Combines and apples and cider, Oh My!

 The girls had Columbus day off of school, and the weather was perfect, so we went to the farm for combine rides. Michelle was there with her kids too. It wasn't quite dry enough  for combining when we got there, so we ate lunch and picked some apples.

 Contentedly watching the action from the stroller...

 The "bad apples" got fed to the cows. 

 This apple is so good!

 Matt and Jack stopped for a little bit too. 

 No one was scared of the combine this year!  The older three piled in with dad for a round in the bean field.

 This little one was awake so we hung out together in the van.

 The village is in the process of upgrading the sewer lines and last Tuesday it was our lucky day! Or something.  I was maybe more excited to watch than the girls were. :)  And also nervous that we were going to lose a baby tree, or the clothesline, to an errant excavator load.  He was really good though, and there were no casualties.  

 Safety first!  She thought she needed her toy hard hat too. 

 Mr. F stopped over to chat- he wondered if we were all putting in swimming pools... ha.  If only...
I overheard the contractors complaining about how deep the line was, and it really did seem like they had to move a lot of dirt.  They back filled with gravel so there was a pretty big pile left over, which the girls loved. 

 She made it to the top and planted her flag!  haha. 

 I was slightly less enthused about a large pile of clay that smelled faintly of sewer... but... I have fond memories of mountains of new hog house pit dirt, and of creating a water slide at the neighbor's house down a pile of clay so...  (I did forbid them from using water on it at. all.  Since they refuse to differentiate between "farm clothes" and "town clothes" they don't get to stain their school outfits. That, and it's too cold.)
Nothing better than an apple pie made with Jonathon apples picked yourself from your favorite tree.  Emmy helped me and we almost forgot the sugar, which would have been very sad.  

 Thursday evening we headed back to the farm to celebrate Gideon's birthday and make cider.

 He's getting so big.  And they accidentally put trick candles on his cake.  :) 

 My girls were so excited to help with the cider.  Shells and I got the wet, cold, job of washing the apples... everyone else got the fun jobs.  hehe.  We made 13-14 gallons which seems like a lot to me.  It was a good apple year, and the cider tastes really good. 

Saturday evening Bob went to Kevin's bachelor supper and the girls and I went to W-ton for Tate's testimony.  The older girls stayed at the condos with Candace and Cliff... and Gideon, Aurelia, Boden, and Parker. It looked like a party. :P  I went over to church with Miriel just for Tate's turn.  He was the last so it was kind of a late night, but definitely a blessing to be there. We all went back for church Sunday- twice in a month! That must be some kind of record!  Once again the older two went to Sunday School no problem, and Cadence was hesitant... even with Jack AND Parker in her class.   I took the older three "up front" in the afternoon (there was a lot of company, so it wasn't even that far) and by the end we were barely hanging on...praise the Lord for fruit snacks.  I am so thankful for all of my younger cousins.  They have been such good examples and it's so fun to take my kids to their baptisms... and weddings... we could be going to a lot of weddings... :P  

Sunday evening was the Koch wiener roast.  That is Cadence up there on the zipline.  *sigh* Kid has no fear.

 Emmy preferred the relative safety of the hay rack. 

 Instead of one of the kids hurting themselves because they were being crazy, unfortunately, Bob's Mom fell and broke her leg. Sooo.... minus the excitement of getting an ambulance down to the timber, and an extra long hay rack ride to keep the kids out of the way, that kind of put a damper on the evening. It sounds like she'll have a long recovery too, which really stinks. 
Oh Miri-miri.  Such a happy baby. 

 It's a good thing too, she has to put up with a lot, including bug antenna headbands forced on her at random.

Conferences were this morning; this year the girls had to come along for the first half to show me their work or something, not sure that part was really necessary.  Miriel came too, which left poor Cadence home with a sitter.  They both got glowing reports and 'I wish all of my students were like her.'  Which is great, but, are we talking about the same kids?  Haha.  Wasn't I just frustrated with her because she never pays attention to my requests, but 'she's one of the best listeners in class'?  'She's so sweet to her classmates' ummmm.... then why do you have such a hard time with your sisters!?!  I am glad that they do well academically and behave themselves at school, although it's probably more in spite of me than anything I've done. And thankfully miss I-must-set-a-timer-and-read-for-at-least-20-minutes-because-that's-what-my-homework-sheet-says did not get the procrastination gene from me.    
Blessings. 

