September's Stuff

 Harvesting things that feel like fall! 

And enjoying the first fire in Josh's second fire pit down at the bottom of the property.

Adorable friendships from second grade.

 Confessions of the heart a la Lasa ...

Just a random shot of a really cool mileage milestone for the Highlander.  HA!

This girl learned to play chess this month and took to it so quickly.  Impressed with her!

Cat pic.  Can't help it.

Another Bunco sesh.  Didn't win a dime.

Season's first campout.  Spot the tent way down there... 

This poor puppy came home sick from school and had to miss the next day.  She bounced right back after that.  Glad!  Speaking of poor puppies, Anna had another wisdom teeth surgery and got good and swollen and tight in the jaw.  We didn't think to take any pics this go round...

A weekend of campouts ...  One night, our friends, the Ferrells, joined us for smores.

Pickleball, apple slushies (twice!), park, fairy houses, and skating on a weekend Noah was grounded and therefore home and available to us.  Ha! (Speaking of Noah, pray for him and us.  He's going through a hard time and it just takes a toll on us all as we work through things.)

Annagirl had a birthday - number 14!  She is alllll of 14 and I love her at this stage.

Anna picked kayaking for her birthday outing this year ... 9 miles down the Caney Fork with her friend, Lainey.  She said it was "so enjoyable" and her favorite birthday thing to date!  She was reallllllllly sore afterward though.  It was pretty funny.  She said it hurt to even squeeze the shampoo bottle.  Ha!

We continue to deliver 5-6 dozen eggs to friends at church each week.  Anna is in charge of getting them where they go.  She gets the money for them, too, and is learning to manage those profits and invest them back into the chickens as she goes.

We started this girl in her own bible study at night - learning the chatechism.  She is all about it.  It's a song format thing that we did with Noah and Anna forever ago.  She is also enjoying her bedtime read-aloud of Harry Potter, the second book now, and a book about prayer.

All the pumpkiny things have been made around here, including Anna's choice for birthday cake.

Anna also had her top wisdom teeth removed this month plus a little cutting of some gums for a sluggish 12 year molar on the bottom.  She came through the surgery with ease, though the swelling and soreness was much more pronounced this time compared to the last time in January for the bottom two wisdom teeth.  I took this shot of her at the follow up appt a week or so later.  I just thought she looked so lovely sitting there working on math in the waiting room.

I miss my screened porch from 167 Wimbledon Ct so bad.  I have had to settle for this goofy looking thing on the front door.  It ain't pretty, but it works.  It will surely rip the paint off whenever we decide to take it down though.  Sigh.

These cats. I still can't believe we have cats.  Finnick is the fave of the two.  He is very snuggly and he comes when we call.

Close encounters with critters on any given day ... this turkey, that deer, and our second annual giant fall spider ... right outside our porch.  Last month, it was a little skunk who seemed very confused.  And this morning, 5 turkeys for a visit.

Just some buds the kiddos love to spend time with.  Mason and Maddy have met up with Noah and Anna a couple times to bowl and/or eat out this month.  They are new to the youth group, they also homeschool, and live really nearby.  Noah's also met up with another friend, Jackson, for some pickleball too.  He's gone to pizza and walked the square with a youth leader, Alan.  Noah would have social events every night of the week if we'd let him.

Anna and some dearheart girlfriends from church.  Anna is wearing the birthday beard which is a youth group tradition for those whose birthdays fall on a Sunday. 😆

As for me, I did a little side job working for a friend who has a local organizing business one day this month.  It was just a few hours, but I loved the work and the extra moolah it brings.  It is MUCH needed.  So I am excited to have three more days of work booked with her next month already, too! Josh did an extra job for a neighboring school district and an extra job for the preschool childcare in his own district and that extra money has saved us this month as well .... helping to cover Anna's surgery and some upcoming counseling for Noah and a new woodstove we need for winter.  Thank you, Lord, for this provision.  Did I tell y'all Josh is going to try to add a second job onto his work days?  Driving a bus in his district.  Stay tuned!