The Parade

The girls school took the day off so all the students could attend the Veterans Day Parade in the neighboring town








At a point in the parade, I found myself getting a little emotional, unexpectedly.
Despite differences that may exist either politically, racially, spiritually-we are all humans. Humans that can hopefully remember that our humanness connects us more than anything else.
Wishing you a blessed Veteran's Day!

this week so far....

breakfast, originally uploaded by *nichole*.

The above picture is one of our breakfast on Sunday, waffles with homemade applesauce, a good way to start the week-don't you think?
We've also been working on fifth grade math (the distributive property). My oldest daughter and I worked on that Monday night- it took me back to my own grade school years and my lack of love for the subject, but I think by 9:30 pm it started to click- for the both of us.
Today the girls and I ate an early dinner right after school at Baja Fresh, then we visited the bookstore, and then decided it would be a good idea to get a sweet treat. Now its time to get ready for bed-I feel like night comes so early now with daylight savings time being over.
Other things I need to do this week include getting us some rain coats and some socks (the manager at Baja Fresh told me there are three seasons here, which are" rain, rain, and more rain-which somewhere in between is broken up with about fifty days of sunshine", oh boy, no wonder there is a coffee shop on every corner in town). The girls will start up piano lessons tomorrow. I found someone who teaches lessons in her home and she can teach the lessons back to back (before I was taking the girls on different days, but at that time my youngest had only half days in school). I'm hoping to get some more knitting done on my sweater this week too-I worked on it a little bit on Sunday. I don't want this new project to become a ufo!
You know, we've been in our new home for a little over two months and some days it seems more like home here than others. Change is very hard for me, I accept this, and I also realize that in the process I am growing, learning, and understanding that now matter where I am, God continues to bless us and gives us the grace we need.
grace.

at home....

~by the sink


~in my lap


I've got a little knitting going on, the pattern is here.

Have a good weekend!

roses and pumpkins

My mom is here visiting and I am so glad. To see her familiar face, to have her visit our new home "out West" is very comforting. The girls are also so excited to see their "Nana". On Sunday we decided to take her to the Rose Garden. Even this late in the season, the roses are beautiful. We absolutely loved it, although it was a bit chilly as we strolled through the garden.





On Monday we went on a field trip (with the girls school) to the pumpkin patch. We had a fun time and my mom got us an apple pie from the farm store that was out there-after dinner last night we ate that pie right up .


~corn maze at the pumpkin patch

~look at that huge pumpkin!

Mom leaves on Friday, and I'll be sad when she goes back to the East Coast, but glad that we both have in our hearts the memories that we've made here in our new home.
Today we are going shopping, she's a shopper for sure-Happy Monday!

Wednesday's market

no matter where we are, or where we move to finding the farmers market always brings beauty into our lives. Thanks to all the farmers, everywhere.

the afternoon light

~on the plant

~on a bowl of fruit

~on small hands

afternoon light
signalling that another day
is close
to another~
beautiful light
making
the simple
seem
remarkable.

after school....

~we walked to the park


~noticed that the leaves are turning


~played on the swings




~appreciated the vast blue sky




~walked back home with a little crochet work in hand

(our stay at the park was a bit short, because someone hurt their pinky toe on the play equipment-flip flops have been officially put away for the season).