November

“Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.”

 

I randomly had my lilacs bloom this month…and I salvaged a bouquet or two when I cut down my zinnias…the contrast of this and the amazing amount of leaves in our yard gave me mixed feelings…

 

Babysat Robin a week or so ago…she loved Christopher’s watches. Since we don’t have toys, one must improvise. 🙂

 

Tonks (Olaf is too fat to post pics of right now)

 

Kaye and Bobby came to visit us for a weekend. It was so fun to reconnect with them and just spend time with them! They make my life a richer place.

Here we all are in one pic 😉

 

Kaye took pics of me and Christopher in our natural habitat

 

I love this man.

 

the ginormous mushroom growing out of the tree my washline is hooked to.

 

I think November is photoshoot month. I took so many pics of so many beautiful people! It was fun.

 

Charlotte and her kiddos were so fun to shoot! I did mostly pics of her little ones and let me tell you, they’re even more adorable in real life which is hard to imagine unless you’ve met them. Loved getting to know them a bit better…

 

Lilly being wild and free 🙂

 

the last pic of the day. They were done hehe (it might be my favorite of them all:)

 

You know…I’m starting to think gratitude is an antidote for most vices. Take pride, for instance. Can you truly be proud and conceited if you’re constantly forcing your brain into paths of gratefulness and counting of blessings? How about selfishness? Once you start giving thanks, you lose focus of self and start feeling so blessed, you want to give back… The list might go on…something I’ve been pondering since the Sunday School lesson this morning.

I hope it’s true because I want to walk this path of 1,000 gifts for the rest of my life and if the benefits go beyond joy and enter into a surrender to God and maybe even him working on stuff in my life…it makes me feel hopeful about my future…

 

Robin’s love of books

 

Mom and little Queen Elizabeth taking selfies 🙂

 

the kids love swing rides with Grandpa

 

he’s also the source of all candy. He might be the best Grandpa ever. 🙂

 

🙂

 

this might possibly be my most favorite photo shoot of the month…maybe ever. I was laughing so hard at Jaxon, some of the pics were blurry.

 

Could they be any cuter!?

I asked Jaxon to put his head back on dad’s and kinda tilted my head as I asked, next thing you know, Taylor was almost falling out of Carmie’s arms, trying to comply as well. 🙂 How is it possible I was blessed with so many beautiful people in my family?

 

Christmas is right around the corner! Enjoy this new month ahead of us, dear ones! Give extra hugs.

October

“Learning to be still, to really be still and let life happen–that stillness becomes a radiance.”

I must start with a photo of our beautiful tree. Because it’s my favorite thing about October. I think.

I think I have made the mistake of always taking these tree pics in the morning. The sun is shining through it making it even more brilliant…but in the afternoon, even on a cloudy, drizzly day, it has a radiance all its own.

 

October is for gorgeous fall weddings.

 

Dan and Kerrie got married this month. their wedding was absolutely beautiful. ❤

 

this moon was one of my favorite parts

 

there were so many quotes hung around the barn they got married in and I wish so bad I would have taken pics of all of them.

 

our church went camping…it’s one of my favorite things about fall. So thankful I didn’t have to work the weekend it was scheduled. We had so much fun.

 

Robin playing in mud and then having her hands washed with Christopher trying to keep the rest of her from getting super muddy. 🙂

 

The guys spent a lot of time throwing pieces of wood at stuff. It was a sort of complicated game that looked like a lot of fun, judging by the ribbing and insults flying about…

 

We ate a whole pig for supper Friday night…it was delicious.

 

This picture makes me happy inside. ❤

 

Taylor was very confused by my large lens during his supper. 😀

 

Because…who can blame me? 😉

 

October is for selfies…apparently.

 

October is for sunsets

 

My handsome husband

 

Us again

 

October is definitely for cookouts and fires to sit around ❤

 

Went to the lake for a Sunday afternoon with our Troyer family and it was spectacular.

 

got a pic of all of us together…:)

 

someday, I want to a be a mom like Judith is.

 

her eyes smite me.

 

sharing her onion with Dusting. Weird kids.

 

I love them 🙂

 

October is for family and fun and saying goodbye to warm weather. Bundle up, dear ones. Winter is coming. 😉