fall festival.

P had a fall festival at school where all the kids dressed up in costumes and they played carnival games and ate lots of candy. Sounds fun, right? Especially fun for my little man. His costume had not arrived via UPS yet so we headed to Target for a last minute costume.

My Rocket Man.

Cute, huh? He really liked acting like a rocket for the day. 3-2-1....blastoff!

pumpkin patch.

On the way home from camping, we detoured just a tad and took the kids to Burt's Farm to see all the pumpkins. I love going to Burt's every year! It was a Sunday so it was super crowded, but the kids had a ball, nonetheless.








We also stopped at Amicalola Falls to see the top of the falls and hike a little. Here I am with my little man on the trail.


It was such a great weekend spent in the mountains. I just love Fall.

camping.

We went camping with Amy and her family at Unicoi State Park. Yes, in a tent. Yes, there were bathrooms. Yes, it was freezing. Yes, we camped with 4 kiddos under 6. And, yes, I took a shower. I grew up camping and absolutely love it and I just knew the kids would, too. Unicoi was having their Fall festival that weekend so they had lots of activities for the kids....cake walk, hay rides, trunk or treating, etc. Each night we made dinner and roasted s'mores by the campfire while the kids played. It was the perfect weekend in the woods with some of our favorite people.

Where we slept. We did bring an air mattress and a propane heater. Both of the kids ended up snugged in our mummy bags next to us.


The boys throwing leaves.



Best buds.


P was completely in his element. He would sleep outside every night if we'd let him.


Sweet Tommy.


Power Ranger poses.



EK in her pack. Thank God we bought one of these. She loves it and it really came in handy when we took a short hike to the waterfall. She still requests to ride around in it at home.







Silly boy.




EK getting sleepy on the hay ride.


Like I said, it was the perfect weekend in the woods. We had so much fun with the Nasos and can't wait to go back next year.

the fair.

We took the kids down to Perry for the National Fair. I love the fair. I know it's crazy expensive (like $20 for P and I to ride the ferris wheel) and the carnies are gross, but something about the fair gets me excited for Fall weather and football games and Thanksgiving. It's like the kick-off for Fall. I drag Taylor there every year, kicking and screaming, I might add, but once we get there, we all have a blast! This year was no exception, minus the crazy wind and expensive ticket prices. Remind me next year to go on wristband day. It saves a TON of money.

My little P is a dare devil. Poor Taylor had to ride this "roller coaster" with him. I know he was about to wet his pants while waiting in the crazy long line and watching the rickety old track wobble on the cinder blocks that was holding up the coaster. Poor thing. He hates fairs. And rides that are operated by uneducated high school dropouts. The things you will do for your kids. P absolutely loved the roller coaster. This pic is kind of far away, but if you look closely, you can see P smiling ear to ear.


P on the ferris wheel. With the wind gusting 30+ miles per hour, I took one for the team and volunteered to ride with P. (You're welcome, Taylor.) This is about the only pic I got on the ferris wheel since I only had my fixed lens and there was no way in heck I was moving around to get a more zoomed out shot of my little man.


And mama and P on the train.


P playing the fishing game that he plays every.single.year.


I guess he plays this one since I won't let him play the game where you win a real fish. We don't need another pet.


P and his prize.


And the prize that was donated to his sister. Such a sweet brother.


We visit this aptly-named concession stand every year for cotton candy.


EK with the cotton candy. I have a similar pic of P two years ago with his cotton candy. Do you remember this post?


My sweet family enjoying a funnel cake.


Sweet girl.


I think our favorite part was walking around looking at all of the animals in the barn. EK especially loved the animals. One sweet man even gave P the ribbon that his horse won in a show earlier in the day. It meant so much to P.


Our sweet and exhausted kiddos after an awesome day at the fair.


I love these days with my family creating memories I hope to hold on to forever.

farm day.

P's school had Farm Day last week. I volunteered to help out, definitely not knowing what I was getting myself into. P dressed up like a farmer, complete with overalls, cowboy hat, and boots. He looked so cute!

Here's a picture I snapped of his entire class. Aren't they darling?


The point of their farm day was to learn how things grown on the farm go from the farm to our table. They had stations that the classes rotated through. For example, they gathered eggs from the "chicken coup", cracked the eggs, then watched me scramble the eggs. (Yes, I got assigned to the egg scrambling station. I must of cooked 8 dozen eggs.) They then got to eat the eggs. They also had an orange juicing station and a station where they dug up vegetables that grow in the ground. Here's P with a potato.


P loves his school. They have so many fun activities for the kids and the parents. I'm so glad we found a great place for P.

And here's a pic of P and his buddy Jack after farm day. Jill and I often take the kiddos to lunch on Fridays and on this particular day we enjoyed the local Mexican joint. P loves his buddy Jack.

harper katherine.

The Rice family welcomed a new addition to our family on October 2, 2011, just one year after EK was born. Meet Harper Katherine, Emma Kate's adopted Cabbage Patch baby.


Isn't she precious? Thank God I don't have to change her diaper or feed her. At least she's not Baby Alive or that breastfeeding baby. I don't think I could handle that.

For EK's first birthday, we decided to take her to Babyland General, the Cabbage Patch Hospital in north Georgia, to adopt a CBK for Emma Kate. Although I'm certain she won't remember the experience, it is pretty cool that her baby will share a birthday with EK, just one year later.

EK had a blast at the hospital. We took her picture in the cabbage chair.


She hung out in the cabbage crib. (I'm sure this is frowned upon, but doesn't she fit right in?)


She was charged with attempted kidnapping of a baby. Twice.




And EK adopted her very first Cabbage Patch baby.

Here is baby Harper being delivered from the cabbage.


Getting checked out by the very serious Babyland General nurse. The nurse checked her eyes, ears, nose, did a chest x-ray, and diapered and dressed her. She even put a pink bow in her hair.



Now onto the adoption papers. Whoa! Babyland General takes this process quite seriously. Since EK is under 18, I had to be the guarantor. (Not lying.) I'm not sure what terms and conditions I agreed to, but I left there with a stack of papers in my hand, Cabbage Patch Kid insurance, and a hollow pit in my stomach. This baby better be worth it.


EK definitely loves her new baby. Although, in the split second after I took this picture, EK had baby Harper's foot in her mouth.


I'm pretty sure Babyland Child Services will be knocking on my door any day now to rescue baby Harper. Just yesterday I found her lying face down in a puddle of spilled milk, wearing nothing but a diaper and missing her pretty pink hair ribbon. I better hide, huh?