Sierra Apple Festival

Every year we take a family trip to Apple Hill in October. We pick out our pumpkins and take family pictures in the fall foliage. We all look forward to it. This year we had to switch things up a little because of Thomas’ soccer schedule. This year we needed to go in September. Unfortunately on the weekend we were going to go it was extremely hot.  We didn’t think Apple Hill would be as much fun in the heat and it just didn’t seem like tradition to go when it was so hot. Part of the fun is dressing warm and having hot cider. 

So Kelly and I looked on the internet to find something fun to do that weekend. There just so happened to be an Apple Festival going on in Sonora. So we loaded up the kids and headed to Sonora. 

 

It was Karly’s first festival.

The kids couldn’t wait to get a caramel apple when we got there! So we drive up to the fair grounds and there were about 30 cars in the parking lot.  We go into a hall that had about 10 vendors selling all kinds of handmade things and some tables where some elderly people were eating lunch. We head outside and there are about 20 people out there wandering around and participating in some apple themed carnival games.  It definitely wasn’t what we thought it would be. 

Thomas enjoyed playing the carnival games   

and jumping in the bounce house.

Noelle wasn’t impressed by either one of those things but she did enjoy making a bird feeder out of an apple, peanut butter and bird seed.

It took us about 35 minutes to go through the entire Apple Festival.  Just in case any of you would like to go next year I have attached the link 8-)! But the kids were very very disappointed that there weren’t any caramel apples.

Since that wasn’t all that impressive  we decided to have lunch in downtown Sonora and then head to one of our favorite places, Covers Apple Ranch.  Kelly and I have been going here for many many years and it reminds of going to our Great Grandmother’s house.

The kids had a blast going through the petting zoo, the barn and riding the train.

  

And of course at the end of the day we got an apple treat!

Tyler’s visit

Kelly and I were lucky enough to be able to babysit Tyler back in September while Troy and Julie went to the South Carolina  to celebrate their anniversary.  Thomas and Noelle were beside themselves several days before he arrived in anticipation for him to arrive. 

Noelle couldn’t wait to get Tyler home and share a sucker with him.  As many of you know this was huge because Noelle doesn’t share her food with anyone.

We enjoyed going to the park everyday that he was here. Tyler loved that Grandma decided to get on the swing with him.  He is quite the daredevil.  He wasn’t scared to do climb to the highest point on the play structure.  We played a lot of baseball in the backyard.

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We went to Mickie’s Grove and had a picnic and went to the zoo.

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Unfortunately Thomas was already in school so he didn’t get to spend as much time as he would’ve liked with Tyler but the time they did spend together was a lot of fun for both of them.  Thomas wants to try and teach Tyler everything and watched over him to make sure he wouldn’t get hurt.

Noelle couldn’t keep her hands off of Tyler! I think Tyler got more hugs over the week than he has ever gotten.

Tyler enjoyed helping to take care of Karly.  

And every night the kids were pooped!!

It was a fantastic week!!

Just about one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

One evening while Tyler was visiting he came and asked me where the “little babies” were.  I gave him two of Noelle’s little babies and he went back to the backyard to play with Noelle.  A few minutes later Kelly and I went to the backyard to get the kids for dinner and this is what we saw…

         

Tyler had decided to give the babies as well as himself a bath in Pismo’s water bowl.  It seriously was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.  I wish we had it on video. He was having so much fun.

Noelle goes to Nursery School

Just like Thomas Noelle is getting to experience something new.  She started Nursery School this week.  Kelly was worried that she would be upset and cry when she left but to her amazement she didn’t. She loves Mrs. Phyllis and Ms. Kelly.  She comes home excited and talking about her day.  She loves to sing the new songs she is learning to her babies and is proud of the work that she has done.

 

I’m so proud of her!!

Picture day is not one of my favorite days

Kelly and I really enjoy going and having the kids’ pictures taken.  We’ve tried to go every three months during each of the kids first year, then every year on their birthday and at Christmas.  Throughout the year though we always find another reason to go.  I think this could be because as kids my Mom always took us to have our pictures taken.  Still to this day we bring those portraits  out a couple times a year and talk about the crazy dresses we wore and the crazy hair bows we had in our hair.  I hope that when Thomas, Noelle and Karly get old enough they will enjoy looking at theirs as much as we enjoy looking at ours. 

As much as I love getting the pictures back, I hate preparing for picture day.  It’s always stressful making sure everyone has taken a nap and eaten so they are ready to cooperate and making sure that they don’t end up spilling on their clothes on the way or has gotten their clothes wrinkled on the drive over.  Then of course there is the stress of making sure that everyone cooperates with the photographer once we get there. 

Before Karly was born we decided that it would be fun to take all of the kids to get their pictures taken with Thomas and Noelle wearing a Big Brother and Big Sister shirt and Karly wearing a little sister shirt.  We went and purchased all the shirts and shorts before Karly had even been born.  Then I had a bright idea to make the girls some really cute bows for their hair.  Kelly and I headed to JoAnn’s Fabrics a couple of weeks ago and ended up spending close to $40.00 on ribbon to make these fantastic bows.  Now you should know that I have never made a bow but I was bound and determined to make these cute bows.  So the night before picture day Kelly ironed all the clothes and I made some OK looking bows.  We were set for picture day!!! 

The entire way to get the pictures taken the kids are saying they are going to take nice pictures. The big kids are excited to take their first pictures with Karly and we are getting Mrs. Fields cookies afterwards.  That all changed once we got there!!!  Thomas and Karly did fantastic!!  They took some great pictures. However Noelle decided that she didn’t want to get her picture taken.  She said she would do it next time.  We tried everything we could do to get her to get in the picture but it wouldn’t work.  We were so disappointed.  Kelly and I were really looking forward to getting some really cute pictures of the three of them but it didn’t work out this time.

The next week we decided to try it again with Noelle and Karly and ended up at the park with me taking the pictures.  They aren’t nearly as nice as the professional ones but I was able to get some cute ones of them together.