a time for thanks.

One month gone by... about time for a new post! The advantage to waiting so long is that a month of events compiled makes my life sound action-packed and exciting. And, there are more pictures to share. Because, really, that's what you want to see. So, bear with a few more words of explanation and then, pictures galore!

Just arrived back home after a whirlwind, wonderful time in Virginia for Thanksgiving. What a special time at the "Raphin Retreat" as my parents home has been named. Situated on 35 acres in the hills of western VA, the house is away from the hustle and bustle and just peaceful. We spent much of the days reading, cooking, talking, enjoying the crackle of the fire, and playing bananagrams. These times of calm were interspersed with big trips to town (Lexington, about 25 minutes away) and WAL-MART--city at its finest. Dad spent alot of time in his wood shop and mom and I sewing. The creative juices were flowing! Not worrying about time, but just enjoying the moment.

Devoured this book. I love to run. And I was so inspired that after finishing the 10k Turkey Trot, I whipped off my shoes and re-ran the last mile with my mom, barefoot! Born to run? Yes.

A well lit fire, warming the house! 

Sun glinting through the trees during our afternoon walk through my mom's expertly marked trails! 

The house! 

 All of the above are views of or from the Raphine Retreat. Picturesque. Most days were warm and sunny, making the sunsets vibrant through the clear skies.

Picking up the weekly bread order from neighbors who cook in their backyard brick oven. Perfect bread. Our favorite was the harvest loaf, containing pumpkin and sweet potatoes! 

A highlight: holding hour old baby goats at another neighbors! Check out the pregnant mama below. Can you imagine??

Gathering eggs at Helen's! 

And then, Thanksgiving Day began with the Turkey Trot. The course was very, very challenging and hilly. Very conducive for stories after, "Remember that hill at mile 2??" and "Can you believe that broken tree along the trail? We had to stop and walk over it!" 

Uncle Johnny, running for our soldier! 










This year's running crew! Missing: Shea and Kyle. Next year.

THANKSGIVING MIRACLE: the PC (yes, I'm that specific, a definite Mac user) worked well to skype after praying that the Lord would give us just 5 minutes with Daniel. The whole family was able to talk to him! 

Our traditional turkey fried in peanut oil. Todd works wonders, this turkey was amazing. Shea and I feasted on the crispy skin for awhile before dinner and were pleasantly satisfied. LOVE.

creation

                          Such a simple pattern,perfect golden birthday gift for Elise. LOVE. When In Washington, Fawn, Allison, and I spent an evening in the living room watching Downton Abbey and sewing. Allison introduced us to this pattern and while we were intimidated at first it actually was super simple! I finished it at home on my machine and now want to make another.

                                                       Fall. This year more than any other I have appreciated this season. Maybe because in Illinois we often get a fall tease and winter comes with a vengence. This year, though, its lasted for about 3 weeks already. This evening, I walked around Lake Ellyn near my house and just gloried in the creation. So many people were out with their cameras capturing the gorgeous colors above the lake. I loved smiling with people and all thinking the same thing, "Isn't this amazing?"

                                             Time with friends at Honey. love and love.

Throwing rocks in the river by the railroad tracks...

   So, I don't have a picture to illustrate the title here, but it was this scene that ended my 5 day journey in Washington for Fall Break. Ahh, what an incredible time with Fawn and Tirzah... we did so much and just enjoyed being together. So many times I scroll through blogs just to see pictures so I'll illustrate our time with the multitude of pictures I took. Alright, only a select handful.                                                             

Berry picking on Day 1 was amazing... free berries and a wonderful fall walk along a DuPont path. Tirzah ran most of the way and after we found a dead mole, her only words were, "It dieeedd. It saaaddd."

Joy of JOYS! Skyping with DANIEL! I loved every minute. He stayed up so late to Skype for a bout 1.5 hrs. SO thankful he is alive and well, so thankful the Lord has been so good to him and his men, and so thankful he is on the homestretch of deployment!It was so good to hear his laugh, see his space, and just listen to hm talk to his men. Pray for strength, patience, and steadfastness.

Afternoon tea... 

Late afternoon bike. 

"She-saw"

Fawn's lovely garden. 

Homemaking jam from our juicy berries. 

Sunrise over Mount Rainier 

Picking up the CSA box of fresh produce, as well as picking a large amount of gourds and pumpkins. 

For dinner, we attempted homemade ravioil from scratch. Seriously, even to hand milled wheat. Who knew one could sweat so much grinding 2 cups of wheat. 2 cups took me over 30 minutes and Fawn took half that time... incredible! 

A new favorite pastime. 

First s'more on a chilly fall evening with Allison and Lucy. YUM. 

Olympia Farmers Market on our way to Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. 

Kayaking with Mt. Baker to one side and the Olympic Mountain Range to the other. Calm, contemplative, and so rejuvenating. 

Bike ride to a a seafood dinner.. crab/artichoke dip, crab cakes, fish and chips, and clam chowder. Fawn and I laughed that we were by FAR the youngest in the room. Sequim is a quiet, older town. "Tough for highschoolers", said our waitress. =)

T's crayon pocket. 

Feeding fish. And biking home in time to catch the magnificent sunset. Isn't this gorgeous?!

Crazy hair watching our fire. 

I haven't laughed so hard in awhile! We went to the Olympic Game Farm and drove around to feed the animals. These animals have been used by Disney for movie filming and are very comfortable with humans. So much so they overwhelmed the car by sticking their heads in with no shame. Scary at first, but SO cool! Llamas, zebras, BUFFALO!, elk, and bear observation. 

 

I am so thankful for the time we spent together and how full it was of precious moments... Tirzah throwing rocks into the Puget Sound making noises with every throw, playing hide and go seek, at the park, sewing, Downton Abbey, cooking, dreaming, and sharing on the porch in the sunshine. I just LOVE my family! We missed you Mom, Dad, and DANIEL.