Fall Stuff

I'm terrible at posting blogs! Oh, well, since August we've all been busy, and that's just the way life goes! Bryan's been assistant coaching football, and for all you who have ever been in a sport, or had a kid in a sport, you know what kind of time commitment that is! I tackled a huge project at church, and it took several weeks of VERY late night sessions to finish! But alas, the new missionary board is complete, and it is serving it's purpose (to remind people of the missionaries we support) well.

And now that moves me onto Christmas program planning. It's crazy, but Christmas really is just around the bend. This year we wrote our own play. It's a take on the Wizard of Oz. In our play, "Dorothy and the Most Wonderful WiseGuy of All" Dorothy lives in modern times. She is obsessed with finding her presents, and while searching one night, a sudden blizzard comes and blows her (no house) away to a magical land, called Christmas Wrap Land. She meets lots of little people that are dressed like presents and a kind lady that sends her on a journey to find the WiseMan who will help her get back home (so she can get back to her presents). She is given a pair of ruby mittens, and she must follow the SilverStar Road to the East to Carol City. Along the way she meets a sheep who only want a brain, so he can know why he was made, a cow, who needs a heart so he could learn how to love in a great big way, and a frightened donkey, who wishes he could not be afraid of all the things that might happen to him. They are met by caroling children at Carol City, and find the WiseMan (whom Dorothy always calls the wise guy). He tells them he can't give them what they are looking for, but reveals the Nativity, and shows the animals how Jesus can give them what they long for. Dorothy finally realizes her selfishness, and now only wants to be home, so she can be with her family. She drifts off to sleep, only to wake up at home on Christmas morning. She tells her family of her fantastic journey, to which they reply it must have been a dream, but alas it it is not, for she still has her ruby mittens. Though we have used many of the songs from the orginal movie, we have changed all the words, and it ranges from being hysterically funny, to poignant. Bryan IS a master with "the words". If you can't tell, I'm a little excited about it. I think it will be great! Course I always do. Talk to me about a week before and see how I feel about it!

So, onto the fun stuff...pictures. There are two sets. First, Bryan and I went to AppleFest in Bayfield, WI the first weekend of October. It was a fantastic 12 hours away from the kids - just the two of us. It was a fun festival, on a great fall day. We even took the ferry to Madeline Island (part of the Apostle Islands) for a few hours. We got to stuff ourselves on terrible fair food, and even got a few apple treats in too.


And we also went for a great hike last weekend in the woods behind our house. We went up the Superior Hiking Trail, which is steep, but really well mantained and groomed. We took some cute pictures at the outlook we made it to. Of course, Winter biffed it before we even started on the trail in a mud puddle. And fell once on the trail too, while trying to run down a steep hill, while not looking at her feet. The kids and I made T-Shirts the other week. It was a fun project with orange dye, rubber bands, and a fabric marker. Then we tried to get a family picture. I'm so glad for timers on cameras, but it seemed to take forever to get a good one. By the end we were all a little testy and it was one of those - everyone's crying, and the light is flashing and your saying through gritted teeth, just smile!!! But, all turned out well, and the kids have probably already forgotten about it. They did good on the way down, and I only had to carry Creedon for a little ways! (he's not a light boy either!) But, we did have fun, and we saw a grass snake on the way up and the way down. It was in the same place the last time Bryan and I hiked too. Trust me it's VERY much alive, just not too much for the moving part. It must be cold.