A Proud Moment

Been wanting to learn to paint for a long time.  Just never took the time to begin.  I took advantage of a Community Ed class to create my first painting.  Here it is!!!  Fall Forest by the Stream.  Those are green trees as well as trees with colored leaves, a bush with tiny pink flowers, a pile of rocks.  I learned some valuable techniques.  This is in acrylic.  I'll probably take a couple more classes over the winter.  I enjoyed it and bought a few supplies to do my own thing at home as well.  First step at home is to set up a place to paint when I have a free moment.

Max and Claire at the Farm

Claire doesn't nap anymore, so on non-school days when she is with me, I have to keep her busy.  This day she picked up all the sticks in the yard, put away my flowers for winter, picked the raspberries (and ate them all), and picked beautiful leaves.  Some were for GG (they pressed them in a book), some were for Omi's kitchen, some were for Omi & Papa's bedroom (her choice), and some were for a basket of fall goodies for their new front porch.  Have you ever picked leaves?  You just can't stop yourself.  One is more beautiful than the next.  Claire found this out.  She just couldn't stop.  She especially loved the red ones and the rare pink ones.

Here's the basket for their porch.  Indian corn, broom corn, an empty bird's nest and the gorgeous leaves with some raffia bows.

Painting with real paint.  Ninja turtles - what could be better!  Shirtless, cuz I wasn't sure if he'd miss!

Decided to try an apron instead of no shirt.  He does really well.  Mara has to be sleeping, I'm not brave enough yet to have her paint!

The Park Family too

Barry and Maverick enjoying some sunshine and some lovin'.

I'm missing this family somethin' awful.  Thankfully they send photos as well as almost daily FaceTime events.  Some days the FaceTime is more like CrazyTime.

Bethanie allowed a photo of herself (and baby boy Park) during their pumpkin search.

Family Selfie - and everyone is smiling!  We have a standing joke about Maverick this spring, summer and fall - he never has a shirt on when we see him on FaceTime (or photo!)

Bethanie took photos of the boys over the summer and I framed them and have them on the kitchen table so we can see them every day!  (bet they don't know that dish of candy is sitting so close to them!)  Miss them so!

Fall Fun

Nothing like a bowl of red apples in the fall.  Cute little card from the Park boys.

Claire & Max were busy helping me harvest the seed pods from my hyacinth plants.  We also made  crowns that day! 

We went to the orchard on a beautiful day in October (66 degrees).  Donuts, caramel apple...

...apples and pumpkins!  Claire, Mara and Max were glamming it up!

Dug out Heather & Bethanie's old dollhouse.  Papa built it in the 80's and I wallpapered, carpeted and decorated it.  Furnishings were a mix of purchased items and homemade items.  It is in need of a makeover, so Claire and I are going to get to work on that!  They were loving it!

Mara & Max went with Papa & Omi to buy pumpkins & gourds for decorating church for fall harvest season.  The day was nippy but they enjoyed looking around and making the choices.

Here's our trunk-full. 

They had a lot of choices, but they were sure of their final picks.

Max and I went for lunch and a donut at a bakery close to his school one fall day.  The purple flowers were still so gorgeous!

What We've Been Up To

Mara, Heather and I went to Camp Butterscotch (new local learning farm especially for special needs children) to visit.  Mara LOVED the mini goats.  We've gotta get some!  (their names were Laura and Mary)

Max wanted his photo in a hot car - red, of course!  He looks good doesn't he?

Our new dream car.  Ford Flex - shiny red with white top!!

Mara wanted to ride the horsie.

She did not, however, want me to take her picture while riding!

Max is intent on any project. 

Mara loves stickers.  Here she was making a pumpkin for Nona.