Hello October

  My morning started off at 6:45 am - Tristan's nose pressed against mine, sippy cup in hand...begging me to get up and get him a drink. Instead I turned over and handed him the Ipad...then got up at 7 as he was still watching PBS cartoons. Bad parenting? Nah. I pads are life savers.
 Then I was at it...making oatmeal and getting Brady dressed and ready for school. It was drizzling out and I thought we may have to drive to school this morning but just as we needed to leave, the rain stopped and it was a perfect time to get out the ol' boots and enjoy the cool weather. I collected leaves all the way home from the school...I'm sure I looked hilarious walking along the street, my hands full of gold and red leaves...I MAY have picked a few off a neighbors tree here and there....but you didn't hear that from me. I mean...leaves ARE free.

  Trinity and I had a lovely morning of school. I'm starting Bible Memory with her this week because I realized that I have never, ahem, made this part of her education these last few weeks. For me, that realization was a little sad. I mean, I keep her home for now so that I can train her up in the way I think God wants me too...and I know it is so important to hide His word in our hearts...and I totally haven't been teaching that to my squirrel. So, we started off with a verse on thankfulness and she was able to cut out pictures of things she loves - these varied from a rabbit, suede shoes, a picture of hair (because she says she's thankful for long hair) and a tea pot.

  Then we worked together framing the leaves I had found -such a simple craft and it cost a total of three dollars after my steal of a deal on this Target frame. :)

  And we put together an "appreciation of fall" cubby on our bookshelf. I ordered a little set of felted acorns off of etsy today - they will look so adorable scattered among the dried leaves. :) Have I mentioned that I love the fall? Brayden came home and told me that part of our house was really starting to look like a school - I'm going to take that as a compliment.

  While we were doing all this my Koala was jumping around the house pretending to be a super hero. He also enjoyed learning Trin's four new spelling words this morning - he can't spell them by himself yet but he is great at following along. Trin took a little photo shoot of me and Tristan snuggling.

  Isn't he so cuddly? He's one of my favorites.

  When we picked Brady up from school I took the kids to the grocery store on a "gluten free" shopping spree. Tristan has had eczema over the last couple of weeks and this morning it was really bad...all red and bumpy all over his back. He also takes....ahem...frequent trips to the restroom and I'm just wondering if there is a gluten intolerance there - he's always acted like he has a food allergy I've just never been able to pick out which.  Not only that, but Zac hasn't felt super great for quite sometime. He complains constantly of being bloated or his stomach just aching...he is also lethargic a lot and feels "fuzzy." So, I think we are going to try to cut out gluten for awhile - this is not good for me. I mean...it will be - but for now it feels a bit daunting. And on top of all of that...I've also read numerous books about how cutting out gluten is really good for children with autism. So...we're starting.

  And as a reward for my precious littles who were PERFECT in the grocery store - we bought our first jug of apple cider of the season (here's hoping that was gluten free??)

  And to finish off the day - a tray full of pumpkins waiting to have little faces painted on them...

  And one already adorable perfect pumpkin and all of his * buggish*  goodness.

  And a superhero running through my yard at dusk, loving the feel of his satiny cape trailing behind him in the breeze....

  And a princess in search of "Peter" who also seems to be the before mentioned super hero.

 And the most perfect little basket of fruit I ever did see - the basket was a gift from my mom, handmade by one of their Tarahumara friends. Isn't it perfect?

Happy Monday.

Hello From Silent Land

Hello my friends from our quiet space. I know I haven't posted for awhile...no other reason than I just hadn't uploaded photos - and I know that's what grandparents are REALLY wanting. :) We have been busy busy with projects, family time....and I've been growing in the belly department. Well...maybe not "me" really but Finn is becoming quite large and has chosen to lodge his little butt right under the right side of my rib cage...very uncomfortable.
Zac and I have made an official *to do* list and have started crossing off projects. We are painting all of our window sills and doors...installing a new bathroom sink soon...cleaning out clutter, getting the yard picked up after a long winter - the projects are endless and unfortunately I'm not much help. If I even pick up Tristan and stand up I feel like I'm about to push a baby out of me - pretty crazy. I DID take all three kids out for almost 4 hours yesterday so that Zac could be home alone and paint...I managed but was pretty tired after it all. It was fun though and it was so good feeling productive finally. I found THREE dollar brand new throw pillows for our living room couch at Target. Yah for scoring a deal. :)

Zac and I decided last week to go ahead and invest in a family membership to the Chattanooga Aquarium. We haven't been for over three years just because of the $100.00 dollar price tag - but then when we thought about it we were like "where can you take a family of almost six to somewhere that nice for an entire year for that price?" Yah...when you do the math it comes out EXTREMELY cheap if you average going about twice a month. The kids loved it and it was so nice having somewhere they could just run around and be entertained for a couple of hours.

