A Recap of October

Hi little blog of ours!!!

It’s been awhile.

I enjoy posting here so much…but sometimes it just doesn’t fit very well into our days!

So, here’s a little recap of the first half of October.

This is part one of an October recap – part two will be my next post and the second half of October.

I bet you can guess everything that we have done!

We are pretty predictable that way!

School.

We are enjoying school SO much!


Learning about polar bears while studying the Canada!


We study quite a bit of geography too.


Their illustrations and narrations of what we learn are my favorite teaching tool and my favorite keepsake!


While we were studying Canada, I was needing an art project for our Thursday art and craft time.

I hopped on the computer, went to Pinterest and typed in “crafts for kids Canada unit study.”

This project came up!

We painted with the salad spinner and it was super fun!!


No worries, I got the salad spinner completely clean again!


While we were studying Canada we also did some maple leaf rubbings.

They turned out beautiful.


We still sing every morning too!

Then we work on our Bible memory, have a devotional and finish with a time of prayer!


When I saw Eliza with her eyes closed praying one morning I could not resist tip toeing up to take a photo.

How sweet is this??!!


I spend a chunk of time every morning preparing school for the day!


Chad has told me many times that he is enjoying his curriculum this year very, very much!

We have some excellent books that he is working through!


The kids go outside everyday while I get lunch ready.

Playing disc golf has been there favorite activity lately!


While they are outside the Mama of that crew might dig around to find some chocolate covered nuts to snack on while she makes lunch!


I have a cute lunch crew.


Speaking of good things to eat – our food choices are more comfort foods now that it is so cold here!


Our afternoons are full of all kinds of things – but usually very much of the same things.

You know we love games!

Although games have been taken away as of this afternoon for several days!

Just in full disclosure that my children are not always angels – which is why those games were taken away!


Some Chinese checkers with a Chinese squat!

I love when they sit like that!

Grant can still do that!!


Chad has been hunting a couple of times in the late afternoons!

These two aren’t quite sure what to think of that!


Chad shot a buck on David and Kayla’s farm right at sunset one afternoon.

He came home to eat dinner and then we sent a search party back to look for that deer!


They found it!

And it filled David and Kayla’s freezer with meat!


When Chad gets photos like this from his camera that he has set up in the woods I beg him not too shoot the cute ones.

Isn’t this adorable??!


Some afternoons call for a popcorn and movie party!


We still like to read in the afternoons too!

We actually have a 30 minute quiet reading time that everyone must participate in (including me!) right before dinner.


I am doing a Bible study with a girlfriend once a week in the afternoon while our kiddos play.

It is WONDERFUL!!!


The weather has been kinda all over the place…but when it is nice enough we spend the afternoons outside.

A brisk walk in beautiful weather is such a day changer!!


The colors were beautiful this October, which is no surprise for us here in Wisconsin!


I am still stocking back up on Young Living products with the commission I am making each month.

It has been such a blessing to have those things on hand again!

Pan Away is a great one to grab for a headache!

I had a streak of headaches that were relentless – I am so glad they are gone now!


I have been enjoying our new diffuser too!

We run it often – but just today I took some screen shots on my phone of some oil blends to try.

The first one I am going to try is 3 drops of stress away and 3 drops of peppermint!

I bet it will smell fantastic – with no harmful poisons from burning a candle!


Here’s an adorable photo of a little cutie who stole my slippers to walk Ruby on a cold day.

He is SO CUTE!!


I found that cutie lying with Ruby under the school table while I gave Eliza a spelling test.

Why, yes, we have the most tolerant pup in the universe!

She puts up with a lot!


Here’s another cute one – who looks like this when he uses my favorite mug!

That mug has since been dropped and shattered to pieces!

Time to shop for a new favorite mug I guess!


I was privileged to have after nap snuggles out at the farm one day while Kay took the boys to get their new hens.

Briar is a cuddle bug!!


That was fun looking back to the beginning of October!

The Lord has really allowed my heart to settle into to our school routine this year.

These crazy times have made things weird, yes, but we choose to focus on ALL the good!

Life here at Twin Oaks with these kiddos IS GOOD!

They are inspiring, enthusiastic, joyful, quick learners, good helpers, my friends, each other’s friends, and just FULL OF LIFE!

We memorized Job 42:2 recently – “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

YES.

YES, yes, yes!!

God can do all things!

And His purpose will prevail!!!

How exciting is THAT?

I can’t wait to see the rest of the story…and watch Him use it all for His good.

God is GOOD.

He is SO good!

Rest in His promises, friends!!

Family Photo Shoot 2020

A little over a week ago we had our fall family photo shoot!

I am SO thankful that Kayla gives me this gift every year!

She graciously not only takes the photos – but plans where, when, and how it will all happen!

We send messages back and forth, as we plan, with photos of what colors of clothes we all own as we try to kind of coordinate everyone!

I always ask for four different photos – one of each child alone, one of the Kozelek crew, one of the Moschel crew, and one of ALL of us!

I love how the individual photos turned out!

The kiddos’s smiles are bright as always!

Eliza Claire, eight years old –


Tate Owen, nine years old –


Lane Stevan, twelve years old –


Chad Ryan, sixteen years old –


Addison Mae –


Grant Evan –


The grand babies got individual photos too!

I LOVE THEM!!

The photos show their personalities perfectly!

Briar Promise, almost two years old –


River Salem, three years old –


Ellie Joy, almost five years old –


Clyde Strength, almost five years old –


Here’s the Kozelek crew!

