Halloween’s a comin’

We spent this weekend getting ready for Halloween. Matt is still gone in China, but is coming home this year on Halloween. It's been a few years since he has been home for it. The boys are excited.

Jacob had a harvest party on Friday and had to dress up as a scarecrow. I'm pretty biased, but he's got to be one of the cutest scarecrows around.

Saturday we spent doing Halloween activities (stickers, coloring, cookies, movies).

Sunday came around and brought pumpkin carving and the Vikings game. Grandpa and Grandma came over. The boys were really into it.

Lucas was not afraid or grossed out by it...

Wouldn't be pumpkin carving without Grandma's mask.

Matt, Kristin, Kelsey, and Megan came over for dinner and we got some pictures in.

Here is my Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi. Yaya did an awesome job again. Thanks Yaya!

MEA Weekend

This weekend was MEA for the boys and I. Thursday afternoon we decided to cross off one of the only things we didn't do on our summer list....go to the Children's Museum. We had a blast. We headed up after lunch, so that Lucas and anyone else who wanted to could take a nap. I read online that the place was open 2 hours later than normal this day. Not very many people knew about it because come the normal closing time, the boys and I were about 1 of 15 families there. We had the place to our self. So much fun. The boys were great listeners, and so great. We had a great time.

Playing in the water...

Grocery shopping...

Rockin' out and making our own videos...

Crawling through the ant hill...

Snuggling with Gorillas and climbing trees in the Rain forest...

Playing in some of our favorite books... We love Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

Thursday and Friday we had some lazy mornings....and lots of snuggling.

Saturday Papa John and Yaya came down and they gave Connor his birthday present that Yaya made. It is awesome! Yaya worked her tail off making the boys' Halloween costumes.

Sunday before church we decided to take some pictures. My guys.....

Jacob is student of the week this week so we worked hard on his poster and putting together some of his favorite things.......

Pumpkin Patch, Assisi Heights, and Apple Orchard

Saturday we had a fun filled day planned with Grandma and Grandpa. Matt was in Canada for a few days. We went to Oak View Nursery in town. It started out as a chilly day, but when the sun came out it warmed up a little bit.

We pet the animals...

Went down the big slide, posed for pictures...

Played in the leaf pile...

I think the favorite was the corn and maze. They were determined to find all the stops on their card. Lucas caught onto that concept quickly and had to cross off on his card also.

Played mini golf...

Played in the corn box....

Attempted Jacob's ladder.....love this picture of Nolan in the act of falling!

Went for a hayride......

After the pumpkin patch we headed to Rochester....I have two great aunts (one on each side) that are nuns (sisters). They are both at the motherhouse, Asissi Heights.

This place is beautiful and I'm always in awe when I'm there, though it's been awhile since I was last there. We visited my dad's aunt, Sr. Florence, who is not doing so well. My mom's aunt, Sr. Bernadett, came with us to the Sekapp apple orchard.

The boys let some energy out in the courtyard.

Sekapp orchard was a really nice orchard. Granted it is a little late in the season and many of the apples have been picked, however we still found our share of good apples. The boys LOVE picking apples....and eating them. Lucas ate a WHOLE apple...pealing and all. You had to take a wagon ride out to the orchard.

We went out for dinner at a place called Whistle Binkies...I laugh every time I say that name. ;) It was a pub type place and the food was delicious.

It was a packed day, but so much fun. Everyone was exhausted by night time, adults included.