When the leaves turn colors and then fall to the ground, there is lots of raking to do. We rake up one huge pile of leaves to play in before moving them to a burn pile. And as we photograph just about every event in this house, this one didn't go unnoticed. Tradition continues and the next post will have some pictures of Caleb's famous jump from this year, and selections from the past. That should bring me up-to-date, and then I'll put up some pictures from this week.

Good books are always better when they're read outside on a crisp and sunny Fall afternoon.

Yup, even in a leaf pile!

Somethin' was funny.

Sharing stories together.

William loves it someone reads to him.

And if you get hugs for being that someone, then that someone is a good person to be.

When the chairs get uncomfortable, just plop right down in the leaves.

This silly boy refused to smile.

Little kids in black and white shots are just too cute.

He's got the best seat in the yard.

William tried to play the violin...

...but decided that jamming on the "guitar" was easier and that's what real cowboys do anyway.

Grace prefers the violin.

Good friends, dear sisters.

These special moments won't last forever.

How high can you go?

Grace has been taking lessons from Caleb (watch for the next post!).

She's growing up so fast.

Sweet smiles from a sweet girl!

He gets better every year!

My darling little man.

The last image from the photo shoot.
The End.

From all across the holler,
from every nook and cranny,
all the piggies are arriving
for the yearly hootenanny.

And so they came, from far and wide to join us for our Reformation Day Faire. What a rich time of fellowship we had, fantastic food, musical specials, and deep, heart felt messages. So many pictures from this event tell a different side of the this story, and yet, there is no way to post them all. So, these mini blog posts will have to suffice for now. When I get them all into a web album, I'll be sure so post a link. Enjoy and we'll see you next year!

John, the King of Spaghetti this year!

The fabulous peasants, working away in the kitchen.

And such happy ones too! They are the best helpers, after all.

Rebecca (now Loomis! :)) and I.

Some lovely ladies gracing the counter top with their presence.

Emil - n - Emma...trying to be Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, maybe?

Miss Bandy and Miss Farmer say "Hello!"

My darling parents, at the end of the day, still looking so adorable!

Three cheers for Anna, who called dances despite a cold and very sore throat!

Taking hands down the line.

Lots of people dancin'...what a beautiful sight!

We call them Robin Hood, Maid Marion and Little Geneva.

Looks like Jeremy has been caught red-handed! :)

Brothers do-si-do-ing.

Aaron decided that he would make a better Fred Astaire. :)

The last dance brings us to the end.
We were so amazed with the turnout this year, and can't wait for next year to come around!
Thanks for reading!

The Highland Games...a chance for men, young and old, to show their strength and skill with long pieces of wood, formally known as cabers, as well as with giant rocks! While some ladies may find these events fun, I prefer to sit on the sidelines, cheer for those I know, and photograph the event! The Highland Games are a favorite part of our Faire, and this year we had many talented...um, tossers(?) among us! The Lord was so good to us, and sent us a beautifully sunny, warmish day for our celebration. The ground was a bit muddy, but we were so thankful for the sunshine, we figured we could handle that. The giant rock did leave some holes in the soft ground by the time we were done... :)

Spectators and competitors alike gather 'round for the games.

Yeah, that's one big rock!

See, I told ya' so.

Okay, it's the last picture of the rock toss. Very impressive display of strength.

Aha...our Italian visitors. Josh bids farewell to his bride so he can partake in the... (come now, humor me...drumroll please!)

...Caber Toss! No, that's not Josh, that is Caleb...but Josh did have a turn!

A different Josh volunteers to toss the log!

Up, up...

...and away!

I have no idea who this little guy is, but he was so cute, I had to post the picture of him.

Ahhh, the joys of Christian fellowship!

What's this I see? Aaron is thinking about tossing it.

Thar' she blows!

A sleeping baby is a beautiful thing.

Two lovely ladies watching the games.

Mr. Evans was in charge of the Highland Games, and here he is posing with the winners! Congratulations, y'all!

