128 pounds for $11.94

That's right! We bought 128 pounds of pumpkin to carve up and create this past weekend. The kids all picked the pumpkin they wanted at Winco. (I just love that their pumpkins are 9 cents a pound!)

Jenna and Zac duplicating their pumpkin's face. L to R: Trev's, Jenna's, Steve's, Zac's, Mandy's

Steve did his traditional happy, fun face. I did the cat that has become a tradition. I carved Trevor's.  He really wanted to play with the knife, but had no interest in the guts again this year. He thought bugs were going to come out and kept calling the seeds, "beans". He mostly watched TV while we carved, but he did join me at the end to watch and poke.  Jenna and Zac were both very pleased with theirs. They did an awesome job. They had minimal help, just a little gutting help is all. They drew their own faces and carved their pumpkins themselves too. I sat Gage in the chair and showed him the pumpkin and the inside, and he loved it. He probably sat there 20 minutes- touching it and licking it, occasioally chewing it and eventaully throwing it on the floor.
 It was fun. The end result was fun to see on the porch. We roasted the seeds this year too.

We also made caramel apples last weekend.

Barnyard Boo, Chili and presents

Sounds like fun! We celebrated Gage's birthday on Saturday. We went to Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point. What a great place. There were animals, little games, a hay ride and pony rides. It was a hit. It wasn't too crowded, and the weather was perfect. The kids did really great. I think that they had a good time. When we can spend 2 hours or more somewhere with the kids without someone having a terrible melt-down, we have done well. (Mind you that sometimes the melt down is my own.) When we got back in the van, Gage was asleep in 5 minutes easy.

Barnyard Boo, ready to go in

Yell if you are excited!

Trev with Kaiden. "Kaiden is my Best friend" (in Trev's words)

Zac especially liked feeding the animals

This is the best way to holla hoop!

Loves her baby brother!

 After we got home, Steve was elbow-deep in chili- making. He made some chilli a few weeks ago, and it was so delicious. He made it again- 2 big pots. We also had grilled cheese with Grandma Sycamore bread. Also hot dogs and mac and cheese, some grapes and throw in some Fritos-  it was the party meal! I made the cake. Jenna helped with the fence. The kids and I cleaned while Trevor napped before our guests arrived.

With Pa and Regina's card we were able to get bibs, sippy cups, a Raffi CD, 2 pair of shoes, the barn toy that was obviously a hit, and all the decorations. Thanks Dad and Regina.

With Ma's card, we were able to get Gage his forward facing car seat, now he is traveling safely in style! Thank you!

Lissy is loved by all my kids....and me. This shirt says, "Only my Aunt understands me"

Reagy has always loved Gage.

 Jeff came down earlier in the afternoon, and Liss and her crew joined us at about 5pm. The chilli was very good and a real pleaser. (24 hours later, we may have 3 servings left is all!) The kids all played very nice. Noteworthy was that Gage didn't have any melt downs the entire night. He was just happy-go-lucky. I think he had fun!
 Thank you to all that wanted to be here and sent presents and cards. Thank you to Lissa and Christian and their family that I know loves us. Also, thanks to Jeff for the pillow pet and for your company.

Gage's Birthday

I can hardly believe that Gage is already a year. Was it really a year ago that he was just so new? It only takes a few days to feel like you have known them forever, and that life is hard to imagine without them. Time has sailed on. Time sometimes goes by in such a hurry, that it becomes a blur to me. That is one reason why I love pictures. It helps me to remember. Looking at pictures of my kids and Steve really brings me joy. In a year's time, my baby boy has grown up. It is so true that babies don't stay babies long. Rock them while you can!

He can walk and talk.
He can make a kissing noise and blow kisses. He likes to play peek a boo.
He says "Thank you" and "Love you" (they sound the same). He says "mama" and "dada" and occasionally it sounds like he is saying "Zac". He is repeating more and more things.
He is a great eater and has been from early on. He is still nursing. It's my thing that I do to compensate for being away some days at work. It's my time with him, and we both love it.
Anyway, he is trying to keep up with Trevor and is adored by Jenna and Zac who are always good  to him.  He loves his mommy and his daddy. He is always happy to see us.
He kind of growls at the dog in a playful way.
He is a magnet to the stairs.
He loves to play with his daddy.
He loves the park, esp the swing.
He loves french fries and almost any fruit, especially raspberries and grapes.
He is now forward facing in his car seat. He looks so big and has become more demanding now that he can see me.
He is at least 23 pounds and has at least 8 teeth... which reminds me, he needs a well visit!