Fall Festivities

Emma got to try something new this fall - horseback riding lessons!  We purchased 5 lessons for her so she'd have a month to learn the basics and decide if she loved it.  She did incredibly well, and is thinking about whether she wants to continue taking lessons in the spring when the weather is nice again.  She has a passion for animals that the rest of our family doesn't share, and it was a great opportunity for her to interact with horses and learn a new skill.

Emma's first lesson was on a sweet old mare named Oreo. One of the instructors led Emma and Oreo around the ring giving instructions until Emma was comfortable guiding the horse on her own. Sadly, Oreo passed away from intestinal complications just days after that lesson. 

Emma bonded well with her second horse, a gentle, former award-winning show horse named Excalibur.  He was even older than Oreo had been, and Emma prayed regularly for him to stay healthy!  She learned to groom him, lead him to the ring, mount, hold the reins and hold her feet in the stirrups properly, walk and trot around the ring, and dismount on her own. Her favorite part was giving him treats after their lessons.

Hallie enjoyed watching Emma, but had no interest in learning to ride a horse. She spent the majority of time chasing the ranch cats around.

As far as riding, Hallie's showing more inclination to learn to ride a bike than Emma did at her age. She's already awesome at pedaling and steering.

Emma (with help from us) created a dinosaur science project for school. She was assigned a specific dinosaur - the Tuojiangosauraus - and had to create a visual and give a presentation about it.

Emma's continued to have occasional urinary tract infections, and the last few times she's taken antibiotics, she's gotten a bumpy, red rash somewhere on her body.  We suspect she's developed an allergy to penicillin, but her doctor is hesitant to label it as an allergy since it's such an important and common drug. We hope there isn't a next UTI, but if there is, we'll request an antibiotic without penicillin to see if it makes a difference.

We had the most gorgeous fall weather this year!  The girls helped Dan and I decorate the yard with scarecrows and pumpkins.

We enjoyed a geocaching adventure with our friends, Dave and Cynthia, and their daughters, Olivia and Kailey, and their dog, Ginger. We'd never heard of geocaching before, but had a blast hiking to different spots and finding hidden treasure boxes.

The girls after finding their first "cache".

We enjoyed a few days of unseasonably warm weather in October, which coincided with Dan's parents staying at a timeshare on Virginia Beach. We loved visiting them!

We built sandcastles and played in the waves - in October!

Since the weather was so nice that weekend, we put the girls to work washing our cars, too. 

On Halloween, we visited Williamsburg to trick-or-treat with Dan's family.

Our sister-in-law, Dawn, made cupcakes for the kids to decorate.

Emma dressed as Nala from The Lion King, and Hallie dressed as Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony.

Our nephews in their creative costumes. The two older boys, Benjamin and Nathan, attended a youth group party while the rest of us went trick-or-treating around their neighborhood.

Dan's still been playing ice hockey twice a week, and our parents came over for dinner one night and joined us to watch his game.

He scored a lot of goals for us that night!

I picked up a nail or screw in my tire one evening on my way home from work, and had a few "exciting" moments before I could pull off the highway.

I was pretty certain we weren't going to be able to save the tire.

Dan brought the girls and came to my rescue. I had already called USAA for roadside assistance, but they take a notoriously long time to respond. Thankfully, God provided faster help from a Virginia Dept. of Transportation (VDOT) driver. He was prepared and willing to change the tire for us and had us back on the road in no time!

The girls had a day off from school one day for a scheduled teacher workday, so I took them to Busch Gardens!

This was the first time I'd taken both girls by myself, and it was so fun to watch them pair up on rides. Hallie was willing to ride anything as long as Emma was with her.

This one made me a little nervous, but they loved it!

Dan and I had a separate date to Busch Gardens in mid-November after they decorated for Christmas. There was limited admission due to COVID restrictions, so it was pretty quiet there. They couldn't have indoor entertainment, so we missed their annual Christmas performances, but we enjoyed riding rides and seeing the decor.

Each year, StoneBridge School hosts Christian Heritage Day, where the kids participate in hands-on activities that teach them about how the Pilgrims and Native Americans survived and interacted.

The girls loved dressing up for the special day!

I followed Hallie's class around and observed their activities. Her PreK-4 class was the cutest!

They learned about fishing and hunting, using animal furs, playing games, and making music.

They had a small petting farm which was a highlight for the kids. It's such a fun day to kick off their Thanksgiving Break!

This Thanksgiving season, there are so many things we haven't taken for granted. We're thankful to God for keeping us healthy, allowing the girls' school to remain open, and for steady employment during a turbulent time. We are grateful for his daily blessings and are asking him to provide what we need in the future. He is faithful and loving!