Pumpkin Patch

     Last Sunday we went to a pumpkin patch.  Katie and Jubilee were very excited!  It's still extremely hot outside, so we had beautiful weather when we went.  Last year the girls had fun putting pumpkins in wagons and pushing them around, so I was expecting them to do that this year.  However, their favorite activity this year was playing on a small playground with tires. They liked to jump from tire to tire (with help, of course).  Jimmy has grown so much since last year!  Jim pleasantly reminded me of a particularly large bowel movement Jimmy had when we were taking pictures last year.

I think this is my favorite picture of all three of them!

    

First Haircut

     The time finally came for Jimmy to get his haircut. His bangs were in his eyes, and the back was getting shaggy.  Jim wanted to be there for the event, so we went one evening after dinner. Jimmy had no idea what was happening.  The hair stylist did a great job with the entire cutting lasting about five minutes. Jimmy watched the man across from him getting his haircut too.  The only part he didn't seem to like was the hairdryer.  He looks much older after the haircut.

Before

After

First Camping Trip

     We had the opportunity to go camping with our Home Group from church.  We were very fortunate to go with seasoned campers because this was our first time! Joe and Heidi were nice enough to give us their tent that they weren't using anymore.  We went camping at Fort Richardson, which proved to be a nice place.  The walk to the bathroom wasn't too far away.  Our kids loved being around their cousins and friends. They were very excited to try real S'mores. They were also very excited to wear these orange necklaces with a whistle on them just in case they got separated from us.

     The first night was a little rough with Jimmy ending up with Jim and I, and we could hear coyotes howling a good portion of the night.  It was also a little chilly, but the kids didn't seem to notice.  In the morning we were assured by many people that the second night is usually better because you're so tired that you just sleep through everything.  Jubilee ended up getting a boo boo on her forehead, which involved Jim and I having to use our medical training to clean up (Jubilee has since announced to everyone she meets what happened to her. I'm glad that she can remember it and laugh).  Katie discovered her passion for riding scooters. Joe and Heidi brought scooters, and it was hard keeping Katie off of one.  She was a natural and enjoyed it a lot. We went on a hike, which was good for exercise.

     Later we toured the historic area of Fort Richardson.  While there Katie and Jubilee's favorite part of the camping trip happened even though I didn't know it was until later.  While looking at the old fort buildings, they went into a big house.  Underneath a staircase was a closet. Inside of the closet was a mannequin/statute that was dressed like a scary monster.  The girls only saw it for two seconds, but it stuck with them. They tell everyone about it when they talk about their camping trip.  The second night was a lot better than the first thanks to Heidi's mom, Carla, stopping by. We celebrated some of Heidi's family October birthdays, and she also brought extra blankets!  We were much warmer the second night.  Jimmy still didn't sleep well, but it was more bearable because we weren't cold.

     Our first camping trip was fun. Jim said that he would be okay going on another one in the future, which is a big leap for him.  The girls didn't want to leave because they were having so much fun. 

 

Our House

      I haven't written about this yet, but it is a pretty big deal. We bought a house!  The process was very different from what we were anticipating.  The real estate market in this area is very competitive; if you see a house you like, you have to put a bid in right away.  There really isn't much time to think about it.  The real estate market in Indiana is pretty much the opposite!  Jim and I began to pray that when we saw the house that God wanted us to live in, we would know it right away. After a few houses, Jim and I were trying to not get discouraged.  Finally I found a house online that was a "For Sale by Owner" that seemed to match our interests.  We were able to see the house that evening with Joe and Heidi watching the children.  We met the current residents, who were an older couple looking to move back to their home state. The woman was a quilter, and the man had a work shop in his garage.  We quickly also noticed that they were Christians.  We felt that they had a lot of similarities with us since Granny is a quilter, and Grandpa Cole also does wood-working.  We felt that God was telling us that this house was where he wanted us!  The next day we found out that they accepted our offer!  We were so happy to finally have a house!  We were even able to close on the house earlier than expected!  So far we love living in this house, and the kids seem to enjoy having a nice backyard.