September is already over!

A lot happened really fast this month.

We used up the last of the McCool Christmas gift cards with a dinner up the gorge and a wine tasting. On the way to the tasting, we stopped in for Cyndi to show us a building that my Grandpa McCool had been a part of the building crew on.  Here is a shot of it today and when they were building it. My Grandma marked where my Grandpa is in the photo.

Jessi was doing in-service training at her new job as school nurse, so we had the kids for their final days of summer. They cracked up at my fake ants on their picnic lunch. 

Like I said, a lot happened so fast this month.

Josh finally was given leave from the Marines. A welcome home party was planned and Emily even flew back from Texas to be there. We are sure Josh grew a foot since he left.

But before the party could happen, Josh and Alexis became engaged!

So the welcome home party doubled as an engagement party.

Then before we got used to the idea that Josh was engaged...they got married!!! It was a simple ceremony in her Mother's back yard. Only their parents were invited. They had the idea that they were just going to city hall, but their parents talked them into that instead. A reception will be held for the rest of us that would have liked to see them married, sometime in a few months. First Josh has to report back to his new duty at 29 Palms and apply for married housing and then they will move down, then we will celebrate them.

The very same day that Josh arrived back, I suddenly had an appendicitis attack. I had to stay the night in the hospital and the next morning taken into surgery to remove it. So weird how it happened so fast! But it was pretty cool to feel the love from everyone, including flowers from the kids and delivery meals. We had a trip to Africa planned for 5 days after my surgery! With the covid surge, we had decided it best to postpone it. I am amazed how the timing of that went! There is no way that I would have enjoyed a trip while recuperating from surgery. Thank God it was postponed easily. 

Frankie came to town and had a mini CASS gathering. Since I was just back from the hospital, I could not go. So the next day, Frankie brought some of the students to my place for a visit. 

Luke and Nate came to town too! Luke is being scouted for the football team at OSU. They went to the game and met the coaches.

Here are a few random shots from the month.

Wally had plums and grapes that needed picking. What a treat to get fresh picked fruit.

The kids are back to school, Jessi is loving her new job as school nurse. One of her duties is screening suspected covid cases. Turns out, Josiah's class had a positive case. So he had to quarantine. Of course we said yes to having him. We spent the week doing homework, watching the garbage truck, visiting Great-grandparents McCool, lunches out, mowing the yard, and rewarded him for finishing his homework a day early with a fishing trip. And he caught two!!!

Arianna is in the 4th grade this year and was able to join the volleyball team. It has been fun going to her games and watching as she and the team have learned and improved each game.

Here are a few shots from the yard as summer turns into fall. I have never had hummingbirds share the feeder before. Three of them feed at one time. Of course there is the usual fighting going on too.

This place used to be a walnut grove. There are still a few trees on the place. And squirrels galore to harvest them. They are busy peeling them and burying them everywhere.