Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and More Pumpkins

Since I started working in late April of this year, I haven't been able to participate in the playgroup Kate and I used to go to. I have missed it, believe it or not. BUT, luckily, with Robb having most Fridays off work, he has been able to continue to take her. Kate loves going and she especially loves the extra time she gets to spend with her daddy. Robb is a great sport to go, as usually he is the only dad along for the ride.

One of the fun outings they had in the month of October was going to Browns Harvest Pumpkin Patch. It was a great activity for the kids complete with a hayride, treats, and of course, lots and lots of pumpkins. I know that Kate had a great time and as requested (by me of course) Robb took lots of pictures! Here are some of them:

A sign at the entrance to the patch. In case you were wondering, you must leave your elephants, camels, kangaroos, and other exotic pets at home!

Kate ready to get behind the wheel.

More wheel time.

And she's driving again.

Waiting for the hayride.

Posing for daddy's camera.

I love fall colors.

Check out all those pumpkins!

This one looks a bit warty!

And we have three winners! These are some of the ones Robb and Kate brought home.

Another pumpkin. Oh wait! It's Kate!

On the hayride:

This is Kate with her buddy, Oliver.

More friends: Lizzie, Kate, and Oliver

Oliver, Kate and Eliza

Kate and Robb

They had such a fun time on this outing! Kate loves spending time with her dad!


At our house we love Halloween! Since Kate and Robb went to the pumpkin patch they picked out some fabulous pumpkins for us to carve. For a family night we carved pumpkins and had a blast. How could you not? You get to get all ooey, gooey, and slimey! This year we carved but also make faced by poking these plastic pieces into the pumpkin, kind of like Mr. Potato head. So, our pumpkins (at least the bigger ones) each had duel personalities. You'll see what I mean when you look at the pictures.

Robb and Josh scooping out the guts.
WAIT! Don't eat that! EEW!

Jake and Kate.
Kate wasn't too sure about actually touching the guts.
Don't blame her really.

This is hard work!

But fun work, too!

Jake smiling and scooping!

See his concentration?

Robb helping Kate, who still isn't interested in getting dirty.

AND THE FINISHED PRODUCTS......

JOSH

JAKE

KATE

MY MONSTER PUMPKIN

Mine and Robb's pumpkins. It was love at first sight. Obviously!

Our porch debut

Kate pumpkifying herself!

We had a fun night!

Father/Son Campout 2011

Robb was able to take Josh and Jake on a Father/Son camp out with our church this past September. He normally tries to take the boys each year for some "guy time." They normally go on a Friday night, get dinner on the way, and sleep over. Then, they come home the next morning. It's a pretty simple trip but they all have a lot of fun.

When we lived in Utah and they would go on the camp out, the tradition was for them to get their dinner at KFC. I guess it's the one time of year they eat the greasy, fried chicken and I feel okay about it. Well, since we moved to Connecticut a new tradition has been born. There are very few Arby's restaurants in our area. To be exact, I've seen one since we've lived here. So, Robb and the boys have decided to make that their new "dinner spot" for the Father/Son camp out. Yay for Arby's. And it's not too far from where we live. Another plus.

Anyway, Robb and the boys had a great time together doing their boyish, outdoorsy stuff. Kate and I stayed home and has some girl time.

Jake enjoying his Arby's soda.

Josh all cozy in the car and sipping his soda.

Robb and the boys

Hiking

Climbing

More exploring

Having fun with their friend, Hobie.

I think the boys were in heaven on this trip. Just like they are on every Father/Son camp out. I'm so glad that Robb enjoys taking them. It's become a fun tradition for them!

Gillette's Castle and Grandma Kris' Birthday!

In the month of September, Robb had to go out of town for work. My mom and Rich were planning on coming for a visit the week after he got home. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with work, kids, and all the stuff I have going on. Thinking about Robb being gone made me feel even more overwhelmed. So, I called my mom and asked if she wouldn't mind coming out a week earlier to help me out. She agreed and we were able to fly her out early. This was such a huge relief to me. It was so nice having my mom here to help me with the kids. She is a fun woman to have around!!! Rich came out the week they had originally planned so we got to spend some time with him, too!

Here is Kate with Grandma Kris.

Kate
Josh and Jake also love having grandma around!

While they were here, we got to celebrate my mom's birthday. As we all know, she is a huge crochet fanatic. She is really talented in that arena and always welcomes more yarn and supplies. So, naturally, we got her some yarn and fabrics for her birthday!

Here she is all excited about her gift:

The kids are being silly and having fun celebrating grandma's birthday.

Jake looking exceptionally silly.

Kate is a quick learner when it comes to silliness!

For their visit, mom and Rich wanted to take a tour of Gillette's castle. It located in East Haddam, Connecticut and was originally a private residence of William Gillette. Gillette was an American actor who was made famous for his role as Sherlock Holmes on stage. He designed the castle and came up with a lot of interesting ideas on how to make things work in the castle. It was fun to see the inside and to be able to go to a "real" castle. Here are some of the things we saw:

A sign outside the castle.
The Castle

Another view. How cool is that?

Jake in front of the castle.
Josh and Jake about to go in for the tour. Jake and Kate

This is what covered some of the walls. It's a burlap type of material that's been painted.
The wooden contraption is a light switch.

These are switches on the walls of other rooms.

Robb got a little artsy with some of his camera shots.
Here are some cool shots he took:

Along the walkway up to the castle there was a rock wall. It was beautifully put together. The kids enjoyed walking and climbing on it.

Josh and Jake

Climbing on the wall

Jake

Kate

Josh

Kate and I taking a breather.

A new friend joining us on our walk.

The kids...

All of us minus one:
Rich, my mom, Jake, me, Robb, and Josh
(Kate took this picture. Not to bad for a 3 year old!)

We had a great time with my mom and Rich. We were so happy they could come for a visit. I sure hope they can come again soon!