Fall Miscellaneous Activities

We had our first snow yesterday, so it's time to update on a few fall activities.  Although clouds covered a bit of the foothills, we loved seeing them all snow-covered again.

COVID-19 interrupted Lydia's National Honor Society induction last spring, so she was inducted this fall.  Not only was she inducted, but she also helped lead the ceremony since she was asked to be an NHS leader earlier in the year.

Beautiful fall nights gave us many opportunities to enjoy our gas fire pit.

This is what our mask basket looks like most of the time.  What does yours look like?

As produce began to wind down in the garden we enjoyed a bit of ratatouille-- eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes layered over a marinara sauce, topped with fresh herbs.  The leftovers tasted great on a pizza crust topped with cheese!

Although Dorothy passed away this summer, her daughter still asked us to come pick her Concord grapes.  We processed so much grape juice!  Although we kept some for our pantry, we gave lots of juice and jam away.  We also made four pies for the freezer and lots of batches of concord grape muffins.

The last Saturday of September we had an outdoor youth group kick-off event.  The kids enjoyed tacos and ice cream treats as well as fun and fellowship.  These pictures just show the game Nine in the Sky, but the kids also played Newcomb (a variation on volleyball) and Pickleball.

One beautiful fall evening in October, we took advantage of a gift certificate to Baquet's restaurant in Eagle.  We ordered their Thursday special to-go--smoked prime rib, mashed potatoes, green salad, and dessert--and ate it in Merrill Park in Eagle.  Afterward, we walked the river for a bit, and Seth perfected his stone skipping abilities.

Nicolas asked if I could crochet a cow for one of his roommates who is a dairyman.  I made two since they were so cute!  I also made several Hardanger bookmarks in different colors.  I promised Lydia one for her birthday, and she wasn't quite sure what color she wanted.  She actually chose one that is not pictured--blue/gray colored thread with white background.

We had pretty good success with our two geraniums that we kept in the house last winter so we thought we would try again.  I ordered this plant stand so we could try to keep a few more alive.  We'll see how we do.  I do love having plants in the house, but I'm really not that great at nurturing them.  I could learn a bit from Caleb about caring for plants!

When coronavirus numbers increased in October, CVCS just canceled school for a week.  I think the kids could get used to a week off in October!  When they went back, they enjoyed dressing up for homecoming week.  This picture shows Seth and Lydia dressed for twin day.

Our elderly cat, Smokey, loves being warm.  Lounging just outside our sliding door in the kitchen is her favorite place to sun in the summer.  Now that the weather has gotten significantly colder, she found her next favorite spot--on a cozy blanket next to the kitchen heat vent.

The Reformation Boise conference was canceled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.  In place of the conference, the involved churches and pastors arranged a Reformation night on October 30.  The four pastors (and their helpers) set up a bookstore in our church narthex (sold about $1500 worth of books!), offered games for kids, fed everyone who attended brats and hot dogs, and replicated their radio show format with a question and answer session on the Reformation.

Making Post Tenebras Lux (After Darkness Light) lanterns with Maddie and Elise

Learning about translation with Pastor Russ

Learning about the Guttenburg printing press with Lydia and Mercedes

Fishing for Reformers

Nailing the 95 theses to the door

Learning about the five Solas with Seth and Allison

Burning the Papal Bull

 

Annual Fall Stanley Trip

 Early in October, we made our annual trip to Stanley. We enjoyed perfect weather for hiking although smoke from forest fires did create some visibility issues in seeing the Sawtooths. 

Smoky skies making it difficult to see the Sawtooths.

As we send kids off to college, our hiking group continues to shrink!

Seth and Zoe waiting at the top of the hill for us old people😓

Ending the long hike with a soak at the Kirkham hot springs.

