Camp Progress/Raksapäivitys

We may be way way little behind in our camp renovation schedule, but big progress has been made in October. The two parts of the main house have been joined together again, with a new kitchen being built in the middle. Some of the windows have been replaced, insulation added, some of the roof is redone, and foundation is coming along.



In the Sneak Peek blog post I promised an indoor photo of the 'red cabin'. There are two rooms in the cabin, but the living room/kitchen isn't ready yet. So here's a second sneak peek - the bedroom. Very cute, we think!

And yes, we got snow in Maine, too. Not as much as Southern New Hampshire (24" we hear!), but our four inches made it very pretty to wake up this October morning. Makes me think of October 1992 when I left snowy Finland to come to United States for the first time...



Our family loves snow and we actually do the reverse snowbirding where we spend winters in Maine and go to Florida other times of the year (not summer, though), but we have to admit we aren't really super thrilled about this October snow. It sure would be nice to get our camp rebuilding progress further along before the snow comes to stay.

Plus, where is all our winter gear??

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Mökkimme uudelleen rakentaminen on pahasti aikataulusta jäljessä, mutta onneksi edistystäkin on tapahtunut lokakuun aikana. Päärakennuksen kaksi osaa on yhdistetty jälleen, keittiö on tulossa keskelle, ikkunoita on uusittu, katto osittain valmis, eristystä laitettu ja kivijalka edistyy. 'Punaisen' mökin makuuhuone on valmis, olohuone/keittiö tarvitsee vielä viimeistelyä, joten laitoin vain makuuhuoneesta kuvan keskelle.

Ja mekin saimme lunta viime yönä noin 10 cm - ei yhtä paljon kuin edellinen asuinpaikkamme (yli puoli metriä). Normaalisti iloitsisimme lumesta - tykkäämme talvesta niin paljon että tulemme Floridasta pohjoiseen talvea viettämään, mutta tänä vuonna pitäisi saada mökkimme remontti parempaan pisteeseen ennen kuin talvi tulee.

Enkä edes tiedä missä meidän talvikamppeet ovat!

Little Raccoon/Pieni pesukarhu

Little Miss had a Halloween party at the library yesterday. We've known about the party (and Halloween) for a little while now, but didn't have any costume ideas. We have some assorted costumes from Missy & the brothers, but yes - everything is packed in boxes, stored in my in-law's basement. No worries though - Missy is super creative and a great big sister!





Without instructions, using only a stuffed animal raccoon as a model, this is what Missy created with some face paint, grey clothes, a sock & a headband. Well done, Missy!!



And as the cute little raccoon requested: a group picture was taken before we left for the library.
(Mommy fail - I forgot to take pictures at the library!)

Linking this post to Sunday Snapshot, hosted by Stefanie at Ni Hao Ya'll.

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Meiltä löytyi eilen suloinen pieni pesukarhu. Pikkuneidillä oli kirjastossa Halloween-juhla, ja vaikka kaikki naamiaisasumme ovat laatikoissa anoppilan kellarissa, kekseliäs ja ihana isosisko Missy laittoi kokoon tämän asun, sekä maalasi Pikkuneidin kasvot. Äiti unohti ottaa kirjastossa kuvia, mutta Pikkuneidin pyynnöstä saimme sentään ryhmäkuvan sisaruksista.

Adventures In Gold Panning/Kullanhuuhdontaseikkailuja

This week we went on an unusual homeschool field trip: gold panning!



This sign was hanging outside the building. Hmmm...



Even though we showed up unannounced, we were able to get a free lesson on gold panning.



We could have purchased all kinds of gold panning equipment, but only ended up renting a shovel and two pans, and bought a vial to hold all the gold we were going to find.



Here's our gold prospectors, ready to strike it rich...!









The peek foliage is past in this part of Maine, but it was still very pretty at the river.





And did we find any gold?



Only fool's gold, but made a ton of fun memories, and a promise to return again. Homeschool field trips are a lot of fun!

Linking this post to Sunday Snapshot and Hip Homeschool Hop!

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Tällä viikolla menimme erikoiselle kotikoulureissulle - huuhtomaan kultaa! Vuokrasimme pari pannua ja lapion, saimme ilmaisen opetuksen kuinka kultaa huuhdotaan, ja niin vietimme pari tuntia joella. Kaikki kokeilimme, meillä kaikilla oli todella hauskaa, kukaan ei kastunut ihan kokonaan, ja kaikki haluamme mennä uudestaan joku päivä. Ainoa kulta mitä saimme oli katinkulta, mutta päätimme että ensi kerralla paremmalla onnella. Kiva reissu oli, ja vaikka hehkein ruska oli jo mennyt ohi, oli silti todella kaunista.

Fall Decor As Seen In Maine

The best scarecrow we've seen so far!!!

Happy Fall Days from Mothership Adventures :)

Sneak Peek/Kurkistus

I am in love! These are the new colors of our former red cabin. Cuteness!! Just need to find a new name, can't exactly keep calling this cabin "the red cabin" anymore. As soon as we get the inside finished too, I will be sharing more pictures.



