{A Cool Seasonal Start}

 Let all the baking and cooking and kitchen creations begin...something about the cool air makes me want to just keep yummy things coming.  This was a trial run of apple butter bread (gluten free as always).  It was okay.  It turned out a little crumbly but I think I know what I'd do differently next time.  Recipes are always more of a suggestion for me.  I try them by the book the first time and then figure out how to make it mine after that.  

Bear left an extra note for our waiter at Miyo's...teenagers! 

Always set out and prepare for the morning the night before!  All notebooks are ready to go, our apologetics study is open for morning time and fresh baked banana bread for breakfast together.  

She's too funny!  We tried to bake some rosemary sourdough bread after being gifted with tons of it.  It was so good! 

Somedays Mom makes you make your own lunch...because they are all completely able to!  Bear gets really creative and made a fried egg sandwich and topped it with coleslaw.  He even buttered the bread, too! 

Sighting in guns with Bear's homemade gun range.  Gotta get more meat in the freezer! 

Pumpkin Scones were a hit!  We used sourdough for them, too.  I started my gluten free sourdough starter well over a year ago and it's still serving us well. 

Wednesdays are for WAMM!  The girls are loving it! 

Amazon sent out their Christmas toy catalog and the amount of things the girls have circled is mind-blowing.  It's fun to watch them dream and narrow it down. 

We broke tradition because the chicken in the crockpot wasn't quite done yet and went ahead to make sourdough pizza before church.  

School mornings are our favorite!  I am so grateful for the opportunities we have outside of the home, too...but this is the BEST. 

Another fun week of Grounded!  They studied ocean currents this time. 

My kitchen helper!  She loves to learn and be right by my side. 

On Friday, we headed to the Midlands Plant Swap at the SC State Farmers Market.  WOW! 

And then got the girls new kicks!  She sent this picture to her Bubba for his opinion...we went with the ones on the right. 

After the Farmers Market, we headed downtown Columbia for a few more local field trips...Trinity Episcopal and our SC State House.   See George Washington behind them and his broken staff?  Well, that's Sherman's fault.  It was blown off by a canon during the Civil War. 

Totally out of order photos but all from a really fun Friday. 

Cleaning eggs with my little chicken farmer...this one takes the cake!  Poor hen that laid that one! 

Saturday we headed to Sky Top for apple picking!  Most of the apples had been picked over and we hadn't ever seen the trees so barren.  But, eventually we found a few...the kids were happy and hungry after our 20 minute apple hunt.  

This was about the only way to get the good ones.  Thankful for a strong husband and a tiny, gymnast 7 year old. 

Still checking out that Amazon toy catalog. 

I think they all agreed that the apple doughnuts and caramel apples were worth it though! 

Earlier that morning while Dad and Bear were hunting, the girls and I made a surprise breakfast delivery to Bubba at work! 

We may not have gotten many apples but we got some great photos and time together is never wasted!  Such a fun week filled with all things Fall! 

{Wrapping up September: Part Two}

 I am so thankful for these photos throughout the day of the girls at Grounded.  It's always so nice to check the private Facebook group and see them the next day or so.  The teachers do a great job keeping us updated and the girls love looking at them.  This week they played soccer, counted Fruit Loop's colors in Spanish and made hurricanes in Earth Science.  Bear is taking Financial Peace, an intensive writing and literature course and has some time for study hall when he does his math. 

The weather is dipping down a touch...still in the 80s during the days but perfect for enjoying dinner on the porch.  We could sit by the candlelight and chat all night. 

Bubba played in a fundraiser golf tournament for his school and his team WON!  

The yard is just gorgeous this time of year.  

Football on the weekends and the girls playing with my hair to stay up later (it works!).  Our sweet old Bo is holding the fireplace down.  We've realized this past week that his hearing has completely gone. He will be 13 later in October.  Thankfully, he seems to be in good spirits otherwise. 

I got to play in the kitchen for the magazine I write/photograph for and everyone enjoyed the fresh apple cider and brown sugar cinnamon cake. 

And lots of Christmas shopping was done!  Best reason ever to shop- supporting missionaries!  They send the items here, we shop and they get all the profit to go back into spreading the Gospel.  It was so fun spending time with sweet friends for a couple hours, too. 

{Golf, Grounded & Grandmama’s Goodies}

 We've been enjoying these gorgeous fall mornings with the screen porch doors wide open and the cool breeze welcoming in the day.  Walks in the afternoon down the dirt road and dressing up in some of the sweetest jewelry the girls got from Grandmama.  Bubba played in another golf tournament in the Upstate and both Grandaddy and Scott got there each of the days to watch and support him.  Another fun week of their Grounded homeschool program where the girls created a jello earthquake.  Drums for Bear per usual and lots of eggs turning Panda's little business into an enterprise.  She has friends come by {and us making deliveries} pretty regularly.  A new addition to our garden with Grandmama's birdbath...items were being gathered up in her home as I watched four darling little finches out her Florida room window enjoying their afternoon hot spot.  Now, she sits between our Annabelle hydrangeas for some of God's funniest and most beautiful creatures to enjoy...and us to remember our Grandmama Frances by...along with the loveliest vintage milk glass cake stand that I just had to put to use immediately. These are the days...