More Fall Apple Picking

Apples, Apples Apples...so many apples so many recipes, so much fun. Saturday was beautiful so we packed up the three kiddos and headed out to pick some more apples. We didn't realize at this particular place apple picking was past it's prime, but we managed to find a tree with a few left to pick. We also got a pumpkin, and a big jug of amazing apple cider. YUM! We bought a big box of apples, not I need to figure out what to make with all these apples.

Peter pulling the boys...I had Hannah is a baby carrier...perfect.

They both look very unsure of picking apples don't they?

YUM

Peter could reach the good ones

Isaiah taking a picture of mom and dad and Hannah

Weighing the pumpkin...14lbs.

This is the pumpkin we picked....pretty.

Best Buddies

Hannah's One Month Photo Shoot!

Enjoy the cuteness!

Falling in love with Fall

Fall in Washington is beautiful. Although there are not as many colorful trees as in Maine, it is still pretty amazing. Fall is our favorite time of year for many reasons. The colors, baking apple and pumpkin creations, the crisp air, the new start of a school year and many memories. Peter and I were married in the fall, we welcomed our first born in the fall, and little Hannah was born on the first day of fall this year. All wonderful things to remember.



This week we started a unit on fall from http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/website. I had big plans of finishing it this week but it didn't happen. But we've enjoyed it so much I am glad it will spill over into next week. Here a few high ligths.

Elijah is q-tip painting fall leaves onto his tree. The kids enjoyed learning what makes the seasons and why leaves change color and fall. They were also fascinated that fall is called Autumn as well.

We took a nature walk to collect leaves for two projects. The first one was leaf rubbings. They really enjoyed this and we did many rubbings.


The second project we got from the book "Look what I did with a Leaf" In this book it shows you how to arrange different leaves to make different images of animals. In the back of the book it describes different types of leaves. We took this one out of the library but I think it might make our purchase list.




Isaiah's "Cat"


Elijah's "mouse"

Also this week Hannah went on her first photo shoot. She is now 4 weeks! Our friend Helen took the pictures at her in home studio. She is very talented and we are blessed to find someone who takes beautiful pictures. It was so much fun! Here's one picture from the shoot. I'll post more when I get the CD of the entire shoot. I LOVE having a little girl to play dress up with!

Showering Hannah with Blessings and Prayer

Last night our new church family threw Hannah and I a baby shower. I must confess I was felt a little strange going to my baby shower thrown by women I have just met and some I have never met until last night. I was overwhelmed with feeling homesick but I was also so grateful and humbled that this new group of sisters would desire to shower us with love.

Hannah and I had so much fun. Granted she slept through almost the entire party but it was a perfect time for everyone to get a chance to hold her. First we introduced ourselves to one another, and told what we liked best about fall. I said I like that things are back on a schedule. I love the freedom in summer but I love structure more. Then we ate some amazing food.

After we ate we all gathered around and I was introduced to their baby shower tradition, and what a beautiful tradition it is. For each new baby born a little book is made for them. In the book their name is spelled out, first middle and last. Then for each letter a quality, or character trait that you would desire for your child is given with a scripture verse to go with it. The pages were handed out to the women and they were then offered back to the Lord in prayer.Here are are the ones that spell out Hannah...but they did her whole name Hannah Elizabeth Pellerin

