A Fun filled weekend

This past weekend, David and the kids and I went back to the Fox Valley to spend the holiday with family. We did Thanksgiving dinner at his aunt's home on Thursday, his nephew Henry's 1 year birthday party on Saturday and a "Festival of Lights" in Oshkosh on Saturday with my mom, niece and nephew. It was a great time with family.

Max, Natalie, Rachel, my mom, Garrett and I on the horse drawn carriage ride through the lights.
The kids and I with Santa. This was Natalie's first experience with a Santa and he was a good one, real beard and very nice. According to him, she might like a barbie for Christmas...maybe not.
Me and my precious kids in the sleigh, we also saw real reindeer and camels!
Natalie doing a goofy spoon trick the morning before the party.
Garrett at Thanksgiving.

Texas 11-5 to 11-8-09

David had a conference to present at in Dallas last weekend. His mom offered to take our kiddos so I could go too and have a little mommy break. We left Thursday afternoon and got back Sunday afternoon. It was so nice to have three evenings in a row to have dinner out with my husband and to get time to sleep in, shop, and go to a few museums. It was a good time for sure. I did realize though, just how much they mean it when they say "Everything is bigger in Dallas." What they didn't tell you is how loud and sparkly it is too!

This is the 6th Floor Museum, JFK was shot in Dallas Nov. 1963 from the 6th floor of the Texas Book Depository and now it is a museum dedicated to that event. This is the window Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK from.
The "grassy knoll", although I'm not 100% sure...it may have been across the street.
I spent Saturday shopping and relaxing in the nearby town of Grapevine.
An awesome botanical garden where I spent two blessed uninterrupted hours reading.
Some cute scarecrows at an old farmstead I visited.

Packers VS Vikings 11-1-09

My mom has season tickets in Lambeau in her family, so we had a chance to go to the Packers/Vikings game on Nov.1. It was lots of fun, if only we could have won.

My mom and I.
David, me, my Mom and Dad
David and I in Lambeau Field.
#12 Aaron Rodgers coming on the field, lots of support and cheers!
#4 Viking Brett Favre, the booing starts. Every time he got on the field, I mean EVERY time, the booing was incredibly loud. The Pack may have lost but Brett knows for sure how his former fans feel about him now!

Trick or Treat 10-31-09

Natalie and Garrett, with Rachel and Max (my sister's kiddos)Nat and G on Auntie Shawn's porch
Natalie and Rachel
Max and Garrett (G spent most of trick or treating wrapped up in a blanket in the wagon)
Natalie and Garrett with their cousin Henry (David's brother's son). This was so funny that both boys were frogs, it gets better when you know that they were both hand me down costumes from a cousin named Rowan! What are the odds of that!

5 Halloween Events

The kiddos had 5 opportunities to wear their Halloween get ups before Saturday. Considering that Garrett's costume was a hand me down from my sister (FREE!) and Natalie's was $18, I think we got our money's worth out of them!

Garrett at his library class on Wednesday morning.Natalie and Garrett, with Brady and Eli (the other children in our Lifegroup) on Wednesday night.
Titus Fall Festival Thursday morning.
Natalie at the UWHA (University WI Housestaff Assoc) party Thursday night (G had swimming lessons).
Natalie with her "boyfriend" Max at the Harbor Athletic Club Halloween parade on Friday.
All this before Halloween day!

Fall Photo Shoot 10-19-09

My attempt to get some cute photos of the kids with the pumpkins.After a few tries at home, we went to the park to see if I could get anything there. Garrett, with his "determined to do this myself" face.
Natalie hugging/strangling her brother.
A forceful kiss from big sister.
I like this one of them on the motorcycle together. If this ever becomes a reality, they better be wearing helmets!

Pumpkin Carving 10-17-09

Garrett, doing more eating than carving.Natalie and Daddy, scheming about what to make.
Garrett, released from the high chair and obsessed with picking up all the pumpkins and climbing to the table with them.
Natalie and Daddy, finished with the carving part.
Natalie LOVED to paint the pumpkins with the glow in the dark paint.

Devil's Lake 10-11-09

As you can tell, I love to get shots of all four of us, the kids are sometimes cooperative, sometimes not so much. Natalie has a little bit of a goofy grin going on, but lately that's the smile the camera gets. Garrett, as always, is a paci baby. A nice rear view, don't you think?
Us with all our hiking friends. Marcy, Randy and Suka, Andrea, Adam and Brady and Ryan and Kristin.
Me hiking down the rocks with G, we did a little non-intentional off the trail hiking...not recommended with a 16 month old on your back.
Garrett and David got back to the van earlier than Natalie and I and he had a blast playing in the passenger seat...who needs toys?

Eugster's 10-4-09

It has REALLY been awhile since I posted, it sort of got away from me for a while there. So here is my attempt to catch you all up on what we've been up to since the end of September.

Here are photos of our family trip to get pumpkins. We have always gone to Epplegaarden in Verona in the past but we decided to try Eugster's this year. It was a fun but cold day!

The family photo (on the way out)
Natalie and a pumpkin. She looks distressed because the pumpkin was dirty and that bothers her. We had quite the experience in the pumpkin field though. We rode out to the field in a haywagon and I decided to leave our diaper bag/backpack on the wagon. While we were out in the middle of the field the driver took off and David had to run after him to get our bag back! As soon as he got back, Natalie announced she had to go potty. Well, the next wagon coming to bring us back was a ways out so I had to pick her up and run (a loooong way) back to the potties. Once on the potty, she informed me "I guess I don't really have to go." Oh the joy.
David and Garrett playing at the little park on the farm.
Garrett and a cute little pumpkin.
Natalie lost in the corn maze. We let her make all the choices as to which way we would go. It took us a while to get out!

Fall Trout Fishing: Closing Weekend

The Wisconsin inland trout season ends every year on the 30th of September, so my brother and I had been planning to make one final trip to the driftless area before the end of the season. As it was, the weather was not looking so good for us - nevertheless we had decided to tough it out and go, and am I glad we did. With a little insiders help about where to fish, I caught these three fish all out of the same pool on different days. We also caught some smaller fish throughout. The driftless area of Wisconsin is an absolute pearl.