Wrapping up the week...just some pictures.a song.you should come eat pizza.

I see so much of my older boys in this little guy.

I'm happy it's Friday.
I like when my husband is around. :)

We're making pizzas at Rush Creek Distilling Saturday evening.
Come out and see us!...and eat pizza of course.

The last of the gorgeous summer bouquets created by
my daughter and my dear sis in law ...until next summer.
Twin Gardens ..best flowers ever!!!

{..also note the play-dough, dog shaped balloon and school work
all over the table.}

Hot Chocolate and Chai Tea Lattes with my girls...

...and today is National Pumpkin Day!
{I made pumpkin muffins..}

Stories read by a big brother to a little brother in a tiny bed.
Autumn colored laundry drying on the line.
Sunrise over a corn field.

Super excited to see our friend Andrew Belle perform tonight!!!
Go take a listen to his new hush album.


Happy Weekend to you.
XxOo

Wrapping up the week....a song.a sweater I'm not allowed to buy.young moms....I promise it gets better and better.

I'm out of bed for the first time since Tuesday. Not better...I've just shifted to the couch.
After bragging about how I haven't been sick {not even a sniffle!} for almost two years...
...I have been officially, medically humbled.
..and I have decided to chalk this weekend up to rest and recovery.
{since I probably won't have a choice...Ha

I've been resorting to over the counter drugs!...which is HUGE for me.
Usually I'm all about oils.teas...natural healing, you know?! {I have been using these too..}
But!....I don't think I've ever had a more terrible headache in my life.
Hello Tylenol Sinus pills...I love you. Really.I do.

Now, to you young moms...I have something to tell you.
Waaayyy back. When I had all little kids...it was hard to be sick.
No fun at all. Truly...there is no such thing as a sick day for moms of little ones.

You have no choice but to continue on changing diapers and making food and
getting little drinks..doing the normal everyday routine you do...no matter how bad you feel.
The only break you get is nap time...
..and the desperate hope they sit for a movie during NON-nap time.
{which feels like an eternity when you have a fever!}

Things have changed since my babies are growing/grown up.
Now! ..well...not to sound like I'm bragging..bUUuuuut...
...being sick was kind of nice.

I stayed in bed and slept most of Wednesday and Thursday.
All the while...
My house was cleaned.
Laundry taken care of.
Meals were made and cleaned up after. (...we did order pizza one night;)
School they could do on their own was accomplished.
{Thank you God for letting me be organized Monday! Phew.
...no substitute teacher takes over in the homeschool!}
Water brought to me because they heard me coughing...{what?!}
Who are these fabulous children?!

Hmmm...one has to wonder...
...why don't things run this smoothly when I'm healthy?
I'm not sure if I should be proud of you or angry at you dear children.
Anyway...{wink}

Let's just focus on the sickness sympathy I received
from these amazing darlings this week, okay?

Moms of little ones..this will be your life one day! Sooner than later.
Time flies...too quickly. I promise things get easier.

There is so much goodness in each stage.
Don't dwell on the negative..it's easy to do..trust me, I know.
..but not worth it!

Having little ones is so much fun.
You control your ship. Bedtime is early. Meals are eaten together at the table.
Everyone has the same schedule and you make all the decisions.
You can count on things!

This all changes when they get older.
While I miss those days of having an organized and {mostly} predictable life..
..I, also love these crazy, busy, where-does-the-time-go days.

Don't get caught up in cliche talk and negative propaganda about teenagers.
Life is better with them in your house! :)

{an old picture I found this morning...}

"Alex..you jump on the guitar while I play the piano." 
- said the four year old to his obliging, older brother.

That hutch against our wall...
...was built by my uncle for my mom when I was very young.
It now resides in our dining room.


Oh Ralph...this is pretty much the most perfect, perfect sweater I have ever, ever, ever,
ever, ever, eeeeevvvveeeeer, EVER seen!
Since my husband said no..if anyone has an extra $298.00 and wants to buy it for me...
....I promise to act surprised when the package arrives. You get free shipping! ;)
I do not understand why the man can't see the value in this sweater.
It says...Joy! for many years to come.
....but if he doesn't like having Joy...{shoulder shrug}

Oh well...

I now leave you with a sweet little love song my husband sent to me...in lieu of the sweater.

HaPpY Weekend.
XxOo

Over the weekend and into Monday...

..we celebrated eleven birthdays between my family and Jeff's.

....our youngest turned four. FOUR! How? He was just born.

...we ate too much sugar.

......the weather was perfectly fall-y! Moody skies.Chilly temperatures.Sparkly sunshine.
We had it all...and it was lovely.

...we practiced handwriting.
{..because by golly it's important! No matter the tech age we live in.}

....chicken dumpling soup was dinner.

...our maple tree out front is orange and yellow.

.....the girls made pumpkin pie lip balm. It smells good enough to eat.

...the last of our garden..herbs and flowers..have been cut and clipped and picked and dried.

.....a fire has been crackling in our wood stove.

Happy new week to you.
XxOo

Giiiirls...How's it going in there? Fine Mom! It's fine. ..because it's always fine, right? ;)

Thanks to her lovely daughters and their little photo shoot..
...mother was finally able to see the cause of delay
during kitchen clean up that one fall evening.

If I were to hashtag...
{#girlswhojump
#goodform
#thatswheremycamerawent
#iwantabiggerkitchen
#content #not #haha}
...but I won't.
XxOo

The public has spoken...and I listened.and I'm really happy now.

For quite sometime, I've felt like my porch looked like a 2003 subdivision house...

...even though our home was built in 1940.
Maybe because we added the railings in 2003 when every new home had our same rails?

It was nearly impossible to sit facing forward on the porch..there was no space.

You couldn't see anything either...like my antique church pew or
throw pillows or the corner pumpkin!

I also have a very low porch. No one is going to become a pancake if they fall off.

Back in the spring I asked Jeff if we could take them down...he said he would do it..
...but it was a change I was afraid to make. I couldn't commit!

Soooo.....
I took a poll on Instagram and "Take them down" won.
75% down. 25% leave them up.

The same evening, in the dark, with HUGE spiders lurking and lots of mosquitoes flying around..
...my dear husband removed the railings. What a guy.

I am so, SO happy with the decision we made.

When NOT to take down railings...

If you have an old Victorian House!!! Please don't..they're so fitting.
If you have a tall porch!
If you love them.

My sister stopped by with lunch and an apple, cinnamon, smells so good, fall candle.

My parents stopped by to drop off a daughter.
My little brother stopped by and brought me coffee.

Living close to family is really nice! Haha.
I love it...and not just because they bring things over. ;)

Also...I do believe this will be the last day my barefeet will comfortably
walk on our cobblestone porch.
{I think I said this last week when it was 85..Hmmm..}
Silly October weather.

XxOo