when fall came

this is our first full week at home in a long, long time.

while i wouldn't trade the time with the harms crew this past summer for anything in the world, it feels mighty fine to be settling into routine.

afternoon couch time.  i'm loving this little routine right after ashton's reading lesson. 

and right start this morning with our new fun balance.  

the weather is beautiful today, i pulled out pumpkins and gourds and wonderfully fall smelling candles, and dave is putting the finishing touches on the crazy yard project he started, in, um, april.  we brought fall to our house today and it feels good. 

we hadn't been to church in a number of weekends and on sunday i could barely sing because i was overwhelmed with all. that. God. has. done.  good grief.  it's a lot.  

"our God, our God has done great things."  i couldn't do it.

and we sang a new song, i think it's called rejoice?  here's a line from it.

"He bends to bless us"  oh how beautiful.  

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did you know we went to kansas and iowa?  

we stayed at aunt sharon's on friday

we went to a cousins wedding on saturday. 

i was so glad that we made the trip. this wedding was thick with grace.  as i blinked back tears the entire time,  the only thing i could see was God's story and His never stopping love. it was everywhere i looked. 

after the receptiong we drove up to des moines, iowa and camped out for the night.  and when i say "camped" i mean we stayed at a days inn.  

after the kids enjoyed 3 hours of indoor swimming bliss, we bathed them and comfy clothed them and then made the final 2 hour trek to the little known town of waterloo, iowa.  it may be little known, but it's special to us.  GG elaine lives there. :)

she played skip-bo with the kids. 

and did a camp out in her closet.

the family that she lives with is just precious, we felt so welcome and taken care of!  tell Jenn, THANKS, grandma!  

we left bright and early, well actually it was more like dark and early, on wednesday morning and made the 14 hour trip back to colorado.  we are so thankful that mom and dad treated us to this little vacation, such a treat to be at that wedding and absolutely wonderful to be with gg elaine.  

avery read like a maniac on this trip.  she read 6 magic treehouse books in 6 days.  crazy girl. 

and our of ALL of the days and hours we spend traveling, ian finally fell a sleep for a while on the very last day.  sweet little baby boy.

don't tell the dentist that he's still sucking his fingers.  i don't have the heart.