Pumpkins

Yes we're still here! Our Christmas season started for us about 6 weeks ago when I agreed to help with the Christmas pageant at church. Things have been a whirl wind since then! I have heard from several of you about how far behind I am and am sure those of you I don't talk to much have been thinking the same thing! :) So, yes, we're all still here. We're all great and I have to get back to this in order to finish with the end of the year! :)

So, here goes!

I wanted to carve pumpkins this year, so we ended up dividing and conquering. Grace and I did hers first while Tim and Cooper were out somewhere. Then later Cooper and I did his.... And, after one - where I did all the work - we made his a bit more simple!

We love Sid the Science Kid and thanks to him and book Grace read at preschool, she was fascinated by the decay of her Jack instead of crushed about it!

Fall Photo Shoot

We headed down to the farm for a little fall photo shoot before all the leaves fell and before it got too cold. Grandma and Grandpa were home, so we got to see them as well, and play in and around the creek AND on the swing set! Good times!

Drake Family Fun Day

I have often heard people talk about their 60-80 hour work weeks, and wondered how that was even possible. Well, this year I did a little math and realized that is about what Tim works during the volleyball season: which explains why it feels like we never see him in the fall! That is why we made a point to take family day this year and we had a blast just hanging around town! We swam, (doing the big diving board for the first time!), picnicked at the park, did the county museum (county scooter tour and the Eagles exhibit were high points! Well, and some child photography!), and hit the pumpkin patch on the way home. Everyone was pretty pooped after our day of fun, but it was perfect!

Sock Season

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

I HATE SOCKS.

In an effort to help with the ridiculousness of the socks in this house, we are trying sock bags.... so far, I like them. We'll see.

At just $.97 per bag they could be the best thing to happen to this house in years.

The Wizzard of Oz

We had fun this Halloween! It was our first Halloween not directly affected by SHS athletics! Early on we dressed up with family, trick or treated at a campground with our friends and again later at WHS and the Y. So by the time the 31st rolled around, we had enough candy and were just plain tired! (Add in an all day regional VB tournament the day before, too.) So, we just stayed in and enjoyed being home.

A couple of things I want to remember...

At the campground, after about half a dozen stops, Cooper announced, "I have all the candy I need!" (Needless to say, we kept going!)

And

The kids wanted to watch The Wizard of Oz, so I let them watch from Munchkinland to meeting The Wizard... at that point they asked me to turn it off becasue it was too scary!

Happy Belated Halloween to all!

To start October...

We collected acorns at the farm (2 bags full... which ended up having maggot like worms in them that crawled out of the bags onto my stove - they then found their way BACK to nature!)

Played dress up - a lot.

And finally got to play in the back yard for hours on end! Cooper loves to break sticks and throw them in the fire pit. And they both love to play with the rocks. So fun to be able to say "Go outside and play!"

Grace had a classmate, Laney, hurt her toe one day in school. That afternoon during quiet time she made this card for her. So sweet! (For some reason, the picture is me with glasses.... )