So lately I've been working outside in the yard, trying to get enough stuff done to be ready to try to grade off the front yard and re-seed the grass in an attempt to get a bit more usable front yard. Not sure exactly when, but sometime in the next few weeks we'll get some bobcats over here and get the work going. Hence the big piles of dirt and wood chips in the middle of our front yard, and the areas you can't see of chopped down trees and cleared brush where we hope to make a garden and perhaps put a pool one of these days.

And perhaps more importantly, we got a new addition to our family a week or so ago - a cute little kitty we've named George Bailey. That is, until he gets pregnant, and we have to start calling him Georgia! He's an outside kitty, living mostly in our garage while he gets big enough to prowl the area on his own, and I think will be a fun little pet that doesn't require much work, something that we like! The kids are having fun with having a pet, and he's become pretty friendly and even lets Eli and Z pick him up and carry him around! What a good sport!

Life is definitely busy this fall, with me continuing to work Monday evenings, karate for Sol and Thad Tuesday, church Wednesday, floor hockey practice Thursday, nothing Friday, floor hockey games Saturday morning, Lego Robotics for Sol Saturday afternoons, small group Sunday every other week, and kids Christmas musical practice Sunday afternoons as well. On top of that of course there is still all the homeschool stuff, which all makes for a very busy fall for us! Can't wait for Thanksgiving weekend, when we'll get to the end of some of these things and be able to relax in time for the busy Christmas season!

We hope you are all doing well and having a great fall, and hope to see some of you far away family and friends soon, and closer ones even sooner! God bless!

This has been an eventful last month, with us being gone to the lake three weekends and then camping last weekend, bringing us to a full month of weekends away from home! It's been a lot of fun times with friends, so I thot I'd share some pictures of what we've been up to. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll just let them do the talking! oh, but so you have one explanation, the one of me holding the papers is the swearing in ceremony when I received my US citizenship. Long process finally over! And above, our church family at the family campout last weekend!

Back to work

We've had a really fun summer this year, taking a couple of trips (Colorado and Ohio), going to the lake of the Ozarks with family and friends, and even trips to Six Flags and local pools in the area. Alas, it has to come to an end someday, and Daddy has to go back to work. The last couple of weeks have been a big adjustment for us all, as I've had to get back into the swing of going to be by 10 (that's taking some time to get used to) and getting up at 6 to get ready for work. No more biking with friends in the mornings, or getting up to a family breakfast, or getting projects done around the house with any regularity. Now for Daddy that's a change, but for the boys and Mommy it might be even harder! Mommy now again has to plan her trips to the store a bit more, and is trying hard to get ready for school for the boys this year! The 4 boys no longer get to see Daddy around the house all day long, but now get the few hours a day that I am home and less activities with school starting soon.
However, the biggest change for us so far is our littlest man, ZZ, heading off to preschool! Yesterday was his first day, and he seemed like he loved it! It's fun to see him gaining a little independence and see how he does with that! If we have a picture of his first day I'll post it later... Wishing you and your people a great fall from the Bailey family!

Our "mobile" home!

all pieces put together

Lifting the top front piece into place

Rolling a piece down the hill

swinging the back into place

rolling the kitchen and dining room down the hill

The other day I was out burning brush (a luxury that can be accomplished on 3 acres in unincorporated city!) and my neighbor came by to thank me for taking one of the big limbs from her yard after the storm. As we were talking she told me that she had some pictures of our house as it was being built, and then said she would look for them. Shortly thereafter she returned with said pictures, and absolutely made my week! It's really cool to have pictures that show how the place was built, kinda adds to the unique story of our house and yard! Hopefully you get even a little bit of enjoyment out of them like I have!
The big crane literally lifted pieces into place after they were rolled down the driveway on some sort of trailer, hence it was a "mobile home!" The four sections, back, front, upstairs back, upstairs front were all just set in place and then anchored in some way(I hope!) Enjoy!

Hanging with the cousins!

So a week or so ago we drove up to northern Ohio to meet up with Braden and Carrie and their kiddos for a few days. We did a ton of stuff, and while I won't comment on every picture, we had a really great time doing things like playing at the campground (where the McDonalds sign kept us well lit at night!), going to a local beach and playing in the sand, checking out a wildlife safari and feeding the animals, and taking a ferry over to Put-in-Bay island where we rented golf carts and tore up the island! Everyone had a really great time and were talking about next time before we even got home! It was great to reconnect with my brother and his wife too, and Rhonda and I really enjoyed that part especially! Thanks for making the trip guys, we'll have to do it again soon!

Birthday presents and stacking wood!

This week we've been stacking our firewood in preparation for being able to use our woodburning stove this winter! It's been a family experience, sometimes fun and sometimes just hot and sweaty, with attitudes to match at times... But we're getting there, as you can tell from our pictures! The second woodpile in the second picture used to be MUCH larger, and now it's stacked on pallets and getting ready to dry out nicely for winter! Can't wait to have all that free heat!
Yesterday, in the midst of the stacking, the mail lady brought us a package from our Canadian cousins, so we had to open it right away, giving us a nice break! Of course, the fun toys and such made it difficult to go back to work, so not a lot more stacking got done, but that's ok!
Thanks Emma, Kaleb, and Navia for your cards and gifts, the boys love them! Hope we can see you all soon!