September

 ^^ September brought slightly cooler weather, so getting out for after dinner walks became our new favorite thing! Got to pass that witching hour somehow...! The kids insisted on wearing their stuffed animals every time and every time it made me (and our neighbors!) smile. We have a sleepy neighborhood, despite the fact that we live not too far from a large elementary school, but the more time we spend in our front yard and out on walks, the more we are getting to know and recognize the people. This VW bus is their favorite walk attraction! ^^

 ^^ A visit to the hospital to see daddy after missing him at church. Lunch, a tour and a check up! ^^

 ^^ Slowly but surely making this house a home. It has taken me a lot longer to settle in to this space and hang things on the wall than it did with any other home we lived in. Not sure why... And to be honest, those top four cubes are always littered with Lego creations, but this was the first "finished" space in the house so, a picture! ^^

^^ Our charter started in August, making us feel a bit behind and start a little earlier than planned, but we didn't fully dive in until September. Three months in and we're still trying to figure out a routine that works for us all...! Taking it one day at a time and trying to my best to keep it fun and interesting. We started our year with an attentiveness unit: learning about the eyes and ears, Helen Keller and Louis Braille and the importance of looking and listening to God in our lives. ^^

 ^^ Our Side By Side Bible study also started up in September and Uriah loves that he gets to hang out with his buddy Chapman there. Uriah is the oldest, as all the other 5 and ups are away at school, so he gets just this one year with Chapman there before he is away at Kindergarten too. I don't think Uriah will be so keen to go after that ;) Side By Side has been such a great resource for me and our family, though. It has been so great to get to know these women who are going through all the same things I am as a medical professional's spouse. So grateful for this organization and the friendships it has created! ^^

 ^^ It's nearly impossible to escape the Sacramento summer heat, even early in the morning and by a river...! But we enjoyed our time on the walking trails, touring the nature center and throwing rocks in the water. Not much beats family time outside! ^^

 ^^ Ezra, wearing her red cowgirl boots any chance she gets, and my white blonde Judah Budah, as happy as can be to be on momma's hip! A Sunday well spent! ^^

 ^^ The Appels came to visit us one day and we felt like the luckiest kids on the block! We played and talked and ate and played and talked and ate some more. It was just so nice to spend a normal day in their company! The fact that we can still see them fairly often and fairly easy is incredible, but the goodbyes don't get any easier! ^^

 ^^ Ice Cream Thursday at Gunther's! Yum! Dad played hooky from work on a light rotation and we headed for a sweet treat after Uriah and Ezra's soccer class ^^

 ^^ Another evening walk, this time stuffed animal AND cape wearing! ^^

 ^^ A Wednesday with friends! It has become a pretty normal routine around here to spend our Wednesday afternoon and evenings with the Wishy crew. Ramsey gets out of school early and Stephen has clinic so we play from nap until bed! On this particular Wednesday, we had all but gotten ourselves kicked out of the zoo and came home earlier than planned to avoid the stares ;) ^^

 ^^ This was our second praying mantis, Mantie! We found one after soccer at the start of the month, but accidentally killed her when we left her on our hot back porch in a glass jar... Oops! This one we found on the side of our house not too long after and were able to keep her until we left for the beach. She ate from our fingers, crawled on our arms and never attempted to fly. The kids were ecstatic over finding her, but maybe not as much as Stephen...! Being from Alaska, he had never seen one and thought they were some "exotic" creature that you could only "see in a zoo"! ^^

 ^^ More school... Writing our names in Braille! ^^

 ^^ Just your average day around here... A trip to the grocery store and some quiet time reading to mom... I'm not complaining! ^^

 ^^ A messy rug and an obstacle course in the backyard. A picturesque scene to a momma! ^^

 ^^ Best buds. Man, they drive each other crazy, mostly on purpose and it is turning my hair gray! But they also love hard and even if they wouldn't admit it, I know they would be beside themselves to have to spend their days apart. I love being witness to their relationship! ^^

^^ More school! I often still struggle with ways to include Ezra in on Uriah's lessons, or finding time to give her some one on one instruction, but if Uriah is doing table work, she is always happy to color and draw alongside of him. ^^