Baby Bella...isn't she a cutie?

Getting instruction for the boffer war.

The little man is still a too young to take part in the battles, so he practices on Dad instead. Look at the determination on his cute face.

Mr. Bond watching the war.

Another squire climbs the ladder and becomes a knight.

Oh, it's a solemn moment.

And here he stands, ready to conquer evil in the King's name!

Check back soon for the conclusion!

I think this was going to be the longest post on Reformation Day. I took over 500 pictures throughout the weekend, discarded the bad ones, sorted through the good ones, and ended up with about 400 when I was done. I had 50 pictures selected to show our off our Towne Square, but thought that was too many to put into one post. Back to sorting and choosing the "cream of the crop!" Maybe I'll upload all the photos to a web album and post a link when I've finished the blog series. We shall see... For now, here are the few, the proud, not the Marines, but pictures from a lovely day!

Zach and Nathan learning how to make rope.

Sir Riggenbach, and is that a monk, Robin Hood, or one of the Merry Men?

He said he was a candle maker, but I think he was royalty in hiding.

Now say, "Daddy has stinky feeeeeeet!" Very good! :)

Oh...he's looking awfully mischievous!

Prince Phillip studies the chess board and wonders where to go next.

Her ladyship bestowing knighthood on a very worthy squire.

Grace and I embroidered our smocks with Elizabethan Blackwork patterns. While you can't see much of it, her neckline was beautifully done!

We were delighted to have our friend, Hohn Cho, fly out for the weekend!

The little lady thinks it's time to rest.

The townsmen talking.

Lady Riggenbach shows the girls how to weave.

Miss Natalie looks dangerous with that wooden mallet.

Aha! The daughter of the nobleman in hiding has also learned the fine trade of making candles.

Some of the town minstrels.

An afternoon serenade.

A young gentleman on the square is enjoying the music.

A lovely job, don't you think?

Capturing every moment.

Courageous young men ready for battle.

Awwwww...it's the Little Man.

He won't rest until he finds and rescues his Sleeping Beauty.

Brothers.

All for one, and one for all!

My lovely mother showing examples of exquisite stained glass.

Ahhh, the simple joys of childhood. That looks really uncomfortable...

*gasp* What's this? It looks as though the minstrel is being carried through town!

He's not looking too happy with the situation.

The town mayor finds out that the minstrel stole the purse of a lady...

...so he got locked up.

More delightful music.

Getting ready to head off to the Highland Games!

Ahhh, the little princess has fallen asleep. To be quite honest, that sounds wonderful right now, so I shall bring the post to a close and get my beauty sleep. :)

Part Four: The Highland Games

Part Two

The morning events on the second day of our Reformation Day Faire will filled with enlightening sessions, good music, fellowship, and lunch. Enjoy!

Dad, a.k.a. Theodore Beza gives a bit of history on the life of John Calvin.

Excitement...anticipation...the mouth is watering already!!! Why?

Because Alwans is back this year! Amazing food, great service!

Caught on film. Twice...never mind that neither of us are really using film...

Theodore Beza informed us that he had tried very hard to get rid of his French accent. :)

Giving our fabulous speaker and very gifted musician time to rest their voices.

Raphael set up shop indoors this year! He never ceases to amaze me with his sketches.

Awwww....it's Auntie Em! One day I will find the time to have him take my likeness.

Reformation Heritage Books came down from Michigan to provide resources for more study.

Getting the grill ready!

The breaks in between sessions allowed time for fellowship, counseling, and just plain fun.

And lunch is served!!!

Two lovely princesses.

Little ladies watching the concert through the stained glass windows.

My own dear mother enjoying the music.

Charlie Zahm will be back at another Reformation Day Faire, so if you missed this one, keep an eye on future events! Does this sound like an advertisement to you? It's really not one...I'm just trying to get those of you who didn't come this year to come next time! :D

My wonderful parents having a little bit of down-time.

Brother and sister.

Little miss blue-eyes.

