Fall Colors and a pup...

I have been taking pictures throughout the week of all the color changes.

 Most of the maple reds are done, 

a lot of the oak trees have been turning as well.

 These are my favorite colors and 

I've been designing a quilt to help me capture it.

 Zach thought he was pretty clever taking this one-

like how the arrow is pointing at this tree?:)

 This is the place I got my deer last year.

 My favorite trees...Quaking Aspen.

Doesn't get any better than this.

 Up on the ridge with the corn...love it.

 Here is a picture of our house and the trees behind it.

I thought it would be even better to take one more hike up the bluff to get some 

better fall color pictures.

Joey and I got to go on a little hike all by ourselves.

 It was worth the extra work...I can honestly say this is the best I've seen it.

 It was just as beautiful to have some one-on-one time with Joey.

She's turning into quite the little lady.

 We walked to another spot to get a couple more angles.

 These are the pictures that I will be looking at when I start on that quilt.

 God's masterpiece!

 Then we hiked down to the cave.  

Luckily, there was no occupants yet!

 We got down just fine and 

had to do a bit of the obstacle course around the property before we went in.

 Then we presented Oscar with his birthday present...

a great addition to our family.

Meet Dixie.  She is cuter than cute 

and already so loved.  

We are so happy and blessed to give her a good home.

Pumpkins and a Hike...

We went to the our favorite pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins for the year.

The kiddos debated for a good while which pumpkin was perfect for them.

 Josephine was the one who was most particular
and decided on the first one she picked.

 Evie was the easiest and the fastest to pick.

 Here they are...the 2014 picks.

 Here is the pumpkin for Zach and I.

 Then the family went on a hike to the bluff.

 And ate caramel apple suckers...one of my favorite fall treats.

 We found leaves on the way that were huge.

We made it to the top!

 Zach and I on the top.

 It is as steep as it looks.

 The kiddos and Zach made it down a steep part
and took a picture of me up on top.

 Back home, safe and sound.

Falling...

 What happens when it's beautiful outside at my house?

Things start to get torn apart:) 

 It was unbelievably easy to take off the porch going into our house. 

Oscar got a lesson on how to NOT build a deck:)

The kiddos and I had too much fun hauling and riding on the four wheeler.  

 We got it taken down and did some landscaping since this picture. 

 It's exciting!

The air is cool and crisp, 

the leaves are turning, 

 the sounds of crows and leaves blowing are the only sounds,

and by far,

 this is my favorite time of year.

My mom came for a visit...

and we had a great time.

Nana came out for grandparents day at school 

and for the first time in about eight years, 

we got to have a little alone time with the kiddos in school.

 We went for a walk on the Sparta trail through the tunnel. 

 I really love this place and would walk it everyday if I could.

 We really got a chance to talk and laugh.

Here she is...she made it.

The kiddos were so bummed they couldn't come with us

 so we decided to surprise them by going to the apple orchard.

 We went to Maple Ridge Apple Orchard and loaded up on three different kinds of apples.

 The kids love picking, eating, and baking apples!

 We squeezed in a ton of fun in short period of time.

 And couldn't wait to get home to tell dad all about it.

 Here's my mom with her grand babies.

 Evie is such a goofball:)

 She wanted the one on the top of the tree so

mama gave her a lift.

We had a great time and 

I'm so blessed to have my mom in my life. 

Thanks mom for coming out and thanks dad for sparing her for a couple of days.