Autumn Activities

At the end of October I had my annual piano party for my students. The past few years I've had enough students that I divide the group into younger and older students. This is my group of younger students.

At the end of the younger students' party and at the beginning of the older students' party we have pizza and soda.

This is the older group waiting their turn to perform.

This was the matching game the older students played.

Here's a picture of the older group of students.All my students are great kids and I enjoy working with them.

This year I had the brilliant idea to make a piano keys' pumpkin out of a white fake pumpkin. I think it turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Kent and me in our Halloween finery!

This is one of my famous multi-layer cake creations. This one is chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, covered in milk chocolate ganache with Reese's crumbled over the top. I gave it away to my friend Cindi for her birthday, and didn't even have a piece. I REALLY wanted to taste it!!

On the last Saturday in October Kent and I drove to Shenandoah National Park to see the turning autumn leaves.

We were very disappointed. It was way too early - or should I say the leaves were much laterr than normal this year.  We had to look hard to see any autumn colors at all. It was a lovely day and there were some pretty vistas, but we didn't stay too long.

On the third of November there was a Relief Society activity. I brought the fall decorations.

I don't have any photos of it, but I also demonstrated how to make microwave peanut brittle, which thankfully turned out okay even though I used the microwave at the church instead of mine from home.

The sisters who came were supposed to bring their favorite homemade holiday food to share. It was a nice activity, though only about 20 women came.

On the first Saturday in  November we went on a volksmarch in Prince William Forest Park, a national park just about ten miles to the north of us.

We saw lots of fall colors....

and enjoyed hiking on a lovely autumn day.

On the way home we drove through the Quantico National Cemetery,

Where we saw even more pretty changing leaves.

On the 8th of November my Bible Study group celebrated Becky's birthday at Karen's house.

I made a multi-layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon chips for Becky's birthday cake. At least I got to taste this one!!

These last two pictures are of the little bluebird who loves our house and is always trying to fly into the window. He was doing it in the spring, but then we hadn't seen him for a few months.

In October/November he was back again, sitting outside our window and then flying into the window as if he wants to get into the house. We have no idea why he does it!! I guess he's just a bird brain.