whirlwind Veterans Day weekend

 Grandma and Grandpa drove all the way up to see us and bring us an amazing present: my Grandma's piano.  It's so pretty and sounds great.  We love it and loved the visit with them. 
They helped us rake up bags of leaves.  We planted bearded iris.
We are so grateful to 6 men from church who helped unload the incoming piano and take the outgoing piano to a nice young family's house.

Check out Rattlesnake in November.  the lake bed is dry.  we walked straight across to the trailhead.  very different from springtime.

We made it to the upper ledge, so we earned our malted shakes afterwards :)

 Uncle Fred's health took a turn for the worse, so we kept up on his condition throughout the weekend (mom on the phone in the background)
 

 dancing in the aisle
 stay tuned for Willy Wonka Jr news.  E is in the school play.  here we watched the old movie in the school gym.

I worked some overtime to make money for our upcoming cruise.  E spent time with a sweet little T.

team lunch and trophies for soccer.

 preparing for the Christmas program.

Goalie and Gully

playdate with friend P. E made him a matching box costume.

 

school night at the roller skating rink.  E doing the limbo and winning the speed race.

 he tried out for the school play Willy Wonka Jr.  will be an Oompa Loompa.

 enjoys creating a dream catcher for the class art project.
likes the goalie position.
we got to have the class stuffy "Gully" with us for Veterans Day weekend.

thru Halloween

 R's project repainting cupboards and switching out the old handles is nearly complete.

 another lunchtime walking friend L

 One of E's favorite friends, Y

 family game night. We love this world game with trivia and maps that twist spatially.

 E's autobiography

 making lentils tasty

 E had 2 Reflections entries this year. This year's theme: Heroes Around Me

3D above is The Snail Race

We think of being faster than others in life.  We think of being the winner. Sometimes we think that too much, that we want to brag about it. Sometimes we just have to slow down like this snail race and be more careful of what we’re doing. Some people think that snails aren’t that cool, but some people think they are a good thing to think of when you just need to slow down. The snail race is a hero to me because it can help me remember when I just need to slow down and think more clearly.

 


2D Below is Blackened Storm

Rainy storms help me feel cooler on hot summer days. They help me think of things to write or to sketch. They are a hero to me.  Storms help me because they can change your mind about something and they can make you feel better about something. They can make you have a little bit of a turny twist of fun. I really have fun in blackened storms. 

 Utah cousins sent Flat Stanley up our way for an adventure.  We took him to the log house museum :)  then mailed him back with his egg salad sandwiches.

 vampire bat

this was a good piano for us for many years!  we passed it on so that we can have Grandma Hatch's piano.

 Spooky Suzuki group lesson