Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!

December is the month of birthdays...one every six days starting on the 9th! What a busy, but fun, time for everyone! This year Becca turned 17, Sam turned 12, and Dan turned 10. My kids are growing up so fast! I love them with all of my heart!!!

Autumn Adventures

We spent some time up at Kathio State Park and Lake Mille Lacs a few weeks ago. The weather was perfect! It was a bit past peak, but we still enjoyed the beauty of autumn in Minnesota. Then, a week later, Eric & I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary in Rochester. We walked the skyways & subways, and ate at our favorite restaurants. It was fun spending time together as a couple after our family trip!

Costume Time

We don't really celebrate Halloween, but we still love donning our costumes and "treating" ourselves at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival every fall! We went a few weeks ago. We go on family-friendly Festival Friday, which is meant to be more educational for children. This year, the boys went as the hobbits Samwise, Frodo, Merry & Pippin from "The Lord of the Rings". They got knighted, and enjoyed eating turkey legs! The girls dressed up as archers, and did some shopping for gifts. It was an amazing day! So many great memories were made!

Boy-built Fort in the Woods

The boys are almost done building their new fort in the woods! They worked hard, dug a "basement", and drilled in metal supports to hold up the wood planks for the walls. They're working on a built-in couch/seating area in the back, where the tarp is located. It even has a door that opens and closes. Just one more wall to go!

School Books

This year's curriculum choices are "My Father's World" for the younger set, and an eclectic mix of semi-independent work for the older set. Becca's classes are mostly online (except for South Heights), Christy starts college August 26th, and I'm taking a few college classes (online) as well. It's going to be a very busy fall & winter!

Thankful for Country Life

There were some colorful critters out and about today as I strolled through our little country yard. The garden is coming along, the kids are growing just as fast, and it made me think of a sweet song by Tim McGraw: "I'm gonna live where the green grass grows, Watch my corn pop up in rows, Every night be tucked in close to you! Raise our kids where the good Lord's blessed, Point our rockin' chairs towards the west. And plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows. Where the green grass grows..."

Scott County Fair

We took the kids to the Scott County Fair this past weekend, and we all enjoyed the animals, crafts, music, food & some rides. It was a perfect evening to enjoy the best of summertime in Minnesota!💓

Hiking in Oregon

While we were in Oregon, we hiked to Stein's Pillar just outside of Prineville. It was a gorgeous day!