A Field Trip

The 3 older girl and I went with a few other homeschool families for a visit to the Fire Station. We learned all kinds of fascinating things! The things the girls liked the best were all the HUGE fire trucks they got to climb into!!

 Elle climbing into the biggest one!!

  

                                                             Everyone happily saying Cheese

                                        Trying on the huge ,heavy jacket.

                                                             Eva isn't too sure about it all! The Fire Chief had to hold the coat the whole time for her as it weighed so much!

                                               Jonathan was the biggest and got to try on all the equipment.

                                                   This was the most expensive thing I've ever held! A heat reading camera that cost 40k!! All the kids got to hold it and look through it. We Mom's were panicking and cautioning "be careful" even though the fire chief assured us many times it was indestructible!

Kaleigh's party

 We were invited to the Sante's house for Kaleigh's big # 1 birthday party! Ryan, Terry and Daddy worked on the roof for the better part of the day, and the girls loved seeing "Grampie " come in for his lunches!! I think that they ate more of the snacks then he did!!

                                                  And the crowd is growing!

                                                                        Another taster.

                                                       Great friends!! They were so cute sharing toys, and crawling together!

                                                           Opening her presents

                                                           Lots of helpers!

                                                        Even Mommy got a belated gift...her own pink tool set!!

This and That

We Decided to take a family walk after supper one evening. It was soo beautiful out! We sat Elin in the wagon with Eva and Ryan had the privilege of walking with Elle as she "rode" her bike!! 

                                               

                                                 A very proud 4 year old!

   The girls out by the water!!

                             We had a special friend of our family go to Heaven after a very lengthy battle with cancer, and so the girls were very sad that evening. Ryan snuggled them in our bed and read "the 5 Little Peppers" to them for a while, and poor little Elle spent from all her tears went to sleep in the middle of the story time.

A Grape Day!!!

  We were given a whole bucket of grapes freshly picked from the vine, and so we decided to skip school on Friday, and have an educational day...a grape juice making day!! Everyone was so excited to help!!

                                                           The Bounty!! We went and picked our own vines to add to the harvest too

                                                    The work has begun!

                                                            Even Teeny Eva had her own little bowl and was hard at work picking the grapes off the cluster!

                                                           Elin trying to "help". She did succeed in pulling the bucket of stems over a few times!!!

                                                We preserved 17 pints of the concentrate!!

                                              The juice passed the taste test!!!

                                                    Eva's "stash" was the prize winner!! Her whole cup was outlined on her little face!!

Thanksgiving!!

We had the whole Skaling family here for Thanksgiving this year!! We had so much fun with everyone! Our visit started Sunday morning at church when Ryan's parents and his brother and family all arrived for the service!

"Auntie Ang" brought her teeny doggie Tulula Belle. Eva loved her!!

After lunch we all headed out for a walk to the dykes. It was so hot, it felt like summer!

Elin loved her stroller!

 
                        The girls started rolling down the grass side of the dyke,the giggles were many!





 A huge tree that was washed up recently in a storm, made a perfect seat for the girls!

 Emmy and Carly

 Eva and Elle playing in the sand

Heading for home, and the arrival of Uncle Michael ,Aunt Julia and Cousin Ruthie!!

                    When we got home, we got all ready for a hot dog roast supper. The girls ate, and then got down to the business of playing again. Eva discovered just how fun a tire swing can be.

                                             Emily's marshmallow roasting got a little too toasty! She did more blowing out fire than she did eating!!

"the girls" as our goats are affectionately called were begging over the fence all night.They got lots of treats handed to them as a reward!!

Back in the house and getting ready for a big sleepover. Sami was reading to them all a bed time story!

The next day Uncle Michael had a captive audience as he showed off his piano playing skills and sweet vocals!!

  Many games of Old Maid and Skip-Bo were played while waiting for the big meal to be made!


  Elin's first meeting with a horse.
After lunch we all headed back down to the shore for another stroll,and to feed the neighbor horses. We brought a bag full of apples and carrots just for them, and the girls all had fun feeding and petting them.

Poor thing was really trying to chew that sour apple!!
 The long trip back up the hill, and home.