We have had quite the summer and I'm about to overload you with pictures. I made the most of the summer. The twins turned 4. We didn't have a party for them but we took them to the zoo for the day. They had a lot of fun and loved seeing the different animals.

They really have come a long way over the summer. Addison can have full conversations with adults (although he won't really talk to anyone he doesn't know). They sing songs, play games, and act like 4 year olds.

I'll jump through the rest of the summer so I can add this picture.

 

 

They started their second year of preschool in September. They're in a class with 9 other kids and unlike last year, I don't stay with them. They were pretty apprehensive the first few days but the teacher tells me that they're coming out of their shells and, especially Riley, is interacting with the teachers and the other kids.

They love to come home and show me what they made and tell me what they did. It's certainly not cheap but I already see positive changes so it's worth the extra money to me.

 

We went back to Dewey Beach this summer. I took the 4 kids (alone, I might add) 2 years ago and ever since, Leah had been talking about going back to Dewey Beach. Being the frugal mom that I am, I found a campground in Rehoboth, just 2 miles from the beach. We stayed in this tiny cabin at Big Oaks Family Campground. It was a perfect weekend. The campground had a pool, playground, and arcade (for the bigger kids). We only spent one day at the beach though. The twins were so excited about the ocean and the minute we walked onto the beach, they were terrified of the big water. I tried to dip their feet in and they weren't having it at all. So, I spent the day sitting with them on the sand while they happily dug, buried, and played in the sand. They loved seeing the boats and airplanes from the shore and we went early in the morning so they could see all of the dogs on the beach.

Leah, Skylar, and Terran all loved the water. Terran could have spent the whole day playing in the ocean.

 

We spent Labor Day at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. It poured. All day long. The kids had a lot of fun though. Adult tickets were buy one get one free so we were able to all go for a reasonable price. The money I saved on the second ticket was enough for us to have spending money while there. I love taking a step back into simpler times. The rides are all non electronic. The games are things like ax throwing, skeeball on a wooden board...all basic. And, even though it poured and we had to spend a few minutes in a shop while a thunderstorm rolled through, not one of the kids complained.

 

 

Finally, we spent a few hours at the Oley Fair. It's a local farm fair in the town next to ours. They have cows, pigs, sheep, etc., tractor pulling, little basic carnival rides. It's your basic country town fair. We took the kids last year and they had fun but we mostly just went so they could ride the rides. This year, it was a bit more exciting. See.....we're moving! Moving to Oley specifically. So, we were (ok, maybe just me..the kids didn't like me talking to the vendors too much) also there to get info on local businesses and places. We found out info about youth sports, the school, and even learned that there's a library!

 

Our lives have been crazy. We had a full summer and then we stumbled upon a house we couldn't refuse. Yes, we'll be homeowners!! And, we won't just own a home, we'll own 2.4 acres!!!! And, we'll have chickens. Yes, it's this former farm kids dream place. It's much smaller than where we live now but I've always felt like I was drowning in this house. It's too much...even for a family of 7. We'll still have 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a full, walk-out basement (that we plan to eventually finish), and plenty of room for everyone, but we'll be more cozy.

We have settlement in less than 2 weeks and we'll be officially moving in on the 21st. There's some cosmetic work to be done but overall, the house is solid and perfect for us.

 

This is a bad picture taken with my outdated cell phone. There is a second floor and it's much bigger than it looks from the outside. There's also a nice deck on the back and there's apple and pear trees on the property. I'm looking forward to lots of baking and canning in the future. We've got plans for lots of fruit and veggies in the spring and I'm so excited to have more than a dinky 10x10 garden plot.