Psalm 118:24

The perfect time of day to arrive in the mountains...

...but stay and you get this the next afternoon...

 ...only trouble being that this divine weather comes when there is such great college football on inside:-(

"This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Andrew and Matthew couldn't get enough of Granddaddy's cognac cream sauce with peppercorns.  Matthew was dazzled that the pan caught on fire when the cognac was added and kept sweetly demanding more.  Smart boy!

Feeding the ducks from the bridge saves the shoes!

The Valle Crucis barn and pumpkin patch were featured in 

Southern Living for good reason.

The Wholly Worm ride and spider were new additions this year.

 Here we go again!

 

 We only found 4 of the 6 mailboxes with pieces of the map puzzle, but more importantly, we found our way out in less than an hour this time!

 We've been cooling off at the Mast General Store 

since I was younger than they are.

 I couldn't have been more proud of them at dinner, but dessert definitely needed to be by the fire pit---a perfect evening for it!

Granddaddy: Matthew, you look so handsome in your sport coat!

Matthew: It's not a sport coat, it's a 'chuuuch' coat.  

 

 Wholly worms for $1!

The 39th annual Wholly Worm Festival drew 30,000 people to little 

1,000 resident Banner Elk.  The stage was set with 25 lanes for the heats and heats of worm races!  

 Of course one must sing the Star Spangled Banner before any and all races:-)

Matthew was having no part of THE Wholly Worm!

 Waiting patiently for our heats....

I couldn't bring myself to correct Matthew's putt putt.

 The weather was stunning, the trees glorious, and the company calming.  Plenty of college football and working a 1500 piece puzzle on the Proverbs made for the perfect mountain weekend.

And Just Where Did September Go??

(Click on the post title to open in a browser so that the videos will appear.)

 The day after Margaret's birthday, a church volunteer in her life offered to me out of the blue:

"I don't know that I've told you how much I've enjoyed Margaret lately.  She's just lovely.  She makes eye contact during conversation, she's well mannered, behaves regardless of whether one of her parents is around, she's kind to the other kids, and she's not afraid to speak up when it's appropriate.  I'm so glad I get to know her."  I try to reach out to other parents in similar ways because goodness knows it makes a parent's heart smile to hear something like this:-)

He's my baby and so I just can't get over his variety of sleeping positions.  But good Lord in Heaven above, we are just grateful beyond measure whenever/however he IS asleep.

 Guess I was really envious of their peaceful sleep this night...need to take notes from them.

 

"My Hands are His Hands"

Margaret painted this jewelry box "just for JJ" in Fairview blue and yellow.  There as no explanation for the red thrown in.

Apparently Jimmy fell off something high on the playground, passed out, etc.  It was a scene.  I knew nothing about it until this.  It must be nice to be Andrew's friend.

 Three 3-yr-olds on the way home from school - quite the trip. 

Foxfield was chilly and damp, but still a great time with friends, family and horses.

Love

 Visiting Mary Spence (now 95) is always a trip.  LOVE her doorway at her new apartment at the Colonnades!

 

Mommy's little helper, "Daddy always wears his hat like this....backwards.".

 Afternoon and pool and pumpkins

 Thinking of all of my best friends every morning while I get ready. 

Our First Annual Church Retreat was very well done and quite well attended---about 1/3 of our membership!

 

Now matter how closer you huddle, it's hard to get 11 people in a mandatory selfie during the scavenger hunt even with a set of LONG arms in the group!

 

  

No ONE was surprised that Hose-Head was a Mary Goodrich invention.

 Hansel and Fransel - here "Pump YOU Up!" were the weekend hit!

 

AWANA is doing amazing things for these kids...

Romans 5:8

At Woodbrook for School-Wide-Morning-Meeting, Matthew declares, "Mommy, I know this from AWANA!".  Not bad for 3.

Andrew has always memorized his AWANA verses and passages on his own accord.  Margaret, on the other hand, is our Sunday afternoon procrastinator.  So we've had to add it into the homework routine...

"It's only Wednesday, Daddy!"

Playground giggles with Grandma.

 

 Desperately seeking this version of "May the Road Rise to Meet You" online, I'm now convinced that Don must have composed it himself.  I taught Andrew and sent this to the accomplished musicians in our lives.  No one has ever head of it, but Mrs. Anderson transcribed it for us so that he can now play it on the piano.