A little bit of this and that

Well, partly due to a malfunction with my blogger app and partly due to what this product of the 1980's would refer to as a good old fashioned "major malfunction" of myself as we adjust, readjust and then go back and adjust some more,I have long been absent from my blog. And I do apologize.

John is onto a new work schedule, Zach and Gabe are doing well at school and Rilla is potty trained... So now I can breathe again. 

We went to a very fun apple orchard today about an hour away; fellow married student Melissa set up a very fun fall "extravaganza!" for the marrieds and since I have never and will never pass up a chance to visit an apple orchard the kids and I (and my very brave new friend Tina) went for it. Afterwards we were all (!) invited to her parents house for dinner, where Zach caught three wooly bear caterpillars and Gabe was allowed to use an old fashioned typewriter, which was a dream come true for my literary son. (We have actually been looking for a typewriter because he loves antiques as well, and no luck yet so this was a big night for him.) Rilla had her hair in French braids for the very first time, and they actually lasted for part of the day. 

In other news, I have a new friend from Germany who was actually born in Kyrgyzstan; last week she and another new friend Natasha, who is from Russia, came over and we made pelmeni. It was so much fun.