Day 297 of 365

Lilly had a Halloween party at dance class. Most of the girls were princesses, but Lillian chose to be a bumblebee. Imagine 15 four-year-olds dancing and prancing in costumes. I'd call it controlled chaos.

Day 296 of 365

We spent most of the day with my parents. Family photos, hanging out, celebrating Aunt Barb's birthday, yummy dinner and dessert; I even squeezed in a nap on the couch. All in all a great fall afternoon.

Day 295 of 365

One of my good friends and I decided to spend the day cooking meals that we could freeze for future dinners. We chose our recipes last night, hit the grocery store this morning and three hours later had 5 recipes prepared. Some of the recipes made so much we ended up each getting 8 meals apiece. In the coming weeks we'll be enjoying Tex Mex Enchiladas, Brick Oven Meatloaf, Meatballs with Tomato Gravy, Chicken Tetrazzini and Baked Pasta with Turkey Sausage. It was so worth it! Cooking is much more fun with a dear friend.

Days 290-294 of 365

For having the last two days off, I've sure been busy. It seems like I update this blog, then suddenly 5 days pass and I haven't posted anything. So, here's the lowdown on the past 5 days...

1 - Lillian loves to play with Tonka the puppy, and get "kisses" from him.

2 - I call this the "pile of crap," which seems to multiply overnight. It consists of mail, school papers, artwork and such. About once per week I sort, toss and file. Or maybe I aim to do this once per week, and it turns into once per month.

3 - Just like her big sister, Lillian loves to sort crayons by color. Yellow was the choice this day.

4 - A root beer exploded in our garage fridge last week. I finally got around to cleaning it up and was so impressed with the results I had to document its cleanliness.

5 - Lillian had her 4 year old checkup today (yes, she turned 4 three months ago, but who's counting). The eye exam went well, shots were a bit more challenging.

Day 289 of 365

Today was the first time all fall I've actually been in worship. I volunteered to teach Sunday School this year (because I don't have enough to do otherwise), and I've either been teaching or out of town each week. I've missed it.

Day 286-288 of 365

It's been a busy few days around here - parent/teacher conferences, overnight trips, karate graduation and more. We met our neighbor's puppy - Tonka - and the girls now think we need one too (no, thank you). The cooler weather drove us inside for much of the past two days, but we did sneak in a couple of outdoor photos.

Days 284-285 of 365

McKenna was the grand prize winner at her karate studio's open house, so she now owns a Nintendo 3DS. Frankly, I get dizzy looking at the screen, but she loves it. It seems too early in the season for visits to urgent care, but suspecting strep throat I took McKenna in last week. A double ear infection and one prescription later, we left. The Amoxicillin is nearly gone; its spot to be soon filled by more yogurt.

Days 278-283 of 365

So, I'm back at it. Although I've been MIA from blogging, I have been out taking photos the past week. Between three more senior photo sessions, a family session over the weekend, running a 5K, shuttling kids from one activity to another, doing the usual household chores and correcting a boatload of student work, I managed to squeeze in a few photos of my own. The gorgeous October weather kept me away from the computer for even longer than usual, for which I am actually very thankful.

Day 277 of 365

As I was driving today, I was struck by the beautiful fall colors while enjoying having my window down on this sunny, eighty degree day. I shot this photo quickly right outside Lillian's school, which overlooks a wooded area and pond. I had every intention of capturing additional fall color photos, but the afternoon and evening got away from me.

Day 276 of 365

The cherry tomatoes are still going strong. With the heat and sun we're expecting this week, I expect a bounty in the coming days.

Day 275 of 365

I'm not sure how many times we've worked this puzzle; it's been around since McKenna was in preschool. Some of the pieces are peeling and there is one piece missing, but it's served us well. I think Nana Dianne purchased this one; it was money well spent.

Day 274 of 365

McKenna's karate studio held an open house today, so the girls and I spent the morning there. I wasn't expecting much, but there was a lot to do, including an obstacle course that Lillian had to do over and over. The "ladder run" was her favorite part. Well, beside the cotton candy.