The little kids needed some cutting practice, so I drew circles on orange paper and they cut out pumpkins! 
It is nice to see Isaac finally holding scissors the correct way(he was determined to hold them thumb down!!) Camille is beginning to get it, but still wants to turn her hand. I know it must feel awkward to hold scissors the right way at first because almost all kids hold them upside down!
The finished products!
Happy Halloween!
Isaac and Camille helped make the butter, and we all helped eat it!
Everything was delicious! It was such a fun school project! Next we will cook something from the Revolutionary War era. We have a really great book that has recipes common to different periods of US history. What an exciting way to tie historical life into the everyday life of the kids! We love homeschooling!
While we were waiting for our lunch, Camille helped put High Hill labels on the bags for their apple pies. She was very careful, putting the labels exactly where she was told. It was really nice of the lady who was working to let Camille help. Camille felt like such a big girl, too!
Here are the rest of the kids waiting for their lunch!
We also watched as the apples were cored, peeled and sliced by a machine that is over a hundred years old! (I didn't notice the extra kid until after I took the picture!)
Even Joseph had a great time!!
We also went to a U-pick pumpkin patch to get pumpkins!
Everyone found a pumpkin, but Joseph wasn't too sure about his!
Isabel also had fun at the pumpkin patch! 
Isaac was the last to find his pumpkin!
Isaac loves to walk Isabel! (We all do!)
Isabel, otherwise known as, "The best dog in the world!"
Isaac, Elise and Camille got to try their hand at sawing wood.
Joseph enjoyed all the sights, as well!
At each of the exhibit stations the kids could collect beads after listening to the presentation. This was a great motivator for Camille, she always loves beads and necklaces!
Even in the 1850's, a girl could find somewhere to shop!
We really enjoyed the wool spinning demonstration. Elise and I have a new appreciation for yarn since we learned to knit this summer! One of the ladies who was spinning is another home school family, and offered to get together with Elise and I to help us learn more about knitting. We plan to take her up on her offer!
We enjoyed our snack while listening to some beautiful period music. The musicians played a guitar and a fiddle, as well as, sang. It was amazing how many songs we recognized!
We ended our day with a picture by the saw mill where James Marshall found gold and started the entire California Gold Rush. 
These pictures were taken when we went to the Canine Companions for Independence campus in Santa Rosa to pick her up.
After meeting Isabel, we took her to the dog park at the CCI campus and watched as she played with some other dogs. Then we got a few training tips from the director of the breeding program(I think we looked like we needed it!) After that, we were able to walk her alone for a few minutes to get a feel for her personality and snap a few pictures.
Charles Shulz, a Santa Rosa native, was a great contributor to CCI!
After we left CCI, we headed out to Bodega Bay for lunch. Isabel relaxed next to our table while we ate. She is very easy going and mild mannered.
At home, we all had fun getting to know her and spending some time on the floor petting her!
We bought her a new dog bed and a rawhide bone. 
Isabel looks very much like a yellow lab, but she has the reddish tones of a golden retriever on her ears and on her back(like highlights!) She is a really beautiful girl!
This evening we went to a local park and took a picnic dinner. The weather was really nice, so there were a lot of other families with the same idea. Isabel was very well behaved. She just waited while we ate, and then was ready to go exploring!
Although she does fetch, she is easily distracted (so the little kids fetched quite a few balls!)
When I first handed Camille the leash, Isabel thought she was free and headed toward the lake! So I corrected her and helped Camille get her walking in the right direction, and they walked nicely together! This is what I really wanted, a dog the kids could walk! We are all so excited!
We will keep up Isabel's blog with news about her adventures and, of course, her puppies!
I have been trying to make homemade bread for a couple of years now, with little success. I have even looked for bread making classes but nothing has fit my schedule. I have always thought that if I could spend time with someone who knows what they're doing I could figure it out. Bread dough needs to have certain textures and be kneaded for specific times according to "how it feels" rather than what the recipe says! For a novice, "getting a feel" for a good bread dough is almost impossible from a description in a book, at least for me it was! However, I am drawn to the idea of fresh bread, so I continued to read books about baking bread(I know some people might find this boring, but not me!!)
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day