the 400 year old

...tree.

and i honestly thought, what on the earth are we going to do at a 400 year old tree?

will the girls even get it? how long/hard will the trail be (we've visited a few "family friendly" waterfalls where it took some serious work to get there with little ones!)?
but a 400 year old tulip tree? absolutely incredible to say the least! another family with a bit older kids hiked up the trail a few minutes after us. it took six adults and something like eight adult/kids to wrap their arms around this tree! amazing!
and we even got a super cute nana picture while we were there!
the girls had so much fun exploring...
and investigating... and touching...

and observing!
of course addie picked up a stick and started twirling it like a baton/flag just like the band people at RieRie's school!
but this picture wins the prize for funny memories:

addie's making a crazy silly face.
anne perry's coughing (not so funny).
audrey kate's refusing to take a picture thus hiding her face.
rie rie's wearing a jacket, vest and toboggan in 60 degree weather.
and...
nana's scratching the air like a cat
...or maybe that's a bear!!!

who knows! but it sure was fun visiting a 400 year old tree!

Sunset Rock

the sunrises and sunsets in the mountains are out of this world...if you're in the right spot; and there's no better spot than sunset rock to watch the sun set.

it was pretty chilly, but we bundled up and drove up the mountain (instead of walking!) right after dinner...dishes undone! it was a little unnerving up there with the little girls because, well...it was a pretty big drop off!

but we held hands tightly and enjoyed the view! and of course our little binocular girl had everything covered! do you see what i see...?
such a beautiful view...

For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:16-17

Dry Falls

the mountains, especially highlands, has become such a haven for our family. things slow down a bit, as much as they can with 3 little ones; and there's nothing like that mountain air. it's a bit ironic because the mountains seem to be a place where we all fall apart: paul busted his front two teeth out climbing a mountain when he was 16, paul had his appendix out right after i drove at lightening speed back from the mountains, i had pretty major life saving surgery 3 years ago in the mountains, audrey kate has been to the ER down the mountain, and we left with two pretty sick little girls after thanksgiving.

but now that my aunt and paul's mom are in the mountains, the main reason we love to go is who is there!

my aunt has always been like another mother to me. she's always treated me like a daughter and loves our girls like granddaughters; and they love her! 

one of the most beautiful spots near highlands is dry falls. the steps down to it and trail around it have just recently been redone. 

but the falls are still the same; and they're stunning. especially as the sun peaks through the trees.

.

Where ya been...?

i can assure you that we're still here. i just haven't blogged much recently...at all!

we've traveled and had visitors here. we've gone to school and done school here. we've nursed sick kiddos back to health and attempted to keep laundry done and the house semi-straight. i've taken pictures for several families for christmas cards. room mom duties picked up a little with 3 parties in less than 2 months. we organized and had a cookie swap/gingerbread house decorating party with just a few dozen kiddos that included building close to 40 houses.

well...we've just been busy enjoying life. i've kept up some with facebook. our status updates typically include things we couldn't even begin to make up...that the girls have managed to concoct. our lives are full of joy and adventure and learning and i wouldn't trade a minute (most minutes at least ;) of it!

i had the joy of spending a few hours with each of these families. sweet kiddos. two of the mama's i've known for years and years; and it's been more fun getting christmas cards that we did together!

friends from school: abby & andrew

 

kiddos of friends from high school: henry, ella & whit childhood friends kiddos: ellison and elijah brooks

and i've loved spending the days with the girls baking cookies and playing dressup. i promise there are many pictures to share in the next few posts! 

ElfYourself

the girls and i had way too much fun creating this! their expressions just seemed to fit this dance option for some reason. enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch with School

Several weeks ago, Addie's school went to the Pumpkin Patch. They started with the cow train & unlike last year, I convinced Addie to ride with a friend! well, i might have told her she could ride with a friend or not ride! ;0) and she had a blast!

we made our way over to feed the animals

and see the mama pig. this mama was grazing contently right up until the farmer tried to get near her piglets. then she ran over to them, they hid behind her, and she snorted and charged. nobody was going to touch her babies!
so we headed up for snacks when i grabbed this one of these four sweet girls. a new favorite!

this is yet another reason why i love where our girls go to preschool.

after snacks the kids played around...

and jumped! right before we got a class picture!

then we headed to get our pumpkins i'm so thankful for the sweet friends addie has made. her class is quickly becoming as close as last year. there was a little corn box playing

hay bail climbing and duck water racing!

and just when we thought we'd worn them out, they got to play on the bouncy slides! after actually being worn out...
we headed to watch the pig races...these pigs who were as tiny as those piglets just a few months ago; and that protective mama pig was the size of these just a year ago!

it was a fun morning with friends...and one big girl might have slept all the way back to school to pick up her little sisters! 

Surviving

...because not only has she now survived a collision with the gym floor in a running-while-dribbling-a-basketball-hula-hooping relay,

she's survived cancer

and can walk this relayto honor the memory of the survivors who now live healed forever in heaven.  

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5: 1-5

Bedtime Concerts

bedtime around here either comes really fast or is drawn out a bit longer than either paul or i care to manage; but over the past few nights, we've given the girls a little more freedom in what they can do after the lights are out and goodnight kisses have been given!

whether it's reading or talking or singing, it seems to have helped them actually stay in their bed instead of wandering into the hall or climbing into someone else's bed!

this went on for several rounds the other night, and i finally couldn't resist the urge to stand outside the room and record it. it was so sweet and so priceless and brought smiles to our faces listening to their interactions and voices.

apparently addie's class is working on their christmas program and this is a song they're learning. of course, addie isn't just going to sing the song; she's going to conduct it as if she's Mrs. Gayle, complete with instructions and encouragement!
Happy Wednesday!

in case you couldn't understand the words: 
Apple Red Happiness
Popcorn cheerfulness
Cinniman singing inside
Peppermint energy
Gumdrop holidays
When you give Christ your life
When you give Christ your life
When you give Christ your liiiiiiiiiiife.

Our Little Bugs

Addie randomly decided that she wanted to be a ladybug for halloween. On our Addie/Mommy date, we swung by a consignment sale and low and behold...there was a lady bug costume in her size! She couldn't wouldn't put it down; and for $7, I wouldn't have either! So then the search started for something for the little girls to wear. they all love to dress up; so in just a few weeks, these will be well loved!

The thing is, I just wasn't crazy about the butterfly and dragonfly costumes i was finding. they were just a little too growny for our 2 year olds! so i found audrey kate's dress, which originally had butterfly wings attached, on ebay; her antennas and anne perry's dress came from one step ahead; her dragonfly wings, addies tights and wings and antennas, and anne perry's wings and antennas all came from amazon. can we say pieced together costumes? wings were altered. poofy things attached. antennas switched. feet cut out of tights.

And before I knew it, this is what we had: a dragonfly, a ladybug, and a butterfly!

they weren't overly eager to take pictures..
but with a promise that they could run through the front yards like little bugs...

they started having fun with it!

of course silly is their favorite face to make!
and some were sillier than others!

we worked on sad...

and scared...

or maybe that's surprised! :) but whatever faces they made, it was pretty hilarious and there were lots of giggles! we attempted to have a little garden time...not completely successfully though! they did get to run around like little bugs... play a little hide and seek... and look for bugs! and it was all worth it to get a few fun memories! happy fall!
see ya later y'all!