Friday, November 5, 2010

September & October 2010...

It's been a while since I've blogged!! I will post a few pictures from each month. Our first field trip of the homeschool year was at the Norfolk Zoo. We joined our friends Ashley and her three boys Benjamin, Jacob and Jonathan. We didn't take many good shots of the animals this year, but we had a lot of fun!!



Jacob, Josh & Jonathan





Jonathan, Josh, Caleb, Benjamin & Jacob.



Had to post this random picture... Caleb found this HUGE caterpillar out back and we kept it for a few days. It was way bigger than the picture even shows.


Another random picture of Lauren & Toby.




Shaun and I got some much needed time away, thanks to Mimi watching the kids for a few days. The picture above was taken on our car drive. I couldn't stop taking pictures of the gorgeous fall colors. The views were breathtaking! We were very high up in the Virginia's mountains. We stayed outside of Charlottesville.




This was our cottage and the road was crazy narrow and steep. I thought we were going to die driving there, plus it didn't help that we were driving during the dark. Once we got the stars were amazing from our cottage. It looked like the sky was so close to us.


It looks bigger from the outside, but the inside was cozy. A one bedroom/bath very cute and clean cottage. They had awesome property very secluded on the side of the mountain and we got to hike a really cool trail.



We visited the Monticello in Charlottesville, where Thomas Jefferson lived. It was so cool to see this beautiful home he designed, while writing the Declaration of Independence, soon becoming the Vice President and then President. WOW!! He accomplished so much in his lifetime. He also read almost 7,000 books as well.



The back of the Monticello.


This was under his house, where he stored his food, had an out-house, stored ice, had a wash/room, where his kitchen & smokehouse were. Where his stables and animals lived. It was amazing to see!!



This is the underground kitchen a few bedrooms his cooks lived in.


The cooks room, it was very tiny.




More beautiful scenery.



Thomas Jefferson was big into gardening. This was his garden and his slaves lived right near the gardens.


Monticello gardens.



On our way up to the tipee top of the Mountain right near our cottage. It was crazy how high up we went. The road was so narrow, steep w/ no guard rails, there were times I couldn't even look. We were going up to the Stonehouse Vineyard.




This is what we saw once we got up the mountain and out of the car. It was breathtaking!! Well worth the almost heart attack I had.





Another picture of Stonehouse, this is the vineyard.



This was Lauren's first year trick or treating. We usually do fall festivals, but it was a busy weekend and I only had energy to walk down our street. She had so much fun. The boys waited until it got dark and went out with Dad and some neighborhood friends. They got way too much candy.



Caleb & Josh my Spidermen!!