Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday afternoon, we braved the brisk wind and made our way to Jackson's Orchard to pick out pumpkins. Below, Simon finds the perfect one.














He even picked out a couple of little pumpkins for himself and Naomi.














Our cart full of pumpkins and treats (apple cider slush, fried peach pie, and Simon's favorite: candy corn!)














Our quick family photo -- and yes, Naomi is there, hidden under blankets and hat.

Happy Fall, everyone!

the Miller Farm (Revisited)

Last year, we paid a visit to the Miller Farm (thanks to friends Sue and Roger Miller). We recently received another invitation to come see their new baby pygmy goats!

Sue holds the two babies while Simon gets the courage to pet one. (And yes, it was COLD!)














Cort with his arms full.














Next, Sue walked us down to see the ducks. Armed with a bucket of corn, Simon was not scared in the least. He very energetically threw handful after handful at the ducks, saying, "Come here ducks! I've got more food!"














He even went in with the chickens to gather fresh eggs!

More pics to come from our trip to Jackson's Orchard!

Better Late Than Never

So, we haven't updated in a while. We continue to be busy, busy. We'll be glad when October is over.

Simon, Daddy, Naomi -- outside, playing basketball and "big radio."















Simon's self-portrait.















Naomi's first experience with squash!

Weekend Excitement

What a crazy-busy weekend! Our friends Derek and Susan got married, Naomi hung out with NanaB and Granddaddy, we celebrated Uncle Jason and Aunt Mandy's birthday, Naomi had her first taste of carrots, and Simon spent the weekend with YaYa and PaPa.

Oddly enough, we forgot our camera, so Aunt Mandy and Uncle Jason were kind enough to let us borrow some of the pics they took with their fancy new camera.

Naomi














Aunt Mandy and Naomi




















Naomi's first bite of carrots ...














After the whole container was gone -- yes, those were good carrots.

Two Points!

Lately, Simon has been telling us he wants to "go to the basketball games," meaning he wants to go to Diddle Arena and see the Toppers play. After assuring him that we'll be going in a few weeks, he decided to go out today with Daddy and Naomi to shoot a few hoops himself. NOTE: Check out this old photo to see how far he's progressed in his basketball skills.

And so it begins...participation in the sport that dominated his father's childhood and still today causes dad to spent far too much time pondering the merits of trapping the ball and calculating efficiency statistics. Good times, great game.