Punkin Patch

Fortunately for our kids, we did have a good experience with pumpkins this year. We enjoyed a trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch last Sunday, along with the rest of Nebrakska - it was packed.

The kids experienced their first haunted house. It was pretty tame but they were scared. Parker did not like it AT ALL! Chloe held on to me pretty tight but she did OK. I do not like haunted houses but I will let her make up her own mind about it.

Parker's favorite part was the hay rack ride. He just stared at the tractor the whole time. He didn't want to get off to go get his pumpkin - he wanted to stay with the tractor. Chloe's favorite thing was the pony ride. Oh, who am I kidding - her favorite was the caramel apple! Ray and me? Well, we just enjoyed a wonderful day with our kiddos and getting to see them experience a bunch of new things.

r

Our Little Man is Two!

Parker's birthday party was so much fun this past weekend. We really enjoyed seeing dear friends and family and the kids had a ball. Each present that was opened, Parker got more and more excited. I have to say he truly loves everything he received.

This picture says it all. He took his truck (tuck) and tractor (kacker) to bed with him - he didn't want them out of reach. The only thing he wasn't super excited about was the present from mom & dad - a raincoat and umbrella. He loves Chloe's so we thought he would like his own, more boyish version. Maybe he'll warm up to it.

Speaking of presents, I can't help but feel that he is such an amazing gift. I know it's cliche but I really doubted that I could ever love another person like I loved my baby girl, but then he came along. There is no doubt, we were incomplete before we had him. He has brought so much love to our family - along with trucks and tractors, bugs and dirt.

My mind wanders sometimes, about what he might grow up to be. If I had to guess now, I'd say farmer or construction worker! He freaks out at the sight of anything that digs, pulls or plows.

He has been talking a lot more the last couple of weeks and I heard him sing his first song this weekend. It's a song about fire trucks that he learned at school. That moment was a really strange dichotomy - I felt so proud of him for what he has learned at school, yet heartache that he spends so much time there.

As always, I do the best I can and pray that we are raising them well. I have two of the most amazing kids, I sometimes just wonder how I got so lucky. I hope that some day they can say the same thing about Ray and me.

The Pumpkin Incident

I was having a crappy day yesterday. I was at HyVee over lunch and I thought - I'll buy my kids some pumpkins. We can decorate them tonight and that will make me feel better. I had gotten these cool monster decorating kits from work and I knew the kids would love them. Here is the finished project: Parker's is the one with green measels, Chloe's is purple and mine is the one-eyed blue guy. Ray went to a hockey game so we decorated his for him.

Parker really had a ball. He even let me take his binky for a while. Too bad he didn't let me wipe off his face after dinner :)

Why did I title this post "The Pumpkin Incident" you may be asking yourself? Note the swollen face on my beautiful little girl.

I brought the pumpkins in and set them in the kitchen on the floor while I looked at the mail. We had gotten a book from the book of the month club and Chloe was so excited to read it. I opened it, handed it to her and she turned to hurry into the living room to read it. Enter the pumpkin.

She didn't see them sitting there, tripped on the first one and went face first into the second. Ray thought the stem went through her lip for sure. It was very scary. Lots of blood and crying. The bad cuts were only on the inside of her mouth (from a tooth) so after consulting with the nurse line, we gave her some ibuprofen, ice and lots of love. She may look really sad but she got to eat ice cream for dinner!

She wanted to see these pictures after I took them. When she saw them she got upset and said that she didn't want Hannah Montana to see her face all swollen. I am taking her to see Miley Cyrus next week but I was confused and thought it was today. Her face should be all better by the time the concert rolls around. It will be her first by the way and I have suite tickets! We're hoping Emmy and Aunt Rebecca will be able to join us!

on the Farm last weekend...

In the event that you did not know, we joined a CSA and our farm is called Black Sheep Farm. One requirement of the farm is that its members spend some time on the farm helping do things that need to be done.

Last Saturday, I took the kids to the farm. The turkeys were excited to see us. All it took was someone to say something and one of them would gobble. Once one gobbled, they all gobbled. It was a little too loud for Parker.

We picked apart two buckets of Garlic Heads, so that the farm can plant them in the spring.! Hmmm, i think we could be farmers.