Pumpkin Farm



I went to a farm on Friday with our preschool group on Friday. It was fun, but overpriced and the lady was a pumpkin nazi. So I was kind of grumpy about spending what I estimated would be around $70 bucks to go to a farm and buy a couple of pumpkins. I wanted to spend that money on pansies and cabbages and whatnot. Nathan bullied me into going, and I'm so glad. He found this farm up near Peak, SC that was so great. It was about an hour drive, but they had a $1 per person hayride and real pumpkins in the field, and a calf, a piglet, a goat and a sheep that the kids could pet. We bought a good-sized bag of feed for a dollar, so everyone got to feed several animals, including random children who got in line with our kids when Nathan was handing out feed. There was a live beehive behind glass that the kids thought was really cool. And they had reasonable priced fall perennials and annuals. So we had a great time, and I got my pansies, too.  

We definately found the two best pumpkins on the whole farm. No question.



See? Here's how I know. We looked at Every. Single. One.

Do I need to label this? It's a hayride, minus the hay.

Isaac squinting.

Lou-lou squinting.

Eli and Jojo squinting.

Jojo, strongest three year old in the patch.
He was very concerned when Nathan told him to hold the pumpkin.
"Its too big, Daddy! Too big for me." Note that he didn't let go of his football, though.
And just as a note to myself, those shorts are a little too short.
He looks like Christopher Robin in them, to me at least.

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Emma's Baptism

The whole family. We actually were there on time. I know. Amazing.



Mama's friend that drove her down from Rock Hill, Papa Ray, Aunt Marcie and Uncle Brian.



Papa Bryce and Aunt Katie. Katie and Travis sang "A Child's Prayer" and it was so beautiful. They have such beautiful voices. Travis' wife Lisa accompanied them, but I don't have any pictures of Trav and Lisa because Travis had another singing engagement at a stake conference. One day we;ll get them to record an album, and then you'll see.

All male members of the LDS church are able to hold the priesthood, so it's usually dads who baptise their kids. Here's a picture of Nathan and Emma, all ready to jump in the font. Which, incidentally, was incredibly full. We got in their just in time to prevent an overflow and had to let out some water so they could get in.

Mom, Bill, and my little sister.



The ladies on Nathan's side. April. MaMa, Alecia, and Anna



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Hickory Knob Triathlon Year Two

Okay, these pictures are all out of order, but it's a pain to reorder pictures on blogger, and I quit. 

Here's Nathan kicking it home, right at the finish line.

Nathan with his super amazing trophy- a hoodie! He placed first in his age group this year, 20th overall in the sprint distance.

 

Eli and Jonas chiiling after the race while we waited and waited for the awards ceremony to start.





I finally let the kids go to the playground. You'll have to read on to understand why it was so anticipated.



The kids and I on the hillside by the lake waiting for the race to start.
Kids: Can we go to the playground yet?
Me: Not yet. After Daddy finishes his swim.
Kids: But we're Booored.
Me: Only boring people are bored.
Kids: Playground? *making puppy eyes at me* Please?
Me: Grrrrr.
It only took 45 minutes of us standing around, waiting for the race to start, then waiting for Nathan's wave, then watching the tiny ant people splash around the buoys.



And now we're back to before the race starts. He hardly looks scared this year. I think the wet suit makes him brave, like he thinks he's Batman, or something.

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Part two

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Oklahoma Science Center

Jonas was delighted by the fountain with the balls and Eli said it was his favorite part, too.
They ate a piece of the wrong side of the mushroom.
My stepdad Bill. Best picture I've gotten of him so far;) Bill and I tag teamed on the drive out. I don't think I would have made it without him! Nathan flew out to Phoenix the day after we arrived, if you're wondering how this all worked.
Bill and my four plus my niece on one of the props from the USS Oklahoma.

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Emma's Triathlon

Here's our Lou-lou warming up in the pool. We've made her wear a cap every day since then. It makes her look like Little Orphan Annie, remember, in the pool scene, she's wearing a bathing cap? Emma was so excited for the big event. She wrote about it in papers for school and told everybody she was doing a triathlon!

Emma hopping on her bike. The distance was 50 yd swim, 1.5 mile bike and .5 mile run, although we think the run was a bit longer than that. Nathan helped her through transition. So sweet to watch them!

Me and Emma. She'd slowed down a bit and I was cheering her on. She ran so hard, especially when the people in front of her were running. When they walked, she rested too.

Here's my two warriors, showing off their race numbers. They mark both your arms and a leg, in case something happens, I think!

Here's Nathan earlier in the day, picking up a gift card in the award ceremony for placing in his age group. I think he was first in this race? I'll have to ask him. It was a ton of fun!

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Sunscreen

I am grateful for spray on sunscreen. I used to think that that was a waste of money and sunscreen, since the spray tends to get widely dispersed, but not anymore.

Yesterday I was smearing the suscreen on the tops of everybody's feet, getting my hands all gritty, because we were already on the beach. And THEN I did the kids' faces, and everybody was complaining about the sand on their faces.

But I can be taught. Today I sprayed everybody down, outside on our (rented) condo balcony. I just had to smear a little on their faces. And I bought 3 UV protectant shirts for the boys, and love those too. Sometimes technology does make our lives easier, and sometimes I'm willing to pay for convenience. I'm not there on lettuce yet- I still wash and cut my own lettuce- but for sunscreen, give me the easy way out.

And, just to share the grossness, some other swimmers found a dead rat after we got out of the lazy river. I know not to go in the Hot Tubs of Nastiness, but I'd thought the lazy river would be okay. On TV last night, we were watching this show about a scientist who was supposed to study wolves, but his plane crashed and he ended up eating mice. Blech. No thanks.

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