As I had hoped, November has been much slower for our little family. Lots of happenings for our parents, but none for us! We're taking advantage of it, and getting a lot of house projects done along with refinancing. But save most of that for our renovation blog I guess.

Alden and Rhianwen almost didn't seem to know what to do with themselves with the slower pace. They kept asking me where we were going, and anytime we did go somewhere and were on the way home, Alden would burst into tears, "I don't want to go home!" Finally, they have rediscovered how much fun home can be, even if our square footage is now cut in half because of emptying our family room into the rest of the house.

Some advantages to not being so busy: Daddy dates for Rhianwen. She feels so special! This week she put on her Aurora necklace and asked if it was an adult date or a kid date. Then she declared that she was little mommy. I have to say, Alden was quite sad that he couldn't go, but I try to do something special with him while they are gone like watch a movie or have icecream. He ends up enjoying it.

And just to add fuel to my anti-Disney princess fire, Rhianwen came up to me all dressed up, said she was Jasmine because, "See I have n*_ipp))les." Lovely, I think she meant a b**r-a.

Enjoying the family room prior to emptying it.

In preparation for the baby, we combined Alden's and Rhianwen's room. It was important to us to maintain their own semi-separate spaces, and I think we accomplished it fairly well. They both seem to really love the result and play in there a lot.

Alden is on Rhianwen's bed. For more pics, you can go to our renovation tracker.

Wally also tore down the treehouse because our kids were beginning to step through the rotted places and found that very upsetting. Of course, they loved the resulting holes that their feet left, but we decided we'd better do something about it. Amazingly, we obtained our neighbor's old decking material, which is very solid and will work wonderfully for a new bigger treehouse.

Felt fun. Loaves and fish left over from a Sunday School craft. It was almost enough to feed 5,000 again.

Just some more home fun.

Funny Alden quote after watching a Jesus movie when we were stuck home from church with bad colds: "Where's God? Is he in the movie?"

Next up, Thanksgiving at Grandmama and Grandaddy's with PaPa and Greatmama just moved in. We're really looking forward to it!

Chickens are my favorite.

I don't think we've ever had as much farm fun packed into one month as we have this month. Probably everybody is tired of farm pics just from my last post, but here come some more! I don't think I could ever tire of visiting farms or farm festivities. I do find myself daydreaming about living on a farm, but then I remind myself that I enjoy comfort, and mucking out a stall or birthing a cow is not my idea of domestic bliss.

We headed to the NC state fair and had a great time seeing many garden displays, animals, and eating our fill on fried foods. It never makes sense to me why state fairs are all about frying. It certainly doesn't seem pastorally simple like the way I envision a farming community would enjoy their harvests. But I guess that goes to show what a city girl I am or maybe that the organic movement hasn't really reached the state fair crowd yet.

The only time daddy could ever be called a butterfly. It reminds me of a break-up quote from an OLD movie called Bringing Up Baby.

Preserving the state fair giant theme...we have the biggest vegetables, animals, and....ah yes, our greatest feat...chairs!

My brothers will like this pic. These guys are made out of construction barrels.

Candyland garden exhibit. It was more fun in real life than what you can see here.

Eying the grand champion. He was really aggressive (the turkey, not Alden).

Back at home we continued our tradition of not celebrating Halloween. I think it confuses people when my kids say, "We carved a big daddy pumpkin, and we have baby pumpkins too!" and get greeted with blank stares when my kids are clueless about trick or treating. Oh well. I do enjoy redefining the day in a way that focuses on Jesus (the pumpkin carving being about how He cleans our hearts from the icky sin and puts His light in us to shine in the darkness). It was cool how this week our Bible verse was about how even the night will be light about us because of God's care and involvement in our lives. "Random" coincidence. We really aren't trying to be legalistic or hard core or unfun. But we do want to live lives that are meaningful, thoughtful, and full of truth in a way that is full of joy and enjoyment of God's good gifts to us. We want to teach our children that God defines all of life and, yes, all of our fun. And that it's a GREAT thing, and an exciting thing, and a very fun thing that is worth celebrating.

Cleaning out the "piles of gooey" is not always a pleasant or easy process.

But the end result is worth it!

We had our nursing home visit, probably the last one until at least spring, since winter is a time of sickness for kiddos. It was the neatest time. Our musician was late, so I was doing the "hello" song on my own, and one of the residents started accompanying on the piano all on her own! As I've said to many who prayed for us, it just goes to show how little inconveniences and setbacks can really be God's plan to bless us all in a special way. I am so thankful for that reminder!

We traveled once again to Charlotte to see some really neat missionaries while they are here on HMA. I am struck by how difficult it must be to be a missionary. The life is difficult and often dangerous there, fruit is often slow to come, calling and ministry is often unclear, support can be lacking or unfelt, and then you have to come back "home" which isn't really home anymore, travel all over the place and tell about it all often with kids who find it difficult as well. Thankfully, that's my picture without God's hand, but with Him, somehow that kind of life can be a real joy and confirmation of the faith and purpose He's given those who call on His name and find satisfaction in Him.

