ALOT of Christmas Pictures

Here are some pictures from our four Christmases that we had. Sorry for the overload of pictures, but at three out of the four we were the only ones with a camera, so I was trying to get one of everybody in. Plus, it was hard to narrow them down. :)

Grandma and Grandpa Burdorf with the grandkids. Quite the challenge with 3 kids under the age of 3!

Jenna LOVED her Christmas dress!

Brode Man growling and getting in to big sister's gift.

Jenna gives Grandpa a big hug!

Aunt Mandy liked the sled Jenna and Brody got from G'pa Larry

Vike fans like their gift.

Uncle Justin with Brody - Same blond hair, same big blue eyes, and same chin!

Family picture at Mom's - can't believe everyone is looking at the camera!

Family Picture - Christmas '08

Christmas - Our highlights & lowlights

We had a memorable Christmas and decided to make a list of some of the things we'll remember. Here goes:
1. Pink eye and puking: Both kids got pink eye before we left, and Aaron and I managed not to get it ourselves. It wouldn't be a road trip without Jenna getting carsick! We made it to just outside of Correctionville before Jenna got that 'I'm going to be sick' look on her face.
2. Forgotten presents: Aaron realized we accidentally left half of our presents at home when we got to Sioux City. We grabbed the presents from the basement, but not the ones under the tree. DUH!
3. FOGGY! We drove a total of six hours on Friday from Cherokee to Swea City and back in some really foggy weather. It kind of sucked because we drove six hours and only stayed for three. Oh well, it was nice to see everybody, if only for a short time.
4. "Mama" - Brode Man finally said it! He was sad that I left the room, was crying and wanted his, "mama." I didn't hear it, but Aaron and Jill did. Luckily, he said it again the next day and it is becoming more frequent.
5. Stuffing overboard - Mandy and I had a good laugh when we were trying to transfer the stuffing from the pan to the tupperware container and Mandy wasn't really ready when I scooped and it went ALL OVER the floor.
6. Jess declares that beef comes from a pig!!!

I'll post some pictures later...

All we wanted was a little wine...

Aaron tried to drill a whole through the cork.


Mitch trying to pull out the cork with his pliers.


The proud boys after they got the cork out!!

All Jess and I wanted was a little wine. How hard does that sound? Harder than you'd think! You'd be surprised how many people it takes to get a wine cork out. First, Mitch broke the wine corkscrew. Yep, the bottom part got stuck in the cork. Aaron and Mitch were trying everything to get the cork out. It was funny to watch them. Give them points for persistance and perseverance though, because they finally got it!

Travel Delayed

Our holiday travel got off to a great start...not really! Tuesday our daycare gal called me in the morning and told me that Brody was really fussy and she thought he might need to go to the doctor. We were set to leave for Sioux City mid-afternoon, but instead had to go to the doctor at 4:30 in Ames. Turns out one of the kids at daycare has pink eye...and now Jenna and Brody do too! By the time we left Ames after seeing the doctor and getting prescriptions for both of them it was 6:30 PM. A three and a half hour drive to Sioux City just didn't seem that exciting, so we decided to stay in Fort Dodge. Jess and Mitch were nice enough to let us spend the nite with them, so we could break the trip up. Thanks guys!

Where's the pause button?

It's funny because when I was the editor at the paper I would have a weekly column that was called, "The Way I See It." I would write about just random things, like what was going on in my life, current events, local events, my opinions, etc. Well, it's been a few months since I've written one, but if I was still at the paper, I would write something sort of like this:

Isn't it funny how when you're little you can't wait for Christmas to come? You always look at the calendar or bug your parents about when you can open gifts or when Santa Claus is coming. Now that I'm older I want to slow down Christmas. Funny how that happens, isn't it? We're two days away from Christmas Eve as I write this and I just want to hit the pause button.

I want to enjoy the Christmas songs, baking, movies, family time, and most importantly that look of pure excitement in Jenna's eyes when we do something together. She was so excited to put tape on the gifts we were wrapping the other day I couldn't help but smile.

