Fall Festival Fun....

Ryan, Adelle and I went to our first Fall Festival in Palmer out at the U-Pick farm. The U-pick farm is just that, you pick your own veggies. It's owned by members and has been for 30 years and used to be the welfare farm. Since then it has become a community farm as well. Its a beautiful place to either pick veggies or just bask in the experience.

They had this little pumpkin set which was $5 for them to take a family picture and then print it off for you, but they'd ran out of ink, so we paid the lady to take tons of pictures with our camera. This is our FIRST family picture so we were really excited! (We had not dressed for pictures, so we look pretty unorganized.) Unfortunately we weren't anticipating the beautiful sun right in our eyes, so it was pretty hard keeping them open for a picture. This was the best we could come up with and it's not so good.
Oh Well.

We met up with the Olsen's there. These were the wagon rides. Emma held Adelle as they went for a ride. Adelle is so lucky to have such great little cousins!

I also brought along my neighbor, little Kambree. She's my good little buddy who comes over everyday to brush my hair and help me around the house. I love her dearly. She made imidiate friends with Emma.

The.....

Hay....

Rides....

We found a little pumpkin patch, I am not sure what it was for, but we saw it as a wonderful photo opportunity. Again Adelle is not dressed for this.

She was OUT after nursing, more asleep than Ryan and I have seen her in a LONG time. You couldn't wake her, it was quite adorable. It was a long and glorious day! I love living in Palmer!

Learning to Can Can...

Ryan's grandparents, the Bests, have a garden and an orchard. They are my hero's. I look up to them because they are the definition of Provident living. There is nothing they can't do for themselves. They are willing to teach me all that I want to know about gardening and such, so I visit them often and am fed with knowledge. I told them when they were ready to harvest their apples they HAD to call me so I could help. They did, and Adelle and I went over and spent almost 8 hours picking, preparing and canning. On the second day Ryan had come home, so he helped with the picking, then helped grandpa do some rototilling and guy stuff.

There were quite a few yellow jackets eating the rotting apples, so we had to pick around them. This one posed very nicely.

Adelle was a big help. She had fun chewing on apples with her two
little teeth, and then sucking out the juice.

We canned apple sauce and apples in a pie filling. (That one wasn't my favorite.) The apples were small so that made a lot of peeling and cutting work. But I got to learn more about Ryan's family history, and about gardening life. These cans are just a drop in the bucket. Then grandma gave me my own large bucket of apples, so Ryan and I came home and canned those as well. *Whewf*

It was worth it!

4-Wheelin...

While Ryan was on the slope Adelle and I got to do something he would have loved to have been there for. We went 4-wheeling, my first time! We went with my dear friends Rayna and Joe (who subsequently are my OLD friends whom I set up and they finally got married after years of urging :o)). We went up to Sutton which is where I want to live eventually. Its 15 miles north of Palmer and just over an hour north of Anchorage. It's a beautiful small town in the mountains!

We strapped Adelle and her car seat to the 4-wheeler....

...and after two minutes of ridding she was out. Through all the bumps and craziness, I was shocked.

It was really funny because before I put my helmet on she laughed and talked to me, but once I put this on I noticed an immidiate difference. She looked at me like Where is this space creature taking me? Can you blame her? Once I took it off she immediately smiled at me, glad to have her Mom back.

I love Alaska in the fall, this is my favorite time of year. And I had SO much fun 4-wheeling, and afterwards we had dinner at the towns little cafe. I am glad Ryan's not too mad at me :o)

Adelle's New Baby Cousin...

Before going over to see her new cousin, we played outside in the sun. She munched on the pea pods after I shucked them, and she drank orange juice from her sippy cup and LOVED it! She's getting so adventurous.

Adelle and Grandma Marley at the hospital. She held Adelle so I could hold Kalissa. Doing what Grandma's do best.

This is Kalissa Mae Beeson, Ryan's sister Shaeli's first daughter. She was born yesterday, on the Beeson's anniversary. Thunder stealer! She was awake when I first held her, then fell asleep immediately. She was happy and content the whole time I was there. Precious!

Mama and baby. This relationship is such a special one, I am so excited for the Beesons and their new little family!

Adelle and Kalissa. This is her closest cousin in age and gender, I really hope they will grow up to be the best of buddies. See, Adelle is already interested in her! (as a toy really, she loves the bracelet, but you take what you can get)

Odds and Ends For Daddy...

Behind this is the makings of her Halloween costume. Luckily I am pretty sure it's still a secret as these scraps don't make it too clear. (For everyone else, I know Ryan knows).

"HI DADDY"

Here is us celebrating with the Campbell's on the purchase and sell of our home. FINALLY!!!
The Campbells treated Adelle and I out to Chilles, it was a lot of fun! This was Adelle's first time in a restaurant highchair, she really liked it and I loved how she looked in it. She ate lots of french fries, mashed potatoes and chocolate molten cake. (I am a good Mom I know :o)

Adelle's been playing with a sippy cup of water, I am hoping she'll start drinking the water on purpose and not just on accident.

Ryan forgot his sleeping bag while we were camping with the family at Finger Lakes two weeks ago When I woke up this is how I found him. Trying to stay warm in a polar fleece layering bag, all night long he was Freezing and pushing up against me trying to keep warm. My tough Alaskan Man! (You don't care that I post this do you honey? You look cute in it)

Just so tastey I couldn't resist!