Happy Thanksgiving and Tofurkey Day

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my sister's house with lots of friends, family, and good food.  But we couldn't miss out on our annual Tofurkey dinner which we later had at home. 

And the Pumpkin Patch

Our last of our annual fall traditions: the pumpkin patch.

Let the Fall Fun begin

Although it doesn't feel much like Fall around here, the temperatures just dipped below 90 the other day, the season is still upon us and that means time for our annual autumn traditions.  We are in a crunch this year to fit them all in early before we head off to Hawaii in a couple weeks.  I know what you're thinking, poor us, we have to suffer more warm weather.  So last weekend we went to the world's largest corn maze, 53 acres.  It took us two and a half hours to get through it.  We entered at 6pm and got out about 8:30, so it started out being light outside and we ended in the dark.  (We started so late because we had tickets to see Seussical the Musical)  It was kind of fun to find our way through the maze with the light of our cell phone and the full moon.  It was a great moon for a walk though a corn maze at night!  

Fueling up for our journey into the maze

Don't tell anyone that Tristan took home some corn

corn, corn everywhere

JR leading us through with the map

Made it to the first of 4 bridges

Great sunset sky

Beautiful moon over the corn field

Great moon for a walk through a corn maze

This weekend we made it up to Apple Hill for everything apple.  We started out at the U-pick apple farm to get some Fuji apples for eating and juicing, and some Granny Smiths for some apple pie.  Then we went up the street to Boa Vista Orchards (really a big market) to get apple donuts, apple turnovers, apple dumplings, apple butter, apple cider, and mommy some apple wine!  We also got some cool necklaces for the boys that have pendants made of glass with bugs inside, but that has nothing to do with apples.

Lots of great apples

My boys

Tire swing fun at Apple Hill

Tire swing fun

Chowing down on apple strudel

Tomorrow is the pumpkin patch!  Look for more pictures.  :)

Gold Rush Days - Years of tradition

We have gone to Gold Rush Days every year since JR was born. I think it's safe to say it is a family tradition. Unfortunately we don't have pictures from every year, but here's our family tradition through the years.

2004

2005

2005

2006

2006

2007

2009

2009

2010

2010

2011

2011

2012

2012

End of Summer, Start of School

Well summer has come to an end and the kids are back in school.  It was a fun summer and it will be an exciting school year.  Tristan started kindergarten and he is very excited about it, really liking his new school.  JR is in fifth grade, the last grade before the big, scary middle school.  To celebrate (or mourn) this transition we had an end of summer/back to school swim party.  The kids had a blast.

Some pool basketball

The pool party crew

First day of school - they are so grown up

Tristan outside his kindergarten classroom

Tristan going into class

Tristan after class - he's still happy and he got a first day certificate

Universities

On our RV trip we visited Cornell and UIUC (where I did undergrad and where James got his Masters).  I thought it would be fun to visit all the universities that James and I had attended so while we were in Kansas we decided to visit KU and when we got home we spent a day at UC Davis.  Now the kids have seen where we went to school and have lots of options. 

Cornell University in Ithaca, NY

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Kansas

University of California at Davis

Sabbatical Trip

We had an amazing trip this summer traveling in an RV from Kansas to the east coast and back to visit old friends and old places.  It was amazing to see friends from 5-10 years ago and have it seem like we just saw them last month.  Each stop was a day packed with good times and great adventures.  I couldn't have wished for a better trip. Someone asked if I would do it again and my answer was an definite "Yes!".

The RV

Maryland with Sarah, Seth, Miles, Leo, and August

Washington DC

Subway ride into DC

Ocean City, NJ with a coworker

Bedford, MA with Dan, Leah, Harvey, and Zion

Plymouth, NH with Kim, Jeremiah, Sean, and baby Madeline

Visiting Cornell

dinner with old friends Brett, Sandy, and kids Logan and Zoe

Madison, WI with Mike, Kim, and Devin

Cave of the Mounds

Champaign/Urbana, IL at the Orpheum Children's Science museum

with Jill, James, and Will Quisenberry

Time with family in Kansas

The Hollidays