Have I ever mentioned that we travel a lot when we're in America?
Well, we do.
Just a bit.
Just a teensy weensy bit.
By which I mean we travel a whole lot and see tons of people and do tons of fun things!
Which keeps us quite busy and keeps me constantly playing catch-up on documenting said fun. But I do document all the things because I do want to remember them. So here's Part 1 of our fall excursions.
Right after Asa's birthday we went to a cabin in Wisconsin to spend time with Eli's family. It was a beautiful little spot, right on a lake, and the weather was gorgeous. The kids had a blast playing outside and running around with their cousins. I particularly enjoyed the canoe rides - I honestly can't recall the last time I've been in a canoe, which means it's been way too long! We also watched a bald eagle flying over the lake a few times.
Eli and I took all the kids for a hike one day. We love being outside with our kids and the fall colors were starting to show and it was a life-giving time to be with all these munchkins.
From there we went up to Duluth to visit with the church there and spend time with friends and supporters. We were blessed to stay with Eli's parents at their seasonal camp site along Lake Superior. The boys especially love playing on the rocks by the lake, and this time they spent quite awhile practicing with the homemade bows and arrows Grandpa Horn made for them.
It was the perfect time to be in Duluth - the fall colors had popped up there and it was beautiful just driving around. We also took the opportunity to hike a couple times in between all our meetings, and we were giddy to be surrounded by all the colors!
We returned home in time for Eli's birthday, which was marked mostly by taking the boys to an apple orchard and getting pumpkins to carve. I didn't even get a good photo of the birthday boy, but this photo says it all anyway.
Then we had a Horn cousin weekend here in Michigan! Josh and Jamie drove all the way here with their four kids in tow for two nights with us at the lakehouse. Let me tell you, that is love! We know quite well how long that drive is, and how much longer it is with kids, and we were sooooo happy and thankful they made the effort to come all the way out here to see us! Josh and Eli have been best friends since they came out of the womb, and Jamie and I were friends at Bethel and roommates for a bit after college, and their friendship is so meaningful and important to us. And we just love seeing our kids build memories together.
There was one day in between the cousin visit and our next big trip, and it was Kai's birthday!
He requested Taco Bell for supper and a cake with a balrog on it. A balrog is the horrible creature from Lord of the Rings that Gandalf fights in the Mines of Moria. When Kai told me he wanted a Middle Earth birthday, I thought he'd want something like a hobbit hole on his cake. That would have been easy enough. But no, he wanted a balrog. He was so sweet I couldn't deny him: "Mama, it doesn't have to look really good. Just any kind of balrog. Really, just anything and I will be so happy."
It turned out alright, but I hope it's the only balrog cake I will ever have to do!
I also realized an opportunity to wear my Legolas costume again! I've gotten good use out of this homemade costume that I first wore for Halloween during my sophomore year of college. I pulled it out and a special guest arrived to deliver Kai's cake to him :)
Kai got this red stuffed dragon for his birthday, which he named Smaug, and a new game which has already gotten good use. It was a pretty great day for this kid.
Kai is a quintessential middle child. He can adapt to playing with his big brother and/or little brother. He entertains himself really well and sometimes gets lost in the middle. But he is an amazing little man. He's incredibly smart and is a quick learner, he thinks things through and figures things out for himself, and he thinks deep thoughts and has big questions. He's gained so much independence this past year and I love it and grieve it at the same time. Playing games is his main love language, but he also loves building with Legos and reading chapter books about dragons and having sword battles and Nerf battles with his brothers. He's been unusually snuggly during this time in the States, which was unexpected but which we have been soaking up. He loves going to the library and the nature center and going on dates with his Mama (and I love him for it!).
We love our Kai Guy so much and I'm so thankful we could celebrate his birthday well in the midst of everything else going on this fall. Birthdays are really important in this family no matter where in the world we are because we all need a day to be extra encouraged and reminded of how loved we are - by each other and by God.
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