Carving All Those Pumpkins! - October 2012

Bryan LOVES to carve pumpkins. 

He looks forward to it every year! 

The girls and I helped to scoop and clean out the pumpkins and Bryan went to work.  He does such a great job!  If it were up to me to carve the pumpkins they would all be a general face or would not get done. J  So glad Bryan loves this task.  We get many compliments from visitors and trick or treaters!

Her pumpkin is about as big as her!

Getting started... a long road ahead.

Here are the finished pumpkins:

Owl.... this one is mine.

Bats for Maddie

Rapunzel for Peyton

Mater for Bryan.

 OSU Beavers!

   

Peyton's Preschool Pumpkin Patch Trip - October 2012

Peyton went to the pumpkin patch with her preschool class.  Bryan and Madison were able to go along (I had an in service day).  They went to Fir Point Farms in Canby.  This is a fun pumpkin patch with a nut house, animals, slides, and a hay ride… and of course pumpkins. 

They each came home with a cute little pumpkin. 

 

Hay ride to the pumpkin patch!

They all look the same!

     

Pumpkin Patch Trip! - October 2012

This year we went to a pumpkin patch on Sauvie Island!    It was the warmest pumpkin patch day that I have ever experienced!  It was in the 80’s and we should have worn shorts and tank tops… but we didn’t expect it to be that warm and wore jeans and short sleeves.  We were too hot.

Anyway, we had bought a Groupon for a pumpkin patch which included the corn maze, corn on the cob, a caramel apple, hay ride, and a 30 pound pumpkin!  Our good friends, the Spellmans, joined us and we had a really good time.  It was a great day!

Peyton and I on top of a look out in the middle of the corn maze.  Neat View!

 On our way to pick pumpkins!

HUGE chocolate chip covered caramel apples!  YUMMY!

 

 

 

First Day of School! -September 2012

 

  Both of the girls were excitied and looking forward to the new school year.  Madison is in 3rd grade.  Peyton is in 4 year old preschool! 

I'm in Kindergarten again... starting my 14th year of teaching!  Personally, I could have used a little more summer vacation! :)

Ellensburg Rodeo - August/September 2012

3 years and running!  We love the Ellensburg Rodeo,

especially because we get to spend Labor Day weekend

with our friends Dale and Tracy.  We had so much fun

playing in their yard, visiting their town, picking amazing

veggies from their garden, and of course enjoying the

Rodeo and fair!  We look forward to this visit every year

(as long as our friends will have us)!

Picked a lot of potatos!  They were huge too!

Loved helping Dale drive the lawn mower!

Tracy and the girls in the front row at the rodeo!  So much fun!

We always celebrate Bryan's birthday with Dale and Tracy.  The girls helped Tracy make Bryan a chocolate cake... yummy!

 

Portland to Coast - August 2012

The Portland to Coast walk was great this year!  The

weather was not too hot and we did really well!  We were

in the top 100 teams this year… which was the goal. 

Because I am writing this post so much later, I can’t

remember our exact place.  I believe it was in the 80’s. 

So we are happy out of 400 teams we placed so well.  I

think the fun girls on my team make all the difference! 

We had quite a few good laughs this year!

Can't wait for next year!

 

Ready to go at the start line with my van... Very Early in the morning!  Whoo Hoo!

 

 

 

Camping at the Cove - August 2012

Our second annual Cove camping trip in August was a blast.  It was HOT, but we managed to stay cool by swimming and renting a party barge again this year.  What could be better then hanging out with friends at a campfire every night and laughing until our sides hurt… good times!   

Peyton driving the party barge.

Madison being brave behind a ski boat.

 

Chillin...then we took a spin on the back of the ski boat.  We were paying for it the next day.  Melissa, who was driving the boat, did not take it easy on the grown ups like she did with the kids!

Melissa and the kiddos.  They were happy the ice cream truck came by! :)

Behind us is the view from our camp site... beautiful! We would often look out and see deer.