A Weekend in the Country

This weekend, we took off away from the city, and spent a few days out in the country with family. Although the days were pretty warm, we were quite surprised at how cold it got in the evenings!  It's a good thing we had a nice fire to warm us up.

The kids, both big and small enjoyed riding the quads, playing on the tire swing, and participating in target practice with the bb gun.

The cousins really are best friends, and we always have a blast when we go away together!

Our daughter and her older cousin were a big help, cleaning up after breakfast.

One evening, we decided to go for a ride in the Ocala National Forest. Unfortunately, we did not see any large animals- just a few rabbits. But the kids had a blast riding in the back of the truck in the darkness. And when I say darkness, I mean completely black!

Here I am with my sister in law, trying to warm up in the sunshine. This was a fun weekend for everyone, and we can't wait to escape to the country again soon!



Pumpkin Festival

This past weekend, we took the kids to a local Pumpkin Festival. The weather was just perfect! There were lots of pumpkins and so many different activities and events going on.

The younger kids went through the haystack maze and found their way out pretty quickly (with a bit of help!)

Since the festival was held at a working farm, there were tons of vegetables and fruits available to purchase too.

All kinds of cute displays like the one pictured above were set up around the farm.

Our little guy was absolutely thrilled when he was allowed to climb into this military chopper and put on the helmet!

You can't go to a fall festival and not enjoy all the yummy treats there!

We had fun going on a hayride too!

And let's not forget more snacks! Ooooh- delicious pumpkin pie...

It was such a fun day for us!

Autumn Nature Hunt

This week for science, we went on an autumn nature hunt. Where we live, the seasons do not show a very obvious change. But, we thought it would be still be fun, so out we went early one morning to see what we could find.

Each of the kids was given a science data journal to record any drawing or interesting things to remember. They also had a pencil, pen, some crayons for doing leaf rubbings, and small and large plastic bags. Last of all, they were given a check list of items to search for.

I was very impressed with how hard they worked and how much they enjoyed this activity. Our little guy particularly seemed to enjoy doing the drawing in his journal and labeling it. He chose to draw some leaves.

They also liked the leaf rubbings. They actually decided to do rubbings of other objects we found- not just leaves.

After we completed the entire check list, we headed over to the playground for some climbing fun!



Goodbye, Portugal!

Wow- it's hard to believe it has been a month and the time has come to say goodbye to Portugal. We have so many great memories and this was such a wonderful trip. I know our children learned a lot and they experienced new and exciting things each day. So, I would like to leave you with these pictures and thoughts:

Goodbye to our little feathered friends and to all the furry, fluffy creatures we met while here.

Goodbye to all the amazing sites we were able to visit. We learned so much about the history of Portugal.

Goodbye fresh baked bread and foamy, hot coffee. We will miss you dearly...

Goodbye funny little mailboxes. 

Goodbye, extremely narrow alley in which my husband had to drive our rental car through each day!

Goodbye giant marshmallows- you looked good enough to eat!

Those are really just bags the farmers place over the rolled up hay.

Goodbye breath-taking scenery. We never tire of looking at you!

Goodbye, Beco do Torcato (the name of my parents' street). We walked many miles down your path and will always remember all the fun we had, exploring the town.

Thanks to my parents for a fantastic trip we will never forget. We are all so blessed to have you in our lives.

Goodbye Portugal. We will always keep you close in our hearts...

Underground Caves

On our last day in Portugal, we took the kids to the underground caves of Mira de Aire. There are really no words to describe how completely amazing these caves are! They were discovered in the 1940's and are a common field trip for school children throughout Portugal.

The Mountain Town of Arouca

A few days ago, we went to the mountain village of Arouca for a festival they were having there. The first thing we did was get something to eat!

Doesn't the soup look delicious? Well it was! Kale soup is one of our favorite Portuguese foods and our children can't seem to get enough of it. When I make it at home, they each usually have 2 or 3 bowls full!

After lunch, the kids enjoyed jumping over this little crack in the ground.

They also made friends with one of the local furry residents. He is a Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Isn't he just beautiful? He was really friendly too and enjoyed all the attention from the kids.

We watched the parade go by and enjoyed listening to the different bands.

We also went inside the local cathedral to view all the beautiful decor and of course, there was a tomb of someone there too ( I can't remember who!).

Then, we hiked about a mile up the road ( a steep one at that!) to see the crosses above. This display of crosses was built in the 1700's.

Our last stop at the festival before we journeyed back home was to the rides. The kids (and grandma!) really enjoyed them and had a great time.

Another beautiful day spent in a picturesque little village on the other side of the world.