Pumpkins!

We've been busy visiting farms and carving pumpkins. Our first trip was to Kelsey Creek Farm with Derick's preschool. We were blessed with beautiful weather and had lots of fun seeing Joy the 600 lb pig and making beds for the horses. Then, the kids picked out their pumpkins to take home.

Derick's Pre-Kindergarden Class

Our next trip was to Thomasson Pumpkin patch and farm in the Black Diamond area. We had another beautiful day and the activities on this farm were wonderful. There was a corn box (a huge area filled with dry corn kernels. Think ball pit. The kids LOVED it), animals to pet, a play area, a hay ride, a corn maze, and even some tractor-like trikes to ride.

Corn maze....it was CRAZY!!

Darla and Bradly, so sweet!

Derick and Darla cleaning out pumpkins. Derick and Daddy carved his at the Preschool's Dad's night.

Then, we visited Carpinito Bros Farm in Kent with the family to get gourds for our annual Peery Pumpkin Carving night. It was rainy and VERY busy, so we stuck to the pumpkin patch and then hightailed it home for the main event: CARVING!!

Almost all the pumpkins, ready for their photo shoot. I sure do love my pumpkins! I still have one left over from all the farms we visited that I think is going to be pie or maybe pumpkin soup!

Derick's been asking for a skateboard....

....and I'm not sure I'm ready for him to have one yet. But, after seeing him on his bike, maybe I'll think about it. He begged me to let him ride here, so I did...with some nerves. He's actually pretty good for 4 1/2!

Leaf Fun

My favorite days in fall are the beautiful, sunny, crisp ones. We decided to get out and enjoy the pretty day with some friends. The kids found the leaf pile and the moms capitalized on the fun!

Ahhhhhh

Last spring, Jeremy and I decided our backs could not take the crappy mattress we were sleeping on any more. We set out to do our research and find the perfect one! We laid on all kinds of beds; the sleep number, traditional spring, and finally the Temprapedic. But, we just weren't SURE. So, we did nothing. Fast forward six months, and we find ourselves at Sleep Country, again. We were *just* going to try them out, again. Same sales lady, same beds. But this time, we bought. So, here's our new baby....all set up and ready for us to try tonight. It's a Temprapedic Cloud Supreme. Soft and firm. It's much lower than our old mattress, I don't even really need my stairs anymore. But, I'll get used to it. I'm exited and nervous at the same time. It's a HUGE investment, one we'll be paying for, for a while. But, our health is worth it. And, the three years same as cash deal, helped!

So, here's to a good night's sleep!

Fall is my favorite....

...time of year. I love the cooler mornings, bright sunny afternoons, and the beautiful colors. Here's some pics of a tree in our back yard. We don't know what kind it is, but it's fall display is amazing. One week, it's totally green. In the space of a few days, it changes to all kinds of colors. Yellow on the inside and red and purple on the outside. I just love it!

My mums are blooming and bring such a bright spot to a fading garden. I purchased some mulch again this year and just love how the dark dirt highlights my plants.

This morning, I woke to lots of bird noises in the back yard. I jumped out of bed and saw at least 5 or 6 Stellar Jays, hovering around my sunflowers. I realized that it was time to harvest!!! So, I threw on some sweats and bolted outside to save my seeds. I was able to scare off the birds and harvested the sunflower heads. Now they are resting cozy in a box, while the dry out. I'm hoping to re-use some of the seeds for next year and eat the rest!

I love fall!

Darla's in a big girl bed!

Our baby girl keeps jumping those hurdles and pretty soon, she won't be a baby any more. Sigh.

This last weekend, Jeremy took the crib wall off of Darla's bed and put on the railing and steps. She took to it as well as Derick did and only got up twice the first night. Since then, she stays in bed and snuggles up with her new comforter and pillow. At 23 months (almost) she's quite the big girl and Daddy and I couldn't be more proud of her.

My second 1/2 Marathon

Today, I completed my second 1/2 Marathon with some of my dearest mommy friends. It was the first for three of our group and everyone was amazing!!! We all finished in 3 1/2 hours, and had a lot of fun doing it. The morning started out with pouring rain and throughout the race it tapered til the sun was shining through at the end. Going 13.1 miles took courage, strength, and mental stamina. I am SO proud of myself and my friends. Thank you to Jeremy and the kids, who supported me while I trained. Thank you to all the family and friends who made the trek to watch us cross the finish line. You can't know how much that means to have you there. I'm definitely tired, have pretty sore feet, and a spirit full of love. Can't wait for the next one!!!

Jenn, Jill, Brooke, Julia, and Courtney

Seven Years ago...

I married the most amazing man!! September 20th, 2003 was a good day. This year, we celebrated with a date night to the Puyallup fair with our friends Jenn and Arthur. We got soaked, but there were no lines for anything, which was awesome. We watched a hypnotist show, ate clam chowder, took an old time photo, rode the roller coaster and wandered through some of the buildings for a break from the rain. Jeremy decided he will never get on the Octopus ride again. It was fast, and spun us ALOT! We were both pretty sick and Jeremy was shaken up afterwards. I guess we are getting old, aren't we?

Babe, I am SO very lucky and blessed to be walking beside you as your wife and partner. Our love continues to grow and deepen. Life isn't perfect, but it is always interesting and fun. Here's to the next 7 years of joy, tears, and love with you!

My cute kids...

Darla, after her bath. Hair by Daddy. So cute!

You just can't resist that face.....

My 70's throw back, kid!

Puyallup Fair

I took the kids to the opening day of the Puyallup fair this year. I was able to get us in for free with a food donation. It was D2's first time and we had a blast. We rode rides, petted animals, and ate lots of yummy fair food. Here's a few of our favorite moments.

On our first ride, the train.
Derick's first ride alone, the Dragon coaster.

All of us on the Fire Truck ride.

The swings are so fun!

Derick loves trucks......

The boys petting a sheep.

Airbrush face paint.

Cotton Candy, YUM!

Derick on the swing ride.

The Blue Flame

Jeremy has been waiting for this day for years now, the chance to coach soccer again. Now that Derick is old enough, Jeremy is back with SCORE coaching Derick's first soccer team. They have five team members, and play MOD rules. No goalie and three kids on the field at one time. The kids have pretty short attention spans, and Jeremy feels a little challenged to keep them focused. But overall, it's been alot of fun, so far. The games start tomorrow and go every Saturday into November. It's quite a commitment, but I think one they both will enjoy. It certainly gets them both out there burning off some steam.

GO BLUE FLAME!!

Summer Fun

Here's a few pics of our recent summer adventures.

Cupcakes at Common Ground, YUM!

Some of our last pool days for the summer....splashing is FUN.

Darla trying on Derick's back pack.

DJ enjoying some chocolate puddin.

Park play at Coulon.