Silly kids...

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

So it has been a little bit of a crazy week with some little crazy kids...

What we were up to this week:

1. I got a great deal on raspberries and after picking blackberries at church- made jam and canned them 2 afternoons this week.

2.  Hosted a Staff Ladies Lunch- 30 minutes before Jeremiah said his stomach hurt so I called Michael at church and said could you please pick him up- wanting to avoid a child throwing up while hosting a lunch- in the end he was fine- must have been faking it.

3.  Spent Friday afternoon cleaning out the pantry, throwing a lot of food away and bleaching things down after moths had taken over the pantry.

4.  Michael and I have been addicted lately to Star Wars- I have never seen them before and they are intriguing.   I think we have one more left to watch- it really makes you think about good and evil and how tempting Satan and darkness can be as Satan tries to draw us away from the Father of light!

5.  Had a great time walking with a friend and getting ice cream to celebrate her birthday- so thankful for this sweet friend.

Blackberry Picking...

What have we been doing a lot of lately?  Blackberry picking! Our church has tons of blackberry bushes surrounding the church property!  I am enjoying getting out there any chance I get but it is dangerous with all the briers!  The kids have come at times and it is definitely more challenging with them there! I have to say Jeremiah eats all the blackberries he picks- so he is not much help!  Hoping to pick enough blackberries to can another batch of blackberry jam and Michael is hoping for a berry pie at some point here!

Girls Weekend...

 A few weeks ago- we had a girls weekend in Cincinnati!  My roomie and best friend from home Sara Fillmann drove out with Nicole Fenton who has spent the past year overseas!  And Sarah Brown and I were here!  We went out to dinner, browsed through Ikea- took a painting class for an evening, ate and shopped some more and stayed at a hotel together near the airport so Nicole could fly out early in the morning!  It was a wonderful, fun and refreshing weekend!  

Flowers & Gardening...

I have been enjoying my flowers that continue to grow in the flower beds and that I can cut and have fresh flowers in my home!  We are also enjoying some yummy tomatoes, a little bit of broccoli lately and some zucchini to make zucchini bread from the garden!

Smokies Getaway...

Our Smokey Mountain Getaway was over a month ago and finally I am getting around to posting pictures of it!  This is by far one of our FAVORITE places to visit while we live here in the Midwest- being only 5 hours away- we love it!  We got a Groupon deal for a little Resort- 2 night stay in Gatlinburg!  

It did have a nice view out our back window of a stream- we probably prefer a cabin-

 but this was nice!  

This was our first time away for nearly 3 nights from the kids and we so enjoyed the time spent together!  I think our favorite thing to do is hike!  Michael bought a book of Hiking in the Smokies and faithfully researched all the hikes!  It was amazing!  

The first day we did an afternoon hike and while it rained when we got to Clingman's Dome- we decided to try our hike- to Andrews Bald and the view did not dissappoint!  Amazing from elevations of 6,000 feet.  

The second day we did the Alum Cave Hike- almost half way up to Mount Le Conte!  Our next goal will be to do Mount Le Conte- it is nearly and 11 mile roundtrip hike which I think next time we could do in a day!  The views on this hike were amazing!  And the cave was cool!  Apparently there is a lodge at the top of the mountain that you can make reservations to stay there but it takes awhile to get in!  It sounds neat though!  

The day we left- we did a morning hike- by far the greatest hike we did!  We hiked the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap and off the trail at one point to the "Jump Off"- it was an opening on a cliff with a magnificent view- literally you could jump off the side!  Wanting to hike still more- we decided to keep going to Charlies Bunion- which was a mile farther after going 4 miles already!  It was amazing as well- the views from the top- so the last day was our longest 9 miles about round trip.  We were realizing how grueling hiking can be as we drove home the 5 hours in the car and could barely pull ourselves out- our bodies were so sore!  It was great!

I think these hikes are getting in our blood- can't wait to do it again!  

Ballooning...

A few weeks ago we went to a Balloon Glow- or it was supposed to be a balloon glow- except the balloons did not go up-  it was too windy and they didn't have them glow.  

The one activity the kids could do-  they blew up the balloon a little bit off the ground and the kids could run across the top of it- it was quite fun for many of the little ones!  

At least they both got their own balloons and Lydia loved that!  

4th of July Flashback...

So the 4th of July was almost a month ago but this was our Flag Cake we made- we couldn't wait and had to eat a piece before we decorated it!  

Pictures of our summer...

Picnics whenever the weather is cool...

Lydia loves to ride- starting to love to ride whatever she gets her hands on...

Fruit, fruit, we love fruit!

Wild and crazy kids- playing together!

Lydia at 17 months!

Jeremiah- almost 3 1/2 years old!

A big helper...

Jeremiah has become a big helper these days- he loves feeding his little sis!  

And Lydia- she just adores that big brother of hers- her favorite things to do- jump on his bed with him,

chase him down the hallway and follow him with a truck or train while he is driving his truck down the hallway!  Move over baby dolls- Lydia wants to follow her big brother with a truck making all the same truck noises he makes.  Funny girl!

Visit with Sara & Sarah...

A special treat- a few weeks ago, I was so excited to have my college roommate and best friend from home Sara Fillmann- below is Sarah B.- come to Cincinnati to visit!  She brought her kids with her and we went to the zoo, parks and swimming and even dressed like cows at Chick-fil-A- it was a great time!  And now this weekend- she came out again with our friend Nicole who has been overseas for a year to have a girls weekend and it was beyond refreshing!  Love these sweet lifelong friends!