A Clean House

Today I spent a good chunk of time tidying, cleaning and vacuuming the house. As I cleaned I could hear Lily singing the words "All the bridges falling down" to the tune "London Bridge is Falling Down". And I couldn't help but smile, because she always sings it that way and I never want to forget it! And while the house was clean, I decided to snap a few photos, because it never stays this way for long!

 

 

 

Working Together

Today was another full and busy day filled with work and sports!

The morning light made the space we found for one of my favorite paintings all the more beautiful!

After getting everyone off to school, and doing the morning tidy, Lily and I headed up to the garden to start pulling carrots. She was a pretty big helper! It's fun bringing the children into the things we do and see them learn and find fulfillment. We still have a row and a half to get through though!

The afternoon brought us to the middle school to watch Joseph's volleyball game! He was so excited to be able to play sports this year and he's worked hard at all of his practices so far.

He gave it his all, got some skinned knees, and they ended up winning! It made for a fun couple of hours!

Brotherhood

This afternoon as I was making dinner, I glanced up and noticed the boys sitting together with a golden glow behind them. They were watching Joe play games on his chrome book, laughing and giggling together. Sawyer posed on the back of the couch with his leg bent and his chin resting in his hands made me smile. The entire scene brought me so much joy and I had to snap a quick picture so that I could always remember it!

I hope that when my boys are old and grown that they will always remember how lucky they were to have each other.

 

Ram Falls

Today we went adventuring to Ram Falls. My soul was craving autumn leaves, nature & family time! We loaded everyone in the van, including Sonny boy, and started out on our hour long drive. Autumn was bursting with beauty and I was pretty excited about it!

 

 

When we got to the provincial park, it was a short walk to the lookout over the falls.

Hyrum offered Lily a ride, and the two of them were adorable!

Everyone climbed down the gazillion stairs to get as close as we could to the falls. Some lingered to enjoy the view, and others were quickly satisfied and climbed back up.

Once they got to the top, most of the boys were comparing their throwing arms and trying to see who could hit the river with the stones they were chucking. 

When they were all done enjoying the Falls, Daddy suggested we go to the river to skip stones and walk around. The kids were much more into that than seeing Ram Falls.

We found a place to pull off the gravel road and park and then took a short walk to the rivers edge. The big kids raced ahead with Daddy which left me and these two littles trailing behind.

It was such a gorgeous day to spend outside! The sunshine on my face felt so good, and this view did not disappoint. 

It was fun to just hang out with this guy and watch the kids enjoy throwing rocks in the water for a solid hour.

Lily was in heaven!

Oliver found a "tiger rock" and asked me to take a picture of it.

Lily kept watching Camilla tip toe into the river on big rocks to find the perfect skipping stones. 

It didn't take long for her to just start sloshing through the water, shoes and all! 

When most everyone was ready, we peeled the big boys away from their rock bridge building and headed back to the van. It always amazes me how something as simple as skipping rocks and building bridges can occupy them for such a long time. There was a few protests as the bridge hadn't been completed yet, but the littles had cold toes and it was time to start heading home. As we were driving, Sonny plopped himself down in the very back on the middle seat and seeing his head above the seats with his tongue hanging out had us all laughing and wishing we had a pair of sunglasses to put on him. A lot of the kids fell asleep on our way home, full of fresh air and sunshine!

Glorious Autumn

This view never gets old.

 The golden leaves and stormy skies of Autumn are definitely on the list of a few of my favourite things. 

Along with chocolate colored eggs...

 

Temple Date

I enjoyed a beautiful morning at the temple with my love! We always go home filled with peace and a feeling of renewal. Afterwards we grabbed lunch at Costa Vida and ran into a few old friends and people we admire. It was nice to visit and reconnect with them!

 

Good Morning Sunshine

 

A quiet breakfast for a sleepy girl!

 

Apple Saucin'

Today was an apple saucin' kind of day! This year we used a fancy machine instead of the usual hand crank squeezo. It made for a speedy production line! Mom washed, chopped and warmed, Dad and the littles used the machine, and I bagged the cooled sauce and took it to the freezer. I made the leftovers into an apple sauce cake for the children to enjoy after school!

 

A Cheerful Giver

Today was a blustery, overcast, Autumn feeling kind of day. After a busy weekend, it took all of my strength to will myself out from beneath my warm covers at the crack of dawn. The children greeted me before the sun as they yawned and blinked sleep from their eyes.

We gathered for our morning study and prayers and then slowly spent the rest of the morning getting ready for school. We watched the sun rise change from bold oranges and yellows to softer pinks, purples, and blues. I love that the children relish in the wonders of nature with me each day.

 

 

There is more to do during this season than I have time to, so I try to be wise throughout the day as I pick and choose the most important things to accomplish. 

And even when my body aches from a full day of painting the basement, I still find myself in the kitchen after everyone is asleep baking up a batch of our favourite chocolate chip bookies for school lunches. We talked this morning in our scripture study about how "God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7). Baking and keeping our home is one way I can cheerfully give to my family each day. And once the last pan of cookies comes out, I will blow out my candle and tiptoe into bed with a prayer to wake refreshed and ready to do it all again tomorrow.