Fun on the Farm

This past weekend, we went to a Pumpkin Farm. Did we buy pumpkins? No. We were too cheap. Why spend $10 on a pumpkin when it's only $2 at Walmart? Yes, I am a supporter of the big box stores.

But what we did buy there was quality family time. Wait, that can't be bought. But that was the result of our time at Devine Farms.

Dottie? Are you okay?
Elliot's method at the Bean Bag Toss? Just go up and throw 'em in the hole. Easy.
Dottie and the buxom pregnant woman. When will I look like a normal person again? Oh yeah, not for several months.
Dottie conquers her fear of goats. Again. I'm sure she'll be afraid the next time we go to the zoo.
This is a hay bale maze. It was wonderful for wearing my children out.

Joe the fisherman? Who knew? Everyone was jealous of the big catfish he caught. Don't worry, it was caught, then released.
I'm not sure what's going on with Elliot's poses lately? I think he may be inspired by Bryan's infamous clown photo. I looked on facebook and couldn't find it. Bryan, make it your profile pic.

Goat and Pig.
And of course, on the way home, we had to stop at the bakery in Castroville. What's a Saturday afternoon without fattening up at the bakery?
And last but not least, on our tour of the Missions of San Antonio, Sunday morning we went to Mission Concepcion. It's very big. The end.

P.S. I think Dottie's sneezing in this picture. And Elliot's waiting for the impact.

Finis!

It took me a few months, but it's done! I lost some motivation here and there, that's why it took so long. But here she is! I'll get more pictures posted at Halloween, of course.

P.S. Yes, those are wings. We're going for the "Fairy Princess" look. And I'm going to add a puffy slip, to give the skirt more body. And a tiara and jewelry, and curly hair. You get the picture?

Sunday Morning Wanderings

Sunday mornings are sometimes . . . difficult with my squirrely children. Church doesn't start until 2:30. In an effort to keep the Sabbath day holy, we have started exploring local parks where we take a walk, and get some of the energy out of the kids.

We've noticed not too far from our house is a San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. We had no idea what that meant, but figured it had something to do with the Catholic Missions that were once very prevalent in San Antonio.

So, the mission that we pulled up to is called Mission San Francisco de la Espada. It was started in 1731. If you want some more history, here's a wikipedia article. But I was quite impressed. Joe and I both love history and learning about new places, so we were excited to find a place rich with history.

Here we are, at the entrance to the Mission.

This is a church where mass is still held by Franciscan monks! We were there when mass was going on, so we got to see some of the monks.

Me and the squirmy Elliot sitting on a well. My belly makes him uncomfy now.

Ta da! Here's some flowers!

Dottie by a spinning wheel in the visitors' center. There was also a loom that the tour guide taught Dottie how to use.

The kids and farming tools.

Dottie collected many flowers on our walk on one of the trails surrounding the Mission.


On Monday, Joe had the day off for Columbus Day, so we went to a little town called Castroville where there was an Alsatian settlement in the 1700s. We went on the historic walk (well, part of it), and then followed up by going to the local pastry shop.
This was an old Alsatian hotel, called "L'hotel Tarde."

Elliot eating his pastry. I had two myself. I need to stop being a piggy.

I'm sure we'll have more posts of our Sunday Morning Wanderings as we strive to keep the kids happy on Sundays.

We finally know . . .

It's a girl! After some confusion and two ultrasounds, we finally know: Baby Ruby is on her way. Yes, we have a name already. It's a lot easier for me with girls, for some reason. I don't want to hear judgment on the name. But if you like it, you're welcome to say so.