Happy Carving!

Its carving time again! Most people head to the pumpkin patch and I suppose we will someday; but for now we head to my mom's house. She grew about a dozen huge pumpkins this year! Atlantic Giants. And I grew only four smallish ones. Then my sister brought over quite a few for her crew. Total we had around thirty or so pumpkins?

Tradition: Must get in a pumpkin before one gets too large. 

Jeremiah and his friend Eden, working on a big one together.

My sister, Becky, carving a little pumpkin.

Below you will see Norah actually helping me clean out this pumpkin. She reached in and grabbed some "guts" (as we like to call them) and put them in the bucket.

So Norah didn't like sitting in this pumpkin and was letting us know. I told Isaac to make a face like hers. He did a good job. 

Here is Isaac and Jeremiah's pumpkins. Ike made a huge mouth and was able to squish Miah's pumpkin inside. Cannibal pumpkins...

Traditional day time and night time pictures. I love it! This is the best thing about Halloween!

Luau Fundraiser 2015

About a month ago we had our second fundraiser for adoption. Our good friend, Malia, offered her cooking services and skills to basically run the whole thing. She has done a few before. 

Here is Jeanette doing some dishes. She spent a lot of time at this sink. The dishes definitely wouldn't have gotten clean if not for her.

Lonna also came early to help shred some meat for the awesome pork dish. 

My nephew Ben and his friend Alex came to eat some food.

Malia, Brian and I. Wearing our fundraising shirts. Thanks for funding the event, Thrivent Financial!

Brian's sister and her friend came to enjoy the food and Norah of course.

It was an awesome night. We were blown away by the generosity of friends and family. Our church is truly an extended family for us. Supporting us and encouraging us and helping us bring this child home. And no, we don't know who the child is yet. BUT, we are getting closer. We have FINISHED the paperwork! Praise the LORD!! I'm hoping we did it all correctly too. Once it clears our agency here in the states, off it goes to Kyrgyzstan. Then the waiting begins...Kind of like being pregnant, but with no due date in sight.

More to come on our adoption as the months progress!

Abe and Becky Reichlin

My sister got married a few weeks ago. September 26, 2015 to be exact. There was much excitement in the Reichlin and Buck households the days up to the day.

Friday, the 25th was the set up day and rehearsal day.

Here are just a few pic from the set up day. It was pretty fun getting everything "beautified" as I like to call it. My mom was busy folding pages and using glue.

Below my husband, Brian is busy carrying Norah around.

Oh wait, Brian did help Noah build the arch. Although at this point Brian looks like a ladder for Noah.

Rehearsal time! My dad and Becky. Practice, practice, practice!

September 26, 2015

Location: The Willows

Gwyn, Norah and I. Sporting off our fancy outfits!

The star of the show! The Bride!

Probably won't get one of these again in a while. A picture of the whole family. Left to right: Isaac, Hailey, Jeremiah, Abe and Becky with Keara and Gwyn below, followed by Ben and Noah. 

Here is my small gang. Wendy, Brian and Norah

So at the wedding site they had some goats. Norah really enjoyed watching them and standing at the gate with Noah.

A little boast for my dad, he made these awesome log towers for the cupcakes. Pretty fancy/rustic both!

It was a great day, many helped along the way to make it possible. Prayers to the newly created family. Just add water, as they like to call it.

Happy Birthday Norah!

Thanks to some wonderful Great Aunt's and Grandma and other family, Norah had a special and unique first birthday party. 

A lot of our cousins and uncles, aunts, and grandparents. What fun! Norah had no idea what was going on even. Notice all our lovely monkey glasses?

I love this little elf. That's what she looks like to me.

Here comes her candle!! She is a bit disinterested. 

She slowly started in, giving others bites first before she tentatively took a bit herself. 

We came back to our hotel room and gave her the present we bought her. No we didn't spend much. Just a few plastic necklaces from The Dollar Store. She loved them.

Norah is officially one. We had her doctor check up on Monday of this week and she is just a little over 30 inches long and weighs about 23 pounds. 

Illinois Fun

First important task of the day: meet the kitties! Great Grandma has a lot of kittens roaming the barns, so we had to go check them out. Here is Grandma Karen with Norah.

We also got to meet other animals! Yeah! Here is a cute calf. Norah was enthralled. 

What else does Illinois have? Corn. And a lot of it. Norah thought about wandering through the corn fields, but we kept her with us instead. 

Norah got to meet so many fun people! Congratulations on our Grandparents on their 60th wedding anniversary (the reason we went to Illinois)! and they got to meet their first great-grandchild!

The Confederates are coming!!!

While in Illinois this last week, Wendy and I had the totally most epic opportunity to see a civil war re-enactment in Stockton, Illinois. I have seen many people over the years post about such events and was totally excited for the chance to see one for myself... And boy was it a treat.  I will give you the play by play of the Battle at Moorseville.

 Here you see the HQ of General Ulysses S. Grant. He is enjoying a nice cup of coffee warmed on a fire thinking war tactics when all of a sudden...

His best scout Private Wendy A. Felix spots a group of Confederate scouts. They are not here to talk about the weather and Wendy quickly alerts the Union riders to meet them. 

                                      

And meet them they do. Before the Confederates can ask about the local cafe down the trail, the Union riders fire on them to say " About face and beat it you southern yokels!" 

 The Union quickly arranges artillery as they know more Confederates are more than likely on the move. 

 And just like unwanted slugs, the Confederate battalion comes skulking along, preparing to send those Yankees to the dirt. 

 But what is this? The Confederates didn't know they were attacking an entire regiment manned by none other that Gen. Ulysses S. Grant himself! 

Grant confers with his counsel and they give the order to "Fire at will!!!" 

 And they lay it on thick. It is one group of Confederate gunman against an entire artillery division. Do they really think they can win? 

 With the Confederates badly outnumbered and outgunned they have no choice but to retreat.

As the battle ends and the Union salutes their fallen comrades. All are indebted to this brave Union scout Private Felix who alerted the men "The Confederates are coming!!!"