Autumn Fun

One can tell that Autumn has started by looking for one of the tell tale signs, leaves falling.  And falling leaves bring the exciting activity of leaf pile jumping. 

And what fun it is.  Especially when Dad rakes all of the leaves in front of the slide.  You of course are invincible when sliding down a slide into a pile of leaves.  The sliding can now be done with reckless abandoned.  Wind meet caution!

But the most exciting thing about piles of leaves in Autumn is finding ridiculous amounts of Ladybugs hibernating as the weather gets colder.  The boys loves to catch them.  You just have to make sure to not stress them out so they ooze there yellow blood on to you.

There is lots to do outside and we have to enjoy these last few days while it is still warm enough to be outside.  But there is always plenty for us to have fun with inside.

Ben made this tower that was bigger then him it is pretty neat with the marbles cascading down.  We only got a few tries before we moved on to a new game.

Garden Party: Lettuce Turnip The Beet

A. A. Milne once said that weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.  And we are certainly good at growing those, however this year we thought we should try our hand at something different.  The prophets have always advise us to plant a garden and this year we finally did as we actually had a yard in which to do so.  So last spring we asked the boys what they wanted to plant and the conversation when a little like this.

Me: What should we plant in our garden?
Ben: WATERMELON! (Watermelon)
Me: It is not warm enough for watermelon and we should choose something else.
Ben: WATERMELON! (Watermelon)
Me: How about some carrots and peas or maybe beans.  Maybe we can try cucumbers? You really like those, don't you?
Ben: WATERMELON! (Watermelon)
Me: Okay we will try watermelon but I don't think they will grow.  You can help with the potatoes and radishes though.
Ben: WATERMELON! (Watermelon)

The parenthesis were said by JR who just repeats everything that Ben says

Well after that the die was cast and we were going to plant a watermelon.  So that is just what we did and to our surprise the plants actually started to grow.  And then even more shocking to use the plants started to flower.  And then the most unprecedented move yet pollination, fertilization and the various ova began to swell into small fruits, and CONTINUED TO GROW.

We all watched very excitingly as the fruit further matured and grew bigger then it had every been before, which I guess that goes without saying, but regardless they grew and grew.  Until one fateful day when.....

This happened! It is September 8th.  Unbelievable!  Well not that unbelievable as we do live north of the 53 parallel.

The watermelon plants are approximately 53 ° 32 ' 20 " N.  But the location can more precisely be represented in decimal, 53.538992.  And that is far north

So I quickly harvested a dozen watermelons as snow doesn't mix well with fruit.  Unless of course I was worshiping Dionysus and planned on making ice wine.

After a few months of caring for our garden we got to experience a real life application of The Ant and The Grasshopper as we did enjoy the fruits of our labours in the snow.  Watermelons in the Snow.  Sounds like a alternative punk band or a slightly racy young adult fiction book.  At any rate that was our experience today and the boys enjoyed the fruit.

At least two thirds did.  Ben was not crazy about the seeds.  Maybe we will do seedless next year.

Or maybe he is the figurative Grasshopper in this story...

SUMMER - PICTURE OVERLOAD

It has been a busy summer for us but we were able to get a way a couple of times out to Penticton to visit Grandma and Grandpa Baker. We sure love it out there and really hate getting back in the car to drive home!  Here are a million pics from the summer!!!

We stopped at the Kangaroo farm which was a lot of fun. They had kangaroos, you got to hold baby kangaroos, then they had ducks and goats and birds and baby emu's, birds and pigs!! The boys loved it... well for the most part until the emu's started chasing Ben and he freaked out :)

Spencer not impressed with the goats!!!

Ben also had a little freak out when the bird starting walking up his arm!! We really need to get this boy a pet!!

My favorite boys just hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's!!!

 Jeff SO excited to not be working and out on the boat enjoying the sunshine!!! :)

Trying his hand at surfing behind the boat... he did AMAZING for his first time trying!!!

Loving the spray park!!

Getting a feel for the ski... LOVE this kid!!!

What could be better then digging a hole and hanging out in it all day :)

Enjoying a boat ride with Grandma!!!

What a cutie!!!

One of our favorite activities... jumping off the boat in the middle of the lake with no one else around!!

Even me and this new baby needed to get in on the action!!!

Grandpa Mark doing his back flip... pretty good for a 60 year old!!!!

Ben swimming around the whole boat with Grandma!!!! They are best friends and sometimes think he loves her more then me!!

Jeff LOVES to throw these boys around... much to moms worry!

AHHH!!! I just LOVE these three!!!

Spence thought he was safe from the water fight....

Until daddy and his big brothers attacked!!!!

The pictures of the view from Grandma and Grandpas house is beautiful... and it never turns out in pictures. But one of the first nights we were there... Ben was up at the top of the house and was amazed by the view and yelled for me.... when I got there he said.... "Mom... you have to take a boo of this view!! It's beautiful" Where did he learn that phrase from I have no idea but it was one of the cutest things I have heard in a long time. 

We loved our summer and am sad to see it go! Although I guess we have plenty to look forward too.... soon we will have four little munchkins running around driving us crazy!!! Couldn't ask for a better life!!! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Mark... love you lots and can't wait for next year (hoping you are around and not out on a mission!!! )