A New Pumpkin Patch

We have had so many new experiences over the course of the last several months.  A new pumpkin patch was one of them.  We actually didn't go until the Saturday before Halloween, which we now know is a little late in the season.  A lot of the crop was also ruined by the flood, but it was still a fun experience.  The barn was beautiful and the farm was just dreamy.  Next year we will go sooner!

 

 

Pumpkin Painting

 

The week before Halloween, the park had a pumpkin carving/painting contest for the kids.  We decided to paint because we had not gone to the pumpkin patch yet to pick out our pumpkins for carving.

All of the kids are very creative and enjoyed expressing themselves with a pumpkin as their canvas.  In the end there was no real "winner" and all of the kids got sweet treats and prizes.

Boon Docks

 

In October, we were thrilled to have the chance to join my little sisters in celebrating their 12th and 14th birthday.  We met halfway and spent the day at Boon Docks.  None of us had ever been there before and really did not know what to expect.

 Right away we were impressed.  It was very clean and orderly and we were met right away by customer service and they helped us pick the package that was best for our family.  The restaurant area was nice too, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch and birthday cupcakes.

 Chiggie drove for the very first time, and true to her nature she was terribly nervous.  Here she is not sure she wants to keep going.  By the end of the day she was unstoppable.  I am really proud of her that she is branching out the way she is.  There was a time when we couldn't even get her to try new things at all.

 Buster on the other hand, needed no persuasion at all before he hopped behind the wheel.  He was so cute and would cover up his little face when he didn't know what to do.

 Midge surprised us by belting up and taking the wheel too.  It was especially humorous when she rear ended another kid full speed when they were lining up!

Tea and Boo, particularly enjoyed the bumper boats.  We were so happy that this attraction is open year around.  Some of the kids had never been on bumper boats before.  They go pretty soaked, but dried off quickly in the sun.

They also bowled, played laser tag, climbed on the indoor play place, and enjoyed the huge arcade.  We spent over 8 hours there and the kids were exhausted on the ride home.  It was a very fun day and I was so happy to see some of our extended family after almost 3 months.

December

I absolutely cannot believe it is December already!  What an incredible year we have had.  Probably one of the busiest, scariest, most exciting, happiest, and possibly even saddest yet.  Our internet at the park is terrible since the flood, and updating regularly is nearly impossible.  This shouldn't be a problem for very much longer and I have so much to blog about.  Until then just a few things that I d not want to forget:

• We are having an awesome school year.  The kids are really blossoming and some of the things that I worried about last year aren't issues at all.
• I am finished with my 3rd semester at CCU.  I have maintained a 4.0 and am 5 classes away from hopefully beginning my Masters in Counseling.
• It has been FREEZING.  Like below 0 for a week.  We have had no running water, but we are staying warm inside.  Cabin fever is setting in.
• The kids are in full blown Christmas mode.  They love to go to the mall and have had the opportunity to see Santa twice already.
• The King got a new job.  It is local to this area.  We did not see that coming.  It has been a huge blessing, but also raised some questions as to what to do next?
• We are really liking our church, especially Chiggie.  She is very active in the youth group and they have a lot of activities to keep the kids busy. Her favorites so far have been the Clue Game/Costume Party at Halloween and the 30 hour famine/sleepover they had to raise money for a child they sponsor.
• We went ice skating outside for the first time last month.  It was a total blast.  Until Tea held Buster up to see the Zamboni and he flipped over the side, knocking his teeth through his lip. 

That's about all I can think about for now.  I am going to try to update more frequently, but I am using a newer laptop and haven't transferred all of my pictures over yet, so it will be sans pictures for now!

Jumpin'

Now that the weather is much cooler, we have to be a bit more creative in our efforts to stay active.  Gone are the long afternoons at the beach or the city pool.  We discovered a nearby gem where the kids can jump around in multiple bouncy houses and I can work on my own schoolwork.

It's always great when I find something that works for everybody.  I can see coming here quite often this fall and winter!

Buster and Joey

This summer, Buster made his very first best buddy.  He and Joey were literally inseperable.  First thing in the morning Buster would ask to go outside and often he and Joey would play still clad in their p.j.'s and sticky from pancake syrup.  They shared towysw and even shoes sometimes.  They rode bikes, caught toads, and squirted the girls with water guns.  Joey moved to Arizona not long after the flood.  Buster still talks about him all the time and we will hopefully visit him and his family in Estes Park next summer!

In The Meantime

After evacuating due to the flood, we really had no idea where to go.  We drove around for hours looking for somewhere else to stay, but due to the circumstances everywhere was either empty due to evacuation or full for the same reason.  It was an extremely frustrating time.  We finally found a place that we really liked, but it smelled so horrible from the dairy farm right next door that we just could not see ourselves staying there for any length of time.  Finally we decided to bide our time at a local state park.  There were several playgrounds for the kids to play at, a large laundryroom that also had a an area set up with tables that we used to do school work when it was cold, and a nice restroom and showers.  Despite all the good, I have to admit that I was miserable here.  Even looking at the pictures now I still feel almost depressed just thinking about it.  

 

 The kids were happy here for the most part, but it was a stressful time.  The bees were terrible and each of the kids was stung at least once.  Tea's leg ended up swelling and they are all now very afraid of bees.

 

We were only here for two weeks, but it seemed like much longer.  Many of our neighbors were fellow evacuees but everyone was under tremendous stress and that resulted in a lot of drama that we were thankfully not involved in.  I believe everthing that happened in the two weeks following the flood strongly influenced our decision to return to the park we evacuated from despite the devestation it endured.