

I have two other cuties who like to be helping with food too!

They wanted to make this dessert for a family get together all by themselves.

I was nearby, and helped get things out and put them away, but they made delicious individual peach cobblers.

Good job, you two!!

Of course, Blake, Tate, and Eliza are not the only ones loving to cook here at Twin Oaks.

I have been busy in the kitchen as well, as always!!

And still only getting grocery every two weeks, even though it is the biggest job that way!

It takes two carts every time.

Blake and I had an impromptu date one Sunday afternoon.

We went to our local Co-op, had a smoothie, and talked and talked!

It was WONDERFUL.

Addie blessed us with the opportunity to have a date night on a Friday night as well!

We had a lot of back to school errands to run, but got some treats at the grocery store to go and watch the sunset at the river.

We watched the sunset quick as a storm rolled in!

I still had the BEST time – because being with Blake is my favorite thing!!

We also took our trio on a date on a Friday night!

We ate dinner out, and then we split up boys and girls.

I took Eliza to Hobby Lobby to get some scrapbook supplies, because she wanted to make a scrapbook!

She LOVED doing this project (just like her mama in SO many ways!!)!

She has already finished it as I type this and it sits proudly on our coffee table downstairs.

We have endless sources of joy right in our backyard!!

Our garden, the animals, and that pool.

Every time we are out there, I am just overwhelmed with what the Lord has allowed!!

Twin Oaks is a very sweet place to be.

Our garden has been wonderful!!

We have enjoyed so many yummy things!!

We did have the return of the dreaded Japanese beetles.

I seriously almost cried the day I first saw them!

We are using the bags to draw them off our of garden plants.

They are also eating all the leaves on our trees this year!

Makes me crazy!!!

Thankful that the bags are “working” although we are not completely sure if it is the best way to deal with them.

Our animals bring us SO MUCH JOY!!

We play with them everyday, and enjoy their personalities very much!

And we are reaping the benefits of all of those beautiful hens!

Sundays are usually full of family.

Sundays fill my cup for the week ahead!!!

We enjoy this season of life so much!

I will admit, it has taken me a bit to settle in to this season – there are so many moving parts!!

The Lord has allowed a great work in my heart, though, and I am enjoying this craziness VERY MUCH.

I hardly ever take photos on Sundays – or if I do it is just one photo.

So here is a random assortment of Sunday photos – memories still worth keeping!

Speaking of Sundays, we were blessed to host our annual church baptisms in our pool again this year.

First we have an all church picnic at a park, and then we head to our backyard to listen to testimonies and watch some very precious people be baptized!

We got the yard in good shape the day before the baptisms – and my hubby even rented a huge mower to make quick work of it all!!

We enjoy this tradition here at Twin Oaks SO VERY MUCH!!

My trio here at home and I have had a good summer routine.

We have Lane’s library job on Monday and Wednesdays, we would do our school rhythm on Tuesdays, we of course spend time in projects every day, we spend time with Kay’s enjoying those grand kiddos, and then there is all of that outside time and running around time as well!

We did the big clothes try on and switcheroo a couple of weeks ago.

Not really sure why I had Lane try any of his old clothes on??

He is growing an inch a day, I think!!

He is already taller than me!

It has been a fun summer with this crew of mine!!

Our July Hymn Sing was sweet!

We had it outside!

Until it started to rain, and then we moved into our friend’s shop!

It was a wonderful night.

Besides ALL of those things above in this post that I love, I have some other things that bring me joy too!

The little den I love to sit in for my quiet time or rest, the blessing of essential oils and how much they have helped us, preparing for school next week, the blessing of a new cookbook to make new recipes from, candles to burn at dinner time, the beautiful landscape in front of our home, laundry to fold meaning I have a lot of precious people here, and good books to read as I continue my journey to health, and the gift of garlic from Kay’s farm…..

It is always the BIG things!!

Are you ready for some sky photos??

This is my LOVE, you guys!

Does God’s creation have you stand in awe looking at it too??

The sky?

The birds?

The green trees?

The snow??

I sure hope so!!

The Lord gave it to us to enjoy!!

Look at me limiting that to only ten photos again!

You are welcome, ha, ha!

Wow, that was a long post!!

I do not even have a way to know if anyone is reading this little ole blog of ours anymore, but if you are and made it to the end, God bless you!

I have heard that blogging is not a thing anymore?

Well, I am old and set in my ways, ha, ha, and this is our family scrapbook – so it will continue on.

Eliza has been looking at my Creative Memories scrapbooks just this week!

I love to look back at our memories too.

Here we are in August.

School starts Monday.

The air has a fall nip in it already.

And time marches on.

Maybe this is my way of trying to get time to stand still?

By capturing moments and putting them in our little scrapbook?

