::friday::

We did NOT go black Friday shopping.

We woke up, ate delicious sweet potato pancakes...











Went for a scenic drive....



Then for a spectacular hike...


Colorful fall trees!


Jared read this sign and the girls wanted to turn back...





But the mud and fallen leaves lured them in...


This was the view from the trail.





So so magnificent. Awe struck.


The forest was in full on fall misty green mode....


Banana slugs were everywhere! Liv was the best spotter!


Ira was more than a little overwhelmed at the climb back out....


It WAS a pretty steep trail.


I took this on the drive home. It was SUCH a pretty day...


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Thanks

Happy Days....

Ira shocked me with her latest creation....

I was knitting, and she brought me pieces of paper to color yellow and brown stripes on. She drew jewels on another piece.


She then arranged them in a pattern on the floor and taped them together.

When she folded them up into a box, I was impressed. When I realized she had arranged each piece of paper correctly as to make this treasure chest?! It blew my mind.

:)








This was the map she drew... Afterwards she said "I know south and east are reversed... I forgot for a minute"


Then we used her sundial to find the time...


The Littles got a lesson on how to safely walk the plank...





We ate raspberries...


Turkey legs...





Olives....


Then we had tea and walnuts and apples....


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::friday::

everyone was in such a wonderful mood...

ira and liv were laying around reading each other books...



emers was riding his trike and dressing up in the girls clothes...



we went to target and shopped the christmas decorations for an hour...



then we went to the library and checked out ungodly amounts of books and played on pbs.org



ira rented, watched and drew pictures of PIPPI LONGSTOCKING.



we hung some decorations...



then we went to see twilight at the drive in. It was a totally random decision.

the battery in the van died. we needed a new one. so we drove all the way to this auto store and we were halfway to the drive in. i mentioned to jared how depressed iw as to miss the premiere AGAIN.... he was like, "lets go now." i looked it up and we had only 45 minutes to go 30miles. we hurried down the road and got there 8 minutes after the start time, but they were still just showing previews.

Liv and cedric were fast asleep.


ira wanted nothing to do with vampires- as evidenced by this window drawing of a vampire with a cross through it....


so she watched movies on the iPad.


i was so excited i couldn't breathe....




this is a dark pic of ira enjoying popcorn with me during the previews.


ira said "the drive in is awesome and i want to do this again next week, but NO VAMPIRES."


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Thursday....

ira woke up and made me this- she said it is everything she wants for christmas/solstice season...

to see a reindeer, bake some gingerbread cookies, have a christmas tree, look at the stars, presents and LOVE.


then she got to work setting up this pool for her pet shops...




emers turned a pearl necklace into a baby carrier...











we ate super nachos....



and took really quality family portraits...


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happy birthday to me....

ira had set up a present....

i had to follow the hearts....




that led me to her decorations and then to her card she made me....


that contained these jewels...




jared came home at lunch and i blew out my candles...

this was an outrageously expensive gluten free and dairy free pumpkin pie. we had it with dairy free cashew based ice cream. Big splurges.


then we read some of MAMA'S favorite fall books...







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