Hello Fall

       Summer 2019 is gone and we've slipped into fall. In fact, we've even had our first little taste of winter with the first snowfall a couple weekends ago. Buirlen was highly impressed and had to get out and play in it before we had breakfast, that "nose" as he called it was pretty neat. During that first snowy day, I went out and salvaged the last bouquet of flowers from my garden. I remember thinking what an interesting juxtaposition of seasons it was to be picking the last of summers flowers, while the trees were displaying fall's colors and there was a layer of winter's snow on the ground.

Ready to play in the "nose".

Earlier this summer I made a backyard discovery. The row of what I thought was crab apple trees turned out to actually be wild plums. I was pretty excited by this discovery. 

Fruit sampling

     My garden is done now, but we had a good run this summer. My beans didn't do as well as they did last year for some reason, but it was a record year as far as hot peppers were concerned. So. Many. Hot. Peppers. And they are HOT! I planted 3 varieties and at least one is no joke. I made the mistake of chopping up a whole bowl of them to put in the freezer without wearing gloves. I also had chapped hands. By the time I was done my hand was on fire and I kept it on an ice pack till about midnight that night. I certainly learned my lesson where peppers are concerned.

Snapping green beans.

Getting tomatoes ready for the freezer.

Eating his weight in corn at Grandpa and Grandma's.

     Late this summer, we headed up to Williams, MN for a Jackpine work weekend. Jackpine is our church's yearly camping retreat which we love. Luke has only missed 2 in his entire life. This year a bunch of us went up several weeks before to get some work done on the grounds. It was a fun day, though the bugs were horrendous.  I will confess that my help only went so far as providing supper and cookies. My good friend Polly came up with her husband and youngest so it was a fun time catching up with her. The work weekend had been planned for earlier in the summer, but then got moved due to weather. Luke had built a brand new outhouse to take up there and then the date got changed, so we had a classy set up with an outhouse sitting in our driveway for a month or so.

Installing the new outhouse.

The best boys playing hard. 

    Then in September, it was the actual Jackpine. I always love that weekend. So much fun camping, and spending time with good people. It rained the first day we were up there, but the rest of the weekend was pretty nice, though a bit cold. Buirlen had more fun than he could stand. Nothing like being outside all day with your best boy, Ephraim, and big cousins running around to play with. Life is good.

Pizza anyone?

The Williams siblings. 

    And the impatient waiting game has begun as far as baby girl's arrival is concerned. I am now a little over 37 weeks and so ready for her to get here. The hospital bag is packed, people to watch Buirlen are lined up, baby clothes and such are cleaned and in the dresser, and my parents are on standby to come up when they get the call. Now we just wait. Buirlen loves babies and is going to be such a good big brother. We talk about the baby a lot, but honestly I don't think he has a clue as to what's coming.

This quilt is pretty special. My mom found the quilt top at my Grandpa and Grandma's house this summer. She is pretty sure that her grandma made it and for some reason it never got it finished. She sent it on to me and I realized it was the right size to finish it off into a quilt for the new baby. So that's what I did. This little girl will have a quilt that was possibly started for her years ago by her great great Grandma. That gets me right in my sentimental heart. 

And some randomness. 

Twinning with Poppy

Nothing like a nap in your easy chair. 

Luke played Shadrach at our summer VBS

Going for a walk.

And another walk. 

Sitting high

Two very helpful dish washers.

And another walk. 

My classy(and opinionated) dresser.

We had a giant bonfire with all the scraps and stuff that came off the house last summer when we re-sided. 

Grocery shopping is exhausting. 

Trips to Menards with Daddy are FUN! Grape pop and a new hammer. 

Saturday ice cream outings. 

Happy Fall!

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

8 Years and Forever

 Yesterday, Luke and I celebrated our 8th anniversary. It's kinda crazy that it's been that long. I pointed out to Luke that 8 years before we got married I was only 14 and he was 16 and then Luke mentioned that 8 years is 1/4 of his life. That's an interesting way of looking at it. I'm sure glad he asked me to be his. Luke is a good man and such a good match for me.

    This past weekend was the Itasca Bluegrass Festival. It conveniently falls right around our anniversary every year and so that is how we celebrate. Buirlen had so much fun this year and got so dirty. Friday night, I put him in pajamas before we headed home and then he was just put straight to bed. However, by Saturday night he needed to be washed. Such fun. I didn't get many pictures but the music was good, we ate fun food, and it was hot!

Ready to go. He really wanted to carry his own chair even though the strap kept slipping. On our way out Friday night, he once again wanted to carry it, but we wanted to move a little quicker. So Luke picked Buirlen up and carried him, chair and all. 

Cousins added to the fun. 

He finally crashed Saturday night during the last bit. 

This gun has been Buirlen's favorite toy lately. He's been sleeping with it at night and it's been taken into the shower on more than one occasion.

These three goofballs.

My lemon tree is doing great I wonder if and when it will start producing.

I realized I have a few little sunflowers along the side of the house that were planted by the birds. 

 We had gyros for supper last week. Buirlen was all about the tzatziki sauce until he hit what I'm assuming was some spicy raw garlic.

Watch out flies we have a pretty cool new fly swatter from Poppy.

Getting the shopping done

Happy Wednesday.

"Every summer has a story."~Unknown