Happy Thanksgiving!

Rachel, Bella, and Bo Visit

We got an impromptu visit from Rachel, Bella, and Bo last week.  They stayed with us for a week and a half while they were homeless.  They sold their house and moved into a new one in the same area in Colorado, but the closing dates didn't mesh.  Thus, the reason for their visit.  We loved having them stay!  

We had a great time bowling one day after school.

We had our first snowfall while they were here--about 12 inches--in November!  I'm afraid we're in for a lot of snow this winter if this early snowfall is any prediction!

We visited a children's museum one morning while Benjamin was at school.  He was not happy when he found out!

Here was the veterinarian clinic at the museum--Bo loved it!

Story time!

It was so fun having a girl in the house--dressing up, playing Barbies, and doing arts & crafts!  =)

This was taken outside Jessica and Andy's house in Indiana.  We went there to see them and Grandma while Rachel was here.

The visit at our house ended with no power from a thunderstorm.  They were fortunate to get out of our house before the temperature dropped to low inside!  We ended up being without power for 33 hours.  Longer than either hurricane when we were in Connecticut!

More Fall Stuff

We had our first snow sighting last week.  There were big, wet snowflakes that didn't stick, but it was fun to watch coming down!

Benjamin was a race car driver for Halloween this year.  Here he is getting ready for trunk or treat after church on Sunday.

Here is the loot from trunk or treat.  It doesn't even include class party treats, and actual trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Pumpkin carving

Paul being anti-Halloween--he didn't want to help carve pumpkins, and he refused to go trunk or treating at church on Sunday.  I told him he wouldn't get any candy if he didn't put on his costume and say "trick-or-treat," however people saw him sitting on the curb, and felt sorry for him and gave him candy, anyway!

Paul's class party snack--I had to bring veggies.

Paul did dress up in his football player costume for his school party, and later for trick-or-treating.  Jonathan just brought the boys to a few houses for trick-or-treating, since it was raining and we definitely didn't need anymore candy!

Jumping in the leaves with a friend.  The three boys had half the yard raked in about 20 minutes so that they could jump in a big pile.  Granted, we only have three mediumish-sized trees in the front yard.  A little different than our Connecticut house with closer to 15 trees!

Visiting cousin Clara in Indiana.  Benjamin didn't have school last Thursday and Friday, so we met my parents and aunt and uncle at Jessica's and Angela's houses for a few days.

Food packing event at Benjamin's school.  They raised around $5000 to send meals to children in Haiti!

Hymn of the month

Field trips

Paul's pumpkin patch field trip was on a Thursday.  We met his class there, and went on a hay ride.  They gave the kids a mini history lesson inside their 170-year-old barn.  We sampled apple cider, picked a few apples and Concord grapes, and then picked out a pumpkin.

Benjamin's pumpkin patch field trip was the next day at a different farm.  Paul and I went with him.  We did the standard hay ride, stopping to pick a bagful of Concord grapes and get a pumpkin.  There was a lot to do there--corn maze, spooky semi (haunted house in a semi-trailer), pedal go-carts, bounce house, animals, playground.

Cupcake time!

Pedal go-carts

Fall Beach Days

We had some gorgeous weather recently, and made it to the beach three times in one week!  It can be fun to be there when it's warm, but not so hot like in the summer.  The crowds have disappeared.

This is probably the boys' favorite playground around.  They get to take their shoes off--what can be better than that?!

On a summer day, this place is packed, but we had it practically to ourselves one day after school.

Dune hiking!

Perpetual favorite--rock throwing!  We've been reading and watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."  Charlie Brown only gets rocks while trick-or-treating.  Paul said that rocks weren't that bad because you can use them to throw into water!  His opinion might change if that's what he got while trick-or-treating!  =)

Fall fun

We went to the pumpkin patch and apple picking a couple weekends ago with a family from church. 

This last photo was of the boys playing Cataan Junior.  I got out of the shower one morning, and found them playing this by themselves (not sure if they got the rules exactly right, but still impressive!).