FHE Pumpkin Carving

For Family Home Evening tonight, we carved our pumpkins. We left the little pie pumpkins we got from Stokoe Farms, and instead carved the ginormous pumpkins the girls picked out from a nearby farm stand. Miranda has been sick with a fever, but after some Advil and GingerAle, she perked right up and had a great time, as did all of us.

Nica got some help, but she did carve quite a bit of her own.

Miranda lovin' scooping out the pumpkin guts.

Megan had the biggest pumpkin and was the last to finish.

Zoë had to battle a soupy pumpkin- her's was already a little too ripe.

Zoë's finished pumpkin! Rat included.

Nica wanted to see if the rat would fit in her finished pumpkin.

Mirand's finished pumpkin- I think she got the facial expression just perfect.

Megan's finished pumpkin- spooky and silly, the perfect combination for this girl!

Nica wanted to take a picture of me with her carved and her "potato-head-like" pumpkin. I didn't carve my own pumpkin (usually I help one or more of the girls and I am exhausted by the time I would get around to my own. Maybe next year when they might all be able to carve their own).

Travis carved his pumpkin in just a fraction of the time it took the girls. I love his face!

Lake Drive

Last Sunday we drove to lake Canadice, one of the pristine Finger Lakes only 20 minutes from our house. I wish we could have kayaked, or I could have hiked, but it was still a beautiful drive, and we loved all the colors.

Travis was our chauffeur.

Miranda, Megan (in the back), and Zoë Looking out their windows.

Nica wasn't really sleeping, but faked sleeping when she saw me trying to take a picture.

Miranda, of course, made friends with the first person who would pause for a moment. This gentleman and his wife were walking down to the waters edge, and this kind man listened to Miranda (his wife wandered off)

Nica immediately took to rock hunting. Yes, it was sunny and pleasant out, but not what I would call shorts weather. But Nica wears shorts year round.

Nica & Megan at the water's edge, Travis behind them. Another couple was loading up their canoe in the background.

Crazy Megan

Sweet Megan

Nica with her rock. She and Megan found some amazing rocks along this lake.

Nica dancing under the Falling Leaves.

Megan, Travis and Miranda walking back to the van.

They turned around for me.

I could hang this on my wall. It feels like I am laying on my back, in the warm sunshine, and I can almost feel the warmth on my face, the cool breath of air, and smell that leaf-smell of fall.

We drove to the other side of the lake and I had Travis take the girls and walk down to the lake along a trail. I didn't go because I still didn't trust my leg to work correctly (couldn't feel uneven ground, and I have tumbled more than once because of it).

Hunting for rocks.

The girls unconsciously lined up in order while they were hunting for rocks.

The geode Megan found.

Nadine's Birthday

My actual birthday was quiet, if cold, but also beautiful. I also gave myself a birthday party with lots of friends from church, neighborhood, and moms from Nica's preschool.

Moonset through the trees in our backyard. Yep, it is still winter in March.

Nica was excited that it was almost warm enough to be outside for a bit. She was jumping on the back deck.

I am trying to take at least one good picture of me on my birthday every year.

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 Sadly, I didn't get a picture of all my friends who were able to come to my birthday party. I had 18 ladies here. My favorite part was having good people around me. But I also loved the $1 gift swap: each lady brought a gift they only spent $1 on (wrapped up) and we had a select from the pile or steal one opened. It was a lot of fun! And, of course, I also loved the cakes. I made three kinds: gluten-free chocolate tort with raspberry sauce, a chocolate-chocolate-chocolate cake (chocolate chips in chocolate cake with chocolate frosting; "Darn Good Chocolate Cake" recipe in the Cake Mix Doctor book), and a silver white cake (made from scratch with buttermilk). I had fun using my cake-decorating skills.

The three cakes I made. And the flowers Travis found me for my birthday; my favorite gift on my birthday is always the little daffodils- they give me hope that Spring really is coming!

It was a great birthday (on my birthday- I had SUSHI!!) and a great birthday party.

Honeoye Lake with our new neighbors

We had a family move in just up the street from us. The parents have three kids: boy age 8 going into third grade, boy age 6 going into first grade, and a little girl age 3.

I invited them to come to Sandy Bottom Beach at the north end of Honeoye Lake (honey-oy), hoping to spend a day playing in the water and kayaking. I also invited lots of other friends from the neighborhood and church, but apparently the Friday before Labor Day is just as busy as a holiday for most people!

We Bailey Girls were glad that thenew  neighbors were still up for joining us!

We loaded up the van with kayaks, noodles, life jackets, sand toys and drove to up the street to have the neighbors follow us to Honeoye and drove the fifteen minutes! to get to the lake.

Where we were immediately disappointed and grossed out. The smell was TERRIBLE and the water was full of blue green algae, which meant that the beach was closed. Bah!! This was the SECOND time we had tried to go swimming in one of the Finger Lakes and had the beach closed because of this rotten algae. What are people doing in these lakes!?!? I want more kayaks so we can go as a family to Hemlock- although we can't swim there, at least we could all boat across and hike up some of the gorges. Maybe next summer...

