Watercolor Leaves

Day 243/365
The colors of fall are painted on these leaves, a reminder that change is on the way.

Trollway Piano Players

Day 242/365
I spotted this piano early this morning as I went for a walk with a friend. When I told the kids about it, we decided we had to visit downtown Mt. Horeb and play a song or two on the troll-themed piano. The piano is pretty old, and the keys are in rough shape, but it was still fun to play.

Soybean Snack

Day 241/365
Someone has been snacking on these soybean leaves. The lacy holes let the last few rays of light through as the sun set over the field.

The Roof is Ready!

Day 240/365
The roof is completed and it looks so nice! I can't wait for the remodeling to begin in a few weeks.

High School Homework

Day 239/365

Sunny Wildflowers

Day 238/365
I love seeing these bright and sunny wildflowers spilling out of the ditches at the roadside.

Reading at Frugal Muse

Day 237/365
We were so happy to share in Carrie's book reading at The Frugal Muse in Madison. She had a wonderful turnout and did a great job!

Current Project

Day 236/365
My current knitting project: the Friese Shawl.

Farm Yard Grass

Day 235/365

New Roof

Day 234/365
The roofers began their work today, completing the back half of the roof. I can't wait to see the finished product at the end of the day tomorrow. This will also be a good "before" picture for our remodel work this fall!

Gully Washer

Day 233/365
We had record rain fall last night with lots of local flooding, road closures and wash outs. Thankfully, we didn't have much damage, just a little water in the basement and some deep ruts in the driveway. With Davin out of town, it was up to Jevin and me to fill in as much as we could to make it driveable.

First Day of School

Day 232/365
And just like that, our summer is done! It was back to school for these kiddos today, with Enavi beginning 7th grade and Jevin embarking on his freshman year of high school. We have a major change to our schedule, with Jevin taking two classes at the high school. Praying that these two would both continue to grow in wisdom and stature as they dive into this new year of school.

The Lift

Day 231/365
It's not every day that you have a huge lift in the yard. The roofers are coming this week, probably on Tuesday because of the predicted rain for tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting our remodeling project underway.

Work Day

Day 230/365
We spent the day catching up on yard work, cleaning out the shed, cleaning off the porch and preparing for our new roof. The kids worked just as hard as we did and we were able to get everything checked off the to-do list.

Blanket of Dew

Day 229/365
We have had some hot, humid weather since our return from Minnesota. It seems like everything has been covered with a thick blanket of dew, drops delicately suspended from blades of grass, flower petals and spider webs.

Favorite Cookies

Day 228/365
Enavi has been on a baking kick the last few days. Yesterday she made banana bread and today she made her favorite cookies: oatmeal with chocolate chips. They were delicious!

Sipping Nectar

Day 227/365

Regal Lace in Black and White

Day 226/365

Mustache's Happy Face

Day 225/365
Mustache says, "This is my happy face."

Calm Waters

Day 224/365
One last picture of the lake before we return home.

Vergas Looney Daze

Day 223/365
We visited Vergas for the Looney Daze festivities. We watched Tevia run in the 5K, checked out the vendors at the street fair and watched some of the national wiener dog races. It was hot and humid, and we were glad to get back to the lake for an afternoon of swimming and tubing.

Tomato Harvest

Day 222/365
Enavi and I helped Tali and the kids with some meal prep for their trip to Canada. They were also processing these lovely tomatoes from the garden. We had fun helping them with their cooking and it made the morning fly by.

Evening Swim

Day 221/365
We have had a week of perfect lake weather and the kids have been enjoying lots of swimming.

Hummingbird Moth

Day 220/365

Sunset from the Shore

Day 219/365

Flying

Day 218/365

Left Behind

Day 217/365

Meeting Gimli

Day 216/365
We arrived at Rose Lake this afternoon after spending the morning touring Morris, showing the kids some of highlights of the university and community. We had dinner at Tali and Jason's house and were very exctied to meet their new puppy, Gimli. She stole all of our hearts with her cuteness and friendly greeting.

Pit Stop

Day 215/365
A quick stop in Hixton, Wisconsin on our drive to Minnesota included a photo op with "Fishy."

Minnesota Dreaming

Day 214/365
We went to the Walnut Hollow warehouse sale and Enavi was very excited to find this Minnesota cut out. She used some chalkboard paint to create her very own wall decor to remind her of the place she loves.

The Puppeteers

Day 213/365
This is Jevin with part of his team of puppeteers for vacation Bible school. He has been working hard for the past couple of weeks in preparation for the puppet portion of the program including gathering props, adapting the script, decorating the stage and recruiting his team. Lots of hard work, but the kids love to see the puppets in action.