Fall has fallen

September flew past and now October is almost half over... eeesh.  

The girls valiantly tried to rake up a leaf pile from the few leaves that are on the ground.  

 Cadence decided to organize my pantry one afternoon... 

 We did the inflatables after the walk-a-thon, since Emmy's class went in the afternoon and I didn't want to make a special trip back to the school for her- and younger siblings were allowed to jump after school.    

 It had been a very long time since we had gone to W-ton for church.  Miriel had never been there, so it was at least 5 months.  Four little girls all ready for church ahead of schedule (for once!).  

 The three older girls went to Sunday school- Cecily and Emmy were so excited, Cadence was a little bit more hesitant.  She didn't want me to leave, but she also didn't want to go in church with me.  Eventually Natalie talked her into standing by Jack to sing, and then she was fine.  
We went to the farm for a bit after church, then to Nathan and Michelle's for supper and birthdays.  Cecily was super excited for presents.

 And she got to blow out the candle on Aurelia's cool Bee cake.  

 Miriel looks like she doesn't know what to think of Aurelia's post wash-off-the-cake bath dance.  Hehe.  How is she 1 already??   

Just a little "Organic Chemistry for Babies." 

Cecily requested a "Cat cake" for her birthday, so I went on pinterest and found some options that I thought I could maybe pull off.  It turned out pretty cute!  

 I'm really more of a cake lover than a frosting lover so all of these buttercream flowers kind of gag me but.... they do look pretty.  :)  

 Two of her favorite things, cats and Miriel.  

 How is she 8 already!?  

 Opening presents with some help from Miriel... 

Friday evening we went to the Timber Ridge singing.  We haven't made it the last couple times and I don't know if Cecily even really remembered being there.  It was high time.  I tried to prepare them... ha.  I think they were so completely shell shocked that they were perfect angels for the entire singing.  Even Cadence just. sat. and handed me her book and said sweetly, "will you find my number please."  (Who are you and what have you done with my child!)   We didn't stay long afterwards, I'm really not good with small talk in more comfortable settings, and the girls were slightly intimidated.  But they were SO. GOOD.  So we got ice cream on the way home.  And here we have a happy baby wearing this dress on its fourth go round- with adorable shoes from Aunt Lena that are blurry because she's kicking so much.

 Saturday night was the pork chop fry.  It was moved to Marvin and Paula's shed due to weather, which was kind of nice.  Eating off laps/bales just stresses me out.  We had straw in food, and cups, and ketchup... and they were mad that I wouldn't let them drink cocoa.  Sorry, I don't think they want cocoa all over their nice bales and all over their shop.  They got it all over themselves when we got home, and I got to say 'I told you so!'  

 Sunday evening we went to our potluck wiener roast at Dale and Meg's homestead.  We got to peek at the new house... It has a catslide roof!  I approve.  :D  hehe.  There wasn't any rain in the forecast, and then it rained pretty hard for a little bit.  Cecily jumped on the trampoline in the rain and got completely soaked, Emmy and Cadence played in the camper, they all got super sticky from s'mores, and a good time was had by all.    

 "Take a picture of all of us wearing our sunglasses!"

 Remuddling is my favorite feature in "Old House Journal" magazine.  This is just... I don't even know... an atrocity? What sort of person thinks this looks good?  It's hard to read, but basically somebody put a tudor-ish addition on that poor mid-century modern ranch in the lower pictures.  I'm not sure whether I should laugh or cry.   

 Sometimes they are so sweet to each other...

 I sent them out to splash in puddles.  Poor city kids hardly know what a puddle is.  

 Our across the road neighbor was observing and smoking his pipe from his garage, Miriel and I stayed dry in ours.  

Miriel and I went to sewing club one evening.  We came home to a very warm house because Bob had turned the heat on.  I had been enjoying being slightly chilly, yea, even cold! after a year of insane pregnancy/breastfeeding sweating.  But alas, it was not to be... haha.  Don't tell, but I keep nudging it slightly lower.... not too low, I don't want the girls to get cold.  
Last night Grace and Eden spent the night.  My girls were bouncing off the walls with excitement- "we're having a slumber party?!?"  
We've been busy enough that we aren't bored, but not so busy that we're stressed.
Blessings.