From Summer to Fall

You will see from the progression of pictures here over the past week and a half that the MN weather changed from summer-like 80 degrees to cool fall temperatures in the 40's and 50's.

M and D love wearing our shoes throughout the house.



And D is still obsessed with flip flops after seeing cousin Tara wear them on her visit to MN.



M loves his train set. And he decided to wear a hat like Daddy one day last week. Usually he just rips it off as soon as it's on his head, if I'm even so lucky as to get that far with it.



D doing her artwork. She is very into coloring and stickers right now.



M reading a book. I'm so happy both kids LOVE to read books!



The kids eating some Ginger Gold apples they got from the Victoria Valley Orchard.



My sister takes the best pictures. I can't even get my two kids to look at me to take a picture, and she can get a picture of all 5 of the cousins that looks like this. Luckily she shares them with me so I can enjoy them, too. She also took the next one of M going down the slide. I could never get a picture like that! These were taken at K's 5th birthday party over the weekend.





Ah, Mr. M. Still obsessed with putting food in his hair. We took early baths, right after dinner, that night. Pj's were on by 6:00 p.m.!



We went to a pumpkin patch--Exotic Pumpkins in Andover-today with our homeschool preschool group. I wondered what was so exotic about pumpkins and what that name really meant. I learned that there are many varieties of pumpkins and many of them are not orange at all. We saw blue gray pumpkins, cinderella pumpkins, fairy tale pumpkins, white pumpkins, striped pumpkins, etched pumpkins, small ones, large ones, you name it. Plus lots of gourds and squash (which is really what a pumpkin is anyway, right?). Here are D and M posing with some of them.











Literally as soon as M hopped out of the car, he went right up to Farmer John and wanted him to either pick him up or hold his hand. Luckily he has grandchildren about the same age, so he obliged. And what one little boy wants to do, his big sister also wants. Thanks Farmer John!



We had story and snack time in the red barn, also filled with pumpkins, corn, and squash. Christin read some books about growing pumpkins to the kids.



I bought one of the black striped "kakai" pumpkins, which supposedly have the best tasting pumpkin seeds. I'm excited to make them and hope the kids like them, too.

Las Vegas Cousins and the State Fair

D and M's cousins Paul and Tara came to visit us over Memorial Day weekend. First stop--the State Fair, of course! Here's a picture by the gopher.



Paul helped relieve Steve of his backpack carring duties. I'm having deja vu of a year ago in Colorado...



M looks so small in this picture!



Paul took D down the big slide. He said she giggled the whole way down.



Walking through the fair.



Sweet Martha's got another one hooked on her cookies.



Checking out the Midway.



We also spent one day in Stillwater. Here are some videos from our day there. Thanks Paul and Tara for such a fun weekend! We all had a blast with you.

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D started her "creative movement" dance class this week. She is third from the right. She seemed to have a lot of fun.