The leaves have been blown from the trees already and the winter rains have begun to fall regularly again.  Oh, it is soooo cold.  How could I forget how cold it was last year?  The foothills have put on their winter shawls, gently dusted white by the new snow.

October was very busy for us in the ways of traveling.  We finished traveling around the south-eastern counties of Idaho getting stamps for our "passports."  Then we turned northward and finished 12 counties in the panhandle.  What a wonderful trip that was; my first time north of Boise.  We then hand-delivered our "passports" to the Governor's office, to which we were treated to meeting Governor Risch.

We celebrated our 18th anniversary in Couer d'Alene.  While there my eldest daughter and I attended the Mother-Daughter Tea sponsored by Christian Heritage Home Educators.  What a wonderful weekend it all was!

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday and my children and dear husband gave me a pair of Irish ghillies for taking Irish step dance lessons, with two of my children.  They all have much more confidence in me and my abilities than I do, for I am quite nervous about the whole affair.  When I expressed my gratitude, oh how eager and excited they are for me, I also mentioned I probably wouldn't perform (as our school is a performance school, not a competition school) but only enjoy learning, my dear children exclaimed, "No, Mommy!  You have to perform, we want you to perform.  We want to show you off!"  What a blessed woman I am!  So come December, you will dance with me.

We now are planning to host 16 for Thanksgiving and participate in a holiday recital at the Nampa Civic Center, as well as three other performances before the recital.  The children are thrilled.  I am thankful we homeschool so we can enjoy these activities to the fullest.  I am ready, however, to hibernate.  Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it SNOW!