Fall is upon us:)

We have (as always) had a very busy ending to our summer and start of our fall.  We are in full swing with fall soccer as well as being completely engulfed with school and church activities.  I attempted to download the pictures in chronological order, though I can't promise anything...enjoy.

Here they are just before soccer games, and yes I have Dane's shirt on backwards and didn't notice until Andy broke out in a famous Sesame Street song (while he was already playing on the field) "Something is different here, which one doesn't go?"  I don't really know the words, but you get the idea.

 We've gone on lots of horse back rides.  Here we are riding with our neighbor Emma.  Our puppy, Chloe, ran along the whole time.  That's Dane on BullsEye, Drake stayed home with Andy, though our neighbor does have a co-saddle so he can ride behind one of us if he does decide to go someday.

 Drake and I saddled BullsEye and our neighbors miniature horse (Taz) up to pick Dane up from the bus.  He loves it when we do that.  Sometimes I just grab BullsEye with a lead rope and walk her like a dog to the bus stop and he rides her home bare-back.  She's so easy going.

 Drake went with me to take care of BullsEye while Dane was at school...one must wear camouflage and be prepared with pistols!

 We went to Forest Park to see the hot air balloon races and before we left we made sure to stop by Art Hill and see the flags.  There was one for every victim of 9/11 with a name and sometimes a picture on each flag.  It was quite a site.  Even still, the boys will probably never know how this even affected us.  Probably as much as I'll never know how Pearl Harbor affected my parents.

I enjoy eating dinner on the deck and try to every day it's not raining...even if it's cold...we put jackets on.  So here we are eating and taking a break from decorating and Drake insisted on having a guest over.  He even made our starving friend a plate.

 And Dane fed him...no wonder he's thin...who wants to eat a lemon?!

 Dane's school has teachers verses students games every semester.  This spring semester was a kickball game.  Dane was the 1st grader chosen out of his class to be on the sudent team.  These teachers are relentless....they won 21-15.

 My cousin Maria came out for a week from Conneticut.  I haven't seen her since her Dad and my Dad were doing a military agriculture class together...I was around 10, she was 12.  When we saw each other it was as if no time had passed.  It was awesome!

 Grandma Ellen bought the boys matching footed pajamas....if there's ever anything I need or want, she's the one to call...she can find anything....

 This day I picked Dane up from the bus stop in the car because I was running late.  They both decided they wanted to walk home, but it's too far for me to go ahead and drive home...so I followed them in the car.

 Dane and I had a date at the rodeo while Drake and Andy had a date with a movie.

 Here's Dane trying to get flags off of scared to death calves to get a prize...if you see him, let me know where he is!

 It's that time of year again....October....this is where we do our "Hands of Change".  They pick the color they want and which hand to paint and then together they have to choose where in the room to stamp their hands (must be together).  This year they chose a corner and wanted to make a butterfly with their hands.  Very creative!  Drake's trying to pout, but I made him smile:)

 And I was able to get the above picture because I agreed to the below picture....it's all about compromise!

 Another head injury....Drake...the door jam won...again.  We were racing upstairs to get ready for bed.  He didn't cry...Dane did, but that scared him so then he started crying because Dane told him he was bleeding.  Once I was able to get Dane upstairs to brush his teeth, Drake calmed right down.  Of course Andy was at a board meeting...our family doctor is almost always gone when these things happen.

 Let me set the stage:  it's chilly outside, it's cloudy and I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt.  Drake says, "Can I swim in the baby pool?"  I say, "Sure", knowing this won't last, but will be fun to watch.  He strips down to his cutie patootie red underwear and starts filling the pool with well water.  It lasted longer than I thought!

 We went to the Barnum and Bailey circus.  There was so much going on and so crazy.  Andy said it is a perfect show for an ADD person...yep, I loved it!

 Dane's elementary school has a pumpkin run every year.  Each grade competes alone.  Last year Dane came in 1st of all the kindergartners in the 1/2 mile run.  This year he held his title and is the fastest 1st grader in the 3/4 mile run. 

On your mark....
Get set.....

 GO....

 Here he is coming around the last bend....a 4th grader is leading the class on the route (orange shirt). Dane is in the purple shirt behind him.

 The finish line.....
The award ceremony is next week.

 Enjoying a fall day and collecting wood for our bon-fire.  Actually, I was burning a brush pile, but the kids will help me collect wood if it's a "bon-fire" because that means Smore's...I'm not tricking them...I'm being creative with my wording.

 I chaperoned Drake's preschool class to a pumpkin patch/corn maze.  Here he is making a corn angel.

 And here he is in the front sitting with his best friend, Reece, on the cow ride.  We went on a hay ride after playing on the zip line and haybale tunnel for a while.

We have our 3rd trunk or treat tonight and then a Halloween at Rich and Heather's next week.  I'll post those pics afterwards.  And we also enjoyed participating and attending Amanda and Ryan's wedding at the beginning of this month.   But that was a special event and deserves its own post.

Also, BIG NEWS....tomorrow is Andy's 1st marathon...it's a stepping stone to prepare for the 1/2 tri-athalon in the spring and the IronMan next summer!

Me?  Well, I've got 9 more weeks of this MBA program and I graduate! 
What will I do with all my extra time you ask?
Sleep, Read for fun again, sleep, volunteer more, sleep, work-out more regularly, sleep, horse back-ride more, sleep, quilting classes again, sleep.  I think I miss the sleeping the most:)