Halloween night

 So thankful that we had a beautiful & fun night at Trunk or Treat last week!  Tonight was also fun but COLD.  We bundled up as much as possible with costumes & headed out just around our big block.  That was plenty! 

 Our creations:  Andrew's flame family & the girls jill-o-lantern. 

We used cookie cutters & a rubber mallet for the eyes... worked pretty slick!

Our bundled ladybug & her driver  :)

Little Miss Muffett

BOO-tiful skating

Optimus Cart

This cart has become just about everything for me as a travelling teacher...

today it was an ofrenda for Dia de los Muertos! 

Don't you agree?

French fried onions: Breakfast of Champions

Here fishy, fishy

What a whopper!

Darren had his "birthday day out with just Dad" for both Andrew & Teresa this weekend.  Teresa opted for lunch at Runza & fun at the children's museum.  Perfect.

Andrew decided to shoot his bow at the indoor range, have dinner with the Greens, go fishing, four-wheeling, AND star gazing at the pond.  Quite the full day! 

"This was the best day of my life," he said.  :)

Leaf us outside

 Even though our trees are still only big enough to have a handful of leaves, the girls worked intensely to collect every single one they could find for a pile to jump in.

Jumping wasn't as thrilling as they thought, so they started moving it to the bottom of the slide... then EXPLODING it as they came down.  Seriously an HOUR of fun!  Hilarious to watch.

 

 The green onions & marigolds were really all that made it in my garden this year.  Still going strong!

 Love her.

Trunk or Treat

 My hunter, St. Therese, ladybug, & Anna from Frozen

 What?  You've never seen St. Therese with a feather boa?

 Helping at the Little Flowers trunk...

we gave out candy AND holy cards  :)

Pumpkin Patch

 

 This combine slide was impressive!

We liked this place... smaller, cheaper, less busy, abundant chickens, pumpkins included... I think it's a winner! 

Hot tubbing?

Tiara outtakes

Ub you

This sweet 16 month old little lady is on the cusp of her language explosion, I believe.  When I laid her down last night & said, "I love you", so returned the sentiment with her own "Ub you" for the first time.  :)  We discovered that she will say "Go!" if any one says "Ready, set...", so everything seems to have exciting starts around here these days.  Sarah also approximates words for milk, cheese, doll, juice, bye, & please along with her already mastered Dada, Mama, hi, & hug.

At her check-up she was 31.5" long & 20.8 lbs heavy.  Finally, getting higher up on the charts.

A weekend of celebrations

 Teresa & Andrew's birthdays are right around the time of Dad & my niece Lucy.  This year we were so lucky to spend a celebratory weekend home at the farm!

 Sarah was a big fan of cousins Julia & Lucy... I think it was mutual.

 Rebecca manages to find every art supply, costume, & decoration that Mom has left in that house when we visit!

 Just chillaxing

 With his birthday money, Andrew bought his first bow.  I'm pretty sure he got enough use out of it for the price in just one weekend!

 He also "taught" Julia & Lucy how to shoot, as well as challenging Darren & me to a shootout.  He won.

 Almost everybody took a ride in the combine with Grandpa.  He would go out until he was full, come back to the yard to unload, & get another three to ride along.  It was like a combine taxi service!

 Playing in the treehouse & sandbox is a must.

 The pumpkin harvest was not quite as abundant this year, but still plenty that we were able to bring a few home.  Here's Rebecca with cousin Jonathan.

 I think Teresa could have stayed on that swing for hours!

 Sarah was a big fan as well.

 The view from the treehouse

 The thrills did not end... time for a ride to the co-op in the semi!

 We had quite the abundance of desserts with 4 birthdays to celebrate.  It would have been impolite to refuse any of them, right?

 My sisters Cara & Denise

 Teresa & Lucy share an October 12th birthday... they looked even more alike that day!

 That one's a keeper

...I can't even imagine my dad doing that when I was little!  The freedom that comes with grandpahood must be wonderful. 

 Sarah devoured probably too many of Teresa's requested blue velvet cupcakes. 

When we went to Mass, Andrew sang with my dad up in the choir loft right next to my old art teacher.  Crazy fun.  I had time for relaxed conversations with my sisters, my brothers-in-law, my parents, & my nieces.  That is so rare when the house is buzzing with the whole crew.  We played a HILARIOUS game of Telephone Pictionary which can still give each of us a giggle.  

Feeling so blest to have spent this (almost quiet) weekend at home!