Fall

It was super fun decorating our new house for fall--and hosting a party for work at the same time.

This house is so versatile! Need an extra dining room? Just move the chairs over and put in a table or two. Don't need that extra table? Move your chairs back in for a cozy sitting area.

Gotcha Day Festivities

One year ago today, we were flying;

we were praying and hoping and finishing our waiting;

we were loving with an other-worldy love,

and we were so glad to finally be together.

They were handsome and cuddly and skinny and trusting and hopeful

and not afraid,

and they were like the pieces that had been missing--the rest of the Oster clan.

For our first Adoption Day, we wanted to start the tradition of doing something memorable and fun as a family. So today we went to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum for the first time. 

It was really cool to get up close and personal with so many old trains.

The engine that pulled the train we got to ride was built in 1910! 

We took a 20 minute ride to another location of the museum, got out and then

got to see the engine turn around on a turntable! 

This part was the best! It was amazing to see something so huge being turned around like it was a toy train. And this turntable was designed with such perfect balance that, when it was built, it was turned by four men! Now a small engine turns the table.

After the Train Museum, we ate at Five Guys Burgers and Fries (appropriate, right?) and then had Frozen Yogurt at Top It Off. 

Bennet Farms

Last year right before we left for Uganda we visited Alabama and went to a fall farm for the day. The whole day all we could think about was bringing the boys there next year. Well, now it's next year, and the boys have visited the farm. : )

corn bin

dusty boy

hay maze

hay ride

this pic is "essence of Naomi"

And here's one pic from Eden Thistle, where Naomi takes horseback lessons. We had a funny story from our trip out there on Friday. We usually bring our lunch and schoolwork and use the back of the van as a picnic/schooling place with the back hatch open. Well, after we had eaten, one of the horses came right over and tried to climb in the back of the van with us. He seemed twice as large with his curious head sticking into our van! We eventually had to use his training flag to get him to leave the van alone. Amos loved waving his flag at him and watching him obediently back away.

Leaf Pile

Camping!

(Journal Entry by Jacob)

We are going camping. It will be fun. Daddy is packing. Bethany, Naomi and me are getting in the truck. Daddy is driving now. It is taking very long.

Now we are there.

We are unpacking. We are finding a campsite. Now we have found a camp site. (The #5 walk-in site) We are carrying stuff down to our campsite. While Daddy was setting up the tent and making a fire, Momma was blowing up the mattresses and taking out the blankets.

We are cooking hotdogs over the fire. Then we cook s'mores. It is so good, and then we went to bed.

The next morning we had bacon and eggs and for drink we had hot chocolate. 

After that we went for a hike and saw three waterfalls. 

On one of them we climbed down rocks. 

We were at the bottom of the waterfall. We were able to climb on rocks on the water.

(What you see behind us is the top of the 2nd waterfall--I don't have a good pic of it, but it looked a lot like the tall waterfall in the pic above.)

We went back to the campsite and had rest time. Naomi, Daddy and I went bike riding. We went around the lake and stopped at a building. We got a drink and then we rode back and had dinner. Then we went to bed.

The next day we ate breakfast and hiked down a rocky path and went over a bridge and down a hill.

We got to see over the ledge. I climbed up a hill and got on a rock with Daddy.

Now we are going to back to the campsite. We packed up and left to go home. It was a long trip but we made it home.

The end.