October Fun

My computer is fixed! So here is a glimpse of what we have been up to this month. I think fall is my favorite season. I love the change in the trees and the cooler weather. The warm candles and snuggly blankets. The heartier meals and the football. The pumpkin picking and the anticipation of the holiday season. Can it get any better than this?

The first thing we did this month was a church sponsored activity, a one hour boat ride on the Fox River. We had the whole boat to ourselves and it was a lot of fun to get together with other members of our church and glide down the river and see a hint of the changing leaves.

Our paddlewheel boat

The river

The only thing was that the day had turned really cold. It was in the low 50s and everyone was bundled up in coats and hats. We had planned for a picnic afterwards but most people went home because of the wind and cold. This was the first day that we had had weather that cold so it takes a while for the body to adjust to the change in temperature!

The experienced sailors. After being in the Navy for 6 years, James loves any opportunity he can get to be on or near water. He wore his "Navy" cap and even had on his old Navy workman jacket that has his name on it. This was Blake's second time on a boat. I know James would like Blake to love the water as much as he does.

My cutie all bundled up against the cold.

We stayed on the open deck for the first 15 minutes or so of the ride and then Blake and I went down below where it was enclosed to keep warm. It was cloudy for most of the day but the sun had broken through on the ride and the river was just beautiful to look at. We could see all types of properties lined up to the riverfront. Some were million dollar new builds and some were 50 year old rundown homes. We personally would love to live right on the water. It'd be great to have your own dock and small boat and take a spin out on the water. Ahh, maybe someday.

The next weekend there was a Family Fall Festival at our local library. Admission was free and they had activities such as a petting zoo, moon bounce, face painting, crafts, a fire engine to look at, and refreshments to purchase. Blake and I invited Grandma and Grandpa along for the fun.

Grandpa, Grandma, and Blake looking at the fire engine.

Talking to the fireman.

Blake was fascinated with the fire truck. Of course he has been totally into all kinds of trucks recently so I think he really enjoyed being able to see one up close. They had all the compartments open so you could see all the tools and equipment they carried and their ladder was extended to full height which was neat to see.

Its interesting how the weather changes because this weekend was the one just following the boat cruise and it was in the 80s! It was so hot and there was zero sun coverage. We didn't stay for too long and just did the petting zoo after the fire engine and then we left. There were very long lines for face painting and the moon bounce and Blake is a bit too young for those things so we had seen everything we wanted to see and it was all free!

Blake in the petting zoo pen.

A bunch of sheep.

They had all sorts of animals in the pen. Sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits, an alpaca and baby yak, and a miniature horse. Blake loves animals and loved petting them and trying to kiss them. He would laugh at the silly antics of the animals.



The following week, James came home early one afternoon and we decided to go up to Goebberts while the weather was nice to pick our pumpkins. And since it was a weekday we knew it wouldn't be too busy. This is a place James grew up going to as a kid and we took Blake here last year.

Our (growing) family tradition. :)

All the flowers and plants for sale. And you can see the big pumpkin head on top of the barn.

Blake looking for the perfect pumpkin

He found one!

Goebberts has a TON of stuff that you can do besides just pumpkin picking. They have pony and camel rides, a hayride, a jumping pillow, haunted house, corn maze, and exotic zoo; along with their homegoods shop and cafe. This year we decided to do the exotic zoo and corn maze.

James and Blake trying to figure out where to go

Face to face with a giraffe

A baby goat looking for handouts

A black bear

Real life "ligers!"

"Whatcha looking at kid?"

Yup, they even had zebras

We were able to touch this baby camel.

They weren't kidding when they said "exotic" zoo! They had 3 big tents that house the animals and pretty much every one of them (except for the bears, ligers, monkeys, and zebras) you could get right up to the cage and touch them. All the animals they had on display were baby animals but it was really neat to be able to see so many up close.

A picture in the pumkin patch.

Its been a busy and fun month and I love creating wonderful memories for my family. And it won't be long until there is another one to join in on the fun!