I spent last Friday & Saturday back home at the farm with my parents. It was so peaceful! Here's their shed all decked out for autumn. (It had more pumpkins before I filled my car!)
Darren & the kids opted to stay here for simplicity's sake, so I only had to entertain ME in the car, only had to feed ME, only had to wipe MY nose, only had to put ME to bed. It was a fabulous break & when I returned, I was happy to do all those little things for THEM again. :) I took Darren's car, which only has a cassette deck, & enjoyed the opportunity to listen to some old music... random TEC mix tapes, Amy Grant, Nelson... I hadn't listened to them for so long but pretty much belted out each one at the top of my lungs. I was hoarse by the time I got to the farm!
My parents & I chatted, laughed, looked at old photos, picked pumpkins, & relaxed together. We ate this dish for dinner (that is so simple it barely needs a recipe) & then I could taste autumn, too. And it's a great way to use up a couple more from those 35 pounds of apples you picked at the orchard. ;)
HARVEST SAUSAGE
4-6 bratwurst, any flavor
1 undrained can bavarian style saurkraut
2 peeled & thinly sliced apples
2 T brown sugar
Layer them all in a casserole dish, cover, & bake at 350* for at least an hour. SOOOO yummy!
I spent almost the entire Saturday at the Birthright State Convention & met so many wonderful people! There were lots of inspiring stories, helpful hints, & necessary clarifications. I left feeling rejuvenated & excited to be a friend to the women who come to us for help. It's such a challenging & rewarding place to volunteer!
Rebecca's preschool took their annual field trip out to the pumpkin patch last week. It was the coldest day of the week, but that didn't stop them from having continual fun for two & a half hours! It all started with the thrill of a bus ride,
then pumpkin picking,
hayrack riding, 
friends smiling, 
photo shooting, 
window peek-throughing,
& slide 
after slide
after slide. This "new big bumpy gray one with the rainbow" was the biggest hit of the day. 
Rebecca was a tad hesitant at first
but Teresa showed her how it was done... about 20 times in a row!
Their spider web was in a LOT better shape than the zoo's. 
Bouncing pillows were brisk but fun. Teresa was jumping so much for so long that even in the 40 degree weather she started handing me clothing... mittens, then hat, then coat, then she tried to take off her socks! That's when we called it quits & headed for the morning snack.
On the way we found the Corn Bus & had a blast. Teresa did not want to leave. She tricked me three times, THREE TIMES, into thinking she was walking with us but then jetted back straight to the corn bus. 
She was sentenced to the evil confines of the stroller for half an hour after that!
The goats, sheep, & donkeys weren't much interested in the animal feed (& I wasn't interested in spending the 50 cents) but were going crazy for the hay. The girls were very excited to pick out a few pieces & feed them to the donkey.
There was an attempt to get all 21 MWF preschoolers to take a photo before we left. Quite the show! It felt a little odd having all this pumpkin patch fun without Andrew, but we gals had a really fun morning. It was nice to meet a lot of the other parents & see Rebecca interact with her teacher & classmates. So many sweet kids! When I heard her friend Anna ask on the way to the slide if Rebecca would like to play flying unicorns, I knew that she'd found a perfect match. :) She's so full of energy, joy, & quirks. I love watching her grow.
This year I went the more traditional route & carved away. Here's my feline creation! It turned out really cute & the kids loved it. Unfortunately, Halloween is still a week away & I tossed it today because it was totally moldy. We're planning on doing some more carving with the kids; anyone have tips for keeping them nice a little longer?
It's hard to believe you are two already... though your actions have been rather "terrible two"ish since you were nine months old! You are such a thrill seeker, quick learner, & bundle of sweetness. That's quite the combo to love. :)
Though it wasn't your first ice cream cone, I'm pretty sure it was your first sugar cone, & your first experience eating one without my assistance. You kept saying, "It's not working!" as soon as you got down to the cone. Then you'd bite it & say, "It's working!" We're so thankful for your joyful, giggly, crazy, snuggly self. You are quite the gal & we love you very much.
But he's growing up & that's wonderful, too. He ran out of my morning hug into the kitchen to see, "Is there something fun on the kitchen table?" I love how he has latched on to that tradition. He was so excited just to see that I had decorated for his birthday. He gave me a huge, "Thank you so much, Mommy. I love you," just for that.
They played, snacked, played, opened presents, played with the presents, ate lunch, played, ate dessert, & played. Do you sense a pattern? 
So, we decided to get them together for some fun & competition while the weather was still nice outside. 
We played some hilarious games & had a great time! 
It was a fabulous ecumenical kick-off for our year of basic apologetics. We didn't really do anything except play for half an hour & a quick prayer at the end, but they still were caught off guard. Afterwards they asked, "Do they not make the Sign of Cross? Why not? Why do we?" That was just too easy. Hello, Holy Spirit!
