Final Garden Harvest

We took advantage of the warmest day of the week yesterday to get our final work done in the garden.  I will admit we are not the best gardeners around and let the weeds take over, but all in all if was a pretty good year.  We had more than enough tomatoes, a good assortment of beans and cukes, as well as spaghetti squash. Can't wait to cook the squash up!  Our melons were small and didn't have much flavor, and I think the dry weather had something to do with it.  At any rate it was fun to watch everything grow and can it so we can use it this winter.  We got everything harvested and cleaned up.  Ready to start planning for next year!

Derek helped pick up potatoes

Nolan and the biggest sweet potatoes we harvested.

Eryn enjoyed "harvesting" worms from the garden

Pumpkin Carving

This week we carved our pumpkins!  The kids were patiently waiting, and we put it off a bit this year so they looked nice for Halloween.  We are no artists by any means, but the kids enjoyed getting their hands in the pumpkin and drawing out the face before we carved them.

 

 

 

Pinters Pumpkin Patch

Today we ventured not far from home to enjoy the beautiful weather and some fall fun at Pinters!  It was our first time, and it did not disappoint!  The kids had a great time, and can't wait to go back!

Sabelka and Cox kids

Derek LOVED the race track!

Corn Maze- Derek had the map

Boys on the tire maze

 

Just Like Grandma Used to Make (and still does!)

 

This morning was a perfect cool fall morning to get a lot of things done.  First a nice run in the cool breeze, followed by a warm cup of coffee.  Then, it was time to dig into some projects I have been wanting to do for some time.  First up, making some homemade doughnuts.  My Grandma Carolan makes the best homemade doughnuts ever.  I have fond memories of going to her house after church on Sunday for coffee and doughnuts.  I've made these a few times before, and probably not for a few years so it was definitely time!  They turned out okay, surely not as good as Grandma's though!  It's funny how the older I get the more I cherish those memories of when I was little.  It puts a lot of things into perspective, especially when it comes to all the memories I want to create for our kids.

 

So, back to the doughnuts.  They are easy to make, a simple recipe, but a good one at that.  I think the trick is getting the oil to the correct temperature so that they cook just right.  This batch made a couple dozen, so some went straight to the freezer. 

 

 

In other news this week, we continue to battle with a virus going around.  For the second week ina row we made a visit to the clinic, but the good news is it was only a virus.  Flu shots next week to hopefully avoid any other illnesses this upcoming winter!

 

The kids are continuing to enjoy school.  Yesterday Eryn got to play soccer with some UIU Soccer players, and even got autographs.  She was pretty excited.  Both her and Nolan are looking forward to Merit Day next Friday.  More on that next week!

What's to Come

This past week we were jumping from one activity to another, and wouldn't ya know, we all weren't feeling the best in midst of it all.  It really started with Derek having an earache that turned into ear infection and a quick trip to Urgent Care early in the week.  The other kids ended up with colds, as did I, that wiped us out for most of the week.  Luckily, by Friday we were all feeling better and were able to enjoy the end of Homecoming Week by watching the football game.  Derek doesn't quite get into it yet, but he was able to tolerate 3 quarters of some good football!  Nolan's really into it and loves watching the plays.  So, this week we got a taste of what's to come (or hopefully not) in the winter months.

Although I love the cooler weather, it's sad to say goodbye to another summer.  The kids aren't quite ready to let go, especially Derek as he asks almost every day for a trip to the swimming pool.  Sorry buddy!  Getting ready for colder temps means fall cleaning, both inside and out.  I put away the canning supplies, as the shelves are stocked full and the garden is winding down.  The inside of the house has been deep cleaned for the time-being.  I find myself stocking up on canned pumpkin in preparation for Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday.

The days are getting shorter and it's hard to enjoy that last little bit of sunshine in the evenings.  I'm finding that we are settling in for the night just a little bit earlier every week.  Not that I mind, as it seems that this time of year things start to slow down just a bit, and I very much enjoy that.  Soon it will be time to catch up on my reading and inside projects I put aside this summer to tend to things outside.  

With Homecoming week here and gone the kids are back into their studies.  We are practicing spelling and vocab words and it's nice to see the two older kids working together to learn.  They both love reading, and we will be making many more trips to the library as the days get colder.

Randy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary this past weekend.  It was nice to spend some time together, relaxing and having adult conversation without the interruptions of kids.  But, of course, I was eager to pick them up and get back to our "normal" busy household.

Now, I find myself making more and more lists.  Christmas gift lists, things to do outside before the snow flies, and the never-ending list of house projects, not to mention the Thanksgiving menu!  That said,  I am off to enjoy the rest of this quiet evening and snuggle with my kiddos to read some books.  Enjoy!