So Long September

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September was here and gone, just like that!!

It was a GOOD month!

Let’s start with all the food photos, because I’m hungry!

I really like including my food photos here in this space, because when I look back at this little scrapbook those photos inspire me to make certain things again!

I forget about some of these things that we make and try.

I have not, however, forgotten about these rolls or those cinnamon rolls.

I heard they are SO yummy!!


Tate and Eliza have been having food styling contests at lunch and I am the judge.

I don’t like this job.

They don’t like me to judge either because I always say they both win, ha, ha!

It is cute to watch them find creative outlets in all that they do though!!


Speaking of creative ways to fill our time – we have been enjoying diamond dot painting lately!

Tate and Eliza specifically are really enjoying this craft, and they decorated a notebook for me to take to the True Woman Conference.

It is cute!

We also still read LOTS of books and play LOTS of games!


Ruby Jane and Sadie Jo still bring us immense joy.

We already talk about how we will always need dogs in our lives!

Aren’t they cute??

Especially when Ruby gets a haircut!


Addie Mae traveled with David and Kayla and their family to Family Camp early in September.

We did not go this year, no.

She had the BEST time and I am sure it was an incredible blessing for David and Kayla to have those extra hands!!

This is the evening she returned home…I asked for them to get together for a photo, ha, ha!!


Blake and I only had one date night in September!

With travels and hand surgery and life – well, you get the picture!

We did take our trio to town a couple of Friday nights to help get grocery because I was not able to lift grocery bags to do it alone.

Of course dinner out made that more fun for us all!


Speaking of surgery, my surgery was in the middle of September, in Green Bay at the Ovation Hand Institute.

It went PERFECTLY!

And I left the “operating room” within twenty minutes of entering it with all that nerve pain GONE.

Hard to describe in words – if you know, you know!

I was literally in tears because that pinching nerve pain that ran all the way up into my shoulder immediately left when the surgeon released that nerve!

My tears made the Physician’s Assistant cry!

We were a mess!

Blake and I got home after a long day with a long drive to a decorated room, a delicious meal, and lots of healing needing to happen.


One day (sometime after surgery), Lane was my special helper and went to town with me to run a million errands!

He is growing and changing by the second and I know how this goes, so I am HANGING ON TIGHT!

We also had a Dr. Ben appointment for Lane that morning and were sad to learn what we already suspected – that Lane has Lyme disease again.

Thankful for treatment and healing!!


Blake worked a whole entire weekend on our pool in September.

Because of all the rain this summer, the foundation under the pool was sinking and our pool was getting very lop sided.

It was NOT good!

With the help of all the boys here and there, they jacked it up, rebuilt the foundation, added some cement for good measure, and it is all fixed!!

Love my handy guys!!


It was while Grant and Blake were out there (in the photo above) that Blake texted me and said “You better come outside and bring your camera!”

Oh my, he was right!!


We had many more beautiful skies in September too!!


That handy man of mine blessed me SO much for my birthday!

The kids told him we needed a new bird restaurant for our deck for the winter months because ours broke last year.

He took them shopping and I was gifted this beautiful one!

He also cleaned the garage while Addie and I were away for the conference that weekend.

It was a HUGE, huge, huge job and I could not be more please with the results!!

The boys helped by getting all of their things out of our garage too.


I love our helpers!!

They are always willing and enthusiastic!

Tate is SUCH a diligent helper in the gardens.

He also loves to serve others here in our home and I just love his heart to pieces!

He is especially good with his nephews and nieces!


I have been enjoying coffee again after a season without it.

It’s always better when the weather gets colder too!

I have a new tumbler from the True Woman conference that you can usually find some iced coffee in right about mid morning.


I think I will get some hot coffee to sip right now!

Doesn’t that sound good?

Here we are half way through October – I can’t wait to tell you all about what’s been happening this month already!

Don’t blink, you guys.

The days and the months are flying by.

I hope you all are having a great October and a great start to your day today!!

Until next time…

The True Woman Conference

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Sometime last year Addie and I signed up and paid for our attendance at the True Woman Conference that just happened in September.

We made this plan with a friend of mine from my college days in Illinois, and we eagerly anticipated getting to have this weekend together!

Unfortunately our plans with my friend changed when she and her family got sick right before we were supposed to leave for the conference.

Addie and I decided to drive the whole way to Indianapolis by ourselves and still attend the conference.

I am SO glad that we did!


We had a room in a beautiful hotel right across the street from the conference center, and a skywalk to get there.

We also had not one, but two small refrigerators to store our meals in and eat out of the entire weekend.

It was perfect!


The conference was named “Heaven Rules” and it was AMAZING.

The kind of AMAZING that you will never forget.

The speakers, the worship (with Keith and Kristyn Getty and Shane and Shane!!), the fellowship with other believers – it was just so powerful!

There were 5,000 God fearing women at that conference, and it was just SO cool that we all shared one HUGE common thread – our love for Christ!!


I even found out that David’s Aunt Sandy was there and we found each other the first night!!


The conference started on a Thursday evening and ended on Saturday around noon.

Addie and I had a late check out, which was a blessing!

We were able to keep our luggage in our room until then, and since we had valet parked our van, this worked out perfectly.

We got some very expensive coffee in the hotel lobby and headed out to start the long drive home!


Thankfully we had planned ahead to stop for the night, knowing it would be a lot to drive the almost nine hours home when leaving Indy in the afternoon.

We stayed in a hotel in Bloomington, Illinois.

We were blessed to be able to meet up with Blake’s Mom for some coffee Sunday morning before heading the rest of the way home!

Our favorite little coffee spot too – Four30 Scones.


We got home around 3:30 on Sunday, and about 30 minutes later our kitchen looked like this!!