I took this of myself to show you my growing bump. When I was pregnant with Brayden I was told by an aquaitance that I look like a sausage on a toothpick when I'm preggers...supposedly all belly. Ha ha...I guess I can take that as a compliment. HOWEVER....this time around the *back* of me has grown too...guess you can't win em' all.

My favorite part of the aquarium (and Trini's too) is the butterfly atrium area. It's like stepping into a rainforest...warm and bright with gorgeous butterflys flitting about...sometimes even landing on you. I think if they had a bench in there I would just take a coffee and sit for at least a hour.

Pretty.

Unfortunately this is Brayden's LEAST favorite part. In the picture above Zac is trying to explain that butterflys don't hurt us...anything or situation that is unpredictable freaks Brady out. He got much better towards the end though and he was so sweet the whole time just making his little "oooh oooh" sound instead of freaking out and screaming.

Funny - he's scared to death of a butterfly but find sharks super interesting and entertaining.

And to end my post...look at the loveliness that came in the mail from my mama a couple days ago. She finished Finn's little baby quilt and I couldn't be more pleased. I love the way that she chooses fabrics that she thinks his future wife might like...because really...what guy do you know that absolutely CHERISHES a handmade quilt. Not many. How many wives do you know that would love their husband's baby quilt? Plenty - enough said.

I love all of her handstitching...such a treasure.

And for my last bit of newness...I found this guy at Ross the other day. I'm normally not a fan of reptiles climbing my bathroom wall but this one made his way into my heart and reminds me of my southwestern roots evertime I see him....so much fun.

Well, I have a baked oatmeal in the oven to pull out...meatloaf simmering on the stove with some red potatoes and green beans...and a pot of 9 bean soup needing to be put on for tomorrow. I best fly.

Camping and a Peek

Off to the great outdoors we went...rain or shine...you can do anything if you're "babyless." My friend Havala LOVINGLY said she would keep Tristan for us so that we could have some good bonding time with the kids camping. Sometimes I feel like there is too little of me to go around and so many distractions...we just need to get out of our normal day to day rut and break it up a bit....do something different with the two old kids. The outdoors is always perfect.

We found a good family oriented site...got to work setting up the tent and camp. The forecast was calling for rain but we were lucky enough to go the first afternoon without even the smallest drop spattering on our wee heads. Yahoo....good fire and smores time. I was kind of wondering how we would pull it off IF it DID start raining.

The kids loved all the camping "cuisine" - Trin loved just being able to be a mess. Squirrel doesn't disappoint when it comes to new adventures...she generally throws herself into it heart body and soul. Brady is always a little sketchy...not really liking the fact that there were crumbs in his cup or dirt on his hands. He did however enjoy gazing into the fire and playing with his flashlight AND he slept all alone in his tent through the night. Crazy how he might be scared of a cricket but not sleeping alone in the dark woods all by his lonesome.

The evening was wonderful and Zac and I were completely exhausted. I think my whole life I have always taken for granted the amount of work that goes into actually creating really wonderful family times.

The older the kids get and the more and more thought I put into making family times or holidays special I'm slowly starting to see how the tables are turned and those time now are not for me (well...they ARE memories for me) but really the time is about making the kids happy. I really came to understand this maybe this summer and I'm really excited about Christmas this year. I think I'm done with the fantasy that the perfect Christmas dinner will just...poof!!..appear on our table...or the perfect gifts will be wrapped and place around the perfect tinseled tree....or the hot cocoa topped in mini marshmallows will just be waiting for me when I walk into a room. My childhood Christmas are over...they were nice while they lasted. NOW I want to make those special traditions and rituals for our kids - and I'm learning it takes a lot of HARD work and a heap of planning. Back to camping....

We were rained on all night...our tent did not hold up. When we woke up in the morning it was drizzling but we still decided to proceed with our breakfast plans - egg burritos drenched in salsa casera (the ONLY true salsa.) Just as the coffee was beginning to percolate and our burritos were assembled...the heavens opened and the shower poured. We drank our coffee in the car and decided we were definitely done. We packed up (in the rain) and went for a little drive up a mountain and came across a fog covered world....the very best kind. So eery and wonderful...very Last of the Mohican's. :)

The kids loved it up there and we were inspired to go back sometime for a family hike. The loveliest boulders were everywhere and trails of rocks...not just hard packed earth like you normally find in Georgia.

