Hobbits and Houses

I'm falling behind... I think I will blame it on our wireless router.  It stopped working and so I couldn't connect my camera to the computer.  Yay technology.

Anyway, Tirzah and Griffin came to play one day after story hour.  They all played so nicely and it was so quiet upstairs.  

 Sometimes when I'm trying to cook I ignore Emmy and she does things like this...

 Lena's church baby shower was the 30th.  The girls and I went to the farm that afternoon and they ate supper with Dad and Jake... then we went to "Shirley's house" (aka Cheryl) for the shower.  They had fun playing with her toys and I got to talk to Elise so it was a good night. 
I took the girls to Grandpa and Grandma Beutel's house on Halloween.  Emmy was a hobbit lass... Cecily has a matching dress but "I will wear my Elsa dress," so whatever. I can pretend like she's an Elvish princess or something.

 Such a cute little hobbit.

 We walked to several of our neighbor's houses- it's kind of our last chance for interaction before winter sets in and we all hibernate. We spent the rest of the evening keeping Emmy out of the candy bowl. 

 Our potluck had a wiener roast on Sunday evening.  Thankfully we had good weather and a shed to hang out in so we didn't freeze.  The girls had fun running around and being crazy.

They made me 'lunch' one day. 

 So our next door neighbors are moving and they brought over two big boxes of toys and clothes that their granddaughter is done with.  It was like Christmas.  And there was a leotard and dance skirt in the box.... someone found my old ballet book and wants to be a ballerina and was sooooo excited to get a ballerina dress. Now she wants pink shoes.  *sigh*

 Saturday I got to do something awesome!  If you've ever driven I-55 between Bloomington and Lexington and seen the huge old house rising abruptly out of the cornfields, we go to go tour it!  It's called Duncan Manor and its history is quite fascinating.  And it's gorgeous.

 The current owners are working on restoring it- since they bought the place last summer they now have new plumbing, electrical, and working HVAC.  The exterior and interior walls are solid brick (6-12 inches!) so it makes all of those things rather difficult. There was a lot of damage/ vandalism inside so some rooms are down to the lathe.  Cecily is checking out the wall in the servants staircase. 

 Emmy was very unsure, but she liked the antique couch.

 Look at those corbels...

 I didn't get many pictures inside- it will be gorgeous when it's done.  I was also busy making sure Cecily wasn't getting ahead of us or falling over short they-didn't-have-building-codes-in-1870 railings.  The three story spiral staircase is pretty amazing, even in mid-renovation shape. And the high ceilings....  swoon.

 "Oh look, that would be a great Christmas card picture spot. Cecily go sit by Emmy."  Yeah.  No luck. 

 So for a long time this house was rented out....  it sits on an acreage and it was built by a farmer, so technically it is a farm house.  Can you imagine cash renting the farm- 'Oh by the way, the property has a house on it so if you need a place to live....'  Ha!  Why sure I'd love to farm your ground and live in your seven bedroom Italianate mansion!   

So fun.  I asked Cecily what her favorite part of the big house was and she said the round windows (in the 3rd floor), and the little stairway (the steeeep servants stairs). 
Today after church we went back to the farm.  One of my mom's cousins was in town (they're retired and spend their summers touring in their RV and their winters in Texas) so she had the Roemersbergers in to see them.  Good times.
Blessings.