The Hanson Crew

John and I left for our annual MN trip on Thurs evening. It was wonderful! First time we have gone to this conference the night before it starts and first time we have gone without other couples. It was different, but good. We enjoyed the Friday sessions, which we usually don't get to attend because we are driving. We also enjoyed more conversation and listening to a CS Lewis book together for the 7 hour drive. The conference was about the life of CS Lewis. It was very interesting. We enjoyed a quick stop at IKEA on our way home since KC hasn't got ours built yet.

Before it gets to cold, we thought we would enjoy a little evening tennis.  We played by moonlight and the sound of our lake fountain :)  It was wonderful (minus the balls going out of the fence into the lake and pool area of course!)

Our crew enjoyed the Line Creek Elementary Fall Carnival since John and I will be gone for the FCA one this year.  It was a fun time.  It cost $30 for our family to go and that included dinner and lots of games.  The boys enjoyed getting their hair dyed the most.  Ashlyn didn't do it, so she took the picture instead.

John and I continue to enjoy our weekly dates out to dinner or shopping together now that Ashlyn can babysit.  We decided to bring our kids a couple times this month over weekends.  It's kinda funny how excited they get for restaurants because we just don't go that often. They sure appreciate it when we do.  This was Caleb's favorite one so far.  Jack Stack BBQ, a must visit if you are ever here!  Such amazing brisket, BBQ beans and BBQ sauce.

This fall I hope to decorate more than I usually do. I thought I would start with some easy burlap projects since burlap is so cheap and easy to use. My good friend Lisa M and I decided to tackle a burlap wreath we found on Pinterest. It was fun and easy! I ended up making two wreaths for my front doors. I also stamped a couple burlap wreaths, one for our mantle and one for our dining room...check them out...

John surprised the boys with dinner and a night at the circus. They were pretty excited! They loved the Dragons, lions, motorbikes and tightropes the best. Ashlyn and I enjoyed dinner out and a movie night while they were gone. So thankful for our children and the personalities they each have...

Nothing like some burlap, craft time, and mums to start the season off right!   

Caleb and Joshua are able to play on the same parks and rec team again (3rd and 4th grade) so we signed them up together this fall.  We were also able to sign up their good friend Chancellor.  They practice on Tues evenings and have games on Thurs evenings.  We will try to post some pics of them in action as the season progresses. They are Thing 1 and Thing 2 this year (Chance is #7).

We finally finished a yard project we started last summer in August of this year. When we moved in, we loved the stone patio that was in our backyard. But after two or three birthday parties, we realized it wasn't quite big enough for our family of six and other guests. So we talked about building a deck or patio next to the stone area we already loved. Here is what the area looked like when we first move in.... We painted our house right away, added new windows, and took down the little tree that had overgrown right next to the existing patio... Then, last summer, we dug out the bushes, grass, and rock that were tight under the window area next to the existing patio.  That took a lot of hard work and time.  The square we dug was 13 feet by 12 feet... We tried to level the first with sand and boards, but it didn't level completely.  We bought cheaper bricks for $.67 each and made a pattern throughout the area.  Then we poured pavers sand over the top and swep

 Jonathan has seen the bad guys and is ready to storm ahead and get them!!

I finally agreed to get my concealed carry permit this last month and must say I am so glad I did.  John got his a couple years ago and carries sometimes when we are in the bad parts of Kansas City or travel.  He also used to be one of the security guards at our private school when he taught there.  I was wanting to take the gun safety class since we have a few guns in our gun safe at home and wanted to know how to use one if I ever needed to when I was alone here.  Since I took the class and could apply for the concealed carry I did.  I shot two types of guns and even learned how to use John's expensive one he carries.  I haven't started carrying yet because I haven't bought a small enough gun to carry, but look forward to the day when I can.

Since I have been working with at the Maids, I have began a fun weekly game in our breakroom. Each week, I put a question on a white board (in both English and Spanish) asking them a question.  Most of the time, it is something like "What is your favorite...game, tv show, snack, etc?"  But sometimes I ask trivia questions or something else.  This was one of the questions that got the most response....What city were you born in?  Look at that diversity...