On our free morning, we went to a cider mill/orchard down the road from Wally's parents' house. We were given the honor of feeding the calf his morning milk.

It's amazing how quickly he downed it and how strong of a pull he had. It made me think of the story in Winnie the Pooh where Tigger almost swallows the spoon as he consumes Roo's "strengthening medicine". I feel sorry for mommy cows.

While there, Alden was popular with the chicken crowd. They followed him everywhere. I was amazed to see that many of them were almost as big as he was if they stretched their necks up high. Perhaps this is why chickens are Alden's "favorites". He also got to feed the chickens at Grandaddy's and to collect the eggs they laid.

Back at home working on "Thankful Tom Turkey" who will get feathers added each mealtime as we write for what we are thankful. Tonight's were:

Rhianwen: I'm thankful for gourds.

Alden: Winnie the Pooh.

Fall Fullness

Maybe I should call my post fall madness b/c by the end of this weekend I seriously was crying just from the sheer inability to sit quietly and process all of the events and interactions that have occurred the past couple of weeks. We have been busy making sure that I appreciate being stuck in seclusion with a new baby in winter, I think. Again, too many photos and probably not enough words ensue below...

First we gained a new baby cousin from Uncle Robeson and Aunt Natalie. It'll probably be a while before we get to meet face to face, but we are excited to share parenthood with our generation in our family now!

Then it was Rhianwen's birthday. Her "golden" birthday no less since she turned 4 on the 4th of October! She loves this bracelet that Uncle Robeson and Aunt Natalie gave her.

Alden was such a sweet brother giving her so many gifts without asking for any in return. He did have much fun with some of the bubble wrap though.

She had many friends over who got to make leaf-print t-shirts, go on a bear hunt (their very most favorite game), treasure hunt, dancing fun (each child got to be the teacher that we copied), and lip-gloss swap.

Mmmmm. Lip-gloss.

Finally! The white buffalo cake!!!

I have to say, this birthday with a white buffalo cake, princess cups and table-cloth, fall decorations, and requested games like bear hunts, made me appreciate just how special and unique Rhianwen is. She is so eclectic in almost every way...personality and tastes included. It'll be interesting to see how her sense of self develops over the years, but right now I am enjoying the comfortable way that she just IS. Yes, she has influences (I hate most Disney princesses...), but it doesn't stop her from being who she is. I wish I could say I wasn't influenced by what others think of me or want me to be. There is so much freedom in being 4 and loved! I pray she will be settled in her freedom in Christ and in His loving design for her, His shining holy maiden. Is. 60:1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."

After her birthday, it was off to the mountains for a fall vacation with Nanny Kim, Grandpa, Uncle Skipper, Uncle Christopher, and Kristen. We had much fun exploring the campground's free activities including the famous zip line.

All by herself per daddy's approval.

Alden's loving it. Look at daddy's flare.

And a movie of it. You can hear Nanny Kim in the background going into shock about Alden's eye color. They've both gotten my eyes-strange shades of greens, blues, and golds.

Alden's become quite the dribbling soccer pro. You can see shadows of the paparazzi and scouts gathered around him as he shows his skill off. He was very upset tonight that he had to go to bed while daddy left to play soccer. When asked what he wanted, Alden said tearfully, "I want to play soccer too!"

Yum. Apples.

Thank you, Uncle Skipper, for a wonderful family picture! This one will likely get framed.

The intrepid family on top of Black Balsam. Although you can't see it here, the fall color there was breathtaking.

Kristen and Alden begging Uncle Christopher to stop that texting and save that marshmallow.

Just look at Aldi-man's face.

Yummy!

After the mountains, it was back home where we visited a farm. This picture just speaks to our area of the country where suburbanization meets farmland nearly everywhere now without a buffer zone.

Trying her hand at "milking".

The tunnel under the hay (I think it's a fun perspective with Alden looking through to Rhi's little face).

Loving the heavy machinery. We also got to go on a hayride (Alden's favorite) and through a corn maze. Good thing my camera batteries died, or you would have been subjected to more photos of that!

Then it was off to Grandaddy and Grandmama's to celebrate Grandaddy's b-day. It was a sweet time, and he blew out ALL of his candles in one breath! Chalk it up to being a pastor!

Funny conversation:

Rhianwen to Alden about if God is here with us: "Do you know how to obey without Him?"

Alden: silent

Rhianwen: "Ok, then, He's here!"

Take that, atheists ;0) From the mouth of babes...

Alden to mommy: "Is there food in heaven?"

Mommy: "The Bible says that there's a banquet, so I think so."

Alden: "I like God."

Back home in our woods riding a "dragon".

I was telling Wally today, I just love being home. I just can't handle much busyness like other people can. Although I know I should be able to roll with whatever life throws at me, I am thankful for the freedom that comes with predictability and the peace of being home.