carving Pumpkins

After a week, of the boys begging to carve their pumpkins, we finally did it.  I prefer to carve them outside so I don't get the mess in the house, but since it was raining, we transformed the dining table into a pumpkin carving station.  

Before

cleaning the seeds out of the pumpkin guts

we need the seeds for kindergarten pumpkin so I can roast them and for Halloween Hullabaloo at church this coming Saturday.

Brendan designing the face of his pumpkin

After

Cup of Joe

This morning after quickly making pot of coffee, I headed into the sewing room.  After an hour or so I went to check on the boys and this is what I found on the coffee table in the living.  At first glance, I smiled and thought  Connor wants to be just like mommy, drinking his milk out of a coffee cup  While I wasn't too happy that he had gotten a coffee mug out of the cabinets and the fact that he had it in the living room, it still warmed my heart.

When I went over to put the mug back in the kitchen, the smell of creamer hit my nose.  Connor had filled the mug 2/3's full of cinnamon vanilla creamer...honestly, I don't use that much creamer with my coffee.

After school fun

On Tuesday, our school had it's first skating party for the year.  The boys were all excited about going, and mommy was even more excited because it was free!!! (thanks for the generous donor who covered the cost for all who wanted to skate.)

So we dropped Connor off with Mike and headed to school to pick up Brendan.  Then it was off to Woodland for lots of fun.

the twins with Madison and Chloe from their class.

Chloe and Madison

Lucas and Joy

 (sorry about the quailty of the picture - I was having a hard time getting great pictures inside.)

Peel, Slice, and Core

Last week I did canned some more applesauce.  Here's the new gadget (it's my moms - thanks mom!!!!) I used this time around.

First you put the apple on

then you start turning the crank

and BAHM...the apple is peeled, sliced and cored.

This is out you have left.

Here's my little helper - I think he could the apple slices and quickly as I made them.

Once you have enough apples peeled and sliced to fill the pot, you cook them down...

...to this.  

Add a bit of cinnamon

and you're finished!!!

The finished product.

Hopefully, 4 bushels of apples with last us until next October.

Birthday Party at Orchard Hill

Last Saturday we were invited to a Bithday Party for MiniMe's son.  So after a morning filled with soccer, we quickly headed home for a change of clothes and to shove some food with the boys' mouths.

Then it was off to Orchard Hill in Dutton for an afternoon of friends, food and fun.

First the kids had so much fun running with the corn maze.  I don't know if we ever actually it to the end of the maze.  We kind of found a kid made trail to get out instead.

Then it was off to the animals,

sheep,

goats,

and geese.

Later we headed over for a hayride.  We definitely pack the wagon full,  I'm not sure we could have fit any more on.

The birthday boy getting ready for the hayride.

During the hayride, everyone had the opportunity to get off and pick out a pumpkin.

KK and his grandpa deciding which pumpkins they wanted

After the hayride, we were treated to some donuts, cupcakes and cider.  Yum!!!  KK then finally got to open all his gifts.  What a great party!!!  Thanks Josh, Jamie and KK for inviting us.  We had a blast!!!

Pumpkins

After an early morning school circle meeting, we stopped by Heidi's Farmstand on our way home.  I needed some more apples - bushels 3,4,and 5 for this season so far, and we needed a couple more pumpkins so when we have a free night for carving, we have them.  As the nice employees of Heidis' were gathering my many apples, I took the boys over to the pumpkins so they could pick one out.  Off they ran to the BIGGEST smallest pumpkins they had... wait a minute, don't must kids like to find biggest pumpkins, not my boys.  I have to keep telling them to find a bigger pumpkin.

Finally they were pretty sure they had found the right size pumpkins, and while I was loading them in the wagon,  the boys decided it would to fun to jump and climb on the pumpkins.  I'm so glad we were outside and the friendly employees of Heidi's were still packing my apples.  I really didn't want to buy any more pumpkins that I had to at $5 buck a pop.

and if you're wondering about Brendan not getting to pickout a his own,  well, we had a few grow from the leftover rotten pumpkins that were left in the garden last year.  And it's ripe at the right time of year this time. :)

Fishing

Last night, our church's outdoor club held a fishing derby for the kids at church.  The pond was stocked and lots of fish were caught  just not by our kids.  All the boys were so excited to fish even Connor.  Luckily for Mike, Brendan could bait and cast his own pole.  The other 3, not so much.  As quickly as Mike could bait the hook and cast the line, the boys had their lines reeled back in and they needed to be cast out again.  I am impressed with the amount of patience Mike needed to have.  (Thank you, honey)  

After some time by the pond, we headed to the line for ice cream...that's right I think it was about 40 degrees outside, maybe colder and we were eating ice cream outside.  It was so good!!!!

Chopped Off

I am no longer hidden from the world.  

I am feeling very naked.  

My corn is gone.

I can see the road and the road can see the house.

I can see the farm, and I suppose the cows can see me.

This past Tuesday and Wednesday, the harvesting crew was out by our place.  My brother Brian and a few of the cropping employees from Fennville took the long journey to Freeport.  If I remember correctly it's about a 3-4 hour drive by tractor/chopper going about 20 mph.  That's a long trip in it's self.

On a good day they can easily get the 120 acres around the finished, but with the ground being so wet it didn't happen and the trucks needed extra help getting through the fields. All the action was happening on the North side of the Farm on Tuesday so I didn't see too much of what was going on.  But Wednesday morning, Connor was running from window to window all excited about the tractors and combines.  It wasn't until late morning that he finally got to ride with daddy for a little while.  But it didn't take long and he was back in the house, his hands were too cold.  So we opened all the blinds to the back of the house, and he watched his DVD of tractors and had a watchful eye on the tractors in the field.  

Watching the action for the deck

Here they come!!!!

on the left side of this picture you see an extra tractor following the trucks and chopper, that Mike's position.  He was in charge of pulling or pushing  the trucks when they got stuck.

Here he is in action.

So now I have to get used to the fact that the world aka Freeport can see me again.  I just hope they decided to plant corn around the house again next summer and not hay.

Until planting season...