Grace taking pictures on a cell phone...I personally think the Canon takes better ones, but that phone might take better ones than a Nikon. Sorry...couldn't help it. :)

Pretty hat, lovely girl, good friend!

A bit blurry, and I'm not sure what she was up to, but her face was priceless!

Our friendly piper came to share his beautiful music with us and lead the crowd to the town square.

Check back soon for part three!

The 2008 Parade

Wow...I can hardly believe that our Reformation Day Faire has already come and passed! We had a very good turn out last year, but we were amazed when over 400 people registered for this year! Tickets go fast, so keep an eye out for next year's registration!

One of my favorite authors flew in to be our keynote speaker. Douglas Bond has authored twelve books, and each one has been immensely enjoyed by our family. When we first discovered his Mr. Pipes books, we knew we had found something special. From there, we followed his publications and bought each one as soon as they came off the press. His sessions this year were outstanding, and we were so grateful that he came, despite flight difficulties, to share his wisdom with us!

William at the 2008 Faire.

Our dear friends, the Servens, drove up to spend the weekend with us. It was a very special visit since the next time we see them will be at Rebecca's wedding. Being able to spend a few days with her was precious and I was tickled pink to hear that she was able to come! Mr. Serven was also a featured speaker and we were so blessed by what he shared with us. Their family and church family sang for us and taught us some new Psalms. Reformation Day wouldn't be the same without them!! We love y'all!

Charlie Zahm's flight difficulties might have been worse than Doug Bond's. His flight was delayed twice due to lack of gasoline, and a missing plane. Not a fun day in the airport when a few hundred people are waiting eagerly for a concert! When he arrived, there was much excitement, laughter and joy as we looked forward to what he had prepared for us. Not much can beat a two hour concert with Charlie Zahm!

Young Master Bradshaw at the 2008 Faire.

Dad was also a speaker for our event, but he didn't have any Friday sessions, so you'll have to wait to see him as Theodore Beza when I get those pictures up. So, please enjoy Part One of our 2009 Reformation Day Faire!

Doug Bond came over for dinner Thursday evening. Having just been in France for Calvin's birthday, he had many stories to tell us!

Early the next day, the castle wall goes up. Didn't they do a fabulous job painting that?!?

Impressive, huh?

The Four M's were singing for the fifteen minute break, and I was accompanying them on the piano, so there was much to run through before the event began!
This photo was either taken by Jess or a Sanford girl...not sure which. :)

Practice makes perfect...unless we're talking about these three... ;)

Pastor Serven sharing words of wisdom.

The string quartet (I don't believe they have an official name yet) played for another break.

Doug Bond lecturing on the importance of music.

A wonderful family, and very precious friends.

There is a time for everything...and cuddles are important.

The Psalm instruction with the Servens and their church family.

It's a beautiful thing to see children singing praises to the Lord.

So sweet.

Mrs. Serven encouraging young ladies.

Hey look...it's the cutie pie!

Charlie Zahm in concert at last!!!

After all the other songs he sang, we will forgive him for singing that one song...

From what I could see, the audience looked like they were having a wonderful time.

Lost in the music.

The Castle Guards were too...I wonder who was watching the door? :)
Thanks to all those who were part of the "Men in Black." Y'all made our lives much easier and were awesome!

Sweet Rebecca working on wedding programs.

I love the Celtic drum! Caleb has got to learn how to play one of those.

Miss Natalie has a gift for our talented musician.

Jess, me, Meli and Sierra. Jess and Meli decided to be party-poopers and change back into normal clothes. On Saturday, though, all three of them were in costume.

Check back soon for part two!

Well, I decided to combine the last two posts since I'll be away from home for a few days, and won't have access to my photos. So, it's a bit longer than planned, and this only makes four parts instead of five. It really was such a wonderful trip and I hope you've enjoyed the last few posts.

We went to lunch at one of those Mongolian grills. The food was scrumptious and there were so many toppings to choose from.

