September

We began this month with a fun time at Toronto Island.  We were able to meet up with friends there again this year, which is a lovely addition to our annual celebration.  There are always amazing planes to watch overhead while we have our picnic lunch.  The airshow happens on this date each year.  They are loud and fast.  It was the latest we'd ever been on the island as we waited for the ferry in the dark and arrived home after 11:00.

All three kids on cars

We followed up that adventure with a trip to Raybeth (Graham's parents' property) and the joy of sleeping in a trailer, seeing extended family, going on the pond raft, and enjoying s'mores by the bonfire.

Isaac's first day of Grade Three

Next, school started.  Isaac's class has just five boys.  Kohen walked in bravely on his first day.  We found out the day before that a friend of Isaac had a younger sister who was an SK in Kohen's class and she agreed to stand beside him in line on the first day so that was a lovely gift from God and really helped.  The first week was great but I think the school honeymoon has worn off a little for Kohen so we're working on that challenge right now.

Kohen's first day of JK

Kohen's cubby at school

Lily-Anna with her backpack ready to go

Lily-Anna sometimes asks where Kohen is and I remind her that he's at school.  She's pretty easy going and has seemed to take this change in stride.  She does like being with her brothers.  She's doing well in her bed and only asked for her crib a few times early on.  We let her know that a different baby needed the crib as we were able to pass it along.  We pray and sing with her before bed after the lights are out.  A couple of times she asked Graham and I to sing the 'Siah song' (Josiah song) to her.  That's a song that we often sing when we go past his cemetery or we're at his gravestone.  This summer we went past a cemetery somewhere else and she started singing the Josiah song.  Josiah's death greatly affects Kohen and Lily-Anna.

I am sad that a strong and gentle and joy-filled man from our church passed away last week.  We attended his lovely funeral on Saturday.  He will be greatly missed.  The beautiful fruit of his well-lived life was so evident.  Graham and I both remember seeing him on Sunday, the day before his death.  His death and life make me want to serve Jesus more.

Our small group started again this past week.  It was nice to be back together in our home, seeing both old and new faces.  We even have a young mom joining us by phone as she gave birth in August.  We are doing a Bible study on the twelve disciples. 

My brother's family blessed us with a bike seat for Lily-Anna that we attached to Graham's bike.  We've gone out a couple of times as a family with Kohen on his scooter.  Last night Graham could hear him praying near the end of our trip, asking the Lord to give him strength to catch up to Graham.  He works hard on that scooter.

I now give myself a weekly needle as my doctor changed my medication for arthritis.  He would have changed it years ago except that I was pregnant or nursing for so many years.  I've been on the new drugs for just over three weeks and I'm thanking God that I haven't had bad side effects.  The doctor said I won't notice a difference for 6-8 weeks so I need to wait another month to see if I'll feel any different.  I've only been brave enough to give myself the needle in my stomach and not my thigh so I need to find out if that's an issue.  It's a small needle but the first time I kept counting to five over and over, telling myself to put it in.  When I finally did, I realized that it doesn't hurt. 

Helping Mommy in an apron

Graham and I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Graham's aunt and uncle's 40th wedding anniversary with extended family.  They are amazingly generous, hospitable, loving, and thoughtful.  It was wonderful to hear their daughter say that to this day she has no idea what bugs her mom about her dad or her dad about her mom because she has never heard them speak badly about each other.  That's awesome.  I also loved hearing Graham's uncle say that it really doesn't matter where you are in life currently but it's what direction you are heading in as that is where you'll end up in the future.  Our children also enjoyed hanging out with their cousin while we were gone.  She was a great babysitter.  We returned to see the kids perform a play she had made up.  

Kohen climbing at Go Bananas

Isaac climbing at Go Bananas

I've started helping monthly in Kohen's Sunday School class at church.  Our only challenge is getting Kohen to want to be there.  He's a boy who likes his freedom.  I was in the class last Sunday and was so thankful for his amazing teacher.  She was so wonderful with all the children and was excited about the lesson and looked up an interesting craft and acted out the story with the kids.  It's such a lovely age - the children just wanted to tell her random things.  I also enjoyed singing the old Sunday School songs I remember as a kid.

My sweet husband shining my shoes!

I somehow discovered the site "RecipeTin Eats" and I've loved a number of the dishes I've made like chicken shawarma with yogurt sauce, chicken satay noodle salad, and mejadra (a rice and lentil dish that I would happily devour all by myself).  The kids have even liked a lot of the food. 

I had never seen an elderbox bug before this summer.  Sadly, we are now well acquainted.  They love the tree in our backyard as well as our siding and patio stones and now that the weather is turning colder, they also love my basement.  I am keeping a tally of the ones I send to their demise each day (inside).  I now have a pump sprayer that I use outside to limit the number that can come inside.  We had someone come out and spray them on Friday and it has made a huge difference.  I am so thankful.  I have been told that I'll be dealing with this for three years as they'll come out in force again in the spring.  I'll be ready for them.

Someone just pointed out to me today that I gave birth to my kids on even years - 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016.  Good to know!  Why haven't I noticed that before?!  This mom was so sweet - she referred to me as a mom of four kids and even said our daughters should start a "one girl and three brothers club."  I'm not close to this person and she doesn't live locally but her sweet thoughtfulness is much appreciated.  It wasn't that she was trying to include Josiah on purpose - she just seemed to do it naturally without thinking.  I'll have to thank her when I see her next.       

The morning will be here before we know it so I will say goodnight.  Thanks for any prayers.

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Jeremiah 17:8

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."