I guess what I'm getting at it this. As you get older things change. Time really does fly by, especially when you have kids. I'm learning to enjoy every single moment, because these little Christmas things that we do will be the things that my kids will probably remember as our family's traditions years from now, but that's just the way I see it.

Our Christmas

Brody - giving the ball a taste.

Jenna with a big swing!

We realized on Saturday that we better open gifts with the kids on Sunday because Monday Aaron had a game and we would be leaving on Tuesday for Christmases with our families. It's so funny how the kids change so much from year to year. Brody is at the "I'm more interested in the wrapping paper than the presents" stage and Jenna's at the, "Whoever's opening a gift I'm going to help" stage.

I think Jenna liked her gifts, especially her wiffle bat, balls, and tee. We set it up in the basement and let her hit. She's never really hit off of a tee before and I think she did pretty well. Coach Dad was there to help of course! It was so funny because everytime Jenna would hit it she'd yell, "Yeah!" I told Aaron she'll probably get to little league, hit the ball, yell "yeah" and forget to run!

Christmas Craziness

It was all things Christmas this past weekend at our house. Saturday we got up early and went to Ames to finish our Christmas shopping. The snow was really starting to blow on the way home, so I was glad that we left early. That night, we got started on our baking. Aaron, who can't resist fudge at Christmas, wanted to make that first. I made some sugar cookies after that and left the rest for Sunday.
Sunday was more cookie baking, wrapping, a Christmas show or two on t.v., and our Christmas with the kids. I'll post more about that later with some pictures.
Hope everyone is ready for Christmas! We are hitting the road for Sioux City Tuesday afternoon - weather permitting.

Christmas comes early

I love to paint and make a mess!

Who's a cute little Hawkeye?

She looks like she's been naughty!

Aaron and I have been talking for a long time about getting a nicer camera. We decided a few weeks ago that that should be our Christmas gift for each other. Aaron has always loved to take pictures and ever since I have started working at the photography studio, I am beginning to understand and enjoy it even more. We were going to wait until after Christmas to purchase a camera, but thought we'd get it early so we'd have it FOR Christmas to capture snapshots of the kids and other family members. (For you techies out there, we got a Nikon D40) Aaron and I think it's a good investment and now we'll probably be posting even more photos than we usually do!

Basketball & Shopping

Our weekend basically consisted of two things: basketball and shopping. Aaron had games both Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday morning Aaron and I went to Ames and shopped for a good five hours and got about half done, although we only have one more gift to get for Jenna then we're done with the kids.
Sunday we stayed inside! BRRRRR. Sunday afternoon we painted some ornaments that Jenna and I had made earlier in the week. Jenna had a blast because she loves to paint and then we put them on the tree. Sunday we made a couple of our gifts for our "homemade Christmas" with my mom.
I am kind of starting to stress about finishing shopping and I haven't baked a single Christmas cookie yet! Hopefully the weather cooperates next weekend!

Christmas Question

As I work, I listen to Christmas music non-stop. I love it! I don't care if I hear the same songs again and again, they just have a way of making me happy. It got me thinking, what is my favorite Christmas song? I think, even though it's not the cheeriest song, I'd have to pick "Blue Christmas" by Elvis. I LOVE to sing to that song! I'm curious what other people's favorites are. So, if you would humor me, leave me a comment and let me know. :)

Streak Snapped

Brody at Dad's basketball game - he wasn't too impressed!

Aaron had his 18-game winning streak broken on Saturday night. His JV girls' basketball team had won 18 games in a row dating back to last season. It was an impressive run, but it had to end sometime. We'll see if Coach B can get the girls regrouped and maybe get another streak going...

Girls Only

Saturday morning Jenna and I headed over to Marshalltown to do a little shopping. It was so strange because it was just Jenna and me. That almost never happens! It was so fun just to hang out with her and talk to her and not have to carry a diaper bag. :) She's growing up so fast and I really enjoyed the one-on-one time with her!

