• Two large tents
  
• a screened room for eating
  
• a large raccoon or bear (?)
  
• a crash in the screen house the first night and a missing box of Grapenuts cereal the next morning (my husband went out to investigate in the wee hours, only to see eyes darting back in forth in the woods...and loud heavy footsteps...DON'T BE SCARED!)
  
• beautiful weather...not a lick of rain and we have the tan to prove it!
  
• a lovely lake
  
• canoe trip to an island to pick cup fulls of wild blueberries
  
• a man we dubbed, "the snoring guy." Who should win an award for being able to make sounds like a grizzly bear...all night long. (well for 6 of our 7 nights)
  
• picnics everyday
  
• a crackling blazing fire and an ancient book on Charles Spurgeon which I finally got to crack open.
  
• well behaved children
  
• tons of laundry to do and a trailer full of odds and ends to empty ....Thank you God!

Now for those of you who have children (or know children ;-) I have a sweet friend who has a wonderful online shop full of all sorts of helpful books. Her shop is as lovely as she is, perhaps some of you could use a little something to add to this years curriculum. Her shop, Blue Thistle Books is well organized and certainly you will find just the thing that will make your heart sing. You will just love Hallie and her books...check out her blog after you browse around her bookshop. I am thinking that some of these books would make EXCELLENT Christmas gifts. She has a sale going on and also a giveaway at her website...check it out! *a hint about the giveaway...it has to do with machinery and sugar...well I guess the sugar is optional on your part, but hey- you'll have to go see it for yourself!