The grand babies did AMAZING getting their photos taken!


And finally a sneak peek at one of the group photos…you will have to wait on the rest until Christmas!


I would say we had a very successful photo shoot this year!

We took all of those photos, walking around a little town to find back drops, in less than thirty minutes!

Bless you, Kay, for doing this for me!!

I absolutely love that you captured this moment in time!

Memories made and memories kept!!

A Quick Trip

On Saturday we took a quick trip to Illinois to visit family and friends!

It has been MUCH too long since we have been there.

We made an early start and left home at 5 a.m.

Once the sun rose around 7 a.m., I took this photo!

It is very blurry because we were on a very bumpy road, but I love it anyway!


We found all kinds of things to do on the five hour drive, including spending some time in God’s Word.


Our first stop was to see a dear friend of mine!

It was so wonderful to spend some time with Melody and her husband Steve!


Our next stop was to see the kiddos grandparents!

Blake’s Dad and his wife Lilli.

It was wonderful to be with them and we all left a piece of our hearts there as we drove away.


By this time it was mid afternoon and we were hungry!

We used our phones to find a Chipotle and headed there for some take out lunch.


As we drove from Peoria to Morton we got to show the kids some things from when we used to live in Illinois – like where Addie Mae was born!


We headed to Blake’s Mom’s house for our last visit.

It was SO good to be there!!


We did drive around Morton for a bit to show the kids around!

We showed them our first home, and our last home there!

This tiny little nest was the home that we bought six or seven months after we were married way back in 1989!

It looked exactly the same!


We were thankful the Starbucks was still in the Kroger grocery store and that it was open!

We all got coffee (and apple juice for Tate and Eliza!) and hit the road to head back home.


We got to experience an Illinois sunset on our way out of town.


Yesterday was a quiet day of church and rest at home after that long day on Saturday!

I made some yummy nourishing meals too!


It’s freezing cold, literally, here at Twin Oaks now.

I am thankful we were able to make the trip to Illinois before the snow starts flying!

It is so wonderful to visit, so hard to leave, and we always, always wish we lived closer to our family.

It is hard to be so far away from all of our family!

Here’s hoping we can see everyone again very soon!

A Gorgeous Fall Weekend

Last weekend was SO beautiful!

The weather was warm, blue, and sunny.

I usually start Saturday morning with my apron on – making a big breakfast for everyone and then working on snack food, the salad box, and anything else that needs prepped for the week ahead.

This past Saturday Grant, Addie, and Chad were all at work, but I had my hubby and our trio at home with me!

Our morning started like this – and with an injury – Blake got cut in two places and we spent some time getting some glass out of his finger.

Sigh.

In defense for all Pyrex dishes everywhere, I think this 9×13 glass Pyrex dish was from 1999!

It lasted a looonnnggg time!

This photo is after we had cleaned up the bigger pieces.

It went EVERYWHERE.


After that mess was cleaned up, we all worked together and made lots of good things, including this apple dip!

Addie Mae has been bringing home 10 pound bags of Honey Crisp apples from work!

They are DELICIOUS!

More so with this yummy dip!

I made a double batch!


I also made lemon bars.

YUM.

Tate enjoyed helping with these!


On date night Friday night Blake had the idea to have a cook-out and a camp fire on Saturday night since it was going to be such nice weather!

We have our best ideas on date night.

It’s when we can actually think and have a conversation and all!

I made some cook out food, including these Pioneer Woman Cowboy beans.


We filled the afternoon with outside work.

Grant was home after lunch so the boys mowed the land, Blake and I cleared the garden for the year, and Blake also worked on getting the pool ready for winter!


We had some helpers!

And worm searchers!

I love how River thinks BIG and ran to get a shovel – because surely a huge shovel would do a way better job than our hands could!


I caught Eliza snackin’ on some of the yummy rice krispie treats we had made that morning!


It was such a beautiful day!

Tate took my phone and got some photos of the pretty colors!


Pretty soon Chad and Addie were home from work!

It was time to have some fun!


Dinner was fantastic!

Hard work makes food taste extra good!

It cooled off quick last Saturday night, so the fire was welcomed!


We headed inside pretty early to make sure we were in good shape for church Sunday morning!

Chad practiced a bit more for worship team once we were inside.

Both Chad and Addie serve on our church’s worship team – they lead the singing during our church services!


Saturday evening when we saw the weather forecast for Sunday, I messaged Kayla about doing family photos at sunset on Sunday.

Sunday’s weather did not initially turn out like we thought it should!

But it cleared off beautifully in the late afternoon, and it was in the mid 60’s, so we decided to go for it!


We headed into Cashton and walked around that sweet little town looking for some good backdrops.


We might have bribed some little people.

It was only popsicles!

Don’t judge!!

Kayla set us up and used the timer on her camera….and THIS.

I KNOW.

You probably cannot see it, but everyone is looking AND smiling!

Those cuties earned their popsicles!!!


It was a wonderful weekend!

It felt a bit like “old” times at the farm!

Where we would all work together all day and then sit around a fire eating, chatting, and grabbing hold of each other’s hearts!

We would head inside that old rambling farm house back at Adoni Acres super late, super dirty, and fall into bed super exhausted in the best kind of way!!

The weather has been unpredictable but beautiful!

We see the sun at some point almost everyday!

Thankful for the simple things like the beauty outside!

Don’t the fall colors remind you of the most amazing creative Lord that we have?

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the change of seasons!

You are SO good to us!!