Fall Carnival

The fall carnival is always a big day in our house.  Each year the kids look foward to picking there costumes and going to the carnival to enjoy the fun and games.  This years carnival was a cold windy day, but the kids always enjoy there time no matter the weather.

 

Ethan went as a Jedi Knight

 Elizabeth is a Snow Princess

Elisea is a Princess (with a light up dress)

Gulf of Mexico

 

The beginning of September was our first trip to the ocean with the kids, who loved the waves, swimming, and sand. Gulf Shores Beach was beautiful. The kids were again so excited to get into the ocean and ride the waves. The Alabama sun was so good to us and sent us all home with wonderful tans and enough vitamin D to get through Indiana's gray winter.

 

Look at the awesome power of these waves.

 

 

But all good things must come to an end!!!



Gulf Shores Alabama

About 2 months ago we finally took our much anticipated trip to Gulf Shores Alabama.  We had been talking about going for about 1 year.  The other thing we had been talking about for a year or so was getting a camper. So here it is our new Jayco Camper.




The kids were so excited at after our long long truck drive down south, we got to explore and live in our new camper for a whole week.  The camper worked out GREAT, what a blessing.

Gulf Shores did not disappoint.  The weather was perfect 80 during the day and 60s at night.  The camp ground was very nice with lots of bike trails and plenty of places to walk and bike around. When we weren't at the beach we spent time at the pool, where Elizabeth learned to swim with out her life jacket in the deep end of the pool!  What a great memory for Elizabeth. 

Ethan's 8th Birthday

Ethan was hoping to have a big camping party with his friends for his birthday, but it just didn't work out with everyones schedule.  But we did have our good friends the Wolfe's over the weekend before his birthday.  It was a cool fall evening.  We had a gret time celebrating his birthday.

 

Fall Pictures on a Fantastic Fall Day

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day; clear, cool and warm sunshine.  After getting our morning work down, we headed downtown to the election board to vote.  I planned on voting early this year to avoid the hour plus lines we got into last elcection year.  Good choice, we were in and out in 10 minutes.  As I'm voting Ethan says (in the typical volume of an 8 year old boy), "so who are you voting for mom?"  Well as Andrew would say "NObama".

Since it was such a beautiful day and the winters can be so long we took the rest of the afternoon to play at the park just around the corner.  A couple of years ago I found this park out by accident.  We had planned on going to Science Central that day, but it was closed.  So we walked to a near by park and found a little gem.  The kids were so excited to revisit this park.  A new park is such an adventure to them and Ft. Wayne is blessed with so many different parks.  I think the kids would have stayed there all day, but there was still some work at home to get done.  But before we left the park I got some great fall pictures of the kids.  I'm truly blessed to have such great kids, a loving husband who works hard everyday, and a great God who provides all these blessing to me.

Ethan 8 years old

 



Elizabeth 6 years old

 

Elisea 4 1/2 years old

 

Ezekiel 5 months old

Soggy Shades Weekend

As stated earlier we went to Shade State Park for Ethan's birthday weekend.  It was a typical camping weekend, nothing ever goes as you plan.

Thursday night was a beautiful and warm evening.  Andrew and I set up the camp while the kids rode their bikes till it was almost dark.  After they had rounded the circle at least 100 times we had a campfire with smores.  We all headed to bed around 10pm and were hoping the weatherman was wrong about the rain that was supposed to come in on Friday.......

The weatherman was NOT wrong. Friday morning I awoke to the sounds of thunder at 6am.  After a very heavy down pour the rain stopped for us to get breakfast made.  Then the rain started again and again and again.  It rained most of the day, well actually all day.  The rain didn't slow the kids down they rode bikes, scooters, played ball, and even went for a hike in the rain.  We were able to make the best of it and stayed "dry" under some screened in tents.  Even Grandma Becky and Grandpa Dillavou braved the rain and joined us for the day.  Finally around 6:30 we decided to call it a day and got everyone mostly dry and jumped into our warm sleeping bags.  After a day in the rain this was the only time all day the kids complained they were cold and wet.  Once we were in the tent under sleeping bags, with the lanterns one, and a good Hardy Boys mystery the complaining quickly ended.  Memories sweet wet memories!

Here we are warming and drying by the fire

Yes that is steam...

Look at these happy kids all ready to take a hike in the rain.

 

Saturday; Praise the Lord the sun was shining on this clear cool morning!  Even though everything was still wet, the sun was shining!  It was a beautiful fall day with clear sky, warm sun, and wonderful fall colors.  We hiked most of the day with our crew of kids.  They were unstoppable and we had to remind them to stay with us and not get to far ahead.  Ezekiel was a great hiker, since he sleep in the pack the whole time.  There was more biking, eating, hot chocolate drinking, playing ball, crafts, campfires, and a birthday party for Ethan.  Yes, the whole reason for camping this weekend was to celebrate Ethan's 8th birthday.  Ethan got his wish, an "air shot navy gun" and some G.I. Joes.  Now there is a boy gift for you.  After a full day of fun the girls climbed into the Wolfe's camper to "visit" we Deanna.  But, it turned out to be a slumber party for the girls:)  Ethan and the boys played all sorts of games with glow stick and glow sand until almost 11pm.  We thanked the Lord for a beautiful day and the good reminder that His mercies are new every morning.

Happy birthday Ethan

He got some of Andrew's GI Joes!!

Sunday was pack up day.  We got home in time to unpack and for Ethan to use his new gun.  After a cold couple of mornings at the camp ground, we were glad to have our warm beds to snuggle in Sunday night.

 

And the favorite part of everyones

trip was the hiking!

Another great Shades camping trip  with more wonderful memories!

Brother & Sister

How sweet is this sister?  Elizabeth fell asleep holding Ezekiel's pacifier in his mouth on the way home from science.  God has definitely giving her a compassionate, caring, selfless spirit.