Fall Pumpkin Patchin'

We once again made it to the pumpkin patch quite a few times.  Both Sadie and Wyatt had field trips to different pumpkin patches this year and we made a trip with Daddy to pick out our pumpkins.

Sadie went to Bauman Farms with her class and Cooper was able to join us which was fun!  It was a beautiful day and all the kids had a great time.

Picking out our Indian maze.

Any pumpkin you can carry is the rule.

Love this silly boy!

We got to watch them press cider and then taste some with doughnuts.  Yummy!!

Top Row: Sam, Xavier, Zac, Violet, Hadley, Chloe, Ivan,

Bottom Row: Kaleb, Johan, Isabella, Sadie, Wesley, and Ms. Bell

Wyatt's class went to Greensbridge Farm and it poured on us the entire time but it didn't stop the kids from having a great time.  I didn't have a maternity coat so my poor baby bump got soaked and let's just say the boys dumped their boots out when we got back to the car and they had to have had at least a couple of inches of water in them.

Calvin just cracks me up!

Wyatt and Julian

This was right before, as Wyatt still remembers, we lost Julian in the corn maze.  I really don't like being in corn mazes.  There's something about them that makes me feel lost and just freaks me out.  So when another mom asked me to keep an eye on Julian, who mind you I'd never meet, and then he took off into the corn maze with Cole and Wyatt and one second was there and the next was gone I was in a bit of a panic.  I didn't even know if I could pick him out in a crowd, figured he probably wouldn't recognize me, and had no idea where he'd gone.  So we found and exit and sent Cole and Wyatt out so that we wouldn't loose them and then Ashley and I split up to find Julian only to realize that my phone was in the car so now I couldn't find Ashley or Julian.  Finally, as I headed out to get my phone I saw him playing by the slide, unfazed mind you.  I'm pretty sure he never even realized we were in a panic and then as I walked back with my phone I saw Ashley coming back out.  Nightmare over!

These two really are the best of friends and so much alike in so many ways.  It'll be fun watching them grow up together and I'm so thankful that Wyatt is blessed to have a good friend at such a young age!

And finally one more trip to Greensbridge with Daddy to play and pick out our carving pumpkins!!!

It's been a wet fall as you can see and Daddy thinks we're a little crazy for not just picking a pumpkin from the pile but it's so much more fun to get out in the field.  Plus there are so many more photo ops :)

What a stud!

Wyatt is always a good helper.  He found the perfect pumpkin for our little nut!

The slide is always a highlight especially when Daddy is there to ride it with them.  Even Hazel had a blast on it this year!

The Pickle

Perhaps the last noteworthy happening of September was saying goodbye to Brandon's little pick-up truck which he loved and hated and loved and hated and purchasing what he and the kids have officially nicknamed "the pickle."  I pretty much hate the pickle because well it's big and green and there is no place to park it, but I also secretly love that they all get so much enjoyment out of it.  Hearing Hazel excitedly yell "pickle, pickle, pickle please" when Daddy says they are going for a ride is pretty entertaining as is watching all of their heads sway back and forth as I follow them to the dairy on Sunday afternoons.  They love the pickle, what can I say?

Yes the Pickle is up on the front lawn falling a tree.

Ashland

We took a trip in the middle of September to visit our good friends Dale, Tina and Jenna.  They live in the Sacramento area and we have been planning to go down for a visit for forever but things just kept coming up.  Then they came up with the idea of meeting in Ashland for a couple of nights and that's what we ended up doing.  They drove up and we drove down on a Friday afternoon and we were able to met up around dinnertime and then spent the next day and a half together before heading back home.  While we were together we spent some time at the park, swimming in the pool at our hotel, and we checked out the ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum.  Last minute we decided to leave Hazel with Grammy and although we missed her, and Dale and Tina were sad not to meet her, we were thankful for the chance it gave us to talk and catch up on one anothers lives.

 Jenna was so great playing with the kids and helping them whenever they needed it.  I think the last time we were together Wyatt was just a year old so this time it was really fun to watch them all get to know each other.  Our kids just LOVED Jenna!!!

The Science museum was really a lot of fun.  So many hands on things to play with, not a lot of people, and the bubble room was definitely a highlight.

 Such a treat to get to swim.  There just aren't enough pools around in Oregon.

From the bottoms of our hearts we love this family.  They are our home away from home and we give them at least some of the credit for why our family is what it is today.  Whenever we see them we can't help but reminisce of college days when I would come up to visit and Brandon would come over to see me, and then he always likes to tell about the night we all cornered him and told him he needed to go back to school.  So many fun memories and so thankful that these dear friends are in our lives!

Our First Family Camping Trip to Detroit Lake

We squeezed in one last camping trip in September which was so fun.  Uncle Robert rented 3 campsites at Detroit Lake and we spent a quick weekend there with the rest of the family as the school year started.  The kids had lots of fun playing with their cousins and it was an awesome trial run for what we hope becomes a family tradition.

 Grammy and her girls

 Payton, Autumn, Uncle Robert, Cooper, Hazel (hiding behind Cooper), Wyatt, and Sadie

There is no need to fight over Uncle Robert because he can literally entertain all of our children at once.

It's so fun to see my Dad's hammock getting used.  There are certain things that just still feel like his, and when I see them it brings me back to the past.  Camping as a family with this hammock is definitely one of those very sweet and precious memories.