Holiday Stress

For those of you who read Mandy's blog or Jess/Mitch's you know that we are having some issues with scheduling for the holidays. It's giving me a headache! We thought we had everything worked out and then Justin's schedule at work changed and now we don't know what to do. It's not Justin's fault, we know that "just because it's Christmas, it doesn't mean people stop getting sick." (That's Justin's famous holiday quote!).

I like to have a plan. That's just my personality and not knowing makes me a little nuts! I talked to my mom last nite and she just said to not stress because it would all work out. I know she's right, things always have a way of working out...especially this time of the year.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm thinking it might be time to start our Christmas shopping....:)

First Snow

I don't know what the weather was like where you were, but in Central Iowa it was snowy on Saturday and Sunday. As I write this, I think we're up to about 5 inches. Mr. Teacher is hoping for a two hour late start, but we'll have to see what the wind does. Anyway, Jenna was very excited because she got to try out her snow pants and boots. She and Aaron played outside and built a snowman and fort. Jenna had a blast and is hoping for more snow days!

Thanksgiving

We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving in State Center. Our day consisted of: watching the Macy's parade on t.v., me making enough food for about six instead of three, Aaron re-arranging the basement and moving toys down there, watching Christmas movies (including one of my favorites, Home Alone), and eating leftovers. It was hard for me not to be with my family, but I survived.
My mom came down Friday afternoon and we all put up the Christmas stuff. We have a lot of stuff! I told Aaron I feel like Clark Griswold, but the more the merrier, right? :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the time with your family and safe travels to everybody who is hitting the road. We are stuck in State Center all by ourselves. Aaron has basketball, so it just didn't work out for us to go anywhere. Grandma Jo is coming down on the weekend, so we're excited to see her. Happy Turkey Day! :)

Happy Birthday/Happy Hawk Fans Weekend!

Brody sitting by the recently installed snowmen lights.

Jenna sitting with the birthday boy!

Grandpa Frank and the Brode Man.

Brody climbed in the laundry basket, head-first, so Jenna had to get in too.

Jenna, a.k.a. Little Betty Crocker, making the birthday cake!

We had a really nice weekend. Friday kicked-off the girls basketball season and West Marshall won both the JV and Varsity games. Aaron's parents, Frank and Linda, made the trip from Sioux City and caught the second half of the game.

Saturday Aaron had basketball practice, so we hung out at home. Grandma and Grandpa got some quality time in with their grandbabies. Saturday night we watched the Hawks whoop-up on the Gophers! That was unexpected, but very cool! I thought the game would be close, but I guess not. Needless to say, there were many happy Hawkeye fans at our house.

Sunday was Aaron's birthday. He is now 29 and holding! Jenna and I made a "party cake" (Jenna's words) for "Papa" in the morning. She did so good! I measured everything out and she dumped and stirred. For lunch we had a little KFC and then because it was so nice, Aaron decided to put up some Christmas lights. What a great day Sunday was - the weather was amazing for November 23! After Frank and Linda left Aaron said he wanted to take a nap, "because it was his birthday," so Jenna and papa had a nap. Brody and I went for a walk and when we got back the other two were up and Jenna was very upset she didn't get to go, so Brody and Mom went for another walk, this time up to the park so Jenna could play.

We ended the night by watching the movie "Evan Almighty," which Aaron and I laughed through and Jenna just liked the animals. Above are some pictures from the weekend.

Happy Birthday Aaron!

Today is Aaron's 29th Birthday! Jenna and I are getting ready to make him a "party cake" as Jenna calls it. I'm sure it will be delicious! Happy Birthday Hon!

Flashback to the 80s

I don't know how many people watch The Biggest Loser, but we LOVE it. It's 'must see t.v.' for the Burdorf's. Anyway, tonite they had a flashback to the 80s. Wow! That really brought back some memories of some really nasty fashion. Let's take a trip down memory lane together. Do you remember: tight rolling your pants? side ponytails? (I had a school picture taken with one!) big hair and LOTS of hairspray? crimping your hair? (Confession: I owned a crimper!) those slouch socks that you wore OVER your tightrolled pants? Zubaz pants? Neon colors? Okay, that's all I can handle because that was just some brutal fashion.

