1, 2, 3 ... LIFT!

Give it a few more years boys!

PUMPKINS!

Jen, Klayton and Jocelyn invited us out to pick pumpkins yesterday.

Sullivan has been talking about it for days.

He was so excited.

Oh I LOVE Fall!!

He was sure that every pumpkin was the perfect one for us!

She was sure that she could carry the really big ones!

But she did better carrying(squeezing to death) the kitties.

Jocelyn did a good job of demonstrating a more gentle way to hold them.

And these two are just adorable.

Thanks Jen!

Adrian John is here!

Trina and Garrick had their baby on Thursday the 23rd.

They added another boy to the family, Adrian John!

Although he was 7 lbs 8 ou. he looks like a premie!

We tried to stay away as long as we could to give them time to adjust to being home as a family of 6...but today they came to see us!

We love having all these kids so close in age in our family.

Makes for some really fun, really crazy, really loud times!

Tess was just full of giggles over him.

Sully thought he was pretty great too!

Lauren quite literally could take care of him with no assistance from adults!

And Avery wanted to know when she would get to see him again!

I reminded them that soon we'd have our own baby to hold and I wouldn't have to be so nervous about them holding someone else's!

My baby...

It took Jordan and the three older kids quite awhile to climb up the waterfall.

So Tess and I had time just the two of us.

She was way too busy to even notice they were gone.

She is so so much fun!

Constantly giggling and smiling.

Here she is throwing some stuff in the stream.

Picking up sticks to throw.

These little pigtails were just too much for me to take.

And she slowed down long enough to smell some flowers.

Hard to believe in a few short weeks she wont be my 'baby' anymore.

Wet

At one point Tess started trying to convince me to get in the water.

'You get in Mommy - funny!'

When I refused she tried pushing her siblings in.

Daddy eventually decided they could put their feet in.

The water was FRIGID!

He did not care one bit.

They had a blast!

Climbing

Jordan is also a climber - must be where Avery gets it.

He wanted all the kids up here on this together.

Which meant he had to help them each up individually.

They did it!

I drew the line at Tess - she stayed with me.

And she was so excited to wave at them from below!

Dunning Springs

The highlight of the trip was Dunning Springs.

The kids remembered it from previous visits and couldn't wait.

We spent most of our time here.

Its just a big waterfall but its so much fun for the kids...playing in the water, throwing stuff in the water, hiking, and searching for treasures.

Sullivan was in boy paradise!

As soon as the van was turned off Sully and Avery were gone.

Jordan had to race to catch up to them.

He didn't stop moving the whole time we were there.

And Avery didn't stop climbing. She is my adventurous one.

She would have climbed to the very very top if we hadn't stopped her!

Lauren just loving being outside. She loved seeing everything there was to see!

And she's like practically a teenager.

When Avery stopped climbing I found her doing this.

Deep in thought.

I wish I knew what she was thinking.

And there was absolutely no trusting these two.

I wonder what would have happened to them if we had just let them go.

Ice Cave

The kids were really excited for the Ice Cave.

Sullivan had this headlamp to help and it was so funny!

Tess had to be carried through here and it wasn't easy.

And I was so freaked that there would be bats!

After awhile they tell you to head back!

Ice Cave - Conquered!

They were pretty cooperative for all my group shot requirements!

Pulpit Rock

The first place we visited in Decorah was 'Pulpit Rock'

Its basically a hike straight up the side of a cliff to reach a really cool look out point with a rock formation that looks like a pulpit - hence, Pulpit Rock - which I somehow did not take a picture of!

The kids were so excited to start hiking.

I'm always impressed with their hiking skills - they never complain that it is too hard or that they are tired. They are better than me!

At this point we had reached the start of the rock formation and it has steps...which you might think would be easier than the wooded trail but somehow, its not.

Jordan really tried to talk me out of doing this entire hike but I couldn't miss seeing the kids up there. I plan to head back to Decorah in about 3 weeks to put myself right into labor!

At the top!

Tess insisted on walking almost the entire thing!

Little Miss Independent!

The walk down was scarier. I was sure one of them was going to get hurt.

But we all survived!

Fort Atkinson and Mabes

Both of my parents grew up in NE Iowa. Both sets of my grandparents lived their entire lives there. And I even went to 1-3 grades in that area. So its full of memories and nostalgia for me.

One fun thing I always remember was going to Fort Atkinson Days.

I guess it was an old pioneer fort to protect pioneers from the natives.

There are reinactments and everyone is dressed the part.

As we were walking in Sully saw a soilder dressed in red and he whispered to me, 'is he a redcoat?' I said yes and Sully started BAWLING! He's watched way too many of the Liberty's Kids series with Jordan and he knows the red coats were bad! Hilarious!

Here's a picture from the outside. I believe the walls have been remade but many of the original buildings are still standing in full or in part.

Vendors set up in full pioneer and soilder gear and sell hand made goods ranging from jewelry to toy weapons to animal skin 'stuff'.

The teepees are probably the most impressive part.

Here are the kids in the old 'powder magazine'

When we left I called one of my brothers and I said, 'so was Fort Atkinson a lot cooler when we were kids or was it just that we were kids?'

He laughed and said it was probably just cool to us because we were kids!

We ate lunch at Mabe's Pizza next. Tess was determined to do her own ordering!

Family FUN Day!

Our weekends are dwindling...soon the weather will be against us.

And soon we will feel a little more tied to the house because of a

certain little one we cant wait to meet!

So we declared this beautiful day - Family Fun Day!

Jordan always comes up with these plans and I follow along.

He is such a great dad.

And it may end up going down as the most beautiful day of the fall!

We surprised the kids and headed a couple of hours north to Decorah to spend the day.

These are the days that lifelong memories are made.

When your kids thank you repeatedly and each say, 'this is the best day EVER' several times...you know you've done a good thing!

This is how I remember my childhood. Racing around state parks and wooded areas with my brothers - finding treasures, trouble and more.

Oh, you four if only we could express how much we love you.

I hope today - the smiles on our faces and the joy in our laughter showed you

that you are the best thing that has ever happened to us.

We love you and these days will be some that we will never forget!

We hope you don't either!

Serious sweetness!

(beware - the pictures to come over the next day or so will be ridiculous in number!)