Around the corner and up the mountain live the adorable Highland Coo. Now honestly, have you ever seen a cow this cute?

The darker ones are much cuter, but I love the contrast when they're together.

Hmmmm, Laura is slicing mushrooms...

...mom is stirring something in the cast iron skillet...

...Mrs. H. and Ben are stuffing something...

After calling Mimi for her recipe, mom made some stuffed artichokes. Yes, I helped too, but I wasn't quite as good at it as the others were. :)

It was beauty parlor night, so Laura got her hair cut.

Stage 1: Look like Cousin It.

Ben making milkshakes.

And then he rescued a distressed Emma who said there was a spider under her bed.

Finishing up.

Awwww...her wonderful father and brothers, all ready to protect the lovely lady.

Laura and Mom. Aren't they cute?

When she finished with Laura, she showed Thomas how do the finishing touches when he gives a hair cut.

For those of you who don't know, we missed our flight, so we had to reschedule for the next day.
Em is hunting for her gum.

So I like lemons in my water. Most of the people at the table passed their lemon to me...I think I just about finished that glass of water too.

The girls at our last dinner.

Em flying her own plane in Minneapolis.

And there is our bus with wings.

On our way to the gate.

On our way away from the gate and back to the play area. Yes, we went through this tunnel several times.

I took Em up to the water closet and as I was talking with the flight attendant, I saw this out the window.

Em holds the airplane my mom made with her napkin as she reads the safety booklet.

The sun setting in the west, and so we bring this story to a close.

As I'm sure many of you have already guessed, our next destination was the beach. I've seen the Gulf of Mexico down in Galveston many times. I've seen the Atlantic on the East coast, but until this trip, I had never seen the great Pacific ocean. Imagine my delight and amazement as we walked down the sandy beach to see this incredible body of water. My friends had told me all about it, but that did not prepare me for what I saw.

We spent many lovely hours playing at the beach. When we finished up at the first place, we began hunting for the perfect place to eat. Clam Chowder was what we were looking for, and when we finally discovered it, we were not disappointed! Being full, warm and content, we headed back out to find another beach to explore. 'Twas a beautiful day, and one of my favorite from the entire trip! I'll warn you ahead of time...there are lots of pictures this time! :)

Philosophizing.

Yes, to play in the freezing water on a chilly day means that we must have totally lost our marbles!
Photo Credit: Mom

Laura searches for shells, while Sara and Em high tail it out of there.

Watchin' the waves roll in.

Run for your lives!
Photo Credit: Mom

If that was coming for you, wouldn't you be running too?

Sara and Em are all smiles.

Laura continues her hunt for shells.

My lovely mother and me
Photo Credit: Mr. H. or Thomas.

Dear friends.
Photo Credit: Mom

The girls think that they are a pretty good catch too! :)

Sweet girls happily munching on clam chowder. Check out those huge bread bowls!

Mmmmm...what is this I see? Fish Tacos!

Boys will be boys...

To continue the tradition, Hey Nic. I was actually trying to get a picture of the group shopping with the King Crab on the wall, but Nic smiled, so we shall say "Hey." :)

A lovely view.

The parents wondering why the crazy children are playing in the cold water.

With such a view, it's amazing how many things there are to ponder.

Nic bravely advances towards the crashing ocean...

...and then a quick retreat becomes his next course of action.

Mom and Em leaving their footprints in the sand.

Very good catch, Anton!

Apparently, Em and I found something at this moment to be awfully amusing. :)
Photo Credit: Mom

Turn around and run!
Photo Credit: Mom

Why, I do believe Thomas is wishing he could join in the fun and play in the water!

A calm Laura watches her brothers make a mad dash for dry land.

Oh, looks like Thomas has been distracted.

The bridge shrouded in the fog.

As the day begins to wind down, feet need to be cleaned. What could be better than an outdoor shower to get the sand off?

Only, there is no water...

Get a foot massage from Nic! Oh, never mind, he's just getting the sand off Ben's feet.

Big cities mean big traffic.