On a side note for those of you who watch the show: Can you believe that Amy didn't vote off Vicky? What the heck?!

And then there were four!

Brody has two more teeth! He is up to four total - three on the bottom and one on the top. His other top tooth is just about ready to poke through the gums, so pretty soon he'll be up to five. He's doing well and hasn't been too fussy, just drooly and chewy! :)

Weekend Update

Our cuddly little Hawkeyes!

Jenna singing ABC's. She ends the song, "Now I know my ABC's, next time won't you write your name." We have no idea where that came from.

Brode Man playing and sporting his new haircut!

It was another uneventful weekend at our house, which is fine by us! We are enjoying these few quite weekends before basketball games and the holidays roll around.

Aaron had basketball practice on Saturday and it happened to be during the Iowa football game - he was NOT happy about that! Because it was so blustery we decided to stay home in our sweats, watched some games, and played with the kids. We spent large portion of the afternoon watching state volleyball on t.v. Two of the teams from our conference made it and also a college friend's (Gabe) brother coached Tripoli to the Class 1A title. Aaron played some fastpitch softball with him when we lived in Sioux City, so it was cool to watch him win the championship.

Sunday was more of the same, although we did venture out for groceries. I know we sound really boring, but we love weekends like this. Plus, basketball games start this week, which means our lives are about to get pretty hectic and crazy!

Season Finale (Just for Scott)

Well, the football season is officially over, so in honor of that I'd thought I'd put some more ridiculous writing from the local paper. I italicized the parts that I think are ridiculous, but feel free to form your own opinion. Who knows what kind of crazy writing basketball and wrestling will bring. Scott, enjoy!

1. We kick. They receive. And so this de facto championship begins. (de facto? Who says that?)

2. You know this is going to turn out all right. You just know because these are our Trojans and they believe in themselves as much as we believe in them, and if ever a group deserved the Dome this group does because, truthfully, fate if for 16th-century poets and 54-year old divorced men, but not this football team. No. Not. No. No. No. (16th century poets? Never thought I'd see that in a fb story!)

3. WM has it now first down on its 32 when Sam Buck breaks one. He just breaks one. Breaks through the line and breaks through the 'backers; breaks through the secondary in to the open field beyond; breaks through the hearts and souls and collective minds that is the Big Red coaching staff and their vociferous fan base; breaks through the boundaries a 17-14 deficit influct; then, finally, breaks through the real-life line of imperial authority, the end zone itself. (In case you missed it, he was breaking thru a lot of stuff! Vociferous? Seriously?)

4. And finally.....Coach Winkler's razzle-dazzle was never more razzley dazzley than the next play. (Speaks for itself, doesn't it?)

New title

Well, I officially have a new title that became effective on Monday. I am now a SINGLE, married wife and mom of two kids! It happens about this time every year and also happens in May. If you haven't figured it out, basketball season started! Although I know my husband loves to coach, I really do feel like a single sometimes throughout the winter. Aaron usually has games on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, so I feel like I barely see the guy. I'll get through it though, although it should be interesting juggling another kid at basketball games!

Our unexciting weekend

Well, I don't really have too much to report from our weekend. We were kind of lazy bums, but that's how we like it. We didn't travel anywhere and nobody visited us.

The big news I guess was that Brode Man got his first haircut! We went uptown Saturday morning to the local place and they were so great with Brody. He sat pretty still and we were done in about 5-7 minutes. Afterwards, I sort of teared up because he looks so much older! It kind of tugged at my mommy hearstrings. By the way, Jenna liked the place because she got two free suckers. :)

After that, we headed to Marshalltown for winter coats. Not the most exciting thing to do, but since it did snow all day Friday we figured we better get them.

The rest of the weekend we caught up on housework and watched football. The Hawks game was awesome! They finally pulled off a close win. I know my heart was sure palpitating, but what a great game!

