Soaking in the Season

I love Fall.  It's like nature's grande finale to summer, don't you think?  Like when you are watching a fireworks show, and they save all the big, awesome ones for the end, right?  That's Fall...all the beautiful, vibrant colors finally burst forth in a magnificent display.  The air is crisp and new, and as the days grow shorter the feeling of warmth and cozying up inside the home becomes easier.  It's just a magical time of the year. 

We've been soaking up what the season has to offer us.  One of my favorite things is visiting cider mills, and enjoying being outside for the last few days of the year before the weather finally relents to old man winter. 

The girls and I went to Leaman's Apple Barn in Freeland on their first day off from school earlier in September, but we decided to go again with Mark on a Saturday in October.  I think we all really fell in love with this place!!

We also made a trip down to Livonia for (what I'm hoping becomes a new tradition!) SOUP NIGHT at the Griswold's.  Erin and Mom both made different soups, and Erin made homemade pizza rolls.  It was delicious and so festive.  We also enjoyed cider floats (HELLO! Where has this recipe been all my life?!?), and donuts.  It was so fun!  The next day we hit the cider mill in Northville.  This has become one of my favorites because it is small enough that there aren't huge, crazy crowds.  The cider is seriously delicious!  And there are still fun things for everyone to enjoy.  The older girls liked browsing the vendor booths and getting inspiration for jewelry and crafts.  Parker enjoyed climbing on toys and feeding the ducks.  It's a win-win. 

Midland also has a "Free Day" at the beginning of October where many of the local businesses open their doors for residents to explore and get lots of free swag.  Unfortunately this was the same weekend as General Conference, so we had to really pick and choose what we could do.  We settled on painting pumpkins and hearing a storyteller at Creative 360 which is a cool, artsy studio.  They had this neat display of woven fibers that looked like spooky cool forest.  I can tell I'm gonna like this place. We also got free cupcakes at a gourmet cupcake shoppe...once again, awesome!

Of course, this past weekend was the Ward Trunk or Treat.  Unfortunately, the night turned south when Parker got sick shortly after arriving.  She and I had to leave early, which means I did not get a single picture the entire night!  So disappointed!  The girls all looked darling in their costumes, but Parker was DEVASTATED she missed it.  I have promised her that we will go trick-or-treating on Thursday.  Keep your fingers crossed nothing happens in the meantime. 

Hope you are all enjoying this wonderful season as well!!!!

First Day of School (A Month Late)

Maryn and Avery started Middle school here in Midland on September 4, 2013...the day after Labor Day.

That means they were out of school from before Memorial Day until Labor Day, folks!! Yes, indeed, it was the LONGEST summer of our LIVES!!  LOL!!

They were excited, nervous, and chomping at the bit to get out of the house and MEET some new PEOPLE!

Avery is in 6th grade this year, and I really love how they do it at this school.  They keep the 6th graders all in one hall where their lockers are straight across from their only 2 classrooms.  It makes it less complicated as it is a really BIG school.  The cafeteria and gym are also on the same floor.

Maryn is in 7th grade, and is mostly contained to a couple halls upstairs and downstairs though.  She has had some work to do remembering where to go and trying to get there ON TIME!

Since starting school, they have both joined some clubs in an effort to meet people. Avery chose "Viking Leadership", which is like a student council.  She will be required to do 15 hours of community service this year.  Wow!

Maryn has joined "Art Honors Club", where she will get to work on some school murals, and help teachers decorate their rooms with some cool art projects.

Here's hoping the school year goes great!!

A Place to Hang Our Hearts and Our Hats

So here is our new HOME!!  I introduce you to: 2703 Gary Street!!

It's tiny, but it's cute and cozy.  We have really tried to maximize every inch, and make it as comfortable as we can for the time that we will be here.  It's nothing fancy, but it works. 

The kitchen has some cute new tile backsplash! That shelf to the right of the pic is where I have to keep all of my dishes because there is no pantry for food.  I keep all my food in those upper cabinets to the right.

Parker's room is also functioning as her playroom with pretty much all of her toy storage in her closet to the left.  There is also some space for toys and crafts down in the basement, but she has never really taken to playing down there by herself, even in our old house.

Maryn and Avery's room is pretty much bursting at the seams. I know they are feeling a little cramped in these quarters.  To the right is the rest of their desk, and a bookshelf.  We had to put a lot of their books on our living room bookshelf because space is at a premium.

I love the quiet neighborhood, we have sidewalks again!!  I have been out trying to teach Parker to ride her bigwheel and toddler bike when the weather is nice.
 

We have a nice sized backyard.  It only takes 30-45 minutes of push mower time for Mark now...that's really saying something!!

The only downside about this house is this blasted crab-apple tree!  It makes such a mess, and is such a pain in the butt to clean up!

Home, Sweet, Home!!

