Again? Really???

Kimberly and Alicia are both home from school today with the stomach flu.  We have already had the stomach flu rampage through our home two times in the last 2 months, so this will be the THIRD time! 

Seriously, I can handle the nasty virus here and there, but this is getting a bit overkill in the sickling department.  Germs - I demand you go infest some wasp nest or something of that nature instead. 

Before the sickness set in last night, we did get to enjoy some time playing with John's homemade catapults. 

 And then for some reason, the younger two were attacking daddy afterwards...

 

Just a typical fun-filled Sunday evening at the Rimington household. 

Celebrate Life!

 Kimberly and I performed in our Stake Musical together this weekend.  It was a blast.  

We have been rehearsing since the end of August, so it was nice to see it come to fruition. 

 It was called Celebrate Life, featuring youth from our stake singing songs from Saturday's Warrior, My Turn on Earth, and Charlie - you know, those fun musicals from the 70s.  

Kimberly sang with the youth and even performed in the Dear John number while I was one of the accompanists for several of the numbers.  

I grew up loving the music to Saturday's Warrior, so it was fun to play music I played back in my teen years.

Kimberly in Dear John

It really was fun.  I'm a little sad now that it is all said and done.  We had one performance on Friday and two on Saturday, so its nice to sit back and relax now.  It will also be nice to catch up on some of the household things that got put on hold for the last couple of months with all of the rehearsals.

I was Right.

See....

I told you the snow was soon approaching.  It came sooner than anticipated, but last week came full of several snow dumpings.

In the process, it ruined two of our Chinese Lantern Trees in the backyard.  Trees we have been growing for 5 years!!  I'm so bummed.

So Long, Farewell

The sun has left, the rain has arrived, which means the snow will be flying soon, and while we're at it, so long to the sun streaming into my bedroom window in the morning, or the joy of lazily hanging out on the back deck after dinner in the warm sun while the kids play in the backyard. 

This is my least favorite time of year, as you can see...soon to get worse with the dreaded time change, thus allowing even more darkness to ensue in the evenings.   I love being outside, but it makes things a tad difficult when it gets dark just a mere hour or so after the kids get home from school.

To combat the dreariness that is descending upon us, I shall post some happy, sunnier pictures from the beautiful fall day we had last Saturday.   John put the girls to work roofing the addition to the bird mew.  

Farming it for Birthday Fun

  This cute darling turned three on Saturday, so we of course celebrated with the usual cake, presents, and merriment.  She isn't really a baby anymore, is she?

Obviously not as evidenced by the destruction in the picture above.  She is certainly thriving in the terrible threes stage already.

I had finished baking the cake and left it to cool while I finished cleaning the house, but Megan beat me to it.  She was so excited when she came and told me she had tried some of her birthday cake, that I hated to dash out her excitement with frustration.

So, Alicia and I just frosted around it, and no one was the wiser when it came to gobbling it up after the candles were blown out.

 To celebrate, we went to Black Island Farms in Syracuse, where they have tons 'o' farm fun for all.  We did the corn maze first before it got to dark, then proceeded into the play area where they had a bunch of hay slides set up.  

 John decided several runs with the girls probably wasn't the best thing for his broken back.  Well, technically not so broken, but it hasn't ever fully recovered from the time he did break it *sledding* a few years back.  We won't go there though.  I'm already in the chicken coop for posting a picture of him asleep on the couch in an earlier post.

 They have the coolest tractor-pulled train thingy, which all of the girls rode countless time while John and I enjoyed the blissful moments without the girl's mayhem.  

 ...and what would a farm be without horse tire swings?

Pumpkin tic-tac-toe anyone?

 We finished up the fun with a few rounds of corn cannoning.  Sadly, no ones corn reached the bunny target, but it was sure cool though.

Fall Is Upon Us

 It's fall, which means I spend A LOT of time out on the deck reading or just plain enjoying this blessedly beautiful weather.  I love - LOVE - this time of year.

I spend every precious minute I can soaking up the glorious fall sunshine on the deck in the early afternoon.  I love sitting and watching the girls play in the backyard in the late afternoon.  I love watching the sun set each evening from our backyard.  I even sat on the porch wrapped up in a blanket the other night because it was so pretty, but a tad on the chilly side. 

Fall also means conference weekend, which involves our annual tradition of making Halloween cookies during the Sunday afternoon session.

 Fall even means we get to celebrate Columbus Day, so while the girls trucked it off to school for the holiday, John got the federal holiday off work, which of course meant working on the honey-do list, one of those being the ever-so-fun task of changing the car oil.  Megan even got in on the action and helped John hold tools and the flashlight. 

Ahh, I love fall.  I am not really ready for winter just yet.  Or the dreaded time-change.  I hate that.  I love having it light in the evenings.  Hope y'all are enjoying your fall as well! 

Like Father, Like Daughter

We were all cuddled on the couch Sunday afternoon.  Isn't this the cutest picture ever?  I love my husband and girls.