Pumpkin Patch

Today we took a little trip to the pumpkin patch simply to take some "fallish" pictures since it's fall but feels like summer! Seriously folks, today it was 90 in Moorpark. Thankfully with some coaxing everyone obliged and we spent about 10 minutes at the patch! That was enough to get a few pictures for me to scrapbook.

Jojo is getting so big! 

Nay nay is growing up too!

Strathearn Park in Simi Valley

Cute gazebo for taking pictures!

We found another gem not too far from our home while Jon's mom was here in December. I've driven by this park so many times and kept telling the boys that one day we needed to go there! I'm so glad we did. It's like a little piece of California history right in our own backyard. The Chumash Indians lived in this area before the Spanish settlers. Then there are the remains of an adobe dating from the late 1790's. I copied this from the park's official website: "Our Simi Adobe was built at the beginning of the Spanish period, likely soon after the grant in 1795, as the local residents had to have some place to live while they operated the rancho. A part of that adobe still exists and is the focal point of our historical park. This was a stopover place between the Missions San Fernando Rey and San Buenaventura. In later years there was a stage stop nearby as well. There is little doubt this adobe was on the main route throughout all those early years."

Another plus is that it's free to walk around the park. There are docent-led tours for only $3 each person so we plan to do that as a family soon. Actually, in a couple weeks there will be a Civil War re-enactment at the park which I hope to go to with Josiah since we just finished our study on the Civil War in American History.

Simi Valley's first barber shop, which opened it's doors in 1958.

The Colony House

Simi Valley's first library built in 1930.

My mother-in-law with a tractor just like one her grandparents had on their farm.

Presbyterian Church built in 1902

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you! We started 2015 with a family hike. We have all been sick for the last 2 months. Josiah has been on 3 different antibiotics and both Jon and Nathan have been on antibiotics also. Thankfully for the first time in 2 months we all felt better so we thought we'd get outdoors for a bit. There's a great little park near home with some easy trails. The weather was also just beautiful.......cool but the sun was bright and shining.

cool bridge at the beginning of the trail

this swing is a blast

lots of sticks to make guns out of

At the beginning of the year there is always a little bit of trepidation for me. I never really know what is coming. This morning my husband sent an email to our Bible study and I'm just going to copy and paste it on here because he expresses very clearly what I've been thinking about all day yesterday and today.  I hope it's an encouragement to you as it was to me:



"Happy New Year, brothers and sisters in Christ!

The Lord has blessed us all in many ways in 2014 and as we reflect on His goodness, even in the midst of the trials we may have faced, let us all give thanks for His sovereign care over us. I look forward to 2015 with confidence knowing that He will direct our paths as we seek to please Him in all that we do. 

The reality is that some of us may face even more difficult trials in this coming year than we did last year while others will enjoy new highs, but every event we will come under the providential hand of the Lord. As I write these words, I am reminded of a wonderful old hymn, “Like a River Glorious,” especially the last verse: 

1. Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
   Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
   Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
   Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.
   • Refrain:
     Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
     Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
2. Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
   Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
   Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
   Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
3. Every joy or trial falleth from above,
   Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
   We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
   They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

May you find perfect peace and rest in our Amazing God as you face each new day in 2015! And remember, if you knew all that God knows, you would understand that there is no better place for you to be than where He has you right now. He makes no mistakes, nor does He cause us to endure more than His grace can handle. "

Hawkeye and a Ninja

This year the boys picked fairly easy costumes for Halloween. They had a homeschool group fall party and plus some trick-or-treating.

Jojo wanted to use his bow and arrow that he and dad made over the summer. He had a variety of characters to choose from but he went with Hawkeye......we had to go totally homemade this year which was fun to create.

Hawkeye with Dorothy

Naynay wanted to be a ninja which was a cinch since we already had the costume from last year.....phew!

Can you find the ninja in there? If not then he is that good!!

And look who decided to show up this year......why it's Mary Poppins!

Egg Dyeing

Dyeing eggs has become a tradition in our home. So, the day before Easter each year we set aside some time to dye eggs. I remember when the boys were a lot younger it was quite a chore......

Easter 2008 - Nathan must have been napping.

Thankfully things have gotten a lot easier now!

We only dyed about 12 eggs this year and since the boys LOVE deviled eggs we put the eggs to good use!

Christmas Countdown-Day 25

Christmas day was a great and relaxing day. The boys woke up earlier than we liked but oh well! We continued our tradition of a big french toast breakfast.

Then Jon read us the Christmas story according to Luke 2.

The boys listened so well.

Then baby Jesus went into the manger.

Finally they got to open presents!

Can you believe they haven't eaten their gingerbread houses yet? Lots of Lego building going on.

Christmas Countdown - Day 24

Christmas Eve!! Yay, the day we've all been waiting for. Our activity for the day was.............a Christmas Eve party. It's been several years since we've been "home" for Christmas so it was a real special time for us.

The boys had to get some energy out so thankfully Jon took them outside for a while.

By evening my family arrived and all craziness ensued....just kidding.

There was a ton of food........

Jon shared a devotional and we also sang Christmas carols.

My sister Monica was laughing at my mom's singing.

And of course there were lots of gifts.

Christmas Countdown - Day 23

I got behind again but can you blame me? There was no time for blogging these last few days.  Day 23 I stuck a little Angry Birds notebook and pen for each of the boys in their bag. They were so anxious by day 23.....I thought they were going to explode from being so excited.

It was a busy day for me with all the prepping for our family Christmas Eve party. I did a whole lot of baking! I took these pictures with my iPad and they look awful!!

We also read from Matthew 2:9-12!

Christmas Countdown - Day 22

Well the countdown is slowly but surely coming to an end! Today was another fun day. Our activity today included a Christmas movie with lots of snacks and a sleepover in mom and dad's room. The boys have been asking for a while to sleep with us!

I saw this idea on Pinterest a year ago and knew that one day I would do this with the boys. You basically pack a movie night box with new pajamas. The pin says to do it on Christmas Eve but we will be busy with family that nights so we did it tonight instead.

    

  

The boys were so excited to open a present early. 

And the movie was one of our very favorites.

The boys in their new pajamas.

The reading today was from Matthew 2:7-8.