Pumpkins and Other Things

 The annual mess.  :)

 They get very excited about coming up with original designs to carve.

 Eli is checking it out.

 Sam thought up this heart design for Millie and offered to carve it for her.  Very thoughtful, I say.

 Argh.  Pirate pumpkin.

 Calvin officially has a hole in his head.  :)  (And a scratch on his nose.)

 Fun, intertwining carrots that came in our farmer's market bag of carrots.

 Watercolor art project for all...

 9 month old!

 Look at that cheerful face.  He gets around very nicely on his own these days.

 I found these three snacktime pictures of him that Amelia took.  Pretty cute.

 Laura (Ingalls) braids.

 :)

 Last, but not least, I took these tonight.  Elijah was highly interested in the brussels sprouts that I was getting ready to cook.

 Doing what he does best, checking it out for himself. 

"Interesting.  But I don't think I like these leaves in my mouth."

Did you get enough of Elijah?  I can't get enough of him.  So much fun to watch him discover our world.  :)

Calvin's Tooth

Pieces.of.October.

Braids.

Sweet potatoes and peas, transformed into...babyfood!

Stored and ready for Eli's meals.  :)

Cookie making.

This is the waterfall at the Good Zoo.  We try to always take a picture there when we visit.  This time, JoAnn got to be a part of the annual picture.

A Sampling of Our Reading Yesterday

William Bradford, in Of Plymouth Plantation,

"Those reformers who saw the evil of these things, and whose hearts the Lord had touched with heavenly zeal for his truth, shook off this yoke of anti-Christian bondage and as the Lord's free people joined themselves together by covenant as a church, in the fellowship of the gospel to walk in all His ways, made known, or to be made known to them, according to their best endeavours, whatever it should cost them, the Lord assisting them.  And that it cost them something, the ensuing history will declare."

This was the determination to right worship that led to flight to Holland (from persecution) and ultimately across the sea to the America.  Very inspiring history lesson yesterday.  William Bradford was so articulate and well-versed in church history and theology. 



The Garden Behind the Moon, by Howard Pyle

"David loved the sea as a little lamb loves its mother, and oftentimes when the day was pleasant he would carry the baby down to the shore and sit there on the rocks in the sun and look out across the water.  There he would sit hour after hour, and sing to himself and the baby, and think his own thoughts all to himself."

Excellent fiction writing is so good for the soul...