Leaf Days

 

 This weekend we made our annual trip to Maplewood for Leaf Days. This year Grandma and Grandpa P joined us along with the D, J, K and Baby D!

(Do you see our vehicle up there?  It's nice to have photographers in the car behind you, thanks DM!)

 

 

We had a picnic lunch (along with the bees, lots and lots of bees!)...

 

 

and dessert, too!

 

 

Before a hike up Hallaway Hill.

 

 

We made the kids walk up themselves which turned out to be a lot of work...

 

 

 but they made it!

 

 

And it was worth it just to see this,

 

 

and this,

 

 

and this!

 

 

We made it down too...

 

 

with a bit more whining...

 

 

and a few more pitstops!  ;-)

 

 

 

It wasn't until we got home and I looked through pictures that I realized we didn't take any pictures of our kids in the leaves like we did in 2010 and 2011.  Oh well, there's always next year, I guess!



Project Life ~ Week 37 & 38

 

Because they're fishing?

 

D and his dad were able to meet up for a day of golf this week.  It was windy but they managed to have a good time anyway!

 

 Enjoying apples straight from the tree!

 

 

Storytime actually started up again last week but I didn't get a picture until today.  I Man is now enrolled too and he really likes being able to sit with the 'big kids!'

 

 

A sunny snack (orange jello jiggler + mandarin oranges)!

 

 

Letter of the week has begun again at our house, this time with I Man.  S was our first letter and I was pleasantly surprised when we were at Michael's the other day and he said, "Look mom, there's an s here (pointing to the one in Michael's on the cart)!  It says, /s/ like a snake!" 

 

 

L and D left early this morning for a road trip with DM and Baby D...

 

 

Here's one {of hopefully more?} picture DM took of everyone by the original Dr. Mayo.



 

 With D and L gone for a few days, I Man and I did some major mother son bonding including a lunch date...

 

and plenty of balls and tractors!  I also learned that we can't play cars on the carpet because that's actually the 'field' and that the hard floor is the 'road' which would explain why I am constantly stepping on or picking up cars from the dining room/kitchen!  Thanks for the insight, buddy! 

 

 

And with only one kid (who actually naps!) I was able to get many a project done around here including (but definitely not limited to) this new striped wall in L's room!  Shhh...it's a surprise!

Down on Grandpa's Farm

We headed north last weekend (so maybe my title should say, Up on Grandpa's Farm?!) for bird hunting and some fun on the farm.  I took a lot of pictures (and so did D's sister) but I've narrowed it down to a few of my favorite (or like 20!)...

 

 

 (Great Grandpa D grew a huge pumpkin {as in 100 lbs huge!} so we took some fall pictures by it!)

 

 

 (I think L said she saw a bee, thus her face!)

 

 

(I was seriously worried these two might never leave this tractor {they did}!)

 

 

(My father-in-law handed me his gun when he ran inside and that D just had to get a picture of!)

 

 

(We headed out to the pyramids gravel pit after supper one night.  It's definitely showing signs of fall!)

 

 

("Helping" Great Grandpa dig potatoes...)

 

 

Oh, and we celebrated this old man guy's birthday, too!  ;-)

Project Life ~ Weeks 35 & 36

Ok, so I think I've given up on labeling and 'naming' my pictures.  Why?  Well, adding dates and text to each of my pictures takes time and creativity both of which I'm running short on! And besides that, I'm not taking pictures everyday {gasp!} and sometimes I take several pictures all on one day.  In the end, though, I am still taking pictures and I think that's all that matters.  Weeks 35 & 36...

 

 

"It's a bridge, mom!" (as if that changes the fact that he's just made a mess!)

 

 

She can pump all. by. herself!  Hooray!

 

 

 Mowing the lawn can be fun (apparently)!

 

She makes supper now (sort of!).



Now this is what I call compromise.  I Man likes trucks, tractors, cars (anything with wheels actually) and L likes lining up her guys and bossing them around 'playing school' so why not combine them to get your little brother to play with you?!  It was genius until I Man said, "when does the race start?" and L told him there wasn't going to be a race!

 

I found this letter when I got home from a haircut.  Inside was a picture that L had colored for me!  I love getting mail!  :)

 

 

 Saturday morning waffles.

 

In honor of Labor Day, we attended not one but two picnics!  One with our Church (where I Man conquered this huge climby thing)...



 

and one with family (these two are trouble with a capital T!)

 

 

 I took lots of pictures of Baby D but this one (where he looks like he thinks I'm crazy) was my fave!

 

 

 

It's football season and I Man takes it pretty seriously (yes, the ball did come flying at me immediately after taking this picture).

 

We painted 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' trees this week...

 

 

 and finished them with some alphabet stickers.

(Notice how he sticks out his tongue when he's really concentrating.  He gets that from his dad!)

 

 

This is a big deal because my bread maker (which was a wedding gift) has lived in it's box for close to 9 years until last week when I attempted (and failed!!) to make bread 4 times in a row...

1) The bread came out all sunken in on top and hard as a rock!

2) I got all the ingredients in the pan and went to put it in the bread maker when I noticed the kneading blade on the counter, sigh!

3) The kneading blade was in place, my ingredients were in and the bread looked good until the power went out (I ended up making 'roll's with this batch).  It was at this point that I may or may not have told D that God clearly wanted us to eat store bought bread and I should just sell my machine, ahem...

4) This attempt was better but still sunken in on top.

before making this loaf which was perfect and delicious! 

 

 

Because L is potty training her baby, too!