Time for the annual pumpkin patch post.  We have found a great farm with lots of free things for the kids to do, lots of beautiful pumpkins to pick and the yummiest fresh doughnuts and hot chocolate.  Our tradition just got better!

The Corn Box

The Toys

Hay bail slide (Levi and Cade)

The Pumpkin Patch

Since this boy turned 13 the day before this I thought it would be good to do a little compare and contrast…..

Extreme cuteness age 2 or 3

Five year olds are just hams.  At least mine are.

Levi spent the entire time running around like an antelope all over the pumpkin patch.  He rarely stopped long enough for me to get a picture.

 
Hayride back.  I think Libby looks like my cousin Emily at the same age in this picture-anyone else agree? 

Time to take em home!  She wanted a ride in the pink wheel barrow.

The next day we did our 2nd  favorite October tradition with Alli!

Stay tuned for Reagan’s birthday, leaf jumping and Halloween!

Liberty and Levi and I had our first free week the end of September.  That’s when we put “book” learning aside  and explore the outdoors or bake or whatever they want to do.  I let them choose what we do that week.  This time we went to the zoo, went fishing, read Harry Potter for2 hours straight one day, watched the red moon one night… you get the idea.

The Zoo:

Levi’s favorite animal is still the fox.

This guy actually roared!  I’ve never heard one roar in person.  It was pretty cool! 

One of my biggest pet peeves is when zoos or other places like it make you walk through the gift store to get in or out of the zoo.  Our zoo just made a new gift shop and I now have to walk my kids through the valley of the shadow of want just to get out of the zoo.  Liberty made a bee line for the big pink wall.  In my opinion, the only good thing about this new exit to the zoo is this hilarious picture.

We also visited the beautiful rose garden by the zoo and I got this awesome picture. 

Roses are one of those creations that prove to me there is a God.  They are so intricate and perfect. 

Fishing Trip:

Levi has been begging to do this for weeks.  He fished for about 1/2 an hour before his hook got stuck in a tree across the river and had to be broken off just to save the pole. 
Fishing Rule Number 1: Don’t be over zealous in your casting. Fishing Rule Number 2: Always bring extra hooks in case you break rule number 1.  

Stopped at the Library on the way home…

The Red Moon:

Yeah, that’s how pathetic my camera is.  Sigh. 

We also decorated for Halloween; put the bat cave back up.

Levi’s friends said we had “the coolest house ever!”

We had a new patio put in this summer!  It took forever and I am convinced all contractors are difficult to work with, but it is done and here are the results.

Before:

I didn’t get a good picture before they started hacking into it, but if you look to the right of the door up against the house you can kind of see how the patio was cracking and flipping up into the siding.  The whole patio was cracking and sinking towards the house.  We didn’t want water in the basement so we HAD to get a new basement. 

The boys thought the demolition was awesome….

Even the neighbors wanted to watch men using sledgehammers. 

Pouring day.  They showed up at 5:30 in the morning so the heat wouldn’t dry it too fast.  The neighbors weren’t happy.
Sorry for the bad pictures quality.

The lower section will have comfy furniture on it next year when we can afford it.  And a fire pit too!  

Right about the time this was finished, the flies got bad, so we are looking forward to next year when we can use it the whole summer!