I miss rocks. Growing up in the sierra rocks were one of my best friends. When I would want to think I would go find a big smooth moss covered rock and just sit and think...sometimes my brother and I would picnic on one...sometime we would play "rock tag" (which once resulted in my younger brother's face being mauled to bits....scary time...but I still loved the rock.) I'm sad that my kids don't have gorgeous stones in our yard and can't really enjoy the textures and even the smell of stone.

I really didn't want to leave that mountain. Supposedly from up there you can see three different ranges...all we saw was a big white cloud...I sort of liked thinking about the mystery behind the veil - imagining what the ranges actually looked like. Zac eventually coerced me into leaving with the promise of a cup of coffee and possibly a doughnut...I decided that I could probably let go and get back into the minivan...IF he would just grab me ONE rock. We drove down the mountain with the windows down and that wonderful freshly washed air did wonders for my soul. Zac stopped the car and I asked what in the world he was doing...."getting you your rock" he mumbled. And sure enough - I came away with three. *There were no signs that said not to take the rocks.* They are now in my yard and just yesterday I saw Trinity hopping off of them. *bliss.*

The day after our trip was rainy and pretty much perfect. A good reading day and all of the kids were pretty good at playing quietly and taking good naps. I started the book All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot and have immediately fallen in love with this awe inspiring vet.

Oh...and just to show you all that I finally found those perfect frames for Trin's room for my beloved Ox Cart Man prints. I went ahead a framed the winter picture....

...and then this one reminded me of fall. I love how in this book the kids work beside the mother and father...all of them pulling together for the good of the family - and enjoying it. In the spring I'll probably replace these prints with the pictures of the family getting the fields ready and shearing sheep under a cloud of apple blossoms.

And this pictures gives you just a teeny peek into the dining room make over that I have SO enjoyed delving into....pictures of the make over coming soon. And about my squirrel...she has a new love - puzzles. Over and over and over again, all day long she wants to work on puzzles..and she is GOOD at it. Very good.
*Oh...sidenote. I went to the doctor today and the littlest Corley is doing great...wiggling and squirming at almost ten weeks. I was able to watch the blood flow in the umbilical cord...such a miracle. *

What Our Day Brought

Hmmmm....what's about to take place here - Zac's looking intense. I'll let you know what's about to go down - a major overhaul. Only a 75 dollar overhaul - but MAJOR just the same. Yes, yes....I know...the wood is lovely. Lovely for a rocking chair...or maybe a dresser - but no longer for 1/4 of the wall space in our small living room. I need change...I need light....I need updatedness....

Goodbye filth....ye old blanket of dust and dander...ye old grime filled sponge of 30 years - we hate you. Good riddance.

We have been trying to decide what to do with our carpet in the living room - the only place in the house WITH carpet...right in the entry way. Underneath is hardwood but the wood is totally different then the adjoining room and wouldn't "flow" well if we left it uncovered. So, after pricing several options at good ol' Lowes...we decided on berber but didn't order it just because we are pretty much, well....tight fisted. Our living room measures 11.5 X 14 square feet so we didn't need a very large piece...but still probably a 200 hundred dollar fix IF we paid for installation.

Zac went to work last night and was asking his lieutenant if he knew a good place to get carpet...sure he did. He just so happened to have a small piece of berber left in his attic from when he had recently built his home and said we could just have it...he wasn't sure what the measurements were. This morning after Zac got home his friend/co worker called and said the piece was 12X14 ... an exact match. Zac went and got it and it's EXACTLY what I wanted. Thank you Jesus...the smile is still on my face. Needless to say....we will be learning the "laying down carpet" trade so that this little update can be kept for free. So ....

Cost of carpet : 100 dollars

Cost of installation : 99 bucks

God working everything out for his children : Priceless.

Chef Brady found a new love today - painting. He will never be the same. Zac allowed Brady to roll on some paint and the little guy did VERY well. Turns out painting is a good pastime/chore for the intense type personalities - very soothing. The reveal will be coming soon to a blog near you...there is still a little work to be done.

We don't just have one big helper in our house...seems like a little squirrel tried her hand at putting away the clean dishes for mama this afternoon....how precious. Anytime I start a new chore Trin is always there beside me with her " can I help too?" Bless her sensitive helping heart.

Thanks Aunt Rach for my new shirt....fits my personality perfectly...

And with that...this post is coming to an end. I felt rich today watching Zac make my space a little more lovely....watching him care about what matters to me made me feel truly loved. I am blessed....

