It's Official-- Fall has arrived!!

Sure most people are excited when the month of October rolls in and weather turns crisp...heck if you add in Halloween and Candy Corn who wouldn't be? Well, Me, for instance. Not that I am not excited as I love Halloween-after all it is one of my top 5 Holidays :) But when November is showing on my calender I know that Fall is is officially here!

We are blessed beyond measure to live in an area where we get to enjoy the beautiful Fall Scenery simply by looking out our windows. A drive into town brings even more opportunity to see the lovely red, yellow, orange and browns leaves. The road back home continues to amaze me as it did over 6 years ago when we moved up here. Driving up over a knoll and seeing the vista in the background, coming around a corner and being face to err face with a vibrant old fella decked out tip to root in brilliant yellows.

I couldn't resist stopping and snapping a few photos today(for once no kids were in the truck to complain :) )

**Please keep in mind I am not a professional photographer(even though I pretend at times haha) so the color is off in the photos.**

The view we see going out the driveway.



The Road Home *My favorite road*




Almost home :)

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Keep checking in as I will be posting some different Fall Decorating that we already have going on around the house as well as some "wish lists" on various things*NO worries --they are not Christmas related :)~ *

~~Trick or Treat~~

We had a fun evening in Dahlonega tonight. We started the evening off modeling some costumes.
We had a Trapper with his basket full of pelts & a lovely Chinese Princess gracing our presence this year! We had a special guest too--as Daisy the Good Little Witch decided to go Trunk or Treating with us for the 1st time.


The church held a Trunk or Treat and the work that was put into the trunks were amazing!!
I was able to snap pics of just a few of the trunks we had --- Preacher Jeff had a Beach Trunk with sand and everything!! We had a Hot Dog, Ketchup and Cook Trunk and so much more!! Great job to everyone at Dahlonega United Methodist Church for putting on a great evening!!



We then headed to the square to Trick or Treat there. Good Witch Daisy was a huge hit and even got her own treats from Winnie the Pooh(one of the shop owners)!
Thankfully we went early as it was already crowded 30 mins after it "opened"!

