Week ending 10-23-22 Shrek Jr. the Musical

 

Tuesday: I came out to cut wood and the kids were playing "Mother May I?" in some musical form. They had to sing to move forward. They invented the game on the spot and were cracking up during some parts.

My current cutting spot. I have the best view. That's why I could cut wood all day. It's so relaxing and peaceful and feels like the whole world is mine.

We had our first freeze. It got down to 32 and almost broke records of lows of 30 back in 1948. I was scared it would always get this cold this early but was relieved to hear it hasn't in 70+ years. I'm not ready for cold weather yet but thankfully it was just 3 days and it's back to mid 70's for highs and mid 40's for lows.

The pumpkin leaves froze but the pumpkins themselves look fine.

Samuel stacking apples for fun.

Thursday: First frost at the golf course by seminary. It didn't frost at our house, gratefully, but it was beautiful when I was out walking.

Deer eating our pumpkins.

The tiniest woolly worm I've ever seen!

Class picture of all the pumpkins we picked so the deer wouldn't eat them. We picked 42 and left 12 good ones to see if they'd ripen and 11 already eaten ones.

Kait and Kenna picked some of the baby pumpkins just developing and they'd be their dolls' pumpkins.

Talea going to bed after the dress rehearsal so excited for the first show tomorrow!

She's the rooster in Shrek Jr.

Friday: While the rest of us were playing and working outside the 3 little kids decided they'd carve pumpkins all by themselves. So they went and picked one and started carving! I came in and discovered them carving away and having a great time.

It's looking like fall around here.

Talea loved being in her very first play. She came home really happy and excited to do it 3 more times over the weekend.

Friday night Lori drove up to see Shrek and the primary program. One thing she wanted to do was make Halloween sugar cookies so we did before going to bed.

Saturday: Lori and I went and saw Shrek Jr the Musical. It was very well done. All 6 kids performed their lines flawlessly, the mics all worked, and costumes were fantastic.

Talea the rooster had a scene with just Fiona which was really fun for her.

Thomas is the pig on the left. Makenna is the ugly duckling towards the right.

Anderson: Little Shrek

Makenna: Ugly Duckling

Kaitlyn: Pied Pipers rats

Samuel: a dwarf, Lord Farquaad

Makenna: Ugly Duckling

Talea: Rooster

She was so cute walking in to change out of her costume.

Sunday: Picnic lunch at the church after the primary program. Only 4 kids in it this year and they all had long parts and did great.

Week ending 10-16-22 Mabry Mill, Elf auditions, working and playing outside

Monday: Lori had the day off and didn't need to go back to Charlotte so we took her to Groundhog Mountain and Mabry Mill for a short fall field trip.  This is looking out Groundhog Mtn lookout.

Picnic at Mabry Mill.

Lori with the kids.

Me with the kids. Thomas stayed home with Samuel who was sick.

That night Lori took the kids to audition for Elf the Musical Jr. and I stayed home with Samuel.

Elder Holladay (Spencer) with a guy, Daniel, he taught and baptized.

Tuesday: Thomas making pretzel keyrings. Cool talent!

We found an apple on our apple tree that the squirrels didn't get in August. Yay! It was delicious. Hopefully next year we find a way to get all of them.

Wednesday: We play outside every day from 12-4 (or longer if we don't have rehersal) so even though it was a drizzly day the kids still played outside.

These kids took shelter in a storage shed and played for a few hours.

The view out the kitchen window. It's so gorgeous!!

Thursday: When I can't find Talea she's often drawing or coloring at her desk. She makes me a new picture every few days.

Doing puzzles.

Cooler temps mean time to get busy cutting firewood! I love listening to podcasts while I work. I wander around looking for a dead tree to cut down or cutting up already fallen trees and branches. I lose all sense of time and forget I have anything else to do but just wander and work and marvel at the beauty of the woods until the saw is out of oil or battery.

We're supposed to be pulling weeds and grass around the wildflower garden but Andy and Tilly turned this brick pile into a boat and were paddling it with their long sticks.

Friday: Thomas checked his email and saw that he got the main lead, Buddy for the next play!! So he ran outside to tell the kids and they were all so excited for him. The 3 girls who tried out are elves.

Andy and Tilly came up the pasture to visit me while I worked and loved how I cut a 12" section off this tall tree and then kicked it over. I love goofing off while I work. Then they wanted to try it too.

Then they found a pile of old heavy metal and played with that.

Then they stood on the stumps and played king and queen of the mountain. It's so delightful watching them play while I work.

Meanwhile, Kait and Kenna played in their grapes tunnel. They have plenty of books to read, paper to draw on, art supplies, and dolls.

Samuel enjoyed reading a book about the Wright Brothers all afternoon.

Andy helped me dig a hole for a little tree I found at the edge of the driveway woods and wanted to move here instead. He's a lot of fun to work with.

Saturday: We cut wild invasive blackberries out of this pasture and picked up rocks and sticks and then mowed it. It looks so nice now. I hope to put pigs here someday.

Looking down the other way.

Tilly and Andy playing in another boat.

Andy and Samuel starting the bonfire all by themselves. I was enjoying reading in the camp chair and enjoying a beautiful Saturday afternoon after hours of work but they were eager to do the bonfire and s'mores.

We had 3 large piles of brush to burn and it felt good to get all that cleaned up.

While it was burning we did bridge walks and handstand competitions. I love hanging out with my kids.

Then we ate taco salad outside. Thomas ate on the hammock and these girls ate in their tunnel. What a fun life!

With all the brush burned it was finally time for s'mores.

Afterward we had scripture reading around the fire and then Thomas tucked Tilly in while I read outloud to the other 4 kids "Who Stole Halloween" which is one of our favorite fall read aloud books. We all cuddled on one double campchair with blankets and watched the stars come out and finally went in when it was pitch black. What a fantastic, perfect day!! I love living here so much!