Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

The Power of One, or in this case two

Our local paper today reported a story I want to share. A elementary classroom in Greensboro was broken into. Someone stole $10 and the arcade claw machine that the teacher used as part of a reward system for her students. The police officers who came to respond to the break in found a room of special needs 3rd and 4th graders upset, some in tears.They filed their police report and then decided they were going to try to fix one small wrong in the world. One of the officers found a claw machine on craigs list in the Raleigh area. The owner donated it for free after hearing the circumstances and the two officers drove 3 hours to go pick it up. Along with donations from other officers, they filled it with stuffed animals and toys and brought it to the school. Hearing about the generosity and kindness of these 2 men was a nice way to begin the day. Cheers!

Monticello

 
First Ginko tree , so amazing! This oak is original to Monticello.

Period Inn we stopped for dinner at

 Lime Tree! I want one!!!

Jason’s parents are visiting and yesterday we drove up to Monticello. I am glad I was just there about a year ago, because Luke and Noah lasted all of 5 minutes during the tour of the house. I took them outside and they ran around while I took pictures. It was calm and so much better then trying to shush them continually.

I have missed the mountains so much since moving here to NC. I realized yesterday that part of what I miss about the Rocky mountains is their majesty. The afternoon light in the trees around Monticello was majestic. It was like taking a big, deep breath. I have always been a lover of trees. Monticello has some of the best.

Gratitude

"Leaf Men" by Sophie and Grace

We had a FHE lesson about gratitude last night. Here is what the kids were thankful for:

Sophie "mint, my kitty, the whole world and everything in it"
Grace "Leo, blankie, family"
Luke "Family Home Evening, Fall, prayers"
Noah "Christmas tree"

I promise I didn't make Luke's answers up. He is enamored with praying right now. He refuses to let anyone else pray so we often have several prayers over dinner, etc. We have FHE in the living room where the Christmas tree goes and the entire time Noah wasn't listening, he was just telling us all how to rearrange the furniture to make room for the Christmas tree. Jason and I of course were grateful for our family, testimonies of Christ, the restored gospel and grown up things like that.

Here are some less important things I am also grateful for:
Clean sheets, when someone other then me does the dishes, good books, the smells and colors of Fall, Dansko clogs, and running with friends.

This is how I found the boys tonight. So funny! and not the softest toys to sleep with!

Bueller?... Bueller?

Poor Grace. She didn't want to go to school today. She said she had a stomach ache, but then promptly ate all of her breakfast. She cried. I made her go.

It makes me sad for Grace. Preschool last year was the exact opposite. She threw a fit when she was sick because she wanted to go to school so much.

I have realized that she was in a fabulous preschool and is now in a mediocre Kindergarten. I am so opinionated about education. I taught for 8 years before I chose to stay home with my kiddos and I think I know a lot. I have learned something this year though. Our public schools are only as good as the worst teacher there.

Before you feel too bad for Grace, you should probably know that on the way to the bus stop she told me she just wanted to stay home and watch TV all day. Never would have happened anyway.

Happy Hardy Halloween

 I am not sure what there is to cry about when chocolate is involved...

Loot!

Could she be any cuter?