Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch!

One of the best online deal sites, Groupon, had a family pass to Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch as it's daily deal. We were there in 2008 and 2009 (oh my goodness, look at those babies!), and knew we wanted to go this year as well, so I bought it. (Side note, if you don't "do" Groupon, you should check it out! Just enter your city and they'll email you a deal every day. Most don't apply to me, but I've gotten 3 or 4 amazing deals!) When I logged on to Groupon I found out I had a $10 credit from someone using my link to buy a deal, so the pass ended up costing us $5 for our whole family! Then, when I read the fine print, I realized we could bring grandparents, too. Awesome!

We went with Allison and Kenny and crew. Here are all the kids in age order...

What a crew!

Charlie wasn't happy in the stroller for long. He loved the wooden train.

I took advantage of (the boys') still being in church clothes to snap a few great pics!

Hams.

Daddy, Mama and our silly boys.

We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, and let Jack choose a pumpkin to take home. The rule was, he had to be able to carry it! :)

Charlie, on the ride back. It was another wonderful year of family fun at the pumpkin patch!

Thanksgiving Day Fun

Thanksgiving was a great time for our little family this year, and how much we have to be thankful for this year!

We began our celebration at Allison & Kenny's, who hosted the entire Friedrich family for a huge meal and lots of catching up. Here are a few pictures from our time there...

 

Charlie and I had to leave a little early to go to the airport to pick up my parents, sister, and grandmother Momsie. What a treat it was to have them here, celebrating with us and spoiling the boys!

 

Momsie with her second great-grandbaby!

 

Charlie was the star of the day on Thursday- other than my mom, none of the others had met him!

Not sure why I continue to take pics next to my gorgeous sister... :-)

Mikey and Lala- long lost buds!

Stay tuned for lots of posts on all our fun!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Oh, wow. I'm known for my love of pumpkin, but this recipe takes the cake. Or the pancake if you will. :-)

2 c flour

4 T brown sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

4 t pumpkin pie spice

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 c milk (I used evaporated milk in order to save Jack's "drinking" milk)

1 c pumpkin puree

2 eggs

2 T oil

2 T vinegar (or you can use buttermilk instead of regular milk, and skip the vinegar)

Mix the milk, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, oil and vinegar in one bowl. In a second bowl combine the dry ingredients. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture to just combine. Pour onto hot skillet 1/4 c at a time.

For added pumpkin-ness heat 1 c syrup and 3/4 c of pumpkin puree in a saucepan. Add a little cinnamon and pour over pancakes. Make the syrup... it's worth it!

Happy Halloween!

Photos of the kiddos in their costumes to follow shortly!

Jack's 2 Year Old Photos

Instead of having professional photos taken of Jack on this birthday, we decided to follow Amy's lead and try to do them ourselves. Having them done professionally is expensive, and he's not into having his picture taken right now. I took 75 shots. This is how he looked for most of them:

  

That is, when he wasn't telling me, "Nooooooo, Mama! Stop it! Okaaaay?" and turning his head away from the camera.

But I did manage to get a few good ones, even if several of them don't include his face. :-) We visited two different parks and the fall trees made for a beautiful backdrop. Oh, and if you're a grandma or auntie, either don't look, or pretend to be surprised when you open your Christmas present this year!

 

 

My two favorites (even with the lack of face-age):

Lovin' Fall

In my freshman year at college, when I met Allison, I remember her getting so excited that fall was on its way. It was her favorite season, she said. I can remember wondering what the big deal about fall was, when summer was clearly better- summer vacation... hello!

That is, until I witnessed my first fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. Apparently I didn't care about fall because I had never seen fall. Florida, with it's nebulous seasons skips fall altogether. All of the sudden, I was a huge fan.

Which is why, yesterday, I was thrilled to take this picture of my own little trees in my own little autumn yard.

My trees (the only two we have) may be puny, but their colors are brilliant.

Happy, fall, everyone!

Pumpkin Patch- take 2

On the wagon- on our way to the pumpkin patch!

Playing shy

Look at all those pumpkins!

Oh, man! How can I choose?

 

I found my pumpkin!

Yep, this is the one!

Lovin' on Eli

Having a "picmic" outside the orchard

Brotherly love

 

Big brother, big pumpkin; little brother, little pumpkin

Pumpkin Patch- take 1

We visited Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch this weekend with A&K and clan. It was a COLD day, so we bundled up!

Jack on the train- which he called the "dinosaur train." He yelled "all aboard!" several times.

 

This is what Charlie did on the train (and the entire rest of the time we were there. :-) We're both wearing our Gator orange and blue!

 

Playing on a big wooden ship

"I driv-een" say Jack and Colton!

LOVE this picture

 

Say cheese, Daddy (on the hayless hay ride)

 

Mama, Jack and Charlie (can you find him?) on the "hay ride"

 

In the Pumpkin Patch

Hanging with Charlie Brown & Co. in the Pumpkin Patch

Look at those cold, red noses! Time to go home!

Charlie had to be fed in the car before we could head home

Jack was exhausted when we got home! He just hung out in his pj's the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Even though it was cold, we had a great time. It was much too cold to take Charlie out of the wrap, so I didn't get pictures of the boys in the pumpkin patch like I wanted. Oh well! We're headed to a different patch Thursday with Parents as Teachers, and hoping for sunnier weather!