Cousins for a visit

The day after we sent my dad and his wife Babs back to Utah Geoff's sister Ingrid and her family came for a four-day visit. We had perfect fall weather and the kids mostly played outside. We tried to squeeze some school-like activities in, but mostly it was fun and games.

We gave corn husk dolls a try

and we learned about photosynthesis and why leaves change color when the weather cools, then dipped leaves in glycerin (it was the wrong kind so the project didn't turn out quite as planned...)

We made pattern block animals and graphs to show what shapes were used

TK did his own thing and came up with an amazing structure

Taeya and Adele were particularly interested in Poppop's truck. One morning they came in breathless saying they had hopped on the back of Poppop's truck as he drove down the steep driveway and jumped off at the end. "Poppop didn't even know we were there!!!" (All mothers in the room stood frozen...) Later Poppop gave them similar rides, and they were on top of the world.

I went out to announce bedtime and found Taeya and Adele reading by lantern-light on the back of the truck

We parents, no, the women of the house and Geoff, stayed up late making Danish-looking Christmas ornaments. Ingrid and I drove all over town trying to find the right materials for what we all envisioned.

I attempted to copy some of the 100-year-old Danish nissamen Geoff's great-grandmother had passed down. In Denmark they hang off plants and wreaths, and hide behind books. I absolutely love them! My first little lady is on the left. Geoff made the two Santas on the right.

Ingrid helped all the girls make stockings out of leftover scraps of fabric. Our girls were very excited about this project since Geoff's socks just don't hold enough stuff.

It was loud, crazy and totally delightful to have this great family for the weekend.

By this past Sunday my body called it quits and I got a nasty flu. I slept the entire day and night. Then the nasty cold/flu passed to every person in the house. Not to mention Emily who was recovering from a surgery earlier in the week, and Geoff's mom's neck and back muscles that completely locked leaving her in a lot of pain! We were quite a sight around here. But I'm happy to say we are on the mend and life is starting to feel a little back to normal.