Fall Flings

This summer we broke down and bought a house. We decided that it wasn't really feasible to live in Amber and Spencer's basement any longer. This picture was taken right after we bought it. We've since done some pruning, window updates and had Fall. 

One weekend we went on a quick trip up to Roan Mountain State Park for hiking.

Carl was thrilled to hike a lot, but it sure is hard for those little legs to get over those big rocks.

This fall I broke one of my cardinal rules and let my kids pick up leaves. I decided that their little hands couldn't hold that many; boy was I wrong when we got back to the car. Luckily they could be convinced that the squirrels needed their leaves to make their nests so we should leave them on the ground by the stream.

The leaves were lovely, and the girls look great in their matching undershirts.

I thought this picture of the canopy turned out really cool.

Carl is always up for a picture.

The Finch's, a.k.a. the Seven Dwarves, joined us for trick-or-treating in downtown Elizabethton. They were serious contenders in the costume competition.

Ryan and the kids talked me into getting a pumpkin this year. I thought it was festive enough to buy pumpkin window clings and put them up. Silly me. Ryan was on his own for jack-o-lantern making. Well, he wasn't really alone as you can see from the picture, but I had already put up my window clings and was wiped out.

One of the great features of big shade trees are all the leaves that make for great piles to jump in.

Summer

This is Ryan.  I sensed a tone of discontent from the prior post's author regarding our data-security arrangement.  It is a lamentable but understandable viewpoint, from one with such a nebulous view of "The Cloud".  I can take the criticism though, knowing that our photos are safe from loss, if also safe for the time being from most other members of our household.

Enough said.  Here are a few shots from this summer we've been meaning to share . . .

It's been a great summer for bicycling, and here are the McClure's with us about to embark on a rain-ride.  It was a priceless few days we got to spend with them in September, and the kids had so much fun playing inside and out every waking moment.  We're so lucky they drove up here for a visit.

Here were are taking a break at  Elizabethton's famous Covered Bridge, and Michelle giving her best Japanese-teenager-taking-a-photo impression.

Helen and Jane are loving their freedom on their bikes, especially when riding to the library or to a park.

Carl and Alice are usually Michelle's riding buddies, but around our home driveway they get to head out on their own.

Here's Michelle and the kids tackling the job of pruning our overgrown cherry trees.  Notice that Carl, with a rake 3 times his size is also in on the action.

Columbus Day and Happy Birthday Carl!

So in the process of moving across continents, someone, who will remain nameless, sequestered all our family photos to a "cloud" where they are, for all practical purposes, inaccessible to me. Then this same unnamed person upgraded our computer to Windows 10 - another roadblock to my technological pursuits. Ergo, I only have found these pictures posted here. I'm not sure where the rest are, somewhere on The Line I'm sure. Once I'm done updating our blog I'm going to go listen to some music on my cassette-tape player. 

 Here are Carl and Alice playing some great tunes for us.

This year's model's of the famous Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. I think that they are getting less elaborate, but no less loved. I'm not sure what we are going to name the 4th boat when Carl gets older. Maybe he'll make the Endeavor.

This year for Carl's birthday we had the Finch's and Call's over for a good time. Although Ryan taught Carl to say pumpkin pie, I put my foot down and we made him a spice cake with cream cheese frosting. 

The younger set of cousins really appreciated all his new toys. His favorite gift may be the goggles we got him. As a side note, I just don't think Carl could have too much in the way of safety protection.

As if it weren't fun enough to have a birthday party, the Elizabethton Homecoming Parade marched right by our house after dinner. I think this might be the first time Ryan has incited panic in the kids getting them all excited to run outside. I've never seen kids inhale burritos so fast. Happily we didn't have to put our CPR training to use.