Well, I don’t think it is working, but I will keep on trying!!

So, that means until next time, friends!!

Hope you are having a GREAT summer too!!

A BIG Celebration!!

by Steph // Monday, August 7, 2023 // Comments off

It is getting a little trickier to get everyone together these days, which means that everyone’s lives our full in a wonderful way!

Tate and Eliza’s Forever Family Days came along in July, and we always leave it up to them if they want to celebrate or not.

They wanted to!

Tate’s birthday was one week after his Forever Family Day anniversary, so we decided to lump these three celebrations together.

It was a GREAT idea!

We set the date for the last Saturday evening in July.

I had great helpers as we got ready for the party – including a decorating committee, ha, ha!

Seeing the Prime guy pull into your driveway the afternoon of the party was a huge relief because he had ALL of the presents!

The mama of this crew has been super busy and ordered everything very last minute.

I know! You are now wondering who in the world that mama is!!

Me TOO.

Smile.

Eliza promptly helped me wrap everything up!

Except I did not have enough paper for that one huge gift!

I looked at that pogo stick leaning against my bed and seriously thought I had temporarily lost my mind!

But that is ALL that Tate wanted!

Tate and Eliza requested Jap Chae, watermelon, and french bread for dinner with crepes, fruit compote, and homemade ice cream for dessert.

Good choices, you two!!

After dinner we switched into birthday party mode, and Tate opened his gifts!

He always has the CUTEST helpers!!

I LOVE the excitement of birthday parties!!

Of course we had to go outside and try out that pogo stick.

I have a hysterical video of Grant on that thing – he was, of course, that only one that could do it perfectly!

Kayla, Saige and I hung out on the front porch watching them all.

We sang Happy Birthday to Tate!

TWELVE candles in his crepe.

Tears in my eyes as I sang.

HOW is he twelve??

It was the best evening that ended way too soon but very late!

My favorite thing is this house full of people – especially all those kiddos and grand kiddos!!!

This is how you know you had THE BEST party – doing dishes until midnight!!!

Eliza Claire and Tate Owen, there could not be a party big enough to celebrate the anniversaries of the arrival of you two precious children into our forever arms.

It is such a BIG GOD THING that it should be celebrated EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

We are never worthy to be yours, but we are SO grateful the Lord allowed us to bring you home!!

And Tate Owen, you are growing into a fine young man.

Your heart for others is inspiring.

You have such an old soul in your twelve year old body – and it is our favorite thing about you!!

We are so excited to watch the Lord write your story!!

Happy Forever Family Day, Zhao He Jie and Zhang Hong Yang – now our Eliza Claire and Tate Owen!!

And Happy, happy birthday to our cheerful young warrior!!

WE LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!!!

Our Favorite Weekend Trip

by Steph // Saturday, August 5, 2023 // Comments off

The second to last weekend of July we had a plan to take our favorite weekend trip to Illinois and Indy to see our extended family!

We LOVE these weekend trips, even though they are short for so many miles traveled.

I am getting to be an expert at packing everyone up for our weekends away – which is something to say for a homebody like me!

Of course, we have our essentials that must go on every trip – the things we use the most.

As soon as Blake was home from work that Thursday, we loaded up to head out!

Sad to say our trip did not start off as we hoped!

Thankfully once we jump started the van it was fine – but we do need to replace our battery very soon.

Our travel team was these three cuties!!

We arrived at our hotel in Morton, Illinois at 11 p.m.

We are usually at least one person too many for one room, so we divide into a girls and a boys room.

That means Eliza is my only roommate!

She sleeps through anything, but I still try to do my Bible time quietly in the dark.

Friday ended up being a gorgeous day in Illinois!

As usual, our first stop was with Grandpa and Grandma Nettell!

We had a wonderful visit with them – enjoying lunch – and of course Grandma had ice cream for the kiddos!

As usual, our next stop was to Four30 Scones to meet up with Blake’s Mom.

First we drove by our very first home that we had purchased the year we were married.

It looks exactly the same!

Except there was a tree missing from the front yard.

Four30 Scones did not disappoint – and it never does!

We enjoyed coffee and lemonade treats, and of course scones.

We also surprised Grandma Barb by not telling her Grant and his girlfriend Kamryn were going to meet up with us there!

Before we knew it, it was time to head on to Indy!

It is only three and a half hours from Morton.

We all arrived at our hotel at 10 p.m.

Saturday morning came early thanks to the time change.

We were SO excited to get over to my Mom’s place and see my Mom and brother!

We had a GREAT day with them!!

We went to Meijer – our favorite grocery/everything store – and got ingredients to make lunch.

My brother has traditions with the kiddos that he is SO good about continuing – a summer water fight, ice cream, and Chipotle for dinner each time we are there.

The kids had a blast!!