OCTOBER

At the end of September, Dennis sent John a text that he wanted a new front lawn put in. Well, John loves having a project, so of course we drove on down.

I received this picture in a text as we were driving that said "Waiting for my Mom to arrive". Just what a Mom loves, right?

We had a great two weeks with them, they always cook awesome food and it is fun to spend time with the boys.

Board games are always a favorite, especially to Gabe. 

One afternoon, the doorbell rang. There was nobody there, just a large cup of candy with a note that said they had been 'booed'. It said that it was up to them now to 'boo' somebody else. So they took a huge cup of candy to one of Gabe's friends. They thought it was a riot as they sat down the cup of candy, rang the bell and ran.

Besides the great meals they cook for us, we had a few meals out too.

And of course there was the lawn. First it had to be sliced up, picked up, hauled off, then smoothed out and it was ready to have the new turf laid down. So much work, but it looked so amazing when it was done.

Another day, John and Dennis cut down a big magnolia tree in the back yard.

The boys and Abby and I went to a young actor's production. It is the same company that Gabe has had roles in before. He was too busy this fall to tryout for a role, but it was fun for him to see some of the friends that he acted with before. 

I love painting, so they asked me to paint Gabe's bedroom. I think it turned out really nice. It went from a turquoise to a light blue/green with a light brown stripe around the top.

I love painting, but really, WHY can't the tape just stay put??!!!  So frustrating to get it all taped up and turn around and see this...

Gabe loves music. Daniel loves making little videos. So they work together and make productions.

Gabe usually plays the violin, but this year, he was asked to play the bass. What a difference in size. He sounds good too!

The past few years when we have gone down, we have not been able to see Abby's parents, Lanie and Terry. This year with covid vaccinations behind us, and all feeling healthy, we were able to see them.

Arianna finished volleyball for the season. It was so fun to see how much she and the rest of the girls improved as the season went on.

At the first of the month, Arianna had a sick day at our house and at the end of the month, we had Lina a day. Of course they weren't all that sick, so we had a fun time baking together on both occasions. It was so cute, by the time Lina was at our place sick, she had heard of Josiah and Arianna's sick day reports. When she arrived, she had this 'agenda' all figured out...which crafts, what we were eating, and baking, the games we were playing  and the day was all figured out. 

Arianna took the photos below on her sick day.

The property we live on used to be a walnut grove. It still has a few of them and the squirrels are busy harvesting. It is fun to watch them hop around looking for the perfect place to store the nut. While they are burying, the jays are in the trees watching. As soon as the squirrel is done packing the nut into the grass, down swoops the jay and digs it up. 

Here is what one jay left behind on the porch.

I love the carpets of leaves almost as much as the trees with the leaves. I have to work quick to get a photo, because as soon as he can, John is out there mowing up those beautiful carpets.

Birds I saw in Dennis' back yard.

Birds at my place.

We have counted down to Jessi's last night shift now that she has taken on the job of school nurse. I met up with her as she drove in at home that last morning and watched as the kids hugged her and celebrated it being over with gifts. It was a huge celebration for everyone. I loved the cake that the nurses had for her at work.

The month ended with Halloween. Here is a shot of the robbers that came to our house and the chef and grim reaper in California.

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.