Last Sunday Mom and I took Andy and Tilly on a little drive up our road and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is our favorite view from our road.
And the view from Groundhog Mountain.
Bad picture but I loved watching Mama and Tilly walking down our driveway together.
Sunset at that same favorite view spot.
Monday: We took the week off school for our fall break since Mama is here. We spent most of Monday burning all our cardboard that the recycling center won't take as well as all the wood paneling from Thomas's closet. It felt good to get all that gone and off our back deck.
Little red salamander by the fire.
Kait raking up all the walnuts.
We filled 10 wheelbarrows full of walnuts and dumped them in the woods so that we could mow the lawn and walk without twisting our ankles.
Perfect mummy! (Hot dogs with whole wheat biscuit dough.)
Alexis's is perfect too!
These are my favorite days: Yard work, bonfire, lunch outside, relaxed and carefree.
My mom caught something on fire in the microwave.
Tilly contentedly reading before bed.
Tuesday: Mom, Alexis and I toured Main Street Mt. Airy and ate lunch at Barney's Cafe. It was crazy busy as it's such a tourist town, but it was super fun.
A map of where everyone who visited the cafe came from.
Could have found a better or more picturesque spot to capture us walking down Main Street, but oh well.
Wednesday: First time using the wood stove!
I love fires. It's the tiniest stove so I'm bummed about that, but oh well.
Kaitlyn riding Tilly on the scooter at the park after showing Mama around Ararat and taking her to the bookmobile.
It was a beautiful afternoon so we raked leaves and cleaned up the wildflower garden.
Makenna playing in the shade of the grape vines.
Cutting back monkey grass and vines around the wildflower garden.
I wish my camera were better but I just love looking at our woods and seeing all the different colors.
Going to our ward trunk or treat. We've been busy with house projects and my mom coming and doing Wizard of Oz that we didn't plan Halloween (plus it was on a Sunday so we weren't sure we'd do anything) so we just used our candy costumes we've used in NC and UT.
Talea loved the cakewalk and did it almost the whole night even if she were the only one.
Dottie had a Happy Birthday trunk. She was the first person we met in this ward and she's Samuel's primary teacher so she had a Happy Birthday trunk for him cause his birthday was the next day. She's a lot of fun.
Thomas ran the fishing booth.
Talea caught his friend!
Dumping out the loot.
Thursday: We had planned a trip to the coast to see Jamestown and other historical sites but with a storm coming we decided to cancel. Instead we went to Pilot Mountain. I came in 2009 with the first 5 kids and it was so pretty and rejuvenating it helped me heal from losing Julianne. So it'll always be special.
In 2009 I saw all these rural houses and wished I could live there someday. Now I don't live too far away! I totally forgot I had that wish until we moved here and drove past Pilot Mountain. Wishes do come true!
Playing with the butterfly migration exhibit.
Samuel reading the fire fighter display.
Driving home.
Mama treated to McDonald's ice cream for Samuel's birthday. I've never once taken the kids to McDonald's so it was fun for them.
Talea wanting a picture of her beard.
Samuel got a Swiss Army Knife that he's been wanting a long time.
Friday: Working outside again. When it's this beautiful it's hard not to go out and work all day. I just love it.
Four kids coming out of the woods where their forts and stage are.
Mom took this. I love cutting wood. Especially when it's not too hot out. I think I'm going to spend all winter cutting wood in our quiet, peaceful woods.
Saturday: The little boys laughing as they bring in a load of wood.
I need to get out our fancy camera to get better pictures.
Our blueberry bushes.
Our neighbor's, the Smith's house. We met up with them and went trick or treating around Ararat with them.
Hot dog dinner at the fire station.
First house handed out a bag of candy with 20 pieces in it and let everyone pick out a pumpkin or gourd he'd grown. Trick or treating in the country was super fun. We drove miles between each house but loved seeing the colorful mountains and meeting the "neighbors" the Smith's introduced us to.
This neighbor wanted a picture of our kids with Judy's kids so I took one too.
Judy loved helping Andy and Tilly at each house and at this trunk or treat we stopped at at a rural church.
Each bag had a bunch of candy.
We got way too much candy. We weren't going to go tonight except Judy invited us. Now I don't know what I'm going to do with all their candy. But it sure was super fun.
Today: We had a Halloween dinner with our homeschool friends in Dobson.
Just some of us. The others were outside.
