Enjoying Autumn

Well, seems like a lot of places are enjoying a warm “fall” this year and we are no exception. But the warmer weather hasn’t kept us from living to the fullest.  In mid-September the kids enjoyed a day at Lake Guntersville State Park. We got to see deer, donkeys and emus. The kids also enjoyed swimming in the lakefront beach which, as you can see, was beautiful.

The 1^st weekend of October we hiked through the local Goldsmith Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary. It was a beautiful network of quiet trails and ponds for us to enjoy.

The entire first week of October the kids participated in different daily crafts at the local Hays Nature Preserve.

Making acorn frames

Painting rocks for the garden

Making fall leaf suncatchers

Making pinecone Christmas tree decorations

The 2^nd weekend of October we enjoyed a family hike through the Madison County Nature Trail.

The 3^rd weekend of October mom and the kids took a short weekend trip to NC with Mima & Papi where we enjoyed the beautiful, colorful fall foliage. Isa also managed to sneak in a lead line horseback riding session during the trip. She also learned how to properly mount up on a horse and has been proudly practicing back at home since the lesson.

The 4^th weekend of October we all took a trip out to the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, AL. What a special treat and beautiful place to visit. It was a bit of a drive to get there but so very worth it in so many ways. We have so many pictures of this beautiful place that it was hard to only pick a handful to share.

Isa was completely transfixed by this depiction of Christ & the Blessed Mother.

The last weekend of October was focused almost entirely on Halloween. We spent the weekend doing a number of Halloween crafts.

The kids went trunk or treating at our parish the Friday before Halloween. Gearing up for the main event, and they had so much fun in the process. Miss Isa went as Princess Belle and Mr X as Batman.

Halloween night was a major success. The kids trick or treated as Batgirl and Batman and brought home quite a haul.

We attend continue to attend storytime at our local library each week. It is such an interactive experience that the kids always look forward to. The crafts afterward are always fun too!

Isa is progressing wonderfully in school and is well into the second quarter. She’s still excited to do her schoolwork each day which is extremely encouraging.

Isa teaching Mr X to sort big versus small

Mermaids do schoolwork too!

Dance lessons are also going well and Isa has been learning progressively more difficult moves. Her teacher and teaching assistants are so proud of her…as are we.

Halloween week the kids got to dance in their Halloween costumes. Isa danced as Batgirl.

As some are aware, we are in the process of building a new house. We had the lot picked out before we even moved to Huntsville and have spent a good amount of time working through the design phase. Well, we are finally ready to break ground (hopefully next week!) and get this new home construction underway! Stay tuned for further updates…

Finally, a few candids for your enjoyment, until next time.