Our annual trip to the pumpkin patch was so much fun - again! The kids each had on their new Halloween shirts and the Lord blessed us with a gorgeous fall evening. We went after school on Friday night and enjoyed the mild temperature, clear blue skies, and magnificent colors across the countryside.
Joel picked this pose and I think it captured him perfectly. I can't believe how grown up he is getting. Each week he seems more grown up. I'm thankful that he still enjoys being with Dad and Mom. We sure do enjoy him!
We are excited that Jake is now able to smile on cue for the camera. This was the result of us yelling, "Yeah!!!" to help him smile. He matched our enthusiasm and managed to smile and look at the camera at the same time.
As soon as we arrived at the pumpkin patch I knew I wanted a picture of someone on top of this gigantic pumpkin, but at first no one seemed interested. After a few minutes, though, Kaylee was in full swing and she picked this spot for herself. I love her relaxed, smiley pose!
Kaylee has been so excited to start playing soccer! Ever since last spring when I complimented her running ability and said she'd be a good soccer player she's been eagerly waiting for her turn to play. She was able to join the Eastside Soccer Club in Sandy and be on the same team as her best friend Emma. This has been such a blessing. Another great thing is that Emma's mom is their coach. She is someone that Kaylee feels really comfortable with and who is someone that I really enjoy.
Because of Kaylee's enthusiasm we were so surprised at her trepidation once we arrived at the field for her first game. It took a lot of coaxing and encouragement to get her out there. She was quite timid at first - even stood out there sucking her thumb - but pretty soon she got past her fear.
Apples! This represents something special to us, because this is the year that Joel decided that he likes apples! He was so excited to go get some apples fresh from the orchard, and we were excited to watch him eat one. We brought home green Gravensteins and Honey Crisp apples. Have you ever tasted one? They are absolutely amazing!
Joel was coerced to pose for this picture. :-) He and Kaylee enjoyed hand selecting the perfect Honey Crisp apple for their teachers. It was really fun that they had recently studied apples in school. Kaylee's teacher, a long time professional, reported that in all her years of teaching this was the first apple she'd ever received from a student!
Kaylee and Jacob enjoying the flowers. Kaylee thoroughly enjoyed posing for many pictures in the fields of flowers. She has a real interest in correctly identifying the flowers that she sees. I enjoyed pointing out the zinnias and dahlias. Of course the sunflowers were readily identifiable!
