Apple Pickin'

It has been a long standing tradition in our family to go apple picking in the fall (well, at least 7 years worth of a tradition). It is such a great way to welcome the new season and transition to the cooler weather and all the fun that comes with it! I spent the last few weeks trying to figure out where we could go, since there aren't any farms within an hour of where we live. I finally found a farm that looked promising and since Wally didn't have to work on Saturday, we took full advantage and made a day out of it! I tried to get the kids excited for the big day, but all they seemed to remember was the sticker bushes and weeds at the orchard we went to last year in Washington. After a lot of coaxing and promising that this time was going to be different, they reluctantly agreed.

After a little over an hour's drive, we made it to Prairie Sky Orchard and were very pleased with what we found. It was a cute little farm complete with pumpkins and fall raspberries that needed to be picked. The apple orchard had dwarf-size trees which meant that even the smallest of our group could be put to work. We had such a great time together gathering our 40+ pounds of apples with hardly a complaint from the older kids (that is if you don't count the fighting about who got to pull the wagon). When we decided we had enough apples, we wandered over to the raspberry bushes and started picking. They were so yummy and I'm sure that we ate more than we picked! Caleb had nothing to do with picking for our collection, he would just pick and eat as many raspberries as he could with a very determined look on his face to get as much as possible!

After our fill of raspberries, we made our way over to the pumpkin patch and found the most "perfect" pumpkins for our fall decor. There was a cute little basin full of water to wash off the pumpkins and was a huge hit with our kids. So, with our pumpkins, raspberries, and apples in the wagon, we made our way to check-out. This has been, by far, one of the most enjoyable apple picking days yet!

We love picking apples!

Hard at work.

Don't bother me, I'm eating.

Our official raspberry holder.

More, I just need more!

Raspberries are so fun to pick!

There's nothing like a good bath, even for a pumpkin.

Creativity at it's best!

Brandon and Kelsie

I thought this was so funny! Kelsie decided to make a face out of sticks and twigs and then stood with her shadow of her head over it! Brandon thought it was so funny too, so he did the same thing (he even added eyebrows to his)! My neighbor and I were laughing so hard, I just had to share! I love creative little minds!

What do you do with...

...3 energetic kids, a busy husband at work, and a flooding basement? We woke up this morning (and most of the night) to rain. We have been having rain as a result of Hurricane Ike and are expected to receive more over the next few days. Between us and our landlords, we have been shop-vacuuming the water out of our laundry area all afternoon, and it looks like it will continue through the night. We have heard that this is the most rain here in a long time.

Since we were stuck inside, I did what any sane mother would do...bring on the video games! We had lots of fun with those, until the fighting and tears came so we turned them off and tried to use our imaginations, old school play. Kelsie built a fort compete with a mailbox. Brandon put up the tent, but then gave up on the hopes that he would be able to play a computer game (which is different than video games). Caleb took a decent nap and then decided to play with his older brother and sister until they got tired of him. In the end, we had a successful afternoon of pirates, marble racing, and make believe. I guess the rain is good for something!

Our front yard this morning.

It's hard to really see, but it was coming down pretty hard.

New Pictures of the Kids

I decided that it is about time to get some pictures up on my walls since we have now lived here for more than half the year. (I'm so bad at decorating...any tips would be welcome!) I'm trying to decide what I think of these. I was kind of going for the timeless, classic feel. What do you think?

First Day of School

Well, it happened. The end of summer vacation is officially here and two of my three children are in school. All day. Yes, even our 5 year old is enrolled in full-day kindergarten around here. We had a pretty smooth morning, had everyone ready to go, posed for a few pictures, and then we were off to school. We were all very excited to see our old friend, Fred, the crossing guard and were even more pleased to see he was wearing our #1 Crossing Guard award we gave him at the end of the school year last year.

It was such an exciting morning getting to school and finding the right lines to go in and saying good-bye. We finally found Kelsie's teacher through the maze of parents and kids, and she was excited to see some old friends again. She was also very brave, since she's an upper classman now, when I left her waiting in line with her class to watch her brother start his new career as a student for the first time. Brandon, who has had a healthy mix of emotions, good and bad, about starting kindergarten, had a hard time keeping his cool. When it was time to go, a teary eyed Brandon looked up one last time and gave us a big smile. He then walked into the school, crying. What a brave little guy. I'm thinking he's either going to be happy or crying when he gets out at the end of the day. Stay posted. I'll let you know.

Caleb and I walked home and he shouted "see you later" to just about anyone and anything we passed. I have realized how much of an adjustment it is going to be for us at home as it is for those at school. The house is QUIET. Everything seems to be at a stand still, except it's not. I am sitting here blogging in the middle of the day because I have some "me" time again. I think I'm starting to like it.

No, I am loving it! (Is that bad?!)


Three cheers to back to school!


***Edited to add:

Brandon came out of school with a huge smile on his face and said, "School Rocks!". I think we've got some success on our hands!

Family Night Bike Ride

We went on family bike ride the other night and had so much fun! We rode on the bike path along Lake Michigan up to Northwestern to the lagoon. It was a beautiful night and our favorite part of the ride was where we could see Chicago in the distance. We kept it short this time, only about 4 miles round trip. Our rides have been a little more enjoyable since the recent purchases of two new, bigger bikes (you've got to love craigslist!). This is such a fun place to live!

K-T-B!

Our super good friend, Katy, drove through Chicago last week and we were so lucky to have her stay a night with us. She's currently on a road trip across America visiting friends and family and also going on as many blind dates as she can. If anyone could do something like that, it's her. She's so awesome! We were supposed to find a blind date for her while she was here, but I was too selfish and wanted her all to ourselves instead.

We met Katy six years ago while we were at Penn State. Katy started her PhD program there, but was only there for a brief 4 months. We packed in all we could while we had her around and ended up with a great friendship that stands the test of time. (Is that dramatic enough for you?!)

We didn't have a whole lot of time while she was here, but we did take her over to Lake Michigan and drove around a little bit. These are just a few of the fun pictures that we took with her. We had a great time! Good luck on the rest of your trip Katy!

A boy and his sword. Can't leave home without it.

Who doesn't love rolling around in the sand?

Hamming it up for the camera!