Mid October

 Today is the first really chilly day of autumn, with a high in the mid 50s. It was high 40s last night and it felt genuinely cold when I went outside!

Sarah and Daniel got braces last week. We have a genetic predisposition towards narrow mouths and overbites. Daniel will take a year to 18 months, and Sarah a little longer because she has some little complications. Like several of our kids, she is missing teeth and that makes it interesting. Daniel was in quite a bit of pain the day after they were installed, but is much better today. Sarah was less affected.

I rarely show a picture of me. Rose took this picture and I thought, hey, maybe people would like a pic of me!

Petey continues to amuse us. Here he is playing in some water.

The most serious aspect of the week is that Isaac, age 24, was in a car accident, though by God's grace he was not hurt. We are so thankful for that! It was not his fault; a truck merged into his lane and pushed him into an adjacent lane. The car isn't safely drivable so it is at a body shop and he is dealing with insurance and all that. Very much an adulty thing to manage!

October!

 I love sunny autumn days. We have had several nice sunny days after a few gray days. It is lovely.

Last week, we went on a little field trip to a nearby farm where they sell pumpkins. They have pigs, and chickens, and PEACOCKS, and dogs, and cats, and the barn is full of pumpkins.

Lydia with cat

Me with a peacock and a hen in the background.

One of the fascinating things about this farm is that Kevin's paternal grandfather grew up at this farm! It used to belong to the Kendigs, but was sold off to someone else in the last one hundred years.

We bought pumpkins and the kids carved them.

So pretty! (There are lit candles in the pumpkins).

Kevin cut down our crabapple tree. It has not been doing well, and dumping leaves in our gutters, so away it goes.

I bought a helium balloon tank, and some mylar balloons, and we have been having fun with helium!

We launched a new book a little more than a week ago. It is doing reasonably well, especially since stupid Amazon did not send out messages to my followers (again.)

Ah well, such is life.