Wordless Wednesday - {Fall Tradition - The Slightly Haunted Puppet Theater}

{...man...I just love Fall!}

The Children's Museum - Fall Break 2

We had such a beautful day at the apple orchard on Friday...but Thursday was gray, cold, dreary and rainy.
But not in here!

The kids always ask "When can we go to the Children's Museum?"  And if it's a nice day outside...I personally don't like to waste it inside... so it was luckily {for me} the perfect day to go since it was their choice!
Although...everyone else in the whole state thought it was a great idea too!
It took us about 40 minutes to get through the line to purchase tickets!  But everyone was so patient...and once we got through, it was worth it!

Emily decided to dress up for the occasion in her fairy costume!  I love Halloween!

{it's getting a bit small...guess it's about time to pass it on to Ellie.  Why must they grow up?!}

{don't you go growing up on me too!}

{too late for that already...sigh...}

Elizabeth had a good time exploring the museum for the first time!

And Alex and Emily always love visiting their favorite exhibits like the trains, ScienceWorks and going to Egypt!

{Tickets please!}

{Emily's favorite...and mine!}

{Welcome to Egypt!}

{Emily, look out behind you!}

{oh, Ellie says he's harmless...whew!}

{Alex's favorite exhibit is the ScienceWorks!}

It's always fun to see what's new each time too!

{Treasures of the Earth}

{Frogs}

{Just a little trim, please!}

{I think this has been here for a long time...but somehow this is the first time we've stopped to enjoy it!}

We spent the whole afternoon here enjoying as much as we could!

And because it's almost Halloween...we couldn't leave without visiting the Haunted House!

{Enter if you dare!}

The Museum offers friendly lights-on hours or frightening hours.  The kids both wanted to experience the frightening hours after much debating with their scared concerned mother.  But I thought, how scary can it be at a children's museum?  Well...let me tell you...I got scared!  Ellie did great...except for the blood-curdling screams from the girls behind us scared her more than anything else!

I love sharing these fun times with the kids!  Dan always tells me he doesn't know how I have enough energy to do these things with them all the time...but I always tell him, I don't have the energy!  Honestly, if I really got to have my choice, I would go and sleep for the entire day if I could!  But I am selfish with  my time with them, and I don't want to waste a single minute!  If we get the chance to go do something fun...even if it's just going for a bike ride...I'm going to muster up any energy I can find to make it happen!  And I'm going to take a few{hundred} pictures while doing it!  ha! 

This day totally wiped me out...

...but I would do it all over again! 
{maybe after just a quick little nap first!}

The {Apples} of my Eye - Fall Break 1

We have been on fall break these last few days...my favorite time of year! 
And what is fall without pumpkins...check & check...leaves...check...

...and apples...Friday we went to the apple orchard on a gorgeous crisp Fall morning to check that one off the list...perfect!

We've visited here before...and it's such a beautiful place to be on such a beautiful sunny day!

We went again with our MOPS group and it's always a fun time!
First on the agenda was a wagon ride out to the orchard to pick some apples!

After choosing just the right apple...we learned more about how apples grow, the many different kinds of apples, and had a tour of the kitchen where everything is made!  Yum-E!

Then over the river and through the woods to see the animals!

And after a very delicious snack of caramel applesauce bars and apple cider...Alex and Emily couldn't wait to go play on the rope swings and slide!

It's hard to believe that October is almost over!  I feel like the time is going faster and faster!  But I'm so glad that we had such a great outing to the orchard before it slips away...and the winter blahs set in!

{We pass an army-training base along the way...a beautiful drive...and Alex wanted to get a picture of the tanks on our drive by...}

{Love it!}