November

I didn't blog at all throughout November (except for highlighting trick-or-treating), so I thought I'd list a few things from our month:

-Matt and I celebrated 7 years of marriage!

-We went to Chick-Fil-A in the twin cities...we love that they are closer to home now

-My college roommate and her son came to visit one day

-We played more inside...the weather is getting cooler

-We had our share of coughs, sniffles and sneezes

-We celebrated thanksgiving with Matt's family and then spent the rest of the weekend sigh my family

-Matt and I saw Steven Curtis Chapman in concert...he was fantastic

-I went Black Friday shopping with my mom

-I got to play my French horn in church...it's been many months since I've played

-Matt got glasses

-The girls and I baked Christmas cookies with my mom

-We had a family Lefse making day with my extended family

-Apparently we did a lot in November!

trick-or-treat

The girls all dressed up like Disney characters this year for trick-or-treating!  Miriam was Tinkerbell, Abbie was Sleeping Beauty and Ella was Lady from "Lady and the Tramp."  We started out our evening by having dinner at Culver's because they were giving away free kids' meals for kids wearing costumes.  Then for trick-or-treating, we went to the mall again this year.  It was quite crowded because of the drizzly and foggy weather.  The girls didn't get a lot of candy because of that, but they still had fun.  Plus, no one came to our house...so we have a ton of candy left over!  

outside

We spent part of this weekend doing some fall clean-up in the yard.  We didn't have too much to do, but we all enjoyed being outside and enjoying the cool, fall weather.  We started a fire, raked leaves, dug in the dirt (well, the kids did), trimmed plants and ate apples.  A fun afternoon!

blessed.

This past weekend, we had Ella baptized at our church.  We were so thankful to share the time with our family who support us, love us and pray for us.  We also have two very dear family members who have promised to pray for Ella and for us as we guide her through this life for as long as we have with her.  More than anything, we pray she chooses to follow Jesus and lives a life for Him.  We are so blessed!

fall happenings

Fall is definitely one of my favorite times of year.  I love that the weather is a bit cooler and yet we can still go outside without needing to completely bundle up.  I love apple orchards, leaves changing colors, baking pumpkin and apple desserts, eating soups and sitting outside by a fire.  We have done almost all of those things already and we're only a week into this wonderful season.  I love living where we can experience each season.

The girls have come to enjoy much of fall, too.  Last weekend, Matt and I headed out of town for a wedding and the girls got to stay back and play with grandma and grandpa.  They had a great time...and so did we!  Here are some pictures from both of our weekends.

little pioneers

Last weekend, we made a family trip to Pepin, Wisconsin to visit the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder and attend a festival they have in her honor.  Miriam and I have almost read through the entire series together, so I knew she would definitely appreciate seeing what we've read about.  There were lots of pioneer demonstrations, activities, a museum and a cabin reconstructed at the site of the Ingalls home near Pepin.  We also enjoyed seeing Lake Pepin--it was a beautiful drive along the river and to the lake.  And, on our way back, we discovered a little gem of Ella, Wisconsin.  We took a picture with Ella at the sign and would love to take her back each year to see how she's grown!  It was a great family day.  

Abbie

Since Miriam has been back in school, our house becomes a bit quieter and we start to form a new "school" routine.  One of my favorite parts about Miriam being in school is that I get to spend more time with Abbie and Ella.  We sure miss Miriam while she is away, but there is something sweet about time alone with these two.  And lately, I've been treasuring my moments with Abbie.  I love hearing what questions she has and trying my best to answer them.  I love her quiet spirit and compassionate heart.  I love her prayers.  I love her joy.  And I love her big, blue eyes.  

a new year

The unofficial end of summer has come and gone and we sent Miriam back to school last week.  She had mixed emotions about being back at school, but was overall pretty excited.  She has a great teacher and we are looking forward to seeing how she will grow in 1st grade!