Hanging around the house

Sleeping Sage

Santa Barbara Fire

As many of you have heard, Santa Barbara is on fire. Already 100+ homes have been lost and the fire is still at 0% containment. Westmont lost many buildings and our dear friends Phil, Claire, and Sammy Ficsor (who have previously been in many pics on this blog) lost their home to the fire. They have been staying here with us since the fire and it seems that every hour we are already seeing the amazing provision of Christ. Through donated money, toys, clothes, shelter, and food they are finding their voices of praise and thanksgiving. Just today they were given a new place of their own to live until they are able to find a more permanent home. It is a BEAUTIFUL, quaint cottage here in Carpinteria and it is RIGHT on the beach. The backyard is a fully fenced in grass yard and the minute you step out the front door you are walking on sand. They are literally 30 feet from the ocean. And this place was offered to them from total strangers who have never met them. God is good!!!! So even though these are some pictures of their old house, the blessings of their new house and life are only beginning...

Random pics

Our lil' pumpkin

Sage was sooooo excited to be a pumpkin for his first Halloween. He went trick or treating with his buddy Sammy Ficsor (disguised as a knight) and scored some good candy =) Meanwhile, Dan enjoyed scaring the local children who came innocently looking for candy....it was a great first Halloween.

Pumpkin Carving!

Erin and Joel came over this past Friday for pumpkin carving and to watch Monster House. We had such a fun time and our pumpkins turned out great. Joel's pumpkin is the one with the windmill, Erin's has the cool decor, and ours is the funny looking monster we made just for Sage.

Picnics Galore!

Picnicking seems to be our new family activity. First we ventured to the big grassy field by the Carpinteria Beach Campground, Sage thought it was a good idea to help tuck Dan in for a nap when we were done eating. A few days later we picnicked at a park in Summerland to the setting sun....wow, we are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place!

Hangin' out with Sage

Sage and I were desperate for some fresh air the other day so we decided to have a picnic. We rolled around in the leaves, stared at the brilliant blue sky, and basked in the cool ocean breeze and setting fall sun.

Autumn Fun =)

Amazingly, it's still in the upper 80s here in Santa Barbara and all of us Midwesterners are DESPERATE for some semblance of fall. So Dan and I along with our friends Phil, Claire, and Sammy decided to head up north to another of our favorite getaways - Avilla Valley Barn. We walked through orchards, picked apples, went through a hay maze, drank yummy cider and had a fantastic day. Sage slept through most of it, but seemed to love the pumpkins best of all =)

More Fall...