Look whose in the shop...

Exactly a week ago I had a car accident. Shook me up, emotionally, but no one was hurt!
Although I don't want to admit I may have been going too fast (25 MPH) for the rain, it hadn't rained in a while and I think the road was exceptionally slippery on the ramp to I-71. It was scary. The 4Runner is now being fixed. See how the front and back ends were banged in?We found a praying mantis by our back door. We've been watching him for a few days now. He was sitting a top our ladder this afternoon. Big fella, eh?
I made some pumpkin flan (click to get the recipe). Hannah wasn't crazy about it, nor was Olivia or Rob. I loved it though. I invited Magdalena over for a piece! Good company makes the food better!!!
Hannah drew this nice picture of the owl and I like the googly-eyes she added. I'm not looking forward to the time change. Arg! I really wish everyone just kept things the same all the time! I would go against the flow, but I have to be to work on time, appointments (going to the dentist on Monday afternoon) and church!

Thoughts from me...

Most of you know we don't celebrate Halloween. Sure, we love pumpkins...Olivia recently guessed "69 pounds" for the weight of a HUGE one outside Trader Joe's (if she is right, we win it). Oh boy. Lots of pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin flan, pumpkin soup, etc. Anyhow, I know it's fun to dress-up and eat candy, but why when we claim to be Christian? Halloween is a pagan holiday. I love how this friend of mine put it. So, although most Americans think it's pure fun, we'll stand out and do what we think is right. Our girls don't need that corn syrup and artificial colored junk, anyhow.
Yep, that's me, in 1986, my fourth grade school photo. We went to Neshobe Elementary in Brandon, Vermont.
I've been looking back at old photos...here we are, an Army family, living in Ft Stewart, Georgia, preparing to say goodbye to our soldier, who was headed to Baghdad. Life has changed a lot for us in a few years. The girls were just 2 and 4 then...they look so little!
Hannah and her Peepaw. Olivia has started affectionately to call him "Peepod." They call my mom Grandma and "Grammie Whammie" too.
Last week, I got the Nov 2009 issue of Gourmet, which unfortunately is going to be their last! I am so disappointed. It's a great magazine, delving into the farms, where the good food originates, then giving you divine recipes to try. I enjoy their lavish photos, with personal touches, like mis-matched fine china, hand crocheted lace or a rough hewn table. I'll really miss that...

Puppet show

You'll probably want to turn off the music in the sidebar (scroll down)...to hear the words...this is officially an "out-take" but towards the end...makes me laugh!

Walking on the tracks

We sorta had a race on the tracks...it's very hard, like a balance beam, but fun for just 2.
Olivia was in karate class while I took Hannah's photos.
Neat arrow, but the morning sun was so strong!
Outside a beauty shop...the ladies inside looked at us and then smiled.
We're preparing...harvesting the last of our sweet potatoes, carrots and the tomatoes. Lots of green ones that might die in the frost, hoping they'll ripen up by the window, or else I'm going to have to make fried green tomatoes! Rob put the down comforter on our bed and started using the wood burning stove this week. He's going to split some wood this afternoon.

Photo shoot

Since we're homeschooling, I am going to take the girls photos in lieu of school photos. Yesterday, while Hannah was taking Russian lessons with Varvara, Olivia and I went on a walk and I took her photo in various spots I had seen and thought would make neat backgrounds!
The next one is my favorite, because I can see all the details, her one new adult tooth up top, her naturally highlighted hair, pretty blue eyes...
Hannah is next...

My nephew

We babysat my little nephew, Isaac, for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon! He was such a delight, smiling a lot and watching us, making eye contact, holding our fingers and toys. He's 3 months old now. Here he is by one of our homegrown pumpkins!
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Apple picking

Rob carrying a bushel of apples ($22). 1/2 for us and the1/2 for Andrea. Oh, and I get to babysit her little Isaac, who is now 3 months old...tomorrow! Looking forward to that!!!Our family...I admit, I took more photos than picked apples.
The kids all enjoyed trying to use the apple picker, although the branches were laden down with heavy apples...at their level.

Rob bought himself a log-splitter. Last year we got a wood burning furnace that sits in our fireplace and our energy bill went from $200 in December to $90 in January. He picked up a huge load of wood from a friend yesterday...we should be set for the upcoming cool weather!

My aunt passed away...

Sept. 30th, 2009, at about 10pm Aunt Ginger passed away. She was my mom's older sister...73 years old. Married to my dear Uncle Bob for 53 years, please pray for him...this is all very hard for him. Look at this sweet photo of the two of them:
I have lots of great memories of her. She was an awesome gardener...she grew some of the most beautiful dahlias. She loved growing vegetables, entered the NY State Fair and won numerous blue ribbons! She painted pumpkins and gourds around this time of year. Whenever we went to Rochester, NY, she would be the one to organize a picnic or cookout at her house. When I was little, she would usually send my sisters and I pretty nightgowns for Christmas presents. May she be with God, peaceful and happy!This afternoon, we played UNO together. These are such a fun set...super small cards!!! Tomorrow, we're planning on going apple picking, then Rob is going to get the chimney all ready for fires...it's been getting chilly at night.