We've also been busy in the good, laid back, staying-close-to-home way. One morning last month I had a mommy date with a couple girls from highschool. They each had their two sons, and we "borrowed" a daughter from another high school buddy who was solo-parenting for a short time while his wife wrapped up loose ends in Michigan before joining with the rest of his family. It was just a bit chilly, but still warm enough to play outside and even have a picnic lunch before parting ways for afternoon naps. Hope to get this group together again soon!
One of my fall goals was to downsize and get back down to one storage unit. Tim and I spent a couple weekends tackling that project, for a couple hours at a time sorting and reorganizing what we were keeping, and making piles of what would go. The kids were awesome with self entertaining. Since we store most of their toys in the storage unit (rotating them with what we have at home) there is no shortage of things for them do. This tractor from Uncle Shawn though is always one of the items to come out. I love, love watching them cruise together. I suspect by next summer Norrie won't fit in that little trailer anymore :(
This summer I attempted a sunflower maze and a pumpkin patch. Although both failed to some degree, it wasn't completely wasted effort. The sunflower maze became more of a prairie grass maze. (technically since the grass was growing in what was supposed to be a garden, I guess they were weeds. But since those weeds grew over 3 ft tall I'm calling them prairie grass). When it became evident that the sunflowers were being eaten and the weeds were overwhelming me, I gave up and traded my hoe for the mower. :)
The 25 hills of pumpkins also were overtaken by weeds. That wasn't their demise though, it was the stinking squash bugs. Gone was the dream of having friends out with kids to pick pumpkins! Norrie, Conrad, and I did manage to find a few survivers. Above the kids are posing in their "playhouse". We had some pole beans and some morning glories climbing on it over the summer, but by the time this picture was taken the frost had already claimed those.
pumpkin carving of course!