Week one volleyball...

Well, we survived our first week of volleyball! Eleven people showed up and I am happy to say that Aaron and I held our own. We weren't the worst players on the court (yeah for us!). We got a good workout and had a lot of laughs, which was great!

Why not change?

As a history teacher, what a great night last night was for our country.  Whether you are for or against the winner, presidential elections always stir up what is best about the USA-- your right to vote!  Freedom, after all, is what our country was founded on and can be seen in no better fashion then hundreds of people lining up to have their voice be heard.

No matter who won last night I was sure to have a historical angle to talk about this morning but with Obama winning that angle is even more prevalent.  As you may know, I am a person who doesn't always go with the flow, I don't always agree with the norm.  

Why not change?  What is wrong with a 'black' president?  Don't give me this 'he doesn't have experience' line...  totally not true!  Don't give me this 'he can't make good decision' line... he can and will, he has to!  What is wrong with passing on another 4 years of failed policies?  You can't argue that McCain doesn't have direct ties to what has happened the last 8 years.  I am not saying that McCain couldn't have been a great president but that is what is great about our country... the ability to choose!

What this country needs is for people to lose the idea of 'Republican' vs. 'Democrat' and start thinking about 'Americans'.  I don't know if this will happen in the next 4 years but I hope it does.  I was glad to see that the 'Democrats' didn't get to 60 seats in the Senate because that makes both sides work for what they want.  

Maybe in 20 years we won't have two-party politics maybe we will have 'American' politics. Maybe in 20 years we will figure out that Congress makes the decisions for our country and that the President only oversees what is happening during the process.  How many of YOU studied up on the issues that faced both your state and federal officials, not just followed the presidential race?  

I ask of you this...  stand up and be proud to be an 'American', be grateful to be free, and respect the office of President for this is a very turbulent time in our history and IF we chose not to work together it won't matter who is President

Election Day

Election Day is finally here! Not like you need to be reminded, but make sure you go and vote today. No matter what side you're voting for, it's important to go and cast your ballot.

I know we'll be glued to the t.v. tonite at our house. Aaron will be in full control of the remote switching from station to station I am sure. I wonder what commercials will air tomorrow? Hooray for no more political ads!

Family Picture

Here's a family photo that we took when we visited Justin and Mandy in Mankato. I will say, it is definitely a challenge to get everybody smiling at the same time!

Jenna is 2 1/2 and Brody 7 months.

We're getting old...

Aaron and I had this idea that we should start up an adult volleyball league in State Center. We would have it every Wednesday night from November-January for about an hour and a half or so. We have no idea how many people are going to show up, but there have been many people who have talked to us about coming and it starts this Wednesday.

Well, this past weekend my sister, Jess, and her boyfriend, Mitch, came down on Saturday to hang out with us. Because Aaron and I haven't played volleyball for a long time, we decided to go up to the gym and just work some of the rust off.

We are old! I used to play twice a week when we lived in Sioux City, but haven't played in my post-baby era. Yikes! It was scary. When I was bumping I felt like I couldn't get down and actually had to stretch. Remember back in the day when you stretched because the coach made you, not because you felt like you needed it? My, how times have changed!

It's funny how you take for granted what great shape you were in as a teenager. You could practice 2-3 hours and not think a thing of it. Now, my workouts consist of chasing around two children under the age of three and walks that include pushing a double stroller (which I think could double as weight training!). We found out we are in really sucky shape, especially judging by how much we were sweating (for the record, Jess and Mitch were too). Yesterday was another story, my shoulders and back are SORE!

I'm a little nervous about Wednesday night. I fear that I'm going to be the worst one on the court, but Aaron keeps assuring me I'll be fine and it will be fun. We'll see how it goes. I'll let you know...

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone! We had our trick-or-treating last night. For some reason State Center always has it the night before Halloween and never actually on Halloween. So, this year Jenna was a train conductor and Brody a pumpkin (by default since we had the costume from Jenna!).