All in all it was a wonderful evening and each of us had fun!!
~~~Halloween 2008

"Skull Pumpkin Disaster of 2008" or Why I do not play with knives....

Normally around the Boling household this time of year Craig is yielding the carving knife turning an average pumpkin into nothing short of a work of art. For some, as yet to be discovered reason, this year Eli asked me to carve his pumpkin. After repeatedly trying to convince him that I was not the best choice for this task, he assured me that he had faith I could do it! (this coming from the boy who can't draw a straight line --wonder where he got that from?!)

So begins the story of the Skull Pumpkin Disaster of 2008

--In the beginning there was a lowly pumpkin who had graced the table for a few weeks now. Waiting and watching while the White Pumpkin was fussed over for 2 nights, looking and longing while the Piglet took up a whole afternoon of precious time. Always wondering, "When will it be My turn?"

Alas!! The young Boling lad decided he was ready to have me turned into the masterpiece I was destined to become. After much research using the greatest tool ever invented(google) he decided on a devilishly scary skull pattern. He sent me to the guillotine to have my head removed, then with his trusty spoon he proceeded to remove my brains. It wasn't all roses and puppies as he & his sidekick Emma soon figured out.



With my innards all gutted I sat peacefully on the carefully arranged newspaper in anticipation of Mr. Boling working his carving skills on me(this is not something one takes lightly - as I have heard whispers of the creations this man has produced in past years). All of a sudden what is that I feel?!? It is the hands of the Mom----- an amateur!!
**GASP** How can they do this to me...Why are they doing this me? Taking my one shot in the spotlight....my 15 minutes of fame and throwing it into the hands of a pumpkin carving NEWBIE!! Who could be so cruel?!?!?!

I can hear Eli and Emma oh-so-innocently giving Mom the go ahead. "You can do!" they say "we have faith in you!" Why are they doing this? Have they not seen this womans attempts at drawing? Have they not been privy to her many sketches of various things that have ended with them being tossed like yesterday's news into the garbage while she slyly asks Mr.Boling to do the sketch for her?

For whatever reason they have resigned my fate to her and alas there is not a thing I can do but sit here and cringe as I wait for the 1st gut-wrenching poke of the knife. She actually takes the time to trace the design on. Trace- for heavens sake! Every Pumpkin knows that a true carver works totally by free-hand, that is the sign of a true professional, which is obviously Not whose hands I am in *sigh*

Arghhhh here it is, the 1st slice and it is a deep one!
"Jab...slice,slice,slice. Prob...wiggle, wiggle, wiggle."
Who in Halloween's name wiggles a knife while carving?!?
I beg one last time of you, Boling Children, save this poor helpless pumpkin before it is too late to turn back!!

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Anyone? Help?
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Ahhh it's over now, there is nothing I can do. The evil knife wiggler and the kids are looking at me now. Without ears it is difficult to determine what they are saying. The girl puts her hand over her mouth and looks at the Dad with an odd face.

What could they be thinking? Am I that bad? Oh Maybe I am actually better than they thought I would be? YES that is it!

WAIT--Emma is holding up the stencil for comparison.

Now Dad is laughing...Mom has a "I told you so" kinda look on her face... and now both the kids are laughing too!!




Oh Nooooooooooo How could this happen? Who was the mastermind behind this atrocity?
How did I go from a scary, tough, rugged looking skull to a crooked mouth, slack-jawed squarish looking cat?!?!

Even the candlelight does not do me justice!!

How can I ever hold this lopsided head up in public again? I will be the talk to Halloween Bashes everywhere and the laughing stock of Jack 'O Lantern Lane for all eternity!!




I beg of you Boling Family... Please, Please, Please do not ever let Mom use a knife on an unsuspecting pumpkin again! Have her stick to paper, paint, and glue -that is more up her alley and doesn't have any adverse reactions on a lowly Halloween creature such as myself. Please never let this type of disaster repeats itself in your household again!!

Thank you for allowing me to grace your porch this Halloween season despite my appearance.
Sincerly,
"What should have been a Devilishly Scary Skull Pumpkin were it not for the lack of skill in one woman's hands."
Halloween 08



**Please excuse any typing/wording errors :) **

The Great Piglet!

Emma's class is having a pumpkin contest this week and the only rules were Nothing Scary and No Carving. After lots of research Emma decided on a Pig!! On the way home from church we stopped off to pick out the perfect "pig"-which was a 20 minute debate, but we ended up with a keeper!
Add a little spray paint, scrap paper, mirrors, ribbon, and some bling for her tail ~~WaaaLaaaa we have a Pig!! Actually a "Piglet" according to Emma. Then we saw a commercial for the "Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this afternoon and she declared the piglet .. The Great Piglet!!

--Now if Piglet can make it to school tomorrow with no issues we will be doing good!

The Comanche Indians and a Volcano

It was School Project week around here this week!

Emma has been studying Indians and her project was on the Comanche Indians. After a few days of research she decided to do some tepee's. She drew various designs on each tepee and then glued them on a wood base that Craig made her. We were having a hard time figuring out the fire that she wanted her Indians dancing around so I cut of some scrap-flowers and(if I do say so myself) ended up with a good looking fire.

She was so proud of her project and she got a 113 on it! WooHoooo



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Eli came home and announced he had a Volcano due in 2 days!! I pretty much flipped out at the short notice but that is actually all the time they had to do it in.(I am still not used to Middle School!!)

Thankfully Craig took over the lead on this project and came up with a great idea. Using Great Foam he and Eli made a neat Volcano and then painted it the different layers. It turned out great and Eli said everyone was impressed when he took it to school!

Laura or Mary Ingalls and YAY for the Letter B

Emma had Old Fashioned Day on Friday and on Thursday evening we figured out that we could not find the apron that goes with her outfit. After about an hour of looking high & low she simply decided to be Mary Ingalls instead of Laura because Mary is too old for an apron!
Then on Friday morning she wanted her hair in pig-tails like Laura!
--Without the apron but with oh-so-cute pigtails, she was adorable and had a great day despite the yucky weather!

Square Dancing: On Tuesday Emma came home so excited because our last name was at the beginning of the alphabet! I said why are you excited about that? Well it seems they got to pick partners for Square Dancing and the girls are who got to pick. Since her name is Boling she was the 1st girl. She picked Matthew who she is sweet one(but don't tell her I said that!) and was so excited!

On Friday morning I got to see the Square Dancing and couldn't help but laugh because in the beginning her and Matthew wouldn't even hold hands. Once they got to dancing however it was all Smiles from both of them!!

Drum Roll Please.....

After many false starts and a few choices words(from me) Emma & I finally finished with our White Pumpkin!!

It was a fun change from the usual carving(which Craig will do this weekend lol)