Apple Time

My parents are here visiting for the next few days (just in time to ride out a hurricane!), and the boys, Brennan especially, are incredibly excited for a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Prechel! It's the first time we've seen them since last Christmas, so we are very grateful for a long overdue gathering.

We spent yesterday afternoon out at Carter Mountain Orchard for our annual apple picking. This was the first year we've ever gone so late in the season, but were still able to get a lot of good cooking and eating apples. It was great fun to get to share this annual fall trip with the grandparents!

An attempt to reach some high up apples!

 

Hmmm...should I pick an apple or run down the rows? Such a tough decision...

 

WEAG Fall Festival

West End Assembly of God's (WEAG) annual Fall Festival has become a Downer family tradition, and this year was no exception.  Even last year's cold and rainy night didn't dissuade us.  Fortunately, last night was pretty mild and the rain held off until about 7:30, when we were leaving.

Owen enjoyed a few games (especially the ones that involved water or throwing things) and looking at the assembled fire and police trucks.  Later he got brave and did one of the big inflatable slides and then, confidence bolstered, he did a big-boy bounce house that also had a slide in it.  Go Owen!

Brennan was great at the games - especially the bowling one - and enjoyed sitting in the driver's seat of the police mobile command unit.  He also enjoyed a bounce house and several trips down the big inflatable slides.

A good time was had by all!

Owen the Triceratops and Brennan the Lion!

Look out world!  This lion can operate pedals.

The headgear didn't last long, but he couldn't do anything about that tail.

Even lions need a snuggle once in a while.

That's one happy dinosaur!

Just because...

...it's too fun to wear underwear as a hat!

Faces

Pumpkins picked a few days ago turned into jack-o'-lanterns!

Field Trip

Preschool has brought us all kinds of fun new things this fall, including a big boy who has begun to blossom socially and a little boy with an ever increasing vocabulary. Today brought us another fun new thing:  pumpkin patch field trip! Brennan's class headed out this morning (including parents and younger siblings) for some fun with a hayride, choosing a pumpkin to take home, and some play time. Brennan had a blast! I learned very quickly why Owen's two-year-old class opts not to do a field trip to the pumpkin patch:  it was exhausting just keeping track of him, let alone a whole class of active toddlers! Overall, it was a good morning and Brennan is super excited to carve his pumpkin this weekend!

 Getting ready for the hayride to start

Brennan picked out his pumpkin right away and immediately started asking to make it into a jack-o-lantern!

Owen's pumpkin is nearly as big as he is!

 Brennan enjoyed exploring the Hay Maze

 

 Our preschool brought two classes today. Brennan's class is in the front row.

Autumn in North Carolina

We just got back yesterday from a few wonderful days in Cashiers, North Carolina, visiting with dear friends from Orlando days. A couple other families joined us as well, so it brought the kid total to 10! Wild, crazy, and great fun. High up in the mountains, the autumn color was fantastic. We visited a couple waterfalls and spent loads of time outside, soaking up the fresh fall air and enjoying some very much desired cooler weather. It was such a precious time to visit with dear friends who have served Christ on the other side of the world for the past six years, as well as to make some new friends with the other families who came to join in the fun and catching up.

 A group shot of most of us. Somehow, no one managed to fall in the river!

 Daddy and the boys near Waterfall #1 (whose name I can't remember!)

 Brennan checking out the view from behind Dry Falls--yes, there is a wonderful path that allows visitors to walk behind the waterfall!

 Owen was a little overwhelmed by the sheer force of the waterfall. He much preferred to be carried when we walked behind the falls.

 A favorite activity for the kids was tying things to yarn and dangling them off the loft area in the house we stayed at. It kept them occupied for some pretty long stretches!

There was a fantastic green space a short walk away from the house. The kids loved playing in and near the creek and building a castle/fort there. On our last day, Brennan spent most of his time picking flowers for me.