Family Photo Shoot 2020

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A little over a week ago we had our fall family photo shoot!

I am SO thankful that Kayla gives me this gift every year!

She graciously not only takes the photos – but plans where, when, and how it will all happen!

We send messages back and forth, as we plan, with photos of what colors of clothes we all own as we try to kind of coordinate everyone!

I always ask for four different photos – one of each child alone, one of the Kozelek crew, one of the Moschel crew, and one of ALL of us!

I love how the individual photos turned out!

The kiddos’s smiles are bright as always!

Eliza Claire, eight years old –


Tate Owen, nine years old –


Lane Stevan, twelve years old –


Chad Ryan, sixteen years old –


Addison Mae –


Grant Evan –


The grand babies got individual photos too!

I LOVE THEM!!

The photos show their personalities perfectly!

Briar Promise, almost two years old –


River Salem, three years old –


Ellie Joy, almost five years old –


Clyde Strength, almost five years old –


Here’s the Kozelek crew!

The grand babies did AMAZING getting their photos taken!


And finally a sneak peek at one of the group photos…you will have to wait on the rest until Christmas!


I would say we had a very successful photo shoot this year!

We took all of those photos, walking around a little town to find back drops, in less than thirty minutes!

Bless you, Kay, for doing this for me!!

I absolutely love that you captured this moment in time!

Memories made and memories kept!!

A Quick Trip

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On Saturday we took a quick trip to Illinois to visit family and friends!

It has been MUCH too long since we have been there.

We made an early start and left home at 5 a.m.

Once the sun rose around 7 a.m., I took this photo!

It is very blurry because we were on a very bumpy road, but I love it anyway!


We found all kinds of things to do on the five hour drive, including spending some time in God’s Word.


Our first stop was to see a dear friend of mine!

It was so wonderful to spend some time with Melody and her husband Steve!


Our next stop was to see the kiddos grandparents!

Blake’s Dad and his wife Lilli.

It was wonderful to be with them and we all left a piece of our hearts there as we drove away.


By this time it was mid afternoon and we were hungry!

We used our phones to find a Chipotle and headed there for some take out lunch.


As we drove from Peoria to Morton we got to show the kids some things from when we used to live in Illinois – like where Addie Mae was born!


We headed to Blake’s Mom’s house for our last visit.

It was SO good to be there!!


We did drive around Morton for a bit to show the kids around!

We showed them our first home, and our last home there!

This tiny little nest was the home that we bought six or seven months after we were married way back in 1989!

It looked exactly the same!


We were thankful the Starbucks was still in the Kroger grocery store and that it was open!

We all got coffee (and apple juice for Tate and Eliza!) and hit the road to head back home.


We got to experience an Illinois sunset on our way out of town.


Yesterday was a quiet day of church and rest at home after that long day on Saturday!

I made some yummy nourishing meals too!


It’s freezing cold, literally, here at Twin Oaks now.

I am thankful we were able to make the trip to Illinois before the snow starts flying!

It is so wonderful to visit, so hard to leave, and we always, always wish we lived closer to our family.

It is hard to be so far away from all of our family!

Here’s hoping we can see everyone again very soon!

A Gorgeous Fall Weekend

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Last weekend was SO beautiful!

The weather was warm, blue, and sunny.

I usually start Saturday morning with my apron on – making a big breakfast for everyone and then working on snack food, the salad box, and anything else that needs prepped for the week ahead.

This past Saturday Grant, Addie, and Chad were all at work, but I had my hubby and our trio at home with me!

Our morning started like this – and with an injury – Blake got cut in two places and we spent some time getting some glass out of his finger.

Sigh.

In defense for all Pyrex dishes everywhere, I think this 9×13 glass Pyrex dish was from 1999!

It lasted a looonnnggg time!

This photo is after we had cleaned up the bigger pieces.

It went EVERYWHERE.


After that mess was cleaned up, we all worked together and made lots of good things, including this apple dip!

Addie Mae has been bringing home 10 pound bags of Honey Crisp apples from work!

They are DELICIOUS!

More so with this yummy dip!

I made a double batch!


I also made lemon bars.

YUM.

Tate enjoyed helping with these!


On date night Friday night Blake had the idea to have a cook-out and a camp fire on Saturday night since it was going to be such nice weather!

We have our best ideas on date night.

It’s when we can actually think and have a conversation and all!

I made some cook out food, including these Pioneer Woman Cowboy beans.


We filled the afternoon with outside work.

Grant was home after lunch so the boys mowed the land, Blake and I cleared the garden for the year, and Blake also worked on getting the pool ready for winter!


We had some helpers!

And worm searchers!

I love how River thinks BIG and ran to get a shovel – because surely a huge shovel would do a way better job than our hands could!


I caught Eliza snackin’ on some of the yummy rice krispie treats we had made that morning!


