Random thoughts and pictures

I will start with the thoughts:
1. My kids are growing. Brinlie is getting tall enough that I need her lower to do her hair. Her face is changing from "so cute," to beautiful. Aaron is getting a squeaky voice and a darker upper lip. He can wear a pair of Scott's sandals. He is almost as tall as me. Carter has big feet and wearing deodorant daily is a must. Darylyn has grow like our weeds have this year. She is shifting from a little girl to a girl. Emma's mind is so quick, it is growing. Fischer's church pants on Sunday were high waters. He surprises me with the words he knows and uses. Gracie is very close to walking and is one independent girlie.
2. Fall is coming and I love it! Sweaters, pumpkin, music, family, soup, warm bread, nippy mornings, blazing fires, leaves falling...Oh I can catch the scent of it sometimes in the air and I get excited.
3. Being a parent is the hardest and the most rewarding thing in the world.
4. Having a teenager is kind of like a bag of wonders. There are times when I wonder what is going to come out of that bag today. It could be a variety of emotions. Times when it is so much fun! Other times I wonder where in the world did that come from.

Going Riding with Friends
Aaron    Kylie(a friend)      Darylyn           Emma         Carter
 

 Gracie is so much fun right now. She is a feisty little thing. Fischer and her are the best of buddies. He cries and she hugs him and feels his sorrow. He calls her his Gracie Girlie. It is the sweetest thing to see them express their love for each other in ways other than words.

She is always busy doing something. Climbing the stairs, pulling books off the shelf, examining an electrical outlet, tipping over garbages, banging on the piano, or eating food off of the floor. Yes, I am ashamed but my floor is not always clean. She hears music and she starts rocking her body. She LOVES water and being outside. When you remove her from either one crying and arching of the back begins. We just can not get enough of her. She wants to be apart of the action. She is such a JOY!

 Our first day of school we needed to gain some perspective before beginning the new year. The day began cool and overcast it was the perfect day for a hike. Our hike took us to the back of Diamond Valley where we climbed and ascended to the top of the hill behind our house. It gave us a great view of the Valley and beyond. We found comparisions in our physical climb and the climb we had ahead of us. While up there the kids found a grundle of fossils and had a great time exploring. When we descended, the sun finally broke through and we were able to get back before the sun became too hot. On the way down Gracie fell asleep in her backpack, poor sleepy girl. It was a good morning.

Our homeschool online group met the first day that Washington County School District was in school. While everyone else was sitting in desks we were playing in the water!

 Carter's best friend Marcus' birthday was coming up. Carter wanted to throw him a party and it had to be a Harry Potter Party. So we put our heads together and came up with some great activities based on the Harry Potter books. They played quidditch ? with brooms and a soccer ball. Drank goblets of fire. Made wands and cast spells on death eaters, and watched portions of the final Harry Potter.

 Scott got his head stuck in the tire well. Just kidding, he is teaching the boys how to change brakes.