Fire Season Has Arrived

With the cooler temperatures arriving, I must say that I am so grateful to my Mann and this little guy for spending several of their Saturday's cleaning up some of the debris from the land of a  lady who lost most of her trees in the Black Forest Fire this past summer.  I never would have guessed how messy these two would get just from cutting down trees.  The soot from the burnt trees was amazing.  Just unloading it off the trailer made me cough uncontrollably.  While I am so grateful for the free firewood, I am reminded of the tremendous loss that our community endured this past summer. Most importantly, I am reminded of God's plans being far greater that I will ever understand.

It looks like we should be good for a couple of years. Now that I rely on firewood as a primary heat source, I have a new appreciation for what people endured before electric heat was invented.  I am so glad to have both as an option, because sometimes I am just too lazy to start a fire!  Another thing that I appreciate about my Mann! 

And Yet, Another Project Completed!

For some reason, I am feeling very distracted with all of the projects we have taken on this year.  The painting was the biggest of them all and I can't seem to find the motivation to actually complete this one.  Perhaps it is the enormity of the whole thing.  I know it will get done, simply because I can't stand unfinished projects, but I am becoming okay with the fact that it may be a few more weeks months before it does get completely finished.  Since, I am lacking the desire to finish this project, it only seems natural that I would take on new projects to distract me even more! Fortunately, I have remained focused enough to complete a couple of projects.  Porch. Done! Mud/Puppy Room. Done! And recently we completed the front landscaping project, so it can also be checked off the list, too!

Before
(I am really partial to those gorgeous blue skies!)

   After
(Don't mind the season change.  I am just so glad to finally get this project done!)

No more garage door, no more driveway, no more muddy mess and best of all, no more Swiss chalet feeling! Yes, this used to be the garage before we converted it into the apartment for my mom.  In order to get rid of the feeling of "it used to be a garage" we decided landscaping was a must.  Further we wanted it to have a separate, yet connected feeling so we ended up using rock to make a pathway to her place and also to our place. We really are so pleased with how it turned out. 

(Note:  Ignore the unfinished painting job in the following photos.  The main house really is done!  We just have the garage left to do and it is well over 700 square feet of stucco to paint that I just don't feel like tackling right now.)

 

And I Have Returned!

Somehow the beginning of the school year always seems to take over my life with very little time to breathe--or blog for that matter!.

Getting the kids situated and into their routines, on top of trying to learn about my own students and their needs always seems to take until October for me.  I am love, love loving my class this year.  So sweet and so ready for learning!  I'm amazed that we are ending our first quarter (which was my two day quarter this time) and getting ready to begin second quarter already.  I am ready to start working a little more and settling into our routines.  The three day quarters make me smile because I get to engage with my students a little more.  And this year, they are so awesome!

Here are few things that kept up busy as we ended our summer and entered knee deep into Autumn~

We wrapped up our painting project after two months and just have a few minor touch ups to do and adding a railing to the front porch of  Pam's Place.  We may save that for next spring because we still owe her a clothesline and chicken coupe from last Christmas.  The projects got a little overwhelming, so those two got put on the back burner.  I am hopeful we can complete the clothesline, but not so convinced the chickens will need a home prior to next summer.

Craig's brother, Chris, and his family came for a weekend visit to see Grandma and Grandpa Mann.  We hosted a cookout and had a blast watching Kyle, Karson and Kinley hanging out and having fun with their cousins.

 

 

The kids started a new school year.  Caleb is now a 7th grader and Emaleigh is now a freshman in high school. Craig and I still sit in amazement that we are the parents of a high-schooler.

 We celebrated the first day back with a weenie roast!

 The kids, Nana and I headed to the annual Balloon Classic at Memorial Park bright and early on Labor Day.  The air was definitely chilly, but what such a sight to see so many hot air balloons being filled and launched into the bluest of skies. 

 

My dad came for a visit and what a treat it was to spend a week enjoying his company.  While the weather was pretty miserable with the craziest rain storms ever that lead to record setting flooding, it was still a wonderful visit that I wouldn't trade for anything.  We really only get to see each other about once a year, so our time together is treasured.

Many a Klondike bar was enjoyed--I think this was a chocolate tear of sadness that the last one was being eaten!

 Don't be deceived by the blue skies.  Out of our 8 days together, we really only had two partial days of  sun filled skies.  Hence the reason we went to the zoo where we got to feed my most favorite animal.  They really are so graceful looking!

 We tried to go to the Garden of the Gods, but it was closed due to severe flooding.  (In all of my years in the Springs, I have never seen the park closed.  We managed to stop a few blocks away to watch the waters rushing down this normally dried out drainage ditch.

By the time the rainbows started coming, I was so grateful to finally have some hope that the sun. would be coming back for a while!

Meet Fred.  He was our fall buddy at our Cabriolet House.  He would come out at the beginning of every autumn season and peer into the window of my friend here.  It always felt a little weird that he would peep into her family's living room window, but they never seemed to mind!  When we moved out of the Cabriolet House, we decided Fred needed to move in permanently with our friends.  Imagine the surprise on my face when I got out of my car when the two of us met for lunch a few weeks ago to encounter this sight!  Too funny!! I haven't laughed the hard for some time.

 And as a wrap up to a wonderful couple of months, two of my cousins came for a weekend visit.  What a blast we had visiting our 95 year old grandmother, laughing and crying, hanging out, laughing, shopping, laughing, eating, laughing, traveling to view the autumn colors, laughing, and just plain having a good ol' time together! 

Even though the dementia is getting worse, she still has tons of spunk!  Her quick witted responses made us laugh and reminded us of how we remember our times spent together of days gone by.  I truly can't thank my cousins enough for making this weekend happen.  The joy in our grandma's eyes was priceless.

To end our weekend together, Auntie Pam put together a small celebration.  My cousin Robin, was nominated for Teacher of the Year in Florida and my Cousin Nancy just received a promotion at Medela--a company that makes breast pumps.  With the changes in healthcare, the production facility has seen a huge increase and she is definitely overworked!

 

It was a wonderful couple of months, and I am so glad for the memories that we made.  I look forward to life slowing down just a bit and settling into the cooler months ahead.