One last stop before we go home...In-n-Out for dinner! Burgers, fries and milkshakes....mmmm.
A good ending to a perfect day.

Next up:

A visit to the Highland Coo and other odds-n-ends we did.

Moving right along to part two! While some of the group made a long trek back to the airport to pick up forgotten luggage, the rest of us stayed home to watch home videos. Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in the afternoon activities, that I didn't even think of taking photos! While we watched the videos, dinner preparations began and Ben made pies. That evening we had friends come over for dinner and we ate homemade enchiladas, chips-n-dips (which included some amazing guacamole...I'm sooo spoiled now!! :)), rice and beans...at least, I think there were beans.

The following day, mom ran to town for an appointment, and some of our group went to see an adorable tourist town, see the local sights and play in the San Antonio creek. Oh, and the park...cant' forget the park. Em needed time to dry out there. :)

Delicious homemade dips...I'm getting hungry just thinking about them!

Anthony wrapped up in the giant dictionary.

Lil' Em thinks the water is so pretty.

This photo was of Mr. H. was taken from my perspective...now let me give you six photos from his...

Three of us exploring.

Em kept asking Ben to catch a fish for her. While he tried hard to do so...

...Em started slipping...

...and then she fell in.

While I was wringing the water out of her dress, she insisted that Ben pushed her in.

So she tried to get revenge. Didn't work so well. :)

Em watching the fish.

What a happy smile!

Ben watching the creek...Emma being Emma.

She isn't quite sure what to think of the wild berries.

Ben demonstrates how to go down the slide backwards.

Em thought that was pretty fun, so she did it about a dozen times.

Nice hair. Maybe she can start a new fad.

After lunch, we stopped in at The Peppermint Stick for some delicious ice cream.

With cheeks as pink as hers, you can tell she had been playing hard. Ice cream is so refreshing...until you get thirsty.

Matthew had a birthday while we were there, so here we are, watching him open presents.

We lost Thomas somewhere in that process. :)

What's this? Mom and Mrs. H. in the RV! Once mom got used to the the way things felt, I think she rather enjoyed the ride. Care to guess where we were going?

Hey Nic.

The girls playing.

Ben and Nic lost in a challenging game of chess.

Mr. H. taking us through the lovely mountains!

And then we reached our destination....more pictures from this adventure coming up next!

As some of you may know, mom, Em and I left town for a week to visit friends out west. The entire trip was full of delightful events, deliciously warm weather, dear friends and just hanging out. It was a very special time and we are so grateful to our hosts for putting up with us! We were rather troublesome... :)

We missed our original flight out, which meant we had to wait for about an hour for the next one. I'd brought my book along for such an occasion, so I pulled it out and read for a while. Time slipped right by and before we knew it, we were on our way. What a welcome sight it was to see familiar faces when we reached our destination! With so many photos to choose from, I've had to break this post up into five parts. This one is among the lighter posts. :)

Em and I waiting in the airport to catch a flight out of town.

So much to see from the sky.

After lunch (we ate at a cute former lighthouse turned restaurant and had seafood!!! Didn't get pictures of that though....) we went to see Mr. H.'s old firehouse.

Arty-sy shots in the firehouse.

The experienced Mr. H. shows us how it's done.

Sara had been waiting to go down the pole for some time. She's a brave girl!

Em didn't get to go down, but she got a ride down the hallway instead.

And then she sort of climbed up. :)

Hey look...it's me in the fire truck! Thanks Mr. H. for getting the photo!

Just a waitin' for a call.

After we finished up at the firehouse, we went to see a baseball game. The Oakland A's were playing against the Texas Rangers, so we just had to go. Pretty good seats too! Although the Rangers played poorly, Em and I cheered them on...in between catching up with friends, of course. :)

Hey Nic!

Anthony, the gourmet chef, is creating something for us.

A friendly little guy came in to say "hello." Today, however, I am using a picture of Sara holding him to say "goodbye."

Check back to see part 2: Visit to San Antonio Creek!