ten on ten - November 2017

Today was a very normal and happy day.  

We have spent a lot of time at home this week and it has been just delightful.  

Our Fridays are "play and project days".  We let go of the specifics of our routine for the rest of the week and we all indulge in the things we want to do.  Often I feel like as much or more learning happens on these days as in the days when I formally plan and teach lessons.  I know it is good for our spirits too and we return refreshed for the routine on Mondays.  

There was a lot of pretend play happening at our house today.  Kings and queens and princesses and battles.  I love when I hear the mimicking of things we've read in stories and books.

There were also several opportunities to work on . . . interpersonal relationships.  But I truly believe if they can learn to get along with one another they can learn to negotiate many, many other scenarios in life.

This morning found me doing a bit of meal planning.  Do you have recipes stuck in a binder or somewhere from pre-internet days?  

I went on a walk late morning and listened to a couple of podcasts.  I feel like this is my "professional development time"!  

The weather was sunny and while I was afraid I'd be cold before I set out I ended up being hot by the time I got home.  

One of the podcasts I began listening to today mentioned this book, Snow Treasure, so I came home and looked it up.  I am on our library's website multiple times a day!  Such a wonderful resource that we are very thankful for.  

Just capturing his everyday, working from home spot.  

I am so very thankful that he supports me staying home with our kids!  

 a little fridge decor

printable from Ann Voskamp

Cleaning up when we are done with an activity is not a strong suit around here right now.  It drives me kind of crazy except that I realize I am not very good at it either (it depends on what it is and where but my family room counters are rarely clear).  Looking at this chair in a photo also makes me realize how dirty it is.  

If something is feeling too intense (and if you know us, you know our video choices in this house are VERY tame - this was animated cars talking about the fruits of the Spirit) this is how I find her watching a video, as far back from the tv as she can get.  so sweet.

Leftover pork sandwich for lunch!  Adrian made a super yummy pork meal the other night!

deciding where I want to hang this as I ready the house for hosting Thanksgiving this year!

afternoon birthday party for our sweet friend!!

Happy weekend to everyone!

Kelly

snowy morning walk

We love our neighborhood and are so thankful that we continue to meet and get to know more and more neighbors.  Since the summer my friend Abby and I have been walking together once a week in the mornings and it has been such an encouragement and a blessing not to mention incentive to actually get outside and move, take in nature and the changing seasons.

Last night we got SNOW!  It was such a beautiful morning to walk and we were some of the very first ones out in it!  AND I am so thankful that it is light again in the mornings!  We have been hefting the maglite along on our walks the past month or so.  

On my way home I enjoyed the thrill of hearing a crow caw and another crow distantly answer. 

icicles!

I am thankful for the state that we have adopted, for amazing friends in the same stage of life, for the amazing and varied creation God has made and the enjoyment I am finding in learning more and more about it.  

Now to for breakfast, read alouds, math and writing!

Have a great day!

Kelly

Year in Review - Our big trip - First stop - London!

Quality wise this is a terrible photo but I just love it so much I had to include it.

So the scoop is that Adrian had a conference for work in Amsterdam.  He also has a lot of family in Great Britain and his boss is in Italy SO we decided to all go and make a gigantic work/family visit/vacation trip.  

Twenty seven days of togetherness!  :) 

We left out of Colorado Springs and had a bunch of crazy stuff happen with checking in and then the we boarded and then they had us get off and then we rebounded.  It didn't seem like the best way to start 27 straight days of travel but what can you do?

And just for the record, we normally LOVE flying out of Colorado Springs.  Small, easy airport!!!

We arrived in DFW for a short layover before boarding our overnight plane to London!  

Overnight travel is not my favorite but the kids really did amazingly well and we all made it through!  

We found our hotel and headed out to get some lunch.  The super nice staff at our hotel recommended  Nando's.  It was just down the street from our hotel and it was a GREAT place for us to eat lunch.  They had an allergy menu you guys!  That was huge for an easy first meal.  The food was delicious and it was a very easy atmosphere.  I did notice some other moms with kids there and that day as well as others I noticed that London moms seem to iron their kids' clothes way more than American (or at least Coloradan) moms!  

I couldn't help but snap a photo of the changing table in the restroom either.  "Tidy Bottoms" is a new expression for me and a fun one.  

David and I also LOVED the cute little vacuum we would see in the hallway at our hotel as we came and went.  If we had had room in our suitcase I would have bought one and brought it home!  How happy is that vacuum??!!!

David is wearing his collapsible water bottle on his belt loop.  He was super responsible on this trip with keeping up with his things.  

It was so wonderful to get to meet up with family while we were there.  They met us at the hotel and we went for a walk to a playground.  Cora obviously LOVED the swings!  Everyone had a good time and we had a lovely stroll around the rest of the park right near Buckingham Palace.  

We went to Wagamama for dinner and Cora was obviously a fan!  

Hooray for family!  

I love seeing all of our shoes lined up by the door of the hotel.  I had wanted to take a similar picture at each place we stayed but I gave up on that idea when it felt like too much work.  These shoes covered a LOT of ground!!!

The next morning we were among the last into the hotel's breakfast room to enjoy this feast!  Ahh European breakfasts! 

We were very blessed to enjoy GORGEOUS weather!  We expected rain and cold in England in September but it was beautiful!!!

Cora was walking quite a bit holding hands at this stage of the trip.  She wasn't yet an independent walker.  

England had SUCH cool playgrounds!!!

And blackcurrant capri sun!   Don't see that everyday.  :) 

waiting outside Buckingham Palace

The Museum of Natural History

This was one of my absolute favorite days!!!  The four of us went to the Museum of Natural History and it was spectacular!  I loved that all four of us were engaged.  David was super into it and the museum was great about having knobs and dials and levers and things on various exhibits to make it interactive.  Cora LOVES animals and was excited to see everything and it was a big playground to her to practice her walking cruising along the exhibits.  Adrian and I were learning tons of cool facts we didn't know.  It felt to me as if the vision we have for our family as we embark on homeschooling of learning all together was a reality that day and it was absolutely wonderful!

His favorite Bible story is Jonah and the Whale.

Riding the double decker busses was a REAL thrill for David.  He was completely enthralled!!!

And on top of that we also got to ride Metros!  He was given a couple of gifts with underground symbols and maps on them and he decided then and there that his "4 1/2 year old birthday party" (oh, news to us!) should be "Underground" themed and have a chocolate cake!  

On our last day in London while looking for lunch we passed through this crazy tunnel with paint everywhere including a painting in progress!  

Next stop small town England!

photos in this post taken by both Adrian and I

Kelly