Apple and Pumpkin Picking

We headed up to Apple Ridge Farms and Denver Dans in Apple Hill again this year.  Rachel got brave this year and petted the goats and donkeys.  She even asked to feed the goats.  She loves to talk to the animals, telling them what she is up to and that they should come over to the fence and see her.  I think if we let her she would spend all day with the animals. 

After taking some pictures in the cutouts and seeing the animals at Apple Ridge Farms.  We headed over to their pumpkin patch.  Yes, the pumpkins are a little bit more money than at the grocery store, but we decided we were paying for the experience and made sure to get our moneys worth making Rachel walk through the whole little patch to find the perfect pumpkin.  To her the perfect pumpkin is the current one she has found, so Brian helped to pick out the final pumpkin. 

After pumpkin picking we went to pick apples at Denver Dans.  The apples were a little sparse this year making apple picking a treasure hunt.  We managed to find enough apples to make apple butter and have some just to eat.  Brian lucked out this year because the Granny Smiths were ripe, and Granny Smiths are his favorite.  It was a day full of fun and we all enjoyed a good nap when we got home.

Pink Bunny Parachutes

Baby Giggles

A Very Hungry Party

We had a Very Hungry Caterpillar play date party to celebrate Rachel's 3rd birthday.  I love the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and I had a great time decorating for this party.  We had caterpillars lining the walkway, a giant caterpillar made from balloons (we forgot to take a picture of this before taking it down), and a birthday banner.  The food was things the caterpillar ate.  We served  apples, pears, plums, watermelon, salami, cheese, and pickles.  Since we were having cheese and salami I also included crackers.  Like in previous years I made cupcakes for Rachel's birthday.  I think cupcakes are a great way to go for kid's parties because they don't require cutting and serving.  I made the caterpillars for the cupcakes using  m&ms for the body and chocolate frosting for the antennae.  It was super easy and super cute.

Since the party was a big play date I didn't plan any games.  Planning and executing organized games is not one of my strengths. We did have lots of fun toys to play with.  Rachel's friends could run around inside or outside.  Outside we had all her backyard toys including chalk, slide, sand table, and water table.  Inside her kitchen, play doh, and dress up box were big hits.  I love seeing how she has blossomed over the years.  She is so sweet and good at sharing her toys and taking turns especially when given gentle reminders to make sure her friend has a turn.  She really enjoys playing with her friends.

 

By the time the party was over and we cleaned up I think we all felt like Joel.  We all had a lot of fun and felt blessed by all our friends who came over to help up celebrate our special little girl.

Almost 3 Photo Shoot

We had grand plans to do Rachel's 3rd birthday photo shoot at Capital Park, but the weather had other plans.  It rained almost all day.  In between showers we dashed down the street to the park instead.  We got some cute photos and a little play time in before the sky opened up again.  Here are some of our favorites:

The Pictures You Have Been Waiting For

Hello Everyone, Brian Here.

Things are finally slowing down a little bit here. At least enough for me to finally take some pictures. And guess what? Joel smiles quite a bit now so we finally got some good smiling pictures.  So here they are. Enjoy!

Joel loves his Mommy!

Something is wrong with the camera, it makes the back of my head look as if there were less hair there.

Peek A Boo!

He's a happy baby.

There's his tongue.

He's all smiles.

2 months and Loving Life

Joel is now 2 months old.  It is amazing how fast these 2 months have gone.

Weight: 12lbs 12.3oz (55 %)
Height: 2 ft 0.25 in (89%)
Clothing:0-3 months
Schedule: Joel takes a couple hour morning nap shortly after Rachel wakes up and afternoon nap during Rachel's nap.  He also catnaps in the evening in between fussing.  He has recently started eating every 3-4 hours instead of every 2 1/2.  He eats his final meal at 10:20pm and sleeps from 11pm until anywhere between 5am and 7:30am.   
Likes: He loves sucking on his pacifer, being cuddled, and rocking in the chair.  His favorite songs include "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," Jesus Loves Me, and "My God is so Great."
Dislikes: He hates to have a wet or dirty diaper, waking up alone, and wild play (like being lifted high and fast in the air).

Joel is such a joy to have in our family.  Rachel loves him and is adjusting to sharing mommy's attention.  She likes to help bathe him and change his diaper.   I am learning how to balance 2 kiddos and housework especially now that we started home school preschool.  I have to be intentional with how I spend my time be it unpacking boxes (we have less than 6 left!), cleaning the house, cooking meals, playing with Rachel or Joel, planning and carrying out our preschool lessons, and and making sure I get a little me time.  Sticking to a schedule and planning what I need and want to get done the night before really helps.  It gets a little easier to balance it all everyday.