Apple and Pumpkin Pickin'

A couple of weekends ago we went to Fireside Orchard & Gardens (http://www.firesideorchard.com/) to go apple picking. Locals keep telling me that Minesota is good at growing 2 things, apples and pumpkins, so we decided to try it out and see! One of the neat things about the apple industry here is that the University of Minesota has an exceptional apple breeding program,specific cold hardy apple varieties. What that means is that the University has created (or breed) these apples; Fireside, Haralson, Keepsake, Honeygold and Regent are the foundation of the Minnesota apple industry. Their newer release Honeycrisp has become a break out variety, soon to be followed by Zestar and SweeTango. We are big fans of the Honeycrisp!!!

she keep saying 'papa, twactors'

while we were walking around I handed her an apple, I just assumed she would just hold it

of course, she had to give Daddy a bite, then

She ended up eating the whole apple during our trip and I mean the whole apple! I wish I had a pic to show you, the only left was the core, which she tried to eat! Now she loves eating 'whole' apples, she doesn't like for me to slice them up!

Last weekend we went to the local pumpkin patch at Oak View Nursery (http://www.oakviewnursery.net/pumpkin-patch.php) and we had a blast!!! The weather was great, it was sunny and 60! We went on a hayride, played in a corn bin, jumped in a bounce house, went down a big inflatable slide, saw some animals, and of course picked a pumpkin!!!



she loved looking at the chickens!

she wasn't too sure of the 'horsey' coming up beside her!

such a pretty girl!

She finally figured out they are 'punkins' not apples!

She LOVED this slide....so they went again

Ansley and daddy had a BLAST in the bounce house!

Loving on Mommy and Daddy!

1st Hayride!

They hayride about put her to sleep!

Petting the 'moo'

We let her paint a pumpkin

so serious!

I was trying to put her handprint on the pumpkin

it didn't work so good, but she loved it!

The white blob is supposed to be her handprint....notice how DIRTY her hands are!

she was having a BLAST!!

A little update on Ansley....She is enjoying swim lessons and I just recently signed her up for gymnastics! Gymnastics are every Friday 10-10:45, not sure how she will do, but at least she will be able to play! She is almost 19 months now! Where is my pause button?!? She loves to dance and will repeat and say anything and everything! Here are some random pics of her....

she was excited about going to eat lunch with daddy!

she had some serious bed head the other morning!

she is so sweet when she sleeps!

out to eat for her favorite thing....PIZZA

our pumpkins we carved!!!

AJ had a bday so of course we had to celebrate!

We can't wait to be home sweet home in TN tomorrow!

Please pray for our trip/travels and we can't wait to see everybody!!!

LOVE YOU GUYS!

JUST 1 MORE DAY!!!

Finally Fall

This past week has been ABSOLUTELY beautiful here! It has been in the 80's and sunny! Makes it hard to believe it is October, but I'm sure it is just the calm before the (snow)storm! :) The leaves are so pretty, but are falling fast. It doesn't help that we have had 20-30mph sustained winds a couple of days ago. I can handle the wind when it is blowing warm air, but I can't imagine cold!!! All the house are decorated for fall/Halloween. There is even a house with a sign that says, "Happy Fall Y'all" which I think is ironic, but I love it!

This past weekend, while I was at work, Lance and Ansley had some fun playing outside in the leaves...



Ansley seems to be doing a lot better when I leave her at either Wee Pals or with Megan or Allison. She has actually stopped crying before I even got out the door a couple of times. This is a big step for both of us because it breaks my heart to leave her squalling "no mommy!" so this is a nice change!

Recently Megan took some pics of Ansley and Aria playing...they get along so good!

Tickle-Tickle!!!

apparently they love playing under this

Ansley has been having a blast at swim lessons!!!

Almost everyday, when it is pretty, we wait outside on the steps for daddy to get home...

Sometimes he is a little late...we get bored

One Daddy gets home they have a routine....I'm  not sure who has more fun

Continue to pray for us and our adventure!
Only 19 more days til we come home!!!!

We love and miss you guys!

The past couple of weeks...

I know I'm behind...

Sorry I haven't posted a new blog in a little bit, but I've actually been busy. I've actually had to work! I am working more at the hospital, which is good for our flights home! :) Here is a little of what we have been up to lately.

Lets see, one evening we went to a fall festival at the University of Minnesota Research Center in Waseca. This was during the cold spell so it was pretty chilly.

We went for a tractor ride.

We got to meet Goldy the Gopher, who Ansley didn't care for at all!

 

Lance has been playing softball with Federated. Well, he has been coaching since he has been in his boot for most of the season. Ansley loves watching the games and it doesn't hurt that most of the time, the field is next to a playground!!

(This pic is from earlier in the season)

This is Ansley with her friends, Parker and Aria

Here is Ansley all bundled up at one of the softball games

The weather here has been crazy lately. A couple weeks ago we had a FREEZE warning! Not a frost advisory or a freeze watch, but a FREEZE WARNING! It was 28F one morning when Lance went to work! CRAZY!

               

Not even the cold will keep this little girl from swinging

or keep her from sliding!

What else have we been into....

Of course, cheering on the VOLS!

We even got an awesome UT care package from Mimi and PJoe!

 

We got to babysit Parker for a little bit one day!

I was thinking...I can do this, I think I can handle two, it isn't that bad...then Parker started crying and then Ansley wasn't happy that I wasn't paying enough attention to just her...then I started thinking, nope I think I'm good with just the one for right now!!! :)

 

I feel like Ansley has grown up so much recently! I know I'm a little partial to her, but she is a smart kid! (We will have her 18month check up by Dr. James when we go home next.)

she loves doing things by herself....

like putting on her own shoes :)

She also loves to help...

especially with the dishes!

Ansley repeats anything and everything! Her favorite thing to say right now is "hold you". She says this when she wants to be picked up/held. She got this from when I would ask her if she wanted me to hold her! She has been going to a daycare a couple of times. The first time we dropped her off I think both me and Lance cried more than she did! :) She cries for just a little bit when we first drop her off, but then she is fine and has a good time. Ansley started swim lessons last week. I wasn't able to make it to the first one because I had to be in the cities for training, but Lance said she did good and they had fun! Her lessons are every Monday for 8 weeks. She will be ready for Norris Lake next year!!!

Like I said before the weather is crazy....this past weekend it was actually warmer here than back home! Lance and Ansley took advantage of the nice weather and went to the park while I worked all weekend....

It is supposed to be in the 80's and beautiful all week!

Like Lance said, this is the calm before the storm cause we know the cold weather is coming!!!

These pics were taken around Owatonna...BEAUTIFUL!!!

Continue to pray for us and our adventure!
Only 26 more days til we come home!!!!

We love and miss you guys!