Pumpkin Carving

Pumpkin Carving!!  It's always seems much more fun to start in on the pumpkin carving than it actually ends up being!  All of my kids bravely attempted to clean out their pumpkins and then Grandma and Mom had to take over. (Dad was nowhere to be found.  He was salmon fishing in California! And Pa conveniently left just as the knives were being pulled out.)

Abby did all of the carving on her pumpkin by herself and was very proud about being the only child who had no help.  In fact, she mentioned it several times:)

Brooklyn chose to do a cat pumpkin.  We had one last year and really loved it.  Abby's was also a cat.  I'm hoping for something a little more spooky next year!! Brooklyn did a little bit of carving on hers and grandma helped with most of it.  I think Brooklyn's pumpkin was the thickest pumpkin we have ever carved in to!  I now know how some of those elaborate pumpkin designs are made.  Talk about having a lot of pumpkin to work with. 

Jace carried over  his pirate costume theme to his pumpkin. He did no carving.  He didn't even supervise.  He took off as soon as he got messy. 

But he was quick to get those pumpkins lit up after we had the mess all cleaned up.  Sorry Colby.   Next year after my tendinitis heals up and your dad is around to help clean out those pumpkins I'll carve you one.  I guess I could have at least put him in the picture, but I was worried about those flames! Anyway, don't they look great?  Happy Pumpkin Carving!

Pumpkin Picking

It's pumpkin time!!!  We love, love, love our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch and were a little worried it wasn't going to happen this year.  My Grampa Sim takes us to the pumpkin patch every year (he works for the farm) but this year he has been very sick and I had just planned on not making it.  Fortunately for us, Grandma Lu stepped in and said we were going!  Grampa even felt good enough to call us from the hospital in Denver while we were at the pumpkin patch.  It was almost as if he had a 6th sense and knew we were there....ok, I think he did know we were headed there and had to get in on the action.  We were just happy he called!

It's a race to find the best pumpkin!

It didn't take long for the girls to pick out their pumpkins.

Jace looked for ones that were just the right size for him and Colby.  He didn't want anything to do with the great big ones! 

Colby's perfect pumpkin.

Did I mention that Brooklyn found her perfect pumpkin right at the start?  And this was her 5th or 6th pumpkin.  Or maybe 10th.  I don't know.  All I know is that we had a van full of pumpkins.  Some for everyone - grandma's, grandpa's, uncles, great-aunts, neighbors.  You name it, we picked it. 

 I think Abby even found a giant squash-pumpkin.  It was a mutant of some kind anyway.  Oh, and  a white pumpkin.  It's very rare and very special.  And I didn't get a picture of it....

Here we all are.

With just a fraction of the pumpkins we actually picked!

Just Peachy

 Jace loves peaches.  He would eat them for every meal if he could.  And never tire of them.  It's unfortunate for him  that peach season is so short.  Although he doesn't mind if his peaches come in a can.  It all started as a sweet one year old.  Grandpa Sim still talks about the day that he and Grandma Lu came over for a visit and Jace was sitting in his high chair enjoying some sort of pureed meal.  That's when his eyes locked in on the bottle of home grown peaches that Grandma was carrying in.  His eyes never left  those peaches. At some point his legs started kicking and he began squealing in delight letting us know exactly what he wanted.
Well, that love for peaches still exists and Grandpa does his best to make sure that his peach tree gives his "little sweetie" the best peaches.

This year we were able to run over and help Grandpa pick peaches and the kids loved it.

Look at all of those peaches!  Grandma Lu just came today with another bottle of peaches for Jace. He makes sure to give her a phone call when he runs out!  Too bad peach season can't last all year round.  Jace would be in heaven:)  And I have to say, I don't think I'd mind it either.  I've got plenty of peach recipes that are to die for!

I miss peach season already......