For those of you that don't know, State Center is the train capital of the world!! :) Well, not exactly, but we do have a train track that runs along Main Street and trains go through town every 10-15 minutes. Not slow trains either, LOUD and FAST ones. It's sort of annoying, but you get used to it. Anyway, because of this Jenna loves trains! Her favorite book is "Everyday Train" and she can pretty much recite the entire thing. So, the obvious choice for a costume this year seemed like a train conductor. People around town thought she was pretty cute!

Jenna did well trick-or-treating. She didn't always get the "trick-or-treat" thing, but she always made sure to say "thank you." We drove to a few places of friends and then home where we got the stroller and walked. Jenna kept saying, "I don't want to go home yet!" When the pumpkin was full of candy we decided we should probably head home. By the way, Brode Man was a trooper, he was asleep by about 7:15 in the stroller! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Brooke - the Halloween Baby! I remember a lot growing up when we used to go trick-or-treating and then have to head over to your birthday party in costume. Good times! I hope you have a great day!

Pumpkin Painting

Last night while I was making supper Aaron and Jenna got creative and painted our little pumpkins. Since Jenna is not old enough yet to be trusted with sharp objects, we figured paint would be a safer option. Here are some pictures of the two in action!

Minnesota Weekend

Brody, Jenna, and Great-Grandma June


Brody and Great-Grandpa Don

As I said last week, we headed out on the road, yet again, to visit our relatives. Thursday night we drove up to Mankato to Justin and Mandy's. We got up Friday morning and headed to Hastings to visit my grandparents, which was about an hour and a half drive from Kato. It was nice to catch up with Grandma and Grandpa and I know they loved seeing the kids!
Saturday was a busy day! We got up and started our day by playing some Wii. I am by no means a video game person, but I did manage to play a couple games of tennis. Mandy and I struggled, but everybody had some good laughs. The Huneckes (Justin and I) were way too dramatic when we played! We just kind of relaxed throughout the morning and Mandy made chili for lunch and we watched some football. After a little shopping we all walked over to a nearby park and let the dogs run and Jenna play on the playground. Mandy and Justin live in a really nice neighborhood so we got some good pictures at the park. After that we raked leaves and mowed the lawn. Aunt Mandy promised Jenna that she could help her carve pumpkins, so Jenna helped pull all the seeds out, but her attention span was a little short! They turned out very cool though.
Saturday evening our friend Scott and his wife came over. It was so great to see him! He's still the same old Scott and it's nice to know that some things don't change. We were pretty tired early, so we hit the hay about 10 that night. I think Justin and Mandy stayed up to play some more Wii....
Sunday was freezing!! It was so windy and snowing, yep snowing! With the wind it looked like a blizzard outside. Luckily, the roads weren't effected as we headed home.
Anyway, it was such a fun weekend and we were glad we made the trip up north. We don't get to see my brother and wife as much as we would like and we really miss them. Thanks guys for lots of fun!
We took a TON of pictures this weekend, but Aaron and I forgot the camera in Hastings, so we had to use Mandy's. So, as soon as Mandy sends me some of those I'll post them. Above are a couple pics from our Hastings visit.
Looks like a busy week for us! We'll keep you posted...

On the move

It's has finally happened! Our big man is on the move! At six and a half months he is full out crawling. He had been doing the awkward crawling, face planting, lunging forward thing. Now there's no question about, he's crawling! Brody has also already knocked over the dog's water bowl, so lots of fun for us to look forward to!

Everyday battle

There's a battle that goes on every morning at the Burdorf house. Mom vs. Jenna. The great clothing showdown! You wouldn't THINK that it would be that difficult to dress a 2 year old, but in our house, it is. Jenna fights and battles me on everything. She wants to wear flip-flops, sun dresses, and tank tops. I have tried until I'm blue in the face to explain to her that it's getting cold out, but to no avail. I lay out 3 outfits for her to choose from thinking that way if she has a choice, it will make it easier. It's not. My friend Shannon informed me today that her daughter is 6 and she still goes through the clothing battle. Four more years!? I don't know if this mom can handle it! :)

On the road again...

