Life's a bowl of....apples?

September was a very fun filled month for our house. It wouldn't be a good September without a few trips to the apple orchard--it's a tradition! This year we made 4 trips to the apple orchard in total and I am sure we will squeeze in a couple last chance trips this October too. We go to Wilson's Apple Orchard north of Iowa City. They have tractor rides on the weekend, a picnic area, apple treats to taste and of course an impressive collection of apple trees covering the entire apple orchard. We love to go as a family and literally just get lost out in the orchard and the boys love being able to taste all the yummy apples and treats.

So many apples later...here are some pictures from our most recent family trip. On this trip we got to show off the orchard to Kim, Reid and Jessie since they came for a special visit that weekend.

Little apple farmer, Oliver is excited to go pick some apples!

Waiting for the tractor

Smile--TAKE ONE

SMILE--TAKE TWO, only one kid is smiling! Gotta do it again!

I said smiiiiiile--TAKE THREE, okay I give up!

Family Portrait-- Christmas card photo perhaps?

Tractor Ride!

What's that mom? You want an apple? Let me see here, I just have one apple left in my basket and I took a bite out of it. Sorry I ate the rest!

Brent and Thomas

Oooooh!!! Apples!

Come on Oliver, there are more apples this way! Hurry, we have to get the good ones!

Oliver and Thomas

This one tastes just right!

Taking a big bite!

Yum!

And for my last magic trick...I will make this apple disappear in 3...2...1!

It's Hawkeye Football Time Folks!

GO HAWKS!!!

Future Hawkeyes!

Also future class clowns...

Game time! Got to watch part of it at home.

Happy because the Hawkeyes are winning!

Touch Down!

Field Goal is Gooooood!

Tailgating in dad's truck

Playing with the bean bags

Snack time!

The boys made a new friend today. Oliver loves dogs so this was too cute!

Oliver and Jordan having a little break

Listening to the music

Making crafts at the ICM booth

Basketball Time

Grandma Patty and Thomas

Go Hawks!

Hokey Pokey at Fry Fest

Oliver Dancing

Trains Trains Trains!

Oliver really loves trains, cars, airplanes, and tractors right now. But he especially loves choo choo trains. He likes to play with the train table in the basement and race the trains up and down the track and his favorite book to read is a book about trains. Lately I started letting him watch little clips of Thomas the Train on netflix and he has been going crazy over them. Looks like we have another little engineer in the family. :-)

Chocolate Frosting...Because it is a Chocolate Kind of Day!

The boys and I baked some goodies today. I made my favorite recipe of chocolate frosting to go over our brownies. It is the absolute best chocolate frosting ever and goes well over both cakes and brownies! We love it!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup crisco
• 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cups baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4--1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and crisco so is completely smooth. It helps to soften the butter and crisco a little bit in microwave. Add vanilla and mix well. In separate bowl whisk together cocoa and powdered sugar. Slowly add to large mixing bowl adding a little at a time to butter mixture. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

First Day of Preschool

Thomas had his first day of preschool on Monday. He was really excited to go to school and make new friends. Brent and I both were at the drop off and he was very cool about the entire thing. We had him put his bag and hat away, wash his hands and join the rest of the group for circle time. We waved bye and he wasn't phased at all by any of it. He was more ready than I realized for school, I was actually a little nervous about how he would do without either of this to direct him but he seems to be doing really well. I can't believe our Thomas is a big boy!!!