The Weekend of the Fests

While Mom was off Cranfesting....the kids and Travis harvested pumpkins with Grandma and Grandpa; then stopped to see the draining of Lake Tomah.





No major purchases at Cranfest: a hat (modeling), shirt and scarf by ellembee (also sold on etsy.com), rusted flower magnets for Kya to hang her school projects on the frig and a very unique and repurposed airplane for Therin from Dick Cooley "Spark your imagination" metal sculptures (www.sparkplugguy.com).


Fun in the latest fort-a tepee built from sunflower stalks and camo netting. Thank you Dad!


A tomato torte and applesauce for dinner where we shared our day's roses and thorns. Thankful that we have so many roses and so few thorns to share.

Among our other roses this weekend:
Mom completing another half marathon.
Getting to see part of the crazy Octoberfest parade Saturday.
Spending lots of family time together.
Getting more apples for applesauce from our generous neighbors, Jim and Jan.

Thorns:
The grass did not get mowed.
Peeling and cutting more apples to make applesauce.
Kya's is always driving (We drove to Tomah).

Halloween drawings

Since Therin loves to draw, I started checking out HOW TO DRAW books from the library for him. We've done knights and dinosaurs but recently I came across Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Halloween and Therin loves it!! Therin has been into making books out of all of his drawings on the same subject recently so that's his plan for Halloween as well. Happy Drawing!

Happy Fall!

I love this outfit-just arrived yesterday. I had an unexpectedly relaxing morning-Travis got home late last night so he biked Therin to school and Alayna's baby brother arrived this morning so she didn't come. Kya and I grabbed a basket and gathered some fall treasures together-leaves, mushrooms, pinecones, bark. It was a wonderful and beautiful morning!


Then the other daycare kids arrived and we invited the neighbor, Charlotte, to the park since she also has a very new and very hungry baby brother.




Hoping we have many more fall days like this one! Enjoy!

Packer Game

Lovin' Fridays

Cleaning up every last sprinkle.

For the first full week of school, everyone has held up well so as a reward we stopped for donuts and drinks at Java Detour this morning. It was quite delicious!

Another year, another self portrait

Last years:


This years:

Slightly improved? I think we have an artist on our hands folks.

Therin told me one night before bed that he had done a self portrait. He said, "It looks kind of funny. It looks more like......you." So, I guess he's saying I look funny! =) I told him, he could stop. He was digging himself a hole.

Therin's 6th Lego Birthday Party

The day couldn't have been more perfect.


Homemade cards from his friends in lieu of gifts.


Anthony (behind Colin M), Colin M, Colin A, Therin, Jacob, Nicholas, Lucas


The highlight of the obstacle course: karate chopping foam board!












He just couldn't resist "helping."


Miss Kya


Thanks for coming!

Happy Birthday Therin!

A boy can never have too many Legos.




Grandpa and Kya: always teasing each other.


Forget cake, let's get to work!

Ferguson's Apple Orchard

Tractor races.


Tepee tunnels.


Goats, chickens, pigs and ducks.


Alayna


Kya, Nicholas and Therin



I knew there was a reason I liked early dismissal on Wednesdays at SOTA. It gives us an opportunity to do things on a beautiful day that we normally wouldn't be able to and so we took advantage. Among the not pictured highlights: the corn maze (more worried about losing and finding children than photography at that point), the tractor-wagon ride, the rope swing and lots of apple sampling. I would LOVE to make an apple crisp but I fear we'll have plenty of cake around these parts for the next few days!

A taste of heaven

Yes, somehow we did manage to fit all of this in one heavenly weekend with plenty of time for naps and an anniversary date. My only wish is to be able to live it all over again. So many wonderful memories. Here are a few:


Birthday cake and presents for a little boy who will be 6 on Thursday.


One of his gifts: a Star Wars Lego Gunship Battle something or other which Dad was more than happy to help him put together.


A rare and cherished occasion-lots of time for me to relax which I took FULL advantage of reading, waterskiing, running, kayaking, making more "hot lava" jam (aka tomato jam) and napping.


Leaving to camp on Lake Emma's island.


The night could not have been more perfect-temperature was cool but comfortable, a full moon, the crickets chirping, frogs jumping all over the shore, a campfire complete with smores, a game of cribbage and some beer for the adults.




Kya playing with her princesses next to the frogs in their new home. Maybe one will turn into a prince?