December 2009

For Christmas we made the trip down to Atlanta to visit with Cindy and her family. It was a wonderful trip filled with lots of fun activities like...

waiting in line to ride the Pink Pig at Macy's. Going on the 3 minute ride after 2 hours in line. Absolutely worth it.

Big Atlanta Tradition since the 50's.

The girls were thrilled to get to pick out a new outfit for their American Girl Dolls. Eli, not so much!Back to Aunt Cindy's to make gingerbread houses.On the day of Christmas Eve we went to a mine where the kids mined for gems. Perfect for the rock tumbler Eli got for Christmas.The children did the nativity complete with doll shepherds includingEli as a donkey and Uncle Ryan sporting his wig as Joseph.Christmas morning finally came.Now it's back to Real Life!

Extravaganza!

Abby's school held the annual
Fall Extravaganza
at Dawes Arboretum
There was a hayride through the trees
and lots of spooky things

Abby met up with some friends They dug for prizes
in buckets of corn

Tried on their prizesMade me
try on their prizesMade apple cider
where Eli
argued with the Johnny Appleseed character
(with a pot for a hat and everything)
that he couldn't be the real Johnny Appleseed
because
the real Johnny Appleseed
was dead.
Made necklaces
from buckeyes

Drank lots of hot chocolate

ate lots of popcorn

Went on a luminary walk

through the woods.

I kept having to remind

Abby and her friends

NOT to blow out the candles. Our walk led to

a spooky cabin

in the woods and a bonfire

with story tellers.

Stories about monsters

bobbing for children

in swimming pools

instead of

apples in a barrel.

Fall is Here!

Last weekend my mom and I met up in Columbus for the Country Living Fair. It was amazing! This is why I love Ohio. You can read more about the fair here http://ronanddianapike.blogspot.com/ (no point in rewriting it). After coming home I felt an urgent need to duplicate some fun crafts we saw there. First is my rake scarecrow. I wasn't able to find any straw so our corn stalks made due as arms. There was also a fun booth from http://paintideas.com/ they had a great craft for Eli. I know, Eli and spray paint, SCARY! But he loves his little bat. On Saturday we went to a great apple farm and came home with a bushel of apples for applesauce and apple pie filling. So 6 quarts of applesauce, 6 pints of redhot apple sauce and 14 quarts of apple pie filling (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Canned-Apple-Pie-Filling/Detail.aspx) later my kitchen was a sticky mess! Where did summer go?

One Proud Mama!

Abby's Baptism

September 5, 2009

Abby and Eli went back to school today. Eli has the same 1st grade teacher that Abby had her first year here. It should be a great year for him. Abby is now at the intermediate school and gets to ride the bus there each day. I didn't realize how much harder it is to send kids to school when they get on a bus and you can no longer see the school from your living room window. I am sure she will do great. She was very excited.

Abby's Baptism

I have scheduled Abby's baptism for 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 5th. She is very excited and has gone to her first week of activity days. I am so lucky to have such a fun little girl. I will post pictures...

THANK YOU AUNT CAROLYN, UNCLE MARK, ODIN, RONAN AND ARCHER!

Thanks for the great video! ~Abby

Have you ever felt up to your ears in zucchini?

The day that Chuck's mom came into town I went to church on my own. It was a miracle that I was ready on time, even early so I left early enough to drive through some neighborhoods on the back roads for about 15 minutes before church started. So about 30 minutes after I left home I was making the last turn onto the street that church is on when behind me there is a man frantically waving at me to stop. Great! My low tire pressure light had been going on and off for the last few weeks and we had been refilling it. Did it really need to pick THIS morning to go completely flat? So I pull over into the grass on the corner and the nice couple, all dressed for their church services that morning, pull up beside me as we both roll down our windows. The sweet lady yells, "Excuse me, you have zucchini on your bumper!" To which I reply, "Oh, of course I do....would you like to have some?" They politely decline and I drive the last block to church, get out of my Jeep, and put my zucchini safely inside. I guess the kids had picked them and were too lazy or at least distracted and they never made it inside. However, they did survive a 30 minute scenic drive to church before they were shredded for future recipes of casserole and bread.

P.S. We did replace my tires later that week.

Our Garden is Out of Control!