And very rich!!!! Lookie here at all of the fresh milk I got at Farmer Tom's yesterday. The kids got to meet the milk man for themselves and were smitten right off - and he with them. He actually picked Trinity up and led us all to the room where the cows were being milked! It was such a neat experience and a great learning opportunity for the kids. And gosh - did you know one cow gives 10 gallons at milking?!!!! I now understand why families use to need just one good milk cow.... talk about butter and cheese! Happy Wednesday folks....

Crafting Plus Family Time

. I'm loving my new machine so much! Projects have gotten a teeny bit easier and my knowledge in the whole *world of sewing* has definitely grown leaps and bounds....even though there is a lot more for me to learn. Okay - a TON more for me to learn. I made this little blankie yesterday for my friend that has the most incredibly sweetest baby Joseph. He is the epitome of cuteness....I hope he will be able to cuddle in this soft brown blankie for a long time.

Yesterday was a bit rainy so it was the perfect time to work on a project...I have lots of ideas for the NEXT blankie...I'll just add it to my Never Ending Project List of 2010. The littles love watching me create, so as long as everyone is in a happy mood.....creativity is endless.

A child said, What is the grass?

by Walt Whitman
A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full
hands;
How could I answer the child?. . . .I do not know what it
is any more than he.
I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful
green stuff woven.
Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,
A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropped,
Bearing the owner's name someway in the corners, that we
may see and remark, and say Whose?

And my Forest project is complete now that my friend has released her baby name - James Alexander Riley. Mommy Trish was overjoyed with the results so I'm as proud as a peach (pleased as a peach?) knowing that my stitches are leaving me, to hang a good long while in a lovely nursery, where it will be loved and admired. Ahhhhhh.

Please....don't even think for a moment that I'm super ingenious because I really got all of the inspiration from Melissa - the master of felt applique. She was generous enough to allow me to take her ideas and to weave them into my own. Please pay her a visit sometime....you will be inspired! She has a shop on etsy that is right now offering a 15% discount to her blog readers...happy shopping! You can click on the hyperlink above or I also have her in my sidebar.

And as for the "family time" part in my title....I'm getting to that. Zac was scheduled to coach a tournament in Nashville this past weekend and I was just fine with him going. That is, until I saw him in the yard Friday, sunlight gleaming off his brown hair....his emerald eyes sparkling as he played with our littles-----whoaaaaaaa....you get the point. I just COULDN'T be without him. So, when he came to the porch I asked if he would mind if we all just kind of...went. And if he would also mind calling the hotel and seeing what it would cost to upgrade to a suite...AND if he would mind taking us all to the Opryland hotel to walk around when his games were done. Not to much to ask- don't you think?

Well, he made the call and upgraded our room, I quickly packed the kids and the next morning we were off. The skies were gray and it was easy to see that they day was going to be long and wet. Worked out that the games were canceled after we had already gotten there and had checked in. At this point there was not turning back since Brady has already gotten wind of the fact there was indeed a heated pool and that supper would be eaten at a restaurant....how could you tell the little dude "sorry, due to weather we will no longer be having a fun time. Pack you bags." We let the kids swim and then took them to the Rainforest Cafe (a very loud experience and way too over stimulating. Yes...the kids had big eyes and seemed to enjoy it...but Nashville on a Saturday evening in the busiest mall there.....you catch my drift.) Brady came away with a safari hat ,however, and has been sporting it around for the last 3 days. He keeps telling me that he is shooting crocodiles and going to grill them over a fire and eat them. This all stems from me letting him know that Gran Jan likes to eat fried alligator...you should see his eyes when I tell him that....I can just see the wheels turning in his little head.

My Trin loved the Opryland hotel because there were oodles of flowers and oodles of stairs. Up and down she went, over and over. Brady was impressed at the beginning but the 24 hours of constant change definitely took it's toll on the little fella. Thankfully his fast approaching meltdown happened in the mini van and not the 7 star hotel. Zac handled the situation like a pro even though it was a very LOUD and very LONG meltdown. Brady was finally calmed down, we won...even though I wasn't quite sure how that was going to be possible...and we came home to normalcy. We will be sticking to local parks and ice cream as our "getaways" for awhile - seems the kids prefer it...go figure.

Here's a shot of the Corley Marching Band - all thought up by the harmonica player in the front. Notice his "marching clothes." About every other day he goes to his room and comes out wearing this exact outfit...gray hoodie, fake glasses and just blowing away on his instrument. Trinity's instrument of choice is just a piece of long grass that she waves round and round - Zac is playing the tin bucket/drum.

And an *up close* of our musician. Zac and I just laugh at his adorable dweeb- like cuteness. Isn't he just precious?