My Poor Neglected Blog

What?! A month since I was on here?!

September was a month filled with adventure and many things to do.

Emily, Jacob and Matthew have been taking weekly swimming lessons to make up for the fact that we just didn't get to the pool much at all this summer. They are loving it and learning so much.

Emily and Jacob also began piano (Em did it last year, he did not.), and Emily began violin at her school. They fight over who will practice piano first. And Em loves the violin. I love that she's still now using the bow yet. It's coming though. I know we're getting close...

Megan split her lip when she fell of the rocking chair and onto the hardwood floor... Do you know how nice it was to take her to Daddy and say, "OK Daddy, put all those loans and hours spent away from family to work, on your daughter." It was so nice to just have him there to check her out and look at her lip and teeth over the next few days.

Daddy worked on Matthew too, pulling a baby tooth that he has bumped at least 8-10 times over the last 3 years. It was time for it to go. Again, a blessing for all this training... :) He was super excited for the "Dollar Fairy" to come.

(Speaking of the Dollar Fairy, as I drove by the gas station today, I wondered what my kids will give their kids one day. At the rate the gas prices are going, their kids will be getting $20 a tooth, not $1. But that's for another blog.)

We spent Labor Day Weekend up at Snowshoe Mountain. We hiked, and explored; slept in, ate treats, played games, went to the pool, watched movies and rode an old steam engine. We had a great couple days. It was only a 3 hour drive to get there, but I think those were some of the twistiest, turniest roads I have ever seen in my life. We joked that the drive would have been half as long if they'd just tried to make the roads straight.

As we drive around this state we see signs and mile markers that make reference to the Hatfields and McCoys, and General Lee. There's so much history here we've never really learned about.

I've been cleaning, and making food, and washing clothes. It feels like a Texas winter here. Already. And it's only the 10th of October... I have to admit I'm a little nervous for when the real winter weather comes. We are sorely in need of real winter clothing and shoes.

Here are some September pictures.

On the way to Snowshoe we stopped to check out the scenery.

Billy taking the 3 older kids exploring.

Riding on an old Steam Engine at Cass Scenic Railroad.

We rode it up the side of a mountain. About 45 minutes up and then 45 minutes down. The tracks were like switchbacks, so sometimes the engine pulled us and sometimes it pushed us.

It was really cool. 

Really.

Checking out old logger homes at Whitaker.

(Boy does that put things in perspective.)

As we were coming down, another train was coming up. 

The old lumber mill at Cass. 

Whenever I see things like this, it makes me wonder about its glory days. This whole town was built around this mill. Once the mill closed down, the town pretty much did as well.

Hiking around Snowshoe.

Leaving Snowshoe.

Pre-K wears this poor little guy out!

Exploring at Coonskin Park.

(They've gone fishing here a few times too.)

We drove an hour away one Sunday to visit a smaller church congregation and speak. They group is so small that they have other church members come speak sometimes so they aren't always listening to each other. :) When we went there were 17 adults and 2 kids there. Then we walked in. :) We really enjoyed our time with them. The kids LOVED the small Primary classes. As we left we saw this sign and had to get a picture. :)

(Don't you think this state has the funniest shape?!)

We went bowling. It was fun. The smallest size shoes they had were Megan's size. 

Perfect.

This was the day Matthew dressed Megan up and was teaching her crime-fighting skills so they could beat the bad guys together. :)

Megan ready to go shopping.

There are lots of "new" bugs here. And tons of spiders! Tons.