A big chore, but someone has to do it!

 I raked up all the fallen leaves on the biggest side of the front yard and was worn out, so I told the kids I would pay them if they would rake up the last of the leaves, so they got right to work.  Morgan was the most motivated, but it was a bit slow going.  They couldn't help but play in the piles they were making a little!

Once Kent came out, he said they were too slow, so he pulled out the leaf blower and showed Tyler how to do it.  You should have seen Tyler's eyes light up!  Now he was feeling like a man!  Of course all the other kids had to have a turn too.

And you can't rake leaves and not expect to jump in the piles you just made!

 

 

Fall photo shoot

Pumpkin Carving

I made a 7-layer dip with a sour cream web on top, caramel and Cinnabon popcorn, Oreo bats, and caramel apple cider as treats - all from Our Best Bites website. All the guests were very impressed. :)

Here are all the jack-o-lanterns all lit up. We had a contest where everyone voted for their favorite one. The werewolf (the one in the middle in the top picture) won. Way to go, Samantha, for the great idea!

Here's the gang who came out. It was a bit chilly, but perfect weather for a fun Halloween activity! We'll have to make it an annual event!

At the Patch

It was beautiful, but VERY windy at the pumpkin patch. While we waited for Kent and some friends of ours to get there, I took some pictures of the kids. Of course I have to take advantage of a perfect photo op!

My favorite tree

It seemed like this tree in our front yard was never going to turn from green to this beautiful red-orange-yellow mix, but it finally did about a week ago! I love going outside and seeing this huge burst of color in my yard. I love driving down our street and seeing all these beautiful red trees bursting with fall color, filling the street with beauty as I drive by. It makes me happy.

There are a couple others who love this tree too!
(P.S. Look who has two teeth now!)

Just Clownin' Around!

Can you guess who this little cutie-pie is? I'll give you a hint - she's got blonde hair, brown eyes, and loves being silly!

YEP! You guessed it! It's MORGAN all dressed up and ready for her Brownie Halloween Party! She decided to be a clown this year for Halloween after she got a clown nose from school. No one knew who she was at first and she took all the questions and giggles really well - after all, a clown is SUPPOSE to be funny and silly!

They had a yummy lunch, went on a hayride, decorated pumpkins, played games and had a costume contest. She won a prize for the most original!

These are a couple of her friends who are in her class at school as well as in her Brownie troop.

Of course I had to take some pictures of this little cutie-pie too! She loved eating the leaves!

Ready for the chilly weather. . .

warm sweater, lined jeans, and her adorable Robeez shoes

So much to explore outside!

Look at that adorable dimple!

Brown County's Fall Show

A couple weekends ago we headed over to Brown County Park to see all the fall color. There was some color change, but we were kind of disappointed that there was so much green still. I think now would be a perfect time to go because there are a lot more reds, oranges, and yellows on the trees now. We still had a lot of fun and enjoyed the beautiful day. The kids loved picking up all the hickory nuts that were on the ground. Callie absolutely had a ball sliding down the slide. She didn't want to stop!

Next to the nature center there were TONS of black walnuts, which Kent LOVES, so he bagged up a bunch of them and has de-shelled them and laid them out to dry. I think they taste nasty, but to each his own. Andy was our grand tour guide on this fun hike that we all enjoyed. I think the adults got the most out of the woodland facts they provided, but that's OK. :)

And to top the day off, we hiked up to a lookout point and enjoyed a beautiful view!

Pumpkin patch

We miss the Crawfordsville pumpkin patch, but we found a little one just north of here. Nothing huge, but the kids had fun and we picked out a few pumpkins and some Indian corn. It was a bit chilly and breezy, so we were glad to have sweaters on.






Try a little harder and you might be able to pick it up!






There were some cute painted gourds - a ghost, turkey, and Santa Claus.



A broccoli gourd!


Love these big smiles!!



The place was called Kent's Cucubrits. Come to find out after we were there that the lady is Kent's mom's step-cousin!



Portrait time!