pumpkin patch 2014

Halloween Night!

We had a super fun night trick-or-treating in Gigi and Doobie's neighborhood last night! The kids got some seriously GOOD candy this year, and man - they got a TON. Their bags were HEAVY by the end of the night.  Tanner counted his pieces, and we got to about 50 when he lost interest in counting.  Bryce's Ghostbusters costume was definitely a hit, and everyone was thankful that Captain America was there to save the day too! The neighborhood was definitely a safer place with our two heroes around! 

(Eric's FBI shirt and fake mustache were pretty fabulous, but the mustache didn't stick very well!)

"Who you gonna call????"

It was a GORGEOUS sunset to enjoy while we were out!

And this was the beginning of the Sibling Candy Trade that took place (and which continued this morning!) 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

First Day of 3rd grade!

It's BACK TO SCHOOL for this kid. Third grade. Seriously. Third grade sounds awfully OLD. I'm not sure how I feel about this!!!!

We've gotten GREAT responses from some of our teacher friends, and past teachers, when they found out who B's teacher is, so we feel really good, and we think it's going to be a terrific year! 

I think it's going to be rough on Tanner this year, because the two of these boys, (although they fight ALL the time) have spent so much time together this summer. Tanner is used to having B around all the time.

North Carolina

After all our stops along the way, we finally got to the cabin! This was the longest we had ever spent there at one time, and it was DIVINE! We had so much fun, and lots of time to relax. The boys were a sandy, muddy, wet mess almost the whole week. (Oh wait, actually ALL of us were a muddy wet mess most of the week!) 

It was bittersweet to be there without Mimi, but we sent her lots of pictures during the week, and tried to pretend that she was there.  I kept joking that we needed Mimi there, to help with the DISHES! :) I know she gladly would have done dishes the whole time, to be able to be there, but it's important for her to be at home with Annie Grannie, and we love her near or far!!! And we got in an extra trip to Fort Myers over the summer, so we got to see her a few times down there! 

Okay, so some of our adventures:

We picked about a gallon of wild blackberries. We were covered in scrapes and scratches from the thorns, but we couldn't help ourselves! 

We did a lot of work in the creek. The new "Swimmin' Hole" that Eric made his mission, turned out great, and he built up the sides to get the water pretty deep in one little area. The boys sailed boats down the creek, and they really would have been happy spending all day EVERY day in the creek. 

We went to the waterfalls at Deep Creek, (because we just hadn't had enough creek stomping.) We stopped and had the best burgers and ice cream afterwards, at a little creekside snack shop. (Seriously - everything tastes better, creekside!) The weather was AMAZING all week. Bryce actually complained every morning that I didn't bring him jeans, because it was CHILLY in the mornings!!!

We fed the horses - except for Bryce. Ever since that mule tried to eat his hair last Christmas, he and the horses are NOT friends. :)

The boys had fun in their clubhouse outside, and Bryce added treasures to his museum shelves.

We played at the playground one morning, although it was a little rainy and wet, (and therefore a muddy mess) but it was worth it!

These pictures are completely out of order. . . .deal with it! :)

The begining of berry picking.

Riding behind Poppy's tractor.

Hammock over the creek!

At the plaground. . .

Somewhere we have an identical picture of Bryce on this rock, at Deep Creek.  :)

Bryce found this awesome vine hanging from one of the trees on the mountainside at Deep Creek. He considered a Tarzan move. 

Ice cream and burgers, at a Deep Creek snack shop!

Seriously - LOTS of blackberries. This was the FIRST of two batches!

This is the harbor that Bryce built in the creek. . .we called it Bryce's Happy Harbor. :)

In front of the Jarrett House after lunch

S'mores! We didn't get too much bonfire time this trip, because there had been a lot of rain before we got there, and things were pretty damp, but we managed one decent bonfire!

(at the creekside snack shop)

Tanner was happy to feed the horses, even if Bryce wouldn't!

At the plaground! 

With his pal, the mule. (The one that ate Bryce's straw - I mean hair - last visit!)

It was pretty rough to head home after a nice long relaxing trip! 

Is it next summer yet???? :)

SeaWorld

On our way to Lakeland, for Eric's United Methodist Annual Conference, we spent a day at SeaWorld, especially to visit the new Arctic exhibit.  We weren't super excited about the 60 minute wait to get to the penguin ride/visit, but when the ride broke down, and our 60 minute wait became 90 minutes, we were even LESS excited. BUT the penguins were super cute and fun, when we finally got in there!  (I don't think I've EVER waited that long for a ride in my life!) 

The boys on their way to the Arctic. . . .

 visiting with the penguins. . . .

 in the underwater penguin viewing area . . . .

for some CRAZY reason, we had never gone over to the Shamu viewing area. It was AWESOME! the whales were swimming around, and they came right up to the glass.  in this picture, two of them looked like they were kissing! it was SO cute! 

Tanner LOVES this train ride. . . 

"We LOVE SeaWorld.  Really. Why would you think we don't?"

(they really WERE having fun, despite these faces! ha!)

 a couple of wild rides with Daddy. ..  .

Best part - cooling off in the splash area!