Don't Blink!

 Our little weeping angel!  Happy Halloween!!!

Pumpkin Carving Fun ~

 Pumpkin carving at the Black Bear Cabin.  Dont mind the mess...i have the sewing table out from our costume making! I carved one and Jordyn carved 3, and Justin roasted all the pumpkin seeds. We're ready for Halloween!

Boo At The Zoo At Night!

 Christy and I always wanted to check out Boo at the Zoo at night, so we had the adventure planned weeks ago...however, after everything the family has been through, several other folks decided to join us.  We could all use a little fun time!  And speaking of fun time...Jim decided to try out my T-Rex costume and visit the neighbors for a bit...I think its the first time he's smiled in days.

 We headed to the zoo that night and scored a terrific parking spot up front...then we waited at the entrance for the rest of the family to join us, checking out all the cool costumes.

 The place was packed, so it was a little hard herding everyone around, so we split up for a bit so the kids could hit up more candy booths.

 Everything was lit up so beautifully and they had a really cool exhibit going on with sea creatures made from garbage found in the ocean (that part was not so cool).

 The weather was warm enough to go without coats, so the kids could really show off their costumes.  We were excited to see that the carousel was running, so we bought a bunch of tickets and took the carousel for a spin.

 We ran into some fairies and princesses while we were there...naturally Greg had to sneak into the shot!

 Then we took the train ride!  The line was long, so I think they were cutting the runs short to accommodate everyone, which was a bummer, but the kids still had fun!

 As the evening was winding down, Greg decided to climb into my T-Rex costume for some fun... he had lots of folks laughing (and a few kids crying).  Hehehehehhe!  Hunter was NOT digging the costume at all!

It was a great time at the zoo, just what we all needed.  However, if I had to choose, I would say going during the day is a lot better, as you have more time to peruse the zoo and the animals are more visible.  We were a bit rushed with the limited hours they were open in the evening, but it was fun to check out the nighttime boo just the same!  Cheers!

Goodbye Chad ~

Received a very sad phone call tonight from my cousin Christy..."Chad is no longer with us", she said. It took a few seconds for that to sink in...and I'm still not sure it has.
Chad was one of those people that everyone loved...charming, funny, a smart ass and a super cool guy. All the kids loved him!  He was always the first one outside to play with them...water fights, frisbee, baseball, soccer, go carts, illegal fireworks, you name it...he was game!
He gave great hugs and had a mischievous and infectious smile! Your girls were truly cheated, and my heart aches for them!  We love you Chad and we will miss you!  The photo above is the way i will remember you always!  The photo below is a favorite memory of mine...your sarcastic humor had me laughing and crying at the same time....man, I'm gonna miss you!  

Till The Cows Come Home ~

Another animal spotting in our meadow....however, this one is a first! Looks like some cattle ranchers lost some of their herd during their open range grazing!  

Photo was taken by Jordyn because I was at work....great shot honey!

Three Moose ~

 Our drive to school this morning...what a beautiful commute we have!

Gearin up for Winter ~

The animals are gearin' up for winter!  These sheep have been spotted on the road side almost daily trying to eat their fill of grass, while the momma bear and her cub have been at it again...

 Justin was going to try shooting her with the rubber bullets to scare her from our yard...and more importantly, our little red car (which she has busted out the window in twice now)...but our kitten ran out the door when i was taking this picture and spooked her.

 I decided to follow her a bit to see if I could get a better photo, and again, I was spotted!  This time by momma and baby bear, so I decided to hold back!  They ended up going onto the circle and breaking into a neighbors shed....doh!  These two are headed for trouble if they keep this up!

Today, however, was an absolutely gorgeous warm beautiful day!

I hear the hammock calling my name!

Pumpkin Patch Fun with the Girl Scouts ~

 Instead of having a meeting to kick off our new season of girl scouts, we decided to go to the pumpkin patch instead!  With a smaller troop, it is so much easier to pack up and go...in fact we can fit all the girls in our two cars most of the time, so that will make it a lot easier to plan last minute adventures like this!

 We enjoyed visiting the animals...playing on the playground...wagon fun...and then it was time for a hayride!

It was really windy when we first got there and we were a bit disappointed the weather would stay that way, but after 15 minutes, the sun came back out and the girls ditched their coats to enjoy the perfect day!

After the hayride, we decided to check out the corn maze...this years corn maze was well constructed and the paths were nice and clear so you didnt have to trip over a bunch of rows.

Jordyn and Serenity were the first ones out of the corn maze...and thankfully no one got lost inside!

 Now it was time to get down to business and hunt for pumpkins.

 It was a bit of a hike to get to the best pumpkins, but the girls were up for the challenge!

 We scored some beautiful pumpkins, and hauled our loot back to the car!  We all had a great time, and decided this was the best way to kick off the new girl scout year!!!