This is what the red cabin looked like before.

The main camp is still torn apart, so no update on that yet. Stay tuned :)

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Vielä ei enempää kuvia pikkumökeistä, mutta tässä yksi - olen niin ihastunut punaisen mökin uuteen väriskaalaan - suloinen! Sisällä riittää vielä työtä, joten ei kuvia vielä. Ei myöskään päärakennuksesta - se on edelleen kahtena osana. Jatkuu seuraavassa numerossa :)

Up, Up And Away/Yläilmoissa

On Saturday we did something that made me tremble in my hiking boots. Literally and figuratively.



I don't like heights, and I don't like ski lifts.



We took the chair lift up to the top of the mountain. See the white knuckles, gripping the bar tightly?



What can I say? I needed to get foliage pictures for the blog. {You're welcome.}



It definitely was worth the lift ride to the top! Breathtaking!!



Especially since we made it up, alive. Including mama. Trembling legs and all.




But there was no way we were going to take the ski lift down. No way.




So we hiked down.



It was a long, long way. So long we almost wished we had taken the chair lift down.




See the miniscule building in the middle on the left? That's how far we still had to go. Our legs were jell-o, already. Going down is hard work!



The view was absolutely worth every aching muscle. I'd say it was peak foliage last weekend.



And we made it. All of us.

Headed straight for the car, drove home and crashed.

The End.

{Except our muscles are still hurting.}


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Lauantaina suuntasimme suuren laskettelukeskuksen huipulle, tuolihissillä. Tällä mamalla on korkeanpaikankammo, eikä nämä lasketteluhissit auta asiaa ollenkaan. Mutta ylös mentiin, mamakin. Ja onneksi menimme - näköalat olivat ihan uskomattomat! 


Ei tullut kuuloonkaan, että olisimme menneet tuolihissillä alas (vatsasta kouraisee vieläkin, kun ajattelen asiaa), eli piti kävellä alas. Mikä oli pitkä, pitkä matka. Joka tuntuu jaloissa, vieläkin. Mutta onneksi menimme - upea reissu!

Renewed/Uudistunut

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5

That is how I have been feeling lately. Not fun.



Today's devotional from Jesus Calling (by Sarah Young) was just what I needed. It started:


"In order to hear my voice, you must release all your worries into My care."

So I did. I actually wrote down a list of my worries.


I am not usually one to worry. It has been so tiresome to carry a burden. No matter how much I have prayed, I have been feeling down. I've recalled God's blessings and answers to our prayers, how he has never forsaken us. And yet I have felt so tired and down.



Somehow, writing down my worries did something. It finally released the worry from my heart. God met me there, between my prayer journal pages. And even though this blog is mainly our travel blog, I have to share this victory - my heart is too full to keep his blessings quiet! Thank you, Jesus!!



He filled my heart with gladness and joy! Yippee, Jesus!! (As Linny would say, and if you haven't discovered A Place Called Simplicity - you need to check out this wonderful blog - I just did, a couple of days ago, and have been blessed.).

God is good! All the time!!

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Miksi murehdit, minun sieluni, ja olet minussa niin levoton? Odota Jumalaa. Sillä vielä minä saan häntä kiittää hänen kasvojensa avusta. Ps. 42:5

Huolet ovat painaneet minua viime päivinä (mm. missä tulemme asumaan ensi kuussa, missä asumme talven), ja vaikka kuinka olen rukoillut, olo on silti ollut alakuloinen. Tiedän, että kyllä Herra meistä huolen pitää - niin kuin aina on, mutta jostain syystä en ole saanut rauhaa sydämeeni.


Kunnes tänään luin Jesus Calling-kirjasta (vapaasti käännettynä): "Jotta kuulisit ääneni, sinun tulee antaa kaikki huolesi minun haltuuni."


Ja sen tein. Ihan kirjoitin rukouspäiväkirjaani kaikki huoleni. En tiedä miksi, mutta se auttoi. Ihan tunsin vapautuneeni huolistani, ja niiden tilalle Jeesus antoi ilon ja rauhan. Kiitos, Jeesus!!!

Beautiful Maine Fall/Mainen kaunis syksy

A week ago, the girls and I took a leaf-peeping drive around the beautiful mountains of Maine. We are so glad we did, as it has rained just about every single day since then. Today it was supposed to rain too, but when we saw the sunshine Little Miss and I decided to drive around to snap a few more pictures.

Since it is supposed to rain again tomorrow. And the rest of the week, pretty much.

Enjoy the pictures, Maine is so beautiful, and the colors magnificent this time of the year!

















Linking this post to Sunday Snapshot and Hip Homeschool Hop.

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Viikko sitten tyttöjen kanssa ajelimme ihailemaan ruskaa, onneksi, sillä siitä lähtien on satanut. Tällekin päivälle luvattiin sadetta, ja loppuviikoksi myös. Onneksi kuitenkin aurinko paistoi tänään, ja Pikkuneidin kanssa postinhakureissulla jatkoimme matkaa ihaillaksemme Mainen kaunista syksyä.