Lazy Afternoon with NOLAN

 Nolan is off work today...in fact, Nolan will be off of work for the upcoming week.  He is SUPPOSED to be working 30 - 35 hours a week while he is in college full time. Unfortunately, this seems to translate to 45 - 60 hours a week.  The VA is paying for Nolan's college. They mandate he take 18 credits a semester and that he make a certain GPA.  Nolan decided the only way to get the time off he needs would be to take the week off. 

He kicked off the week by attending church and reconnecting with us. It was a gloriously lazy Sunday afternoon. 

October's Family Birthday Dinner

 Warning - blurry photos will be used in this post...because it's what I have. 

Today's family celebration is brought to us by Carrie and Luke - it's their birthday month! Carrie graciously took one for the team and wore the pig hat! How fun it is to have these two join the family this summer. We love the family members the Gherkins are adding to the mix....we are blessed. 

Carrie, Krista, Luke

This was a particularly fun celebration as most everyone was able to attend. BreZaak and JaRissa were unable to attend but the rest of the gang was all present.  I'm really not sure why there new toys for kids...but it must have been the fall feelings getting to Baachan. 

Score - walkie talkies

Uncle Nolan and a book of his own!

Benny loves to help fix dinner

I picked up a few fall crafts for the kids to do today. Liv and Ellie (cousin) had fun putting together their own Thanksgiving tree. 

Cy, Carrie, GG, Michael, Arielle, Cory, Nolan

The dinner shot

Singing Happy Birthday...

More Crafts for the Grands

Fly high, Danny!

Top secret communication

Random Glimpses of September

The weather is changing...Stacia and I may not be bringing breakfast to the top of the mountain for Bible study many more weeks. 

Sept 3rd fireweed...starting to seed out...

 It seems I'm not the only one who likes to sit by the garden. In future years I see flowers, garden art, maybe a gazebo. It's a common site to look outside and see Michael connecting with one or both of the girls. 

I am not sure what prompted the roar...but both were having fun with it. 

Game Night

Sept 20th and Stacia has finished her Alaska History Course

Lots of time cutting and splitting wood in September

The girls model their new fall looks. 

Stacia says she and Michael were bored. That would explain playing Sorry. LOL 

This cracked the girls and I up. Note the decal says "Student Driver" and the woman INSIDE the care is talking on the phone! 

Allie is knocking ASL out of the park! 

Brit Lit. I planned to keep up with the girls. I gave up on Gulliver's Travel, and I'm ALWAYS behind, but I'm still hanging in there.  Sitting for tea and Lit discussion is becoming a highlight of this school year. 

This is also the month everyone started school. Allie is a senior. Stacia is a junior. BUT Bella is in kindergarten. 

Bella and Jojo 

Gideon is 4 years old and in Pre-school. They are homeschooling with Sonlight, the curriculum we use as well. 

Benny is in Pre-school. Arielle is using an eclectic approach with many hands on projects. 

All the kids are thriving. How humbling it is to see a new generation begin homeschooling. 

Haircuts

 The girls got hair cuts in July. You can see in recent photos it's TIME to get more cuts....but the gal they liked quit and we've been looking for a new place. We received a couple of recommendations to a local salon. It's above our favorite coffee shop. 

 

We saw Courtney. Neither girl is thrilled with their haircut, but I watched, and she did just what they asked for. Next time we'll be armed with pictures, specific instructions etc.  I think both girls look good. 

Stacia absolutely hates getting her hair done because it means she has to talk to a stranger. She would rather go to the dentist. I think the coffee kind of off set the terribleness of having to be social.  ::shaking my head::

#EveryBitCounts September

 I am making it a goal to put a little bit "away" every day....#everybitcounts. I may can, dry or freeze. I am starting to really want a freeze dryer.

4 qts of corn from co-op 

A favorite snack - a start 

A load of tomatoes - great for soups

Nolan has a co-worker who dropped by with 2 Gallon bags of raspberries. I didn't have time to process right then so they are in the freezer. I think I'll do vinegar or syrup with them. 

2 gallons of raspberries 

Bread and Butter pickles

This is a start of preserving for 2021. 

Uneasy Truce

 There are times in the day when Millie goes crazy. She runs from one end of the house to other and back. She barks, jumps, growls.....and when she runs to the window while carrying on...

We know to grab the camera and join her at the window! 

Millie and the moose have an uneasy truce. They glare at each other from their respective side of the window. We have made sure they don't come any closer. 

It's Just a Flesh Wound

WARNING I AM BLOGGING AN ACCIDENT - THERE WILL BE A PHOTO OF THE WOUND. SKIP THIS POST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IT. 

Starting with this photo so FB will grab it 
for a preview rather than the wound. 

Michael was over at KC's cutting trees today when I got a call from him. 

"I need you to bring a compress and get over here now." 

"What?" 

"Get over here now. Bring a compress."

Allie and I ran over. Michael had "tagged" himself with the chainsaw. 

This is the day I discovered one can go 90mph on local highways and "no passing" is just a suggestion. I mentioned to Michael I was going to get a ticket and he said, "Good. They'll give you an escort." 

We headed to the ER for stitches. They thought he may need surgery, but a CAT scan revealed his knee cap had stopped the blade and protected his ligaments and tendons from damage. 

Yes, he has chaps. Now he wears them.