Tanner's Orchard

What a beautiful day for picking apples and pumpkins! We just got back from Tanner's Orchard. We had a lot of fun! Hayden and Ava got to pick apples and they each got a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Then we went to the play area and they got pony rides, a barrel ride, and played on the fun equipment. Then we left and ate at Avanti's. We had a great morning as a family with Grandma and Aunt Julie!

Hayden kept doing this and saying "apple cider." Who knows what his mind is thinking.

Grammy and Hayden on the wagon ride out to the orchard and patch

Hayden was the expert at picking apples. He just went to Apple Blossom Farm on Monday and kept telling us how to pick the apples.

Of course we had to eat some apples, too

This is Ava telling daddy that she did not want that pumpkin (gotta love the hands on the hips)

Hayden found a nice pumpkin to sit on while he finished stuffing his face with his apple

Hayden loved the pony ride

Ava did too

This is the barrel ride

Hayden on the fire truck going to get the fire out

Daddy feeding the goats (H & A did not want to feed the goats)

Thank goodness for....

BIKE HELMETS!!!! It happened again, only on a bike this time. Ava was turning too sharp and her bike went one way and she went the other way falling off and hitting her head (with her helmet on) and her CHIN! I can't believe she fell on her chin again! It looks really bad (it is scraped and very badly bruised). I was so thankful she had her helmet on. The kids know that if they ride their bike they have to have their helmet on. She fell on her head. You could hear the helmet hit the ground. I don't even want to think what would have happened if she had no helmet on. She is doing fine now, nothing a little Tylenol and mommy's love can't fix. So the moral: Bike helmets are so very important!

We are off to Tanner's Orchard in the morning. Look for the pictures sometime soon. Have a super weekend!

I have what????? (and other news!)

Ok, what a week! I have been sick the past couple of weeks. I have gotten better except for a sore throat. Do you see where I am going with this? So this morning I was feeling better. At the end of clinical (I was in the Medical ICU) my throat was hurting again. I decided I couldn't take it anymore and went to the Prompt Care. I ended up having a doctor I went to school with (that is weird) and she informed me that I had STREP THROAT! I have never had strep throat. I got a prescription for penicillin and was sent on my way. Now I have hope this will get taken care of because I am so over having a sore throat!!! It hurts!

Big news! I accepted a RN position in the NICU!!!! I am super excited! Also, my partners in crime, Megan and Ashley, also accepted RN positions there too! We get to continue our nursing careers together! I am so happy because they have become my closest friends and I can't see my life without them being a part of it!

Prayer request! Please go to Jill's blog to see the details but I know a mommy who is in the hospital 24 weeks pregnant and is very close to delivering! I know how this feels and how scary this is. Please pray for the mommy, daddy, and little baby!

Pumpkin Festival Fun!!!!

Well, we are officially done going to the Pumpkin Festival this year! We had a lot of fun! The kids had a blast on the rides. We found out that they are too big for the cars and boats. They just go around and around and they were so bored with that. Then, we found out that they could go down the big slide by themselves. It kinda makes me sad. That means they are getting bigger and growing up. Anyway, we went on Wednesday evening. It was perfect weather but it was so crowded. I haven't seen it that crowded in a long time. We had to stand in long lines for rides, but it was so worth it to see how much fun Hayden and Ava were having. We ate dinner and then met up with my parents and my brother's family. Thursday we went but only went for the rides. There were no lines, it was perfect. Then for dinner we went to Steak 'n Shake. Yummy! We did not go up on Friday. It was raining the entire day and night. Instead we went to dinner to T.G.I. Fridays and then went book shopping in Peoria. This morning we woke up and prayed that it would hold off raining until after the parade. We didn't get to go to the parade last year so we were excited to go. Thankfully, it didn't rain but a little sprinkle during the parade. I have to say that I was disappointed with the parade this year. They shortened it and there were barely any floats and not many bands. Oh well, the kids had fun and they got a ton of candy!!!! After the parade we took them up to the festival to ride a few more rides. They got to choose their favorites. They chose to ride the big boat (adult ride), roller coaster (for young ones) and to go down the big slide. Then we said good bye to the Pumpkin Festival! Enjoy the pictures!

Here are a few pictures of Ava in her ballet outfit. She started ballet and tap again this past week
I told her to pose and this is what she did. I was impressed with how she put her leg
Of course I had to take a picture with both of them!
Grammy and Hayden at the festival
Just before they took off in the roller coaster
The first time they went down with Daddy and Grammy
Last time riding the boats. They weren't real thrilled with the ride
Waiting for pumpkin ice cream, Yummy!

Hayden chose the pumpkin cookie
Getting ready to ride the big boat. Ava even put her arms up.
Riding the pumpkin ride with Uncle Caleb and cousins
On the merry-go-round

Daddy let them play some games. Atleast they won something everytime.

Ava sporting the Pumpkin Festival shirt at the parade(The theme was Superhero Pumpkins)
Hayden getting ready for the parade with a little snack
Watching and waiting for the candy

What's a Happening Hot Stuff (Ha, Ha)?

First of all can you name the movie that my heading is from? I will post the answer at the end of my post. But really, do I even need to put the answer? Anyway, we have been busy and I started school so I have been really busy. We went camping again a few weeks ago. We had a lot of fun. It was just the four of us and my parents. It was nice! After we put the kids to bed we watched a movie on my laptop by the fire. It was fun to watch a movie outside. We spent the night two nights. The first night is always a little hard for me to sleep. You hear everything and that includes the animals. I always think racoons will come up to our tent. You can hear them at the camp site because they are looking for food. Too bad for them because we lock everything up in our van. Then we could hear two packs of coyotes. That was a little freaky but they were not even close to us. We did a lot of swimming, pug rides, and Hayden and Ava got to ride on my dad's excavater. They loved that! Then, Ava had her first major fall. She was playing with her hula hoop and was tangled up in it. Needless to say she lost her balance and she did a face plant on to the concrete. Her arms were tangled so she couldn't break her fall. Her face looked terrible! She was in a lot of pain. The picture I took doesn't really show how bad it was. Also, Ava started school this past Friday. She was very excited to start school again. Hayden has been going for weeks so she has felt left out. She likes her teacher and the kids in her class. She starts ballet and tap again today. Everything is in full swing! This past Saturday we took the kids back up to Gurnee, Illinois. Not much fun for them but we went there to do fall/winter shopping for the kids. They have a super outlet mall. Hayden and Ava did a great job all day. They even got to have a train ride. Now this week the Pumpkin Festival starts!!!! I am so excited. I love the P-fest! Sidenote: If you want to see some ridiculous pictures of me and Jill growing up go to her blog and scroll down to her Flashback Friday. They are hilarious!!!!!

Ava's face

Hayden is ready to go camping

My big strong man

Brian the lumber jack

On the excavater

Ava in her classroom before the first official day

Ava's first day of school

Sporting her backpack (Hello Kitty)

Movie trivia answer: Sixteen Candles