H is for Heart After God
Lord please instill in Hannah a soul with a craving for You, a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8)
A is for the All-sufficiency of God
Lord Help Hannah to know the Lord said..." I am God Almighty (all sufficient God), walk before me and be blameless..."(Genesis 17:1) Help her to accept Jesus at an early age and understand and experience God's sufficiency to meet her every need. Help her parents understand this as well so they can be an example to her of trust and reliance upon God
N is for nonconformity. Help Hannah to be discerning and avoid deceptive philosophy (Colossians 2:8)
N is for new. Help the Pellerins to remember that "your mercies are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23) and that You never rut of the resources that are needed to live and walk the Christian life and parenting. Help them both to keep running to you for every thing they need as parents. Help Hannah to learn this as well. And to know she doesn't have to be perfect but to keep running to you for everything she needs.
A is for attitude. I pray you will help Hannah develop a Christ like attitude (Philippians 2:5-11) Help her to confess and forsake bad attitudes when they rise up in her. I pray Colossians 3:12 for Hannah "As one of God's chosen people Hannah You are holy and dearly loved, clothe Hannah with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and Patience" I pray she will begin early to have your attitudes and correct her bad attitudes. Help her parents to daily put on these clothes as well so they can be living models to Hannah. Give them strength and the daily filling of the Holy Spirit to overflowing.
H is for humility. Lord I pray that Hannah will have humility and willingness to submit to You and obey her parents and all in authority who you have placed over her. (Ephesians 4:2,Deuteronomy 13:4 1 Chronicles 29:19)

It was such a beautiful time of prayer. I was overcome with emotions. I was so thankful to be in the presence of the Lord with these beautiful sisters, but I was also sad because I missed my family and friends in Maine and so longed for them to be there with me to share in this awesome time. I so badly want them to meet and to know Hannah. But then I felt so blessed that Hannah will be surrounded by such godly women here where we are now. Oh the emotions of a post pregnant lady.

Then it was gift time. WOW, these girls went all out. Hannah got so many wonderful things. So many clothes, seriously I don't think there will be a little girl in all of Washington who will be dressed as cute as Hannah. I can't wait for her to wear each and every outfit. I got gifts from women I hadn't even met yet but I was reminded that the Love of Christ is not like the love of the world. His love has no preconditions, you don't earn His love. And these ladies showed that abundantly by blessing me, someone they didn't know but just wanted to show His love to. It was such a tangible expression of the Lord it made me feel closer to Him.

I am blessed....and humbled.

The table of food. Yum!

The start of prayer over Hannah


All the gifts and friends

Cute cute cute!

More cuteness

Her bathing suit for next summer. I can't take it! Adorable.

Back to school...again

This week is our first week trying to find a new "normal". Company has left, Peter is back to work and I am home with three kiddos. I had planned many weeks of school before Hannah arrived and we had done 6 weeks of school before she arrived. So it was time to jump back in.

In science we learned about Mercury. We learned that it's atmosphere is not at all like Earths. Because Mercury was not designed to support life neither is it's atmosphere.It basically has very little of an atmosphere. It can reach temperatures of when one side is closest to the sun and the side on the other side temperatures can dip to.

To drive the point home that God made earth for people and has taken care of every detail to support life. We used a hair dryer to show heat. We blew hot air on our arms. Then we wrapped our arms in a towel that would act as our atmosphere. We then used the hair dryer again. The towel protected us from the heat. We did the same thing using an ice cube to simulate cold.

With an atmosphere.

Without an atmosphere

We also learned about Venus and it's atmosphere, which is the opposite of Mercury's. Venus has a very think atmosphere that traps in heat from the sun causing a "greenhouse" effect making Venus very warm.

We created our own greenhouse out of a shoebox, tinfoil and plastic wrap. We recorded the temperature of shoe box as it sat in the window. First we measured it without plastic wrap and then we measured the temperature with plastic wrap. As we predicted the temperature went up.

Without plastic wrap

with plastic wrap creating a "greenhouse" effect

Here is Hannah's picture of the week. She is very proud of her adorable "I'm the little sister" t-shirt.

All clean and smelling pretty!

Hannah Bear had a nice "spa" bath today. I love the way babies smell after a bath. She loved it.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

When I was a kid Saturday morning cartoons were a big deal. But today with cable, on demand and dvd's they have lost their spender. But yesterday morning the kids all snuggled in our bed to watch some Saturday morning cartoons. It was cute to see 3 kids in a bed. It looks like we could fit one more kid in that bed!