Things to mention about Fall 2016!

Realizing I haven't blogged in awhile, I am just going to poke through my phone pictures to see what there is to mention that is NEW around here...there seems to be a ton!  I'll caption the moments under each pic.  I guess photos will speak louder than words in this post.

Jay, Stella and Theo came for a visit and the girls had a blast playing with baby doll things at the chapel!

Dave and Calvin sporting their matching shirts - the chicken crossed the road to get to "The Other Side" restaurant...duh

Martha gifted us a hunk of salt, haha...AKA a "salt plate" - it can be heated in the oven or the grill and you can cook food on it!  Rachel got inspired and came up with a recipe that was asian beef and it was pretty good.  

We had to fry eggs on it.

oh yeah! that thing that fall is so good at...school starting!! Our "last first"....our youngest's first day of preschool.  His teacher's name is Ms. Nies (NOT the same Mrs. Nuece that Vanessa had, although same pronunciation).  He has gone a few days so far and seems to enjoy it!

Vanessa - 1st day of 1st grade with me.  We are doing the guidebook "Little Hearts for His Glory" for history/crafts and 1st grade math, reading, and writing this year.

Calvin is going through "Bigger Hearts for His Glory" for 3rd grad this year.  New to him is dictation, learning cursive, and his reading/writing/history/math/science is all stepped up to his 3rd grade level.

Violet is going through "Hearts for Him through Time: Creation to Christ" and going deeper in to learning our roots. 

NEW THIS YEAR: Violet is learning flute! Look at that good posture! She goes to band at Waterloo Christian School on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1:20-2:15, and joins the gym class on Fridays from 2:20-3:15.  She also has piano lessons on Tuesdays after band from 2:15-2:45.

last gymnastics class until schedules get changed up.  Lunges and weights!

We had an opportunity to join a group of homeschool families on a tour of the airport control tower - really cool to see what they do.  It was QUIET in there.

They put out some of their rental airplanes and let the kids climb in and check things out!  Eli's like.."hey! there's the propeller!  See it spin!"

Vanessa drew a picture of a fox using a simple drawing tutorial and did a fantastic job!

We also joined a bunch of others from the chapel for some fun/food/fellowship time - starting with swimming at the Smith's pond.

get on a big brown bus!

it was loud and fun!

Eli didn't think so.

Calvin hung out with two of his buddies. The three Cs!  Calvin, Cade and Corbin.

This is Vanessa's new friend named Ada.  She is Max Erisman's cousin.  The two had so much fun together!

Sept 5th (labor day) the Erismans invited us to come along on a bike ride to Newton's Cafe for breakfast.  They biked to our house and we biked as a group there.  Take off time was 9am, we got to Newton's around 10.....we were hungry by that time!

huge pancakes, cheesy stuffed omelets, and bacon awaited us

we spent a bit of time at the park / skateboard park on our way home.

Vanessa, Calvin, and Violet enjoyed these ramps with their bikes

I mapped our route on the way there.  15 mile round trip.

Sept 5 - same evening, after some R&R to recuperate from the bike ride, Kim practiced face painting on our kids so she can help paint faces at the Awana kick-off carnival in a few days. 

bat girl Vanessa and crowned Chloe

two ninjas, a doggie, a kitty, a bat girl, and a crowned princess

that's all for now, folks!  Whew!