Natalie turned 1 on October 18th. We had a joined birthday with a wonderful family friend and also Uncle Mark. 

 Crazy what a year can do!

 I had so much fun making centerpieces, decorating, cakes and making food. Thank you Aunt Mo for all your help I could not have done it without you!! And for Grandma and Grandpa Boender for letting us use the cabin!

Getting some big sister help opening a gift.

 BJ traded tractors this fall because of an offer from the John Deere dealer he could not pass up. So we had a photo shoot of his 2 favorite tractors ever :)

Baby Selah

 Baby Selah was born Sept. 30. She is so precious and has such pretty dark hair.

 A quick attempt at a cousin pic. We will have to try again!

 The kids wanted to carve their new pumpkins so they were sent outside to finish that chore. They did a great jog even tho it was pretty chilly outside.

One blessed aunt!

Bloomsbury Farm

 On the first weekend of October the kids usually don't have school so we try to hit a pumpkin farm. This time we decided to make a weekend of it and visit aunt Mo and then head up to see new baby Selah (pics to come). This farm is near Cedar Rapids. It was a very cool and blustery day so we only stayed for a little while. 

 Natalie liked the goats and donkeys. They even had a pot bellied pig. I think they are so funny looking!

 I was excited to see a sign with five holes in it. We got almost everyone to look. 

 They usually have hay rides to go to a pumpkin patch on the weekend but we were there on Thursday so we just  got them from the long rows right outside.

We had a good time and enjoyed seeing a new farm. In John's words this one "was a little to halloweeny" but it was still fun.

September Fun

 Natalie has learned to climb onto the dishwasher. She also enjoys unloading it all over the kitchen floor. Adalli picked out all her little hair ties and wanted them all in her hair so we got it done. She had ten pig tails in all. She thought she was hot stuff!

 Here are some pictures from Autumn Acres. Our special friends gave us a season pass so we headed out to enjoy the beautiful fall weather! It is always a fun time and we are so thankful for the hard work that everyone puts in to make it so much fun! 

 BJ and I were able to get away for a quick weekend trip to the U.P. of Michigan. We went all the way thru Wisconsin to get there and it was so beautiful! Lots of the trees were changing and it was a really nice time for just him and I to be together. Thank you family for making it work for us to go!

 We were told we needed to take the road from Menominee to Escanaba because it was right up against Lake Michigan. I am so glad we did! It was really beautiful. We also stopped to check out this light house. It was already closed for the