It was such a beautiful day!

Tate took my phone and got some photos of the pretty colors!


Pretty soon Chad and Addie were home from work!

It was time to have some fun!


Dinner was fantastic!

Hard work makes food taste extra good!

It cooled off quick last Saturday night, so the fire was welcomed!


We headed inside pretty early to make sure we were in good shape for church Sunday morning!

Chad practiced a bit more for worship team once we were inside.

Both Chad and Addie serve on our church’s worship team – they lead the singing during our church services!


Saturday evening when we saw the weather forecast for Sunday, I messaged Kayla about doing family photos at sunset on Sunday.

Sunday’s weather did not initially turn out like we thought it should!

But it cleared off beautifully in the late afternoon, and it was in the mid 60’s, so we decided to go for it!


We headed into Cashton and walked around that sweet little town looking for some good backdrops.


We might have bribed some little people.

It was only popsicles!

Don’t judge!!

Kayla set us up and used the timer on her camera….and THIS.

I KNOW.

You probably cannot see it, but everyone is looking AND smiling!

Those cuties earned their popsicles!!!


It was a wonderful weekend!

It felt a bit like “old” times at the farm!

Where we would all work together all day and then sit around a fire eating, chatting, and grabbing hold of each other’s hearts!

We would head inside that old rambling farm house back at Adoni Acres super late, super dirty, and fall into bed super exhausted in the best kind of way!!

The weather has been unpredictable but beautiful!

We see the sun at some point almost everyday!

Thankful for the simple things like the beauty outside!

Don’t the fall colors remind you of the most amazing creative Lord that we have?

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the change of seasons!

You are SO good to us!!

A Trip to Mexico and Other Stuff

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Did that title get your attention?

We have taken a trip to Mexico the last two weeks – through books, videos, and projects in school!

It has been super fun and we have all learned a lot.


We studied deserts and the plant and animal life that lives in them!

I seriously tried to find some of the fruit from a saguaro cactus – we wanted to taste it so bad!


Last week we painted some sun faces to look like the clay ones that are sold all over Mexico!


We even had Mexican soup!

It got rave reviews!

It really is just taco soup.


We also kept up with the rest of our school schedule!

Our schedule is working smoothly this year!

I so enjoy watching the kiddos study their Bibles.


We work on Bible memory each morning.


Math finds us in all kinds of positions and places.


The Mama of this nest might have given this Math whiz a sucker at 9:30 a.m.

You might as well notice the big bag of chips over there by Lane too – ha, ha!


Read aloud happens in the master bedroom with the door shut because Chad finds it very distracting!


Speaking of Chad, he is enjoying school too!


All of our “other things” are continuing on…date night is still a favorite of mine!

It’s all about ice cream, singing hymns together to and from town, spending time connecting and having a prayer time together too!


Of course food prep continues!

They are still eating!!

Here is one of the many, many reasons I do our grocery run at the crack of dawn!

It was just me and one other crazy lady in the produce section – it’s the best way to shop!


The weather here at Twin Oaks has been all over the place!

We are having warm, Indian summer like days right now – but it has been cold, windy, rainy, and freezing!


We have had several frosts already too.

Sometimes the weather would change by the hour!

I was sitting by the sliding glass door for less than 30 minutes working on the menu plan and took both of these photos.


The frost has made the trees even more beautiful!


Our bird restaurant is open for the season!

Eliza thinks there should be a prize for the one who sees the first cardinal visiting our restaurant!


This happened to Ruby last week too.

She is SO cute!!!

With long or short hair!


Our afternoons are full of all kinds of things – being outside all that we can, but some inside things too.

I am taking a free Word Press class through our library!

Hopefully I will learn something and be able to work all the bugs out of this little blog of ours!


I am also still reading through the Bible chronologically this year.

We just started the New Testament!!


There is always a game going on somewhere before dinner!


And our favorites!!

We love to spend time with our favorites!


Speaking of those cute grand babies, this was our breakfast table Sunday morning!!

I know, I know! Pinch me!


We also had an extra student for school this week.

I love, love, love one-on-one (ish!) time with my grands!


Addie Mae bought me this shirt!

I LOVE it!


These two are not only the same size at almost five and nine years old, but they are also best friends!

Nephew and Uncle!


Don’t worry, he does not let his size deter him!

Tate is an inspiration, I tell ya!!


Look at the photo someone took at church for us on Sunday!!

Be still my heart!

They were standing on the chairs singing!!


I would say that is a great photo to end this post with!

We are headed to Canada this morning!

I will stamp their passports at 10 a.m. – would you all like to come with us?

Well then, stay tuned!

I’m sure there will be a post soon about our time spent learning about Canada!

We learned some Spanish the last two weeks, but now it’s time to learn some French.

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois!!

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