Those crazy people made a big meal and homemade ice cream since it was my birthday that day.

There were lots of gifts too – and I LOVE them ALL!!

It was a WONDERFUL birthday with a hubby, grandbabies and kiddos that enjoyed blessing me!!


My absolute favorite parts of that weekend were the time that Addie and I had together, the worship with Keith and Kristyn Getty (specifically), and some very profound things that the speakers said that spoke deeply to my heart.

Two speakers talked of their recent trials that resonated so closely to my heart – and I will never forget the truths that they shared.

Joni Eareckson Tada said this: “God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.”

Yes, yes, yes!

Kay Arthur said, “Why fight against God when He is God?”

AMEN!!

After sharing a story about her grandson eating store bought pound cake for the first time, Susan Hunt said, “When we live out true Biblical womanhood in our daily life, maybe others will get a taste and see…then when they taste something else, they will not be impressed.”

What an encouraging challenge!!!!

I have been listening to the Getty’s new album all the time since we were at the conference.

I usually listen on Friday mornings while I am driving to town to get grocery, and sing my heart out with them again!

It has been years upon years since I have been to any kind of conference like this, but I am hoping it is not that long until I attend another one.

What a great investment!!

Not only for me, but for Addie Mae too, and for our mother/daughter relationship as well!

True Woman Conference, you did not disappoint!!

Bless each woman that was there pouring themselves into making that conference happen!!

Please, Lord, use it ALL for our good and Your glory!!

Family Nights in September

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Our new tradition of Thursday night family night continues on!

I look forward to Thursday nights SO much!

The boys come back home!

Blake tries to get home early from work!

We have a big meal and dessert!

And best of all…we are ALL together.

The first Thursday of September we had a simple game night, but it was FUN and we laughed SO MUCH!


The second Thursday of September it was my night to make the plan.

I had everyone meet up on the top of Granddad’s Bluff!

It was a GORGEOUS warm evening!

We went to the lookout spot, ran around for awhile, and then had a picnic dinner right there on top of the world.

It was perfect!


The third Thursday night in September we had a game night.

We played a routy game of Apples to Apples after a good meal.

We also enjoyed dessert, which I did not take a photo of!


The fourth Thursday in September Addie and I were gone on a trip (more on that soon!).

There was not a family night that week!

The last Thursday of September Tate planned a “make your own pizzas” night with a campfire and smores for dessert!

It was a brilliant idea and we had fun getting it all ready!

I took Tate on a one-on-one run to the Co-op to get what we needed.


It was an incredible night for a fire!

I had pumpkin pie that Addie had made for me, while everyone else enjoyed smores.


I am beyond grateful that we are making this a priority!

It would be SO easy to say “I’m too busy” “I’m too tired” or “I would rather do this other thing that is better.”

I am prayerful that the Lord will bless and multiply the investment we are all making in this few hours each week.

Stick around, family night!!

You seem SO very worth the time!!

September School Days!

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My trio and I have been enjoying our school work this fall very much!


It seems so far, though, that my goals are too lofty – because a lot of the good stuff I have in my head is not getting done.

Life is FULL, folks!!

I’m smart enough to know that winter is coming…and we will have plenty of long winter hours for things like learning a new medium in art, and reading aloud the long list of books I hope to read to these kiddos!

I will say that our rhythm is working, expected, a blessing to keep us purposeful, and enjoyed!!

Here is a glimpse of the things that we are enjoying!

Bible memory.

We work on it every school day and these kiddos have dozens upon dozens of verses deep in their hearts.


Chalk pastels.

We have done them as a group twice now – can’t wait to get to this more often!!


A daily morning break to get outside.

We usually take a bike ride!


A new book.

This book is FANTASTIC.

The analogy to salvation is INCREDIBLE.

We are enjoying it fully and it sparks SO much discussion!

Highly recommended.


Library day.

Good books are hard to find, as I am sure you know.

But I work hard at this!

I want our kiddos to enjoy reading and for it to be worthwhile!


Science experiments.

It’s Lane’s love language!

And it stops everything else when he is doing one – because we can’t miss out!


Illustrations and narrations.

They work hard on these – drawing amazing pictures and retelling things perfectly that I have read to them.

I LOVE illustrations and narrations – there is SO much learning going on in drawing and writing about what you have just learned!


Read aloud while doing paint by sticker books.

I’m not sure I should say it’s our most favorite time of our day, well, because everything is our most favorite time of our day – but this activity is high on our favorites list!!


Piano practice and lessons.

These two have made such HUGE strides in this area in just over one year!

They both just moved up to level six after passing their assessment tests last weekend.


STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class for Lane.

It has been a game changer and I am SUPER glad I am not in charge of it!

Blake is!

I do not speak this language, if you know what I mean, ha, ha.


I get more teary eyed these days than I ever have about things like “school.”

I mean, it’s JUST SCHOOL, right?

But IT’S NOT.

It’s about a lady, who begged God for children when she couldn’t have them, who is now in her mid 50’s spending every single blessed day with the literal answer to those prayers!

It’s about three enthusiastic, full-of-life children whom this teary eyed lady does NOT deserve!

It’s about not only those enthusiastic children’s learning and growth – but MORE about the teary eyed lady’s learning and growth as well!

Our school days just took on a new twist, by the way, as they are now featuring a NaiNai school day where my GRANDBABIES COME OVER AND I TEACH THEM TOO!!!

I know you already know.

There are tears in my eyes right now!!

You all.

I would have never guessed how God would write my story.

EVER.

SO thankful He is the ONE in control!

Thank you, Jesus, for these precious days!!

Looking forward, Lord willing, to many more!!

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