Low-Key Harvest Break

With older kids in college and conflicting school schedules, our annual Harvest Break is no longer the perfect time of year for a family vacation.  It's been a great ride the past 11 years and I'll be forever grateful for the places we've journeyed to being able to enjoy them without the summer heat and crowds. Tanner compromised his senior year of cross-country because of our traditions and now that Anna's joined the team, we don't forsee Harvest Break being an optimal time to travel for the next few years either.

Two days after the Homecoming Dance, Jantzen was asked to the Halloween Dance (over a month away!).  It's kind of crazy how early the asking gets started with the girls.  In fact, as soon as Jantzen came home from school and saw this, he put it on his Instagram 'story' because he found out someone else had plans to ask him and he didn't want to have to say no:).  How very thoughtful of him!  In any event, his first date will be with Gracie M. and she's awesome.

Quinn has been laser-focused on completing "adventures" in his Bear Scout book.  He has a goal to complete everything in the book.  Not sure how/when we'll do the swimming/boating/canoeing one with winter coming on but the boy is motivated!  Aaron was a good sport to take him camping nearby  so Quinn could put up a tent, cook an outdoor meal, catch a fish, etc.  We attempted a family camping trip in August that ended up being an "epic fail" though a few of us spent the night at Beaver Dick Park in the Smith's RV.  Needless to say, this time around was just a father/son excursion.

Tin-foil dinners

Catching a small striped bass

Officer Allen fingerprinting Quinn.

During the break from school, arrangements were made for Quinn to visit the police station and the animal shelter.  At each location, he received a personal tour and the full attention of those involved. Quinn was able to ask questions, learn and complete the requirements for both "Forensics" and "Critter Care".  He was more interested in the work police do and thought the animal shelter smelled bad (which it did).  Happy for me, we didn't come home with any critters - except a few goldfish that Quinn and Elsie bought at the store with their own money.

Picking pumpkins at the Oldham's patch.

Garden tomatoes are the best.

It wouldn't be Harvest Break without doing a little harvesting in the family garden.  The tomatoes were amazing this year though we did lose quite a few to an early frost.  Nothing compares with the taste of vine-ripened garden tomatoes.  The easiest way to process them is to blend and freeze everything to be used in soups, stews, etc. so that's what we did.  No homemade salsa this year.

Yukon Gold potatoes

Smaller red potato crop

Honey crisp apples - amazing!

We had to pick our apples earlier than we wanted to because the birds were devouring them.  We've enjoyed making applecrisp and mostly eating them.  Our three buckets should last for a while in the garage fridge.  No plans to make messy applesauce this year - hooray!

This picture represents hours and hours of work by Tanner.  He copied and pasted and re-formatted all the emailed group letters he wrote home then printed them out.  He also printed off mission pictures and put them in sleeves (the old-fashioned way) along with the letters so each binder represents an area he served in with the dates/companions and such.  He completed this huge project before school started because he knew it would not get done otherwise.  I'm so grateful he put in the effort to record the many miracles and experiences of his 2-year service in Pennsylvania!

Our three beautiful daughters at a photo shoot:).

We don't see much of Brinley these days now that she's living near campus.  There are two completely different "worlds" operating in our community.  We may share the same roads but it's amazing how separate things can be.  In any event, Brinley joined Elsie, Anna and me for the inspirational Women's Session of General Conference last Saturday (Oct. 6).  A little DQ afterwards completed a fun-filled evening.

Quinn & Elsie - taking notes during Conference

Anna, Brinley, Elsie, Tanner

Jantzen watching Conference.

We loved everything about our relaxed, General Conference weekend.  The rest of the world was put "on hold" while we listened to Church leaders and especially President Russel M. Nelson.  The messages were powerful reminders about what matters most in this life and the importance of serving others.  We are grateful to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and will continue to faithfully stay on the "covenant path".  Conference was a wonderful end to our low-key Harvest Break.