World's Largest Popcorn Ball - 3,100 Pounds!


Brody, Jenna, and Cousin Addy

We spent the weekend away from home again. If it seems like we're traveling a lot, we are! We are making the rounds before Aaron starts basketball because we pretty much never have a chance to get away during basketball season except for Christmas.
Saturday morning we headed to Sioux City to see Aaron's parents and also Adam, Jill, and Addy. We just kind of hung out on Saturday and all went to Red Robin for supper (so good!). Sunday Jenna and I went to Grandview Park and had a lot of fun playing and walking up the hills. Jenna's favorite part was the bandshell where she made me sit in "audience" and she sang me the ABC's and danced on stage! It was so cute.
In Sac City on the way home we stopped at Casey's for a potty break, which happened to be across the street from the world's largest popcorn ball! We always tease our friend Jay about all NW Iowa has to offer so Jay, that picture is for you! :)
Next weekend we are heading on the road again to Mankato to see my brother and Mandy. We can't wait!

Yum-O!

A friend of mine brought me a bunch of apples and I was thinking that I should do something with them besides just eat them as snacks. The thought hit me that I should make applesauce and so I called another friend who I know makes homemade applesauce and asked how to do it. Wow! It was way easier than I thought it was going to be. It tasted so yummy! My taste tester - Jenna - had three helpings, so it must of been good. I'm sure it will be gone quickly...

Caroll's Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere Weekend!

We had SO MUCH FUN this weekend! On Saturday we headed to a pumpkin patch that a bunch of people told us we just had to check out on a farm just outside of Grinnell. So, Saturday afternoon we packed up and made the 45 minute drive. When we pulled up it was bigger than Aaron and I thought it would be as they had guys directing traffic.
Anyway, the place has some old fashioned fun and a lot for the kids to do. They had goats, kittens, tractors, tire swings, slides, a barn filled with corn (kind of like a sandbox) a “cow train” (Jenna’s favorite), tricyles to ride, hay bales to climb, a corn maze, and of course, a tractor that took you out to pick your own pumpkin.
Aaron and I were very surprised at Jenna. She had a blast there! Although she can be a girly-girl, she climbed the hay bale, went through the corn maze, and picked up the kittens like she had done it a million times. I think she could be a farm girl!
The day was one big photo opportunity and Aaron took A LOT of pictures. I will post some of them and if you have time click on the slide show that Aaron made to see more. It was such a great fall day and we all had so much fun and we hope to now make it a tradition. By the way, Jenna and Brody fell asleep on the way home at 6:45 PM and went straight to bed when we got home!

Pumpkin Patch

If you have time, check out this 1:40 highlight of pics we took on our weekend extravaganza to Carroll's Pumpkin Patch just outside of Grinnell.

Nothing Better...

I don't think there's anything better than putting the kids in the stroller, the dog on a leash, and going for a post-supper walk at sunset on a beautiful fall evening. That's what we did last night and it was so relaxing just to talk about our day and enjoy each other's company. It's the simple things...

Extended NW Iowa Weekend

We had a nice 3-day getaway this past weekend. We packed up the car and headed home to northwest Iowa. I know we didn't grow up in the Cherokee/Sioux City area, but it just feels like home. I love the time I get to spend there, especially in the fall!

Saturday morning we packed and headed to Cherokee. Lunch was with Grandpa Larry and then to the playground to burn off some of Jenna's energy. In the afternoon we headed to Grandma Jo's where we had supper and hung out. We are such party animals that we were all in bed by 9 PM! We are definitely getting old. :)

On Sunday we went to the "nut hut" (MHI) and walked the trails and fed the goldfish. Jenna loved that! Sunday afternoon we headed to Sioux City and spent time with Aaron's parents. It was such a nice night out and it was nice to hang out in the backyard. After a little 'Desperate Housewives' we called it a night.

Monday we drove home and stopped in Fort Dodge to see Jess and Mitch. The ride from Sioux City to State Center is so BORING, so it was nice to have an hour break.