Saying our Goodbyes and Feeling Melancholy Today

Melancholy is such a surreal state of being.  It's like you miss something, but not completely.  You're sad that something is gone/over, but at the same time you're not sure you would really want to relive it, if given the chance.  That's how I feel about my time in Illinois.  There were some really challenging times over our five year stint living there, but at the same time there were some sweet spots.  Those are the things I will miss, and feel nostalgic for.  So....I know you've heard me gripe and complain and whine about all the things I would never, ever miss about Illinois.  But today, I am feeling melancholy.  It's hard being in a new place,   and not quite sure where you fit in, feeling anxious about your place in the world, etc.  Sometimes looking at these pics reminds me...I will find some sweet spots again.  It just takes time.

This was where I worked for 3 years.  The Writing Center...weird, but I will miss this a lot.

The Writing Center is located in the Learning Commons.  It was a really, ugly building and layout, but a pretty, great job nonetheless.

The courtyard at IVCC...watching the seasons change out here on my way into/out of work every day...it will be strange not having that touch stone.

Avery's friend Camille (black tshirt) had a birthday party and as part of her party they had a "farewell" for Avery.  It was so nice of her and her Mom to share the day with Avery.  They even included Maryn in the festivities, and got them both some great keepsakes from Illinois to remember their buddies and time there.  They were some of our favorite friends. 

 Silly girls, they've been together since 1st grade.  I really loved Avery's group of friends!!

We had a pizza party/bonfire with s'mores for the girls in Maryn's class at school (literally the night before we left, amidst boxes and mayhem).  I think when all was said and done, she was glad to say goodbye to these girls, and have the closure that she needed.  I'm not sure how much she will miss some of them, but I think she saw this as a great "bon voyage".

These girls are super crazy...I was their troop leader for girl scouts for a couple years and it pretty much ended my career before it began!!

Angela really became Maryn's BFF over the past year.  I think they will miss seeing each other everyday and going over to each other's houses.  Angela lived across the street, and her family really became our favorite (if only decent) neighbors. 

Maryn is (finally) feeling the LOVE!!

Avery Turns 11!

Our very own Avery Jane Brown turned the ripe, old age of 11 this year!  Wow, can't believe that one!  She is a middle school-er this year too, so it just seems like all of a sudden we have all the BIG kids, er pre-TEENS in our house.  It's really quite strange.  Ask Mark all about it, he LOVES having pre-pubescent daughters under one roof...especially a really, small roof...especially sharing one room in the aforementioned small house.  LOL!!  But, I digress!!

On to the birthday celebrations!

Avery invited the Griswolds to come up to Midland to hang out for the day.  We went to a place that had a "fun-zone" of activities.  We did a laser maze, glow-in-the-dark bumper cars, and mini-golf.  We had a blast!!

Don't you just love our 4 year old?!?  I love Mark's expression in this pic!

After the games, we went back to our house and ordered pizza and had cake and ice cream.  We also did a family "photo booth", complete with photo bombs galore!  Avery loves mustaches, so this was perfect and so fun!  I am still laughing today when I look at these pics, it was just one of those gut-busting good times.

Thanks so much to the Griswolds and the Grandparents for making the trip!!  This is one of the best perks of living in MICHIGAN again!!  Whoo hoo!!

On Avery's actual birthday, she opened a pretty awesome present...tickets to the Alton Brown LIVE show coming to Midland in November.  She was pretty stoked (and okay so were we) about this present!!

Parker starts Preschool!

My BABY!!  I can't believe it's time to send her off into the cold, cruel world...already!!  AGGHHH!!!

But seriously, I am sad and happy and have mixed feelings about Parker starting preschool.  She's my last child to do any milestone, and so naturally everything she does for the first time or the last time has all these attached emotions to it.  It's just really, really bittersweet.  Sniff, sniff.

Anyhoo, she is THRILLED about starting at Chippewa Preschool!  She loves her teachers, she loves the toys, and the snacks the most.  So far, she hasn't made any real connections in terms of buddies, but I don't remember that happening at this age with my older two either.  I'm sure that will come.

Here she is on the BIG, FIRST DAY!!

 Getting her new tennishoes on..."I don't like these shoooooes, they're toooo tiiiighttttt!"  LOL!

 Parker, look over here and say CHEESE!  (A series of shots where we never actually get her to look straight at the camera...sigh.)

Wait, what?!?  She's looking!!  When I went back and studied her expression and the way she is holding her hands in the pic, it about made me cry.  She just looks a little stressed, doesn't she?  I don't know, maybe it's all in my head.  I think she felt the anxiety of being separated from me a little too that day.

 A Princess backpack!!

 Walking into CHIP-UH-WAH!

 Mrs. Carpenter...awesome teacher!!

Mrs. Carpenter:  "Welcome to preschool, Parker! How are you, today?"
Parker:  "Uh, where's the toys?!?"

First DAY=SUCCESS!!!  Now the challenge comes in getting her to LEAVE the school without having to do a major full-body extraction!!  LOL!