~~Happy Halloween~~

Boo

I've been Boo-ed! by Darlene @ http://darlenesdays-darlene.blogspot.com/ . How fun!

Here are the rules: Go to as many friends as you want and tell them they've been "Boo-ED". Have them link back to your blog to pick up their Halloween Treat (picture) and tell them to Boo their friends. (Then put the pic in your side bar so everyone knows that you've already been Boo-ed and to send the pic to someone else.

Thanks Darlene! I'll see if I can find someone that hasn't been Boo-ed yet:)

I'd like to thank the academy...

Last week Berry @ http://veryberrynice.blogspot.com/ gave me the BFF Gold Card.

She had such nice things to say about me and some of her other bloggy friends. How sweet of her! I just know if I met her in real life we would become fast friends! Thanks Berry:)

I also received an award from Carrie @ http://buzzingsofaqueenbee.blogspot.com/ with the following explanation:

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Carrie is a new bloggy friend who I always anticipate a new post from! That girl has got it together:) Thanks Carrie!

I'd like to pass both of these awards on to the following people:

Jennifer @ http://wilson-six.blogspot.com/

Marie @ http://watchthewindblowby.blogspot.com/

Chris @ http://j-a-girl.blogspot.com/

Shannon @ http://thedavisfamilynwa.blogspot.com/

Nikki @ http://nikkicrumpet.blogspot.com/

Gari-Ann @ http://theundomesticatedwife.blogspot.com/

Darlene @ http://darlenesdays-darlene.blogspot.com/

Tanya @ http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/

You are a great group of girls that I have enjoyed getting to know!

Fall

Just a few outdoor pictures.

I stood in the neighbors yard just to try to capture the fallen leaves. After all, I have been waiting patiently for them!

The racoons love my Indian corn and have drug it around every square inch of our yard, leaving little niblet trails. I should have tied it down someplace. Today all that was left were the husks!My girls love his glowing face at night!
The friendly scarecrow.
My spooky mailbox.
and my big mum that is already half dead.
Happy Fall!

One year older!

Today I turn 37! Ack! Where has the time gone? Some people freak out at each birthday that gets them closer to a certain number. To be honest, I sometimes forget how old I really am. I have to think back to the year I was born and then count forward. Or my husband's birthday is right before mine so I'm always saying, "ok, you turned 38 this year so that means I'm going to be 37, right?" Now who's to say that at any given moment I might become one of those people who freaks out? For now, I'll just remain in my own happy, 37 year old la-la land:)

Camping in Michigan

Despite my reservations and lack of proper clothing, we had a great time. The weather was beautiful but HOT! Did I say HOT? Hot in the fall?!?! In Michigan?? Let's just say the girls' pants became cut offs and I did my fair share of sweating.

While still in college we started camping with this group of friends. Back then our goal was getting in a good bike ride, drinking beer and if too much beer was consumed, making sure no one fell in the fire. Or melted their shoes by putting them too close to the fire(me). Once we started getting married and having kids our camping trips stopped. Recently part of this group started the tradition again. This is the first year we were able to join them. We had a great time reliving memories, ate lots of good food, drank our weight in wine and enjoyed watching all of our kids play together.

This is the cute little one room cabin we stayed in.

It even had a porch swing.

The trees there were gorgeous!

The kids picked yummy blueberries for breakfast.

and we went to the beach. This morning we went to an apple orchard. It was a quick visit. There were a lot of people. The line for the hayride was too long and I couldn't really enjoy myself because it was so hot. We did get some of the best apples though!

On the way home we stopped for this! We have not seen gas prices this low in I don't know how long!! What a pretty sight it was!

An Award and I'm Outta Here!

Would one consider me a wee bit crazy for going camping with 10 other adults and 12 of their kids? 12 kids who are not my own? While I'm PMSing???? Well, call me crazy cause we are heading out tomorrow to Michigan for a looooong weekend of camping! Please say a prayer for me:)


Now on to some good stuff! I recieved an award from
http://theundomesticatedwife.blogspot.com/ today. How flippin sweet is that?! If you haven't checked her out go now! She's as sweet as can be and is married to a musician! How cool would that be?!

Here are the blog award rules:

1. List 6 things about yourself

2. Pass this award on to 6 other bloggers

Oh my! I must list 6 things that won't scare anyone!

1. I am currently helping to plan my 20th high school reunion. OUCH! Where has the time gone?

2. Four years ago I had brain surgery to remove a tumor. Four long years have gone by and I still cannot believe that it "happened to me."

3. As a result of said brain tumor, I lost my hearing in my right ear. Don't ever think that I can't hear you though because I have become one mean lip reader;)

4. As a young and not so smart kid, I really didn't believe that if I stuck my tongue on a telephone pole in the dead of winter that my tongue would get stuck. My BFF was to be the one to do it but I for some reason felt I needed to step up to the plate. Um, guess what? In their panicked state they started running to the fire station. In MY panicked state I ripped that sucker right off the pole. Not pretty. I moved away shortly after that and my friends were thoughtful enough to write to me and tell me that my tongue skin was still stuck on the pole:) Now that's true friendship:)

5. I am a "people person." I want to be friends with everyone. I feel the need to keep in some sort of contact with anyone that I've ever had a friendship or relationship with.

6. As evidence of these long winded responses, I like to talk:)

Now to the tagging of 6 bloggy friends. If someone would be so kind as to tell me how I can link to someone without seeing their whole URL(is that what it's called) I can get right on that.

And I'm going to have to turn on the whatever you call it so I don't get SPAM in my comments- Even though "Andy Guo" and "learn chinese" had such wonderful things to say about me. Wink. Wink.

*Edited to add that Blogger ate my spaces!

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we took the girls to the pumpkin patch. The day turned out to be gorgeous!We took a hayride out to the field to pick out our own pumpkins.We washed them before bringing them home.Sydney took a pony ride.
This fella below could be yours for $50.

Or you could purchase a smaller version in the gift shop where I wanted to buy one of everything!
We ate roasted corn on the cob and caramel apples, walked through a hay maze and were entertained by the pumpkin eating dinosaur.

A good time was had by all:)

Apple Orchard Field Trip

It's finally starting to feel like fall!

Natalie's kindergarten class took a field trip to the apple orchard today. I had visions of bringing home enough apples to bake something yummy, but alas our $12 allowed us to each pick out ONE apple!! Anyway, we had a fun time taking a hay ride through the orchard, seeing and learning about the queen bee, and watching how apple cider is made.

Natalie and her BFF, Maggie

Future beekeeper?

This is the view I saw all the way back to school:)

She could not wait to get home and have that apple for lunch!