Pumpkin Fun

 

We have had a jam packed October celebrating fall with family and friends. 

Last weekend, we celebrated with our local pumpkin festival! 

  

 

We kicked things off with a trip to a pumpkin patch that Cassie and I went to as kids.  It sadly has gone downhill since we were kids and is currently for sale.  The kids loved it though!

 

YMCA Halloween party

And of course we made pumpkins for the pumpkin contest!  Grady wanted a Lightning McQueen pumpkin.   He definitely helped but he was a bit more interested in couting beans and drawing on the tablecloth this year!

 

Batman Grady and his pumpkin...

 

which ended up winning FIRST place!  We have never placed before in our 7 years entering pumpkins.  I was shocked this guy was a winner because he was a little bit crazy looking but we were really excited to have a winner!  My bets were on Arthur (next to McQueen) because he was so cute.  Arthur was Liam's pumpkin.  Yep, Shea and Liam entered in pumpkins all the way from Iowa :) Grady won $10 and an ice cream cone.  He gave Layla half the money which was pretty sweet. 

Layla was really excited for Grady and his win. 

 

Layla made a house pumpkin this year.  She planned the entire thing first with a drawing and I thought it ended up being so cute!  She learned to spray paint and use the glue gun this year.  We have learned that spray paint is the way to go with pumpkins if you want the paint to last through the weekend!

Batgirl Layla and her pumpkin!

 

 

 Downtown trick-or-treating with friends

 

Joan was here with us all day on Saturday. 

We enjoyed our day with the pumpkins, rides and craft shows!

 

Checking out all the pumpkins!

 

Sunday I ran in the 10K with my good friend Jessie.  It was a beautiful morning for a race and Ryan, Kelsey and the kids were really sweet to come and cheer me on.  Kelsey was here with us all weekend and I do not have one picture of her.  I think she was snapping lots of pictures at the same time with her camera.

 

And our big pumpkin weekend ended with the pumpkin parade. 

The weather was gorgeous.  No coats necessary! 

 

 

And on Monday, we had to say good-bye to our pumpkins and the fun festival weekend. 

Some of us had a hard time saying good-bye...

 

 

but enjoying our prize ice cream and then pumpkin carving with friends

took away "Pumpkin Fest" blues :)

 

 

 

 Happy Halloween everyone!!

Horse Day 2014

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.  ~Winston Churchill

Last month, we spent a wonderful Saturday riding my Aunt Ann's horses.  The weather was gorgeous and we all rode for at least a little bit.  Even Mr. Finn :)  Thank you Ann for another great horse day!!

Fall

I love fall.  I love having little kids in the fall. 

I am a big fan of apple orchards and really like the colorful trees and jumping in leaves. 

We are anxiously awaiting for the leaves to drop from our one tree in the yard! 

 

Pumpkin Day at Stephanie, Adam and Eli's house!

Howie love!  The kids love to include Howie in their games. 

 

Apple orchard time!

Ryan and I enjoyed a weekend in the city this fall for our friends Tom & Rachael's wedding. 

It was a beautiful wedding and reception.  We loved seeing friends from high school.

 

 

 

More apple orchard time!

And more. 

 We are a bit apple crazy!!

A Small School Update

 

The end of summer and beginning of fall have been fun.  We have visited parks (with our cute little cousin Frankie!), frequented apple orchards, rode horses and Ryan and I even had a night away for a wedding. 

But first, a small school update.

 

Take today for example.  Both kids were able to be the teacher's helper.  

Layla earned the coveted spot by saving and cashing in fuzzies from good classroom behavior.  This is her third time being teacher's helper this year.  I think she has been in school for six weeks?  Maybe?  She is a positive reinforcement type of girl.   

Grady, on the other hand, was given this position today in an attempt to get him into the preschool classroom.  The teacher's aide told Grady he could be the line leader and pass out the apples and be the teacher's helper for the day.  The bribe trick worked.  He still had to be mostly dragged into the classroom.  But he did end up in the classroom.  And don't let me leave out that his coat was firmly still on his body because he decided he did not want to take it off today.  Yep.  He is struggling a bit at drop-off.  But they promise me he does fine once I leave. 

Layla and Grady made Ryan and I laugh at dinner as they traded stories from their big days.  Such different little kids.  But that makes life a lot more interesting.  I thought about not posting this story but I want to remember these little memories from their early school years.  My memory is short and I will probably just remember it all as easy and wonderful.  Which it mostly is...with a lot of these moments thrown in.  Ha! 

And do you know what the teacher told me?  To enjoy this little season of Grady clinging to me and not wanting to leave my side.  She said I will miss it when he is in middle school and running as far away from me as possible.  She is patient and understanding and probably right. 

Here's to hoping for easier drop-offs in our future.