 

Back to School

Seth and Lydia began in-person school at Cole Valley Christian on August 18th.  It sounds strange to clarify that school is "in-person."  Prior to 2020 we really just categorized school as "school" and "homeschool."  Now, we have on-line school, hybrid school, in-person school, homeschool, etc.  Probably just as strange is that they are wearing masks for seven hours a day while in school.  Seth was so ready to begin this new chapter in his schooling.  He was nervous but excited to experience having a teacher that is not his mother and a classroom full of other students. We are thankful school did not begin on-line like most of the public schools in Boise, and especially that things seem to be going well at CVCS.

I flew out to Iowa with Anna on August 20 to help her move into her dorm at Dordt University and experience a modified version of WOW (Weekend of Welcome).  Once again, the discomfort of mask wearing and social distancing is small compared to the blessing of being able to begin college on campus, in the classroom, face to face with professors.  

We stopped at CVCS with Blaze pizza during lunch so Anna  could say goodbye to her siblings before she flew out to Iowa later that afternoon.

I finished it the morning we left.  I even had time to wash and dry it before sticking it in the suitcase!

While in Sioux Center for the weekend we were able to attend the baptism of our youngest nephew, baby Wells!  He is so sweet and his smile just makes you melt.  It's hard to have anxiety or feel sad when you are around such a duffer.  I wanted to take him home, but his siblings and parents didn't agree (?)

Taken at church after Wells' baptism

Caleb and one of the twins enjoying Dennis's toys (Nikki's dad)

Before school started and Anna left for college we had some of the church youth over for dessert and a night of outdoor activities.  So good to see all these kiddos again!

One thing Anna wanted to do before she left for college was walk the Boise River and let her dog swim a bit.  Zoe loves chasing sticks in the river and has no qualms about being wet.  Thankfully, Anna doesn't mind giving her a bath when we get home!

What have I been doing in my spare time now that I'm not homeschooling?  

    Putting up produce.  Our blackberry bushes produced quite a few blackberries again this year.  I was able to make several pies for the freezer and two batches of jam besides all those we ate fresh or put in smoothies.  A member of our church was quite generous again and let us pick lots of beans and sweet corn.  We were able to freeze a few batches of sweet corn and can a batch of green beans.

    Moving books.  Since the church decided to recarpet all the Sunday school rooms, Russ' office, and the library, a church workday was scheduled to paint all those rooms.  Also, all the books needed to be moved to another location so the bookshelves could be taken out.  Since Russ needed his books until the last minute (and there really wasn't room to store them anywhere) we moved all Russ' books as a family one afternoon.  They laid out nicely on the pews with slips of paper to indicate new shelves so they would be easy to put back. A few weeks ago a friend from church and I put all the library books back on brand new bookshelves.    

Celebrating birthdays.  Lydia turned 17 on August 1st and spent much of her day painting sunday school rooms at church.  Thankfully, they served yummy donuts to the workers 😋.  She requested potato/ham soup for her birthday meal with oreo ice cream dessert.  Her friends from school surprised her with a birthday party the week of her birthday which was so sweet.  I turned 50 on the 28th and my only request was to treat the family to Delsa's ice cream.  I love their homemade ice cream flavors!  The following day Seth turned 14.  We completed some chores in the morning and then took him and Lydia to a locally owned coffee shop and then browsed the antique mall.  We treated Seth to sushi for lunch and then grilled burgers for supper.  Once again, I baked his birthday cake and Russ decorated. Seth loves the Hamiliton musical--pretty sure he knows the words to the entire thing.  Here are a few pictures of the birthday boy and girl.

Just playing around with the Snapchat birthday filter,😜

A few weeks ago Lydia posted this on our marker board.  The phrase came from a book entitled Kingdom Tales that we read several years ago in homeschool. The book is an allegory of the creation, fall, redemption and restoration motif.   COVID, forest fires out West, political division, hurricanes, mask-wearing controversies, and even personal struggles with the world, Satan, and our own sins made this so applicable it brought tears to my eyes.  How on earth she remembered this phrase, I'll never know.  But I'm not sure I'll forget it soon.