Grandpa's Funhouse

We had a great visit with Rick and Marijo in Ellsworth. Lauren has been talking about Grandpa's house for a week. She loved running from room to room and couldn't get enough of the bunk beds. She thought it was a magical place! We headed to White House Fruit Farm where everyone enjoyed a mini corn maze, playhouse, and fall goodies.

As you can see, Sami didn't mind the cold. And she got to show off her snowman hat for the first time this season.

One of the best parts of the weekend was our little cookout in the driveway. We sat on hay bales and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. The marshmallows were about 5 times bigger than average. They were amazing, and as you can imagine, Lauren thoroughly enjoyed them.

Raking Leaves

Lauren came home from preschool this week and informed me that she was heading to the back yard to rake the leaves. She spent about an hour outside making her little pile. She thought it was the greatest thing and so did we!
I love how proud she looks here.

Shaw Farms

The Gallite family has made it our mission to see every available farm this fall! At least that's what it seems. This one probably tops our list though. Lots of fun things for the kids to see and do.

Sauerkrat Festival

We had a great time at the Sauerkrat Festival this weekend. The weather was in the low 50s, but beautiful and sunny.


Debbie and Ken came down to join in the fun.


The girls are loving the music at these autumn festivals. In this picture, Daddy is cracking them up by moving his knees to the beat. They loved it, and Bran got a great calf workout.

I just had to include this picture of Sami eating a hot dog. She is such a carnivore and would survive on meat alone if we let her.

Awww...

"Look mom! I'm feeding my baby!"

"On second thought. This is pretty good."

Fritters, Cider, and Bees, Oh My!

Today we enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather at Hidden Valley Fruit Farm. The girls had a great time listening to Bluegrass music and having a hoe-down with their daddy.

We saw turkeys, chickens, goats, ducks, and a donkey in the barnyard. Sami walked around all day saying "Maa-a-a" and "Hee-haw." Lauren, however, was more interested in the playset and maze than the animals.

We ate too many treats to count, but the few that I remember were pumpkin donuts, apple fritters, and cherry apple cider. The only problem was the bees. They were everywhere and certainly weren't afraid to fight for a little sugar! When they started landing on our half-eaten hotdogs, we headed for the car. Thankfully no one was stung, and we finished our lunch bee-free. It was a great day!

A Busy August!

August was a busy month for us. During one of Debbie's visits, we discovered a new favorite place for the girls called Run, Jump, and Play. It has indoor swing sets and inflatables galore. They had a blast!

That same weekend, Brandon and I returned to Miami University and had a great time visiting our old, favorite spots. This picture was taken at Kona where we discovered a new, scrumptious drink...carmel appletinis! Yum.

We've done a little bike riding with the girls now and then. We justify our big breakfasts at Bob Evans with all the pedaling we do!

The August weather has been so mild that we've been able to do a lot of outdoor playing. Lauren has been riding her bike with training wheels and Sami likes her stroller walks. Both girls love bubbles and sidewalk chalk. In this picture, they're wearing their pink converse from Aunt Robin.

Just before school started, we took a mini-trip to Indian Lake. We stayed the night in a cabin with my mom, dad, and sister's family. It was a little chaotic with 6 adults and 4 little girls under age 4, but we had some good times. When we arrived to the cabin, we realized that we had forgotten Lauren's shoes! I rushed out to the dollar store and bought flip-flops she could color herself. What a find! She was so proud of them.

The weather was rainy, but Lauren loved pulling in her first blue gill with Papa.

Since then, school is fully underway. I am teaching in the afternoons this year. Lauren attends preschool full-time, and she loves it. She'll be ready for kindergarten for sure! This also affords me some special one-on-one time with Sami during the morning. Just after school started, Brandon and I visited the camp where we met. We reunited with friends after 15 years. Debbie watched the girls for us again, and everybody had a great weekend. Nowadays, we're loving the change of season and even had a picnic in downtown Lebanon this past weekend. Of course, we followed it up with a walk to Whit's Frozen Custard. Delicious!

Until next time!