Recent quote from Deb:

"It's like a scary movie in here!"

(After almost busting the lightbulb while trying to move things in the schoolroom. Boxes, boxes everywhere! But things are getting better.

Bruce has been painting the living room a couple shades of brown. One of them is a nice rich cocoa one that we all love...yesterday when I was sniffly I just laid there on the couch watching him roll it on and thinking about chocolate. And Dad. (paint reminds me of him).

Today Brent, Tucker, and I had a reading lesson. Woohoo! They are so eager and excited we've waited so late to start that they're like little popcorn kernels waiting to burst open. They're so proud of themselves.

Autumn is really lovely here...there isn't much red in the trees, at least for now, but lots of gold, and the leaves are falling. Today the five older kids and I joined the Gollans for a picnic while Bruce was working and Deb was at a Bible study. The kids made a fire in a grassy place around the forest and we roasted hot dogs. It was cool out, but not cold at all. It was a great excuse to get out and enjoy the weather.

Clark and Ellie, (2 and 3), looked so adorable playing together. Priscilla commented as they trotted off into the woods together that they looked like Hansel and Gretel :)

Tickling a baby is one of the greatest joys of all time. Noah's laugh is priceless. Noah himself is priceless. This morning while Deb was at the market getting groceries I was trying to make pancakes, and Noah was getting hungry and fussy. He likes to come up and grab both my legs, shove his head between them, and smear as much snot as possible on my jeans. I like to think of it as a hug :) He did it over and over, trying to climb up like a bear cub...so I gave in and tried to hold him while flipping pancakes...It didn't work too well, but he was pretty satisfied with bits of attention at a time. I love to hear him laugh and watch his eyes crinkle up.

So thats all for now...it's Friday night and I'm off to party (in a Cassie sort of way) do svydanya...