So, the new friends were total troopers and we hung out on the (nice!) playground, ate our picnic lunches, and then the mom and I took the kayaks out. This was the first time she ever kayaked and she did great! I felt awful that the water was so nasty. She was even brave enough to to carry one of her kids in the kayak with her! We picked the kids up on the beach shore (the boat launch was even more gross) and took them for a 5 min ride out and back. Her boys even paddled the kayak!

Not a total disaster, but we were all disappointed we didn't get to go swimming in the water.

First time in a kayak! She's a natural.

With her daughter, just floating.

She was nervous, but she relaxed after a bit and just enjoyed floating.
(Both mom and daughter)

Big brother was really excited to paddle on his own. He was lovin' the kayak!

Little brother did great paddling the kayak, and wanted to do it all by himself the whole time.

Watermelon, Capri Suns, cracker sandwiches... the kids good food as well as fun.

My girls played really well with the new neighbors.

It is SO HARD to get even three of them smile, let alone look at the camera!

What could've been a total disappointing disaster turned into a great fun afternoon. We look forward to playing more with our new friends!

Grimes Glen again- this time with the Morphy's

Any time I would mention a hike, Megan would ask if we could go back to the waterfall hike. Then, while talking with Veronica Morphy, we set up a hike for her day off where we would take our kids to Naples and hike Grimes Glen again.

We had, of course, and awesome time! They also brought their three dogs, which was fun for my girls to see them hike, too. We all made it to the second falls, but when Veronica M. saw the steep path, she decided to stay behind with the dogs; those little babies were already shivering and she didn't think they'd make it down the trail again.

Miranda was up the trail before I could say "Let's go"! Nica took a little more persuading, but she also made it up with no problem. So awesome!!!

We hiked to the third waterfall, where, of course Miranda swam and swam. She also climbed up the side of this waterfall, but she sat at the top and cried because she was too scared to come down. Garrett climbed up and helped her come down. He was awesome! Of course, the second time she climbed up (she wanted to walk over and touch the waterfall), I was not pleased that she had to be rescued again.

We had an awesome hike, but my thighs were jelly by the time I hiked down the steep part twice. On the way down at the steep part, Miranda was sitting at the top of the falls crying. I told her I would help her get down and then come back for Nica. She continued to cry, and I asked her what was wrong. "I'm afraid I'm going to die!" she wailed. We said a prayer: that she would trust God and her mom and to know that she would get down safely. She was still scared, but calm and made it down NO PROBLEM! Veronica M. was a sweetheart and helped Miranda down the last (sippery!) rope climb to the bottom. Nica also needed help, and Veronica was again there to help her those last few sliding steps.

Baileys to the left, Morphys to the right. At the trail head of Grimes Glen.

First waterfall. Nica wanted to climb up it partway.

Zoë waiting for the other kids to come back. They had taken off (too far!) ahead of us. Zoë had hiked to the top of the fall while waiting for Veronica M, Nica and me to catch up.

Morphy's: Veronica, Mya, & Garrett with their dogs: Doddy, Cleo, Pepper.

Nica walked away from me and back towards Veronica just so she could hold her hand.

Swimming hole at the second waterfall.

The girls walked over to get a "shower" in the waterfall.

Did it!

Ice bucket challenge? Who needs that when you have a natural one here!?

Doddy was NOT happy with being tied up. She howled to be let loose so she could play in the water, too.

Splashing

And of course, Miranda was swimming.

Megan was more interested in comforting the shivering dogs (this is Cleo?)

They found a log at the base of the waterfall and were bringing it over.

Can you see them? Miranda followed her older sisters and Garrett up this super steep trail and walked along the thin ledge even before I could say "Let's go!"

Miranda (pink) and Mya (blue with red backpack) on the thin ledge.

Nica getting ready to climb up the steep hill.

Garret, Miranda, Mya, Megan, and Zoë at the top of the second waterfall.

Closeup of Garret, Miranda, Mya, Megan, and Zoë at the top of the second waterfall.

 The hike to the third waterfall was easy and fun. But more fun was the water (cold!) at the third waterfall!

Nica wanted to get in, but was hesitant at first. She loved getting into the water!

Megan touching the third waterfall. Mya almost there, and Garrett climbing the ropes to get there.

Miranda headed to touch the waterfall (even though she couldn't climb down the first time, she went up again and then cried because she couldn't get down the second time either! Grrr. We'll have to work on that- either understanding limits, or understanding if you get up, you have to get yourself down!)

While helping Miranda, Zoë found another trail on the left side of the third waterfall and hiked up that one, too!

I did it!!!

Garrett hiked up after Zoë. Mya followed them, too.

Nica taking a selfie.

Megan found her "shoe" rock again!

Climbing down from the third waterfall.

Miranda's walking stick (that I made her drop because she whacked Megan with it- accidentally).

Remember the frog and the face from the first time we made this hike?
Nica found this elephant face in the same spot!

This leaf was suspended, just hanging in the air. Spiderweb strands held it between the two trees.

This one I could frame. *sigh*

Megan found the perfect scooped-out sitting rock.

She also found a weird frog.

Why weird? Because it was missing its front limb!

Veronica helping Nica down the last steep slippery part of the hike (back to the second waterfall swimming hole).

Who knew my girls would be such awesome (short distance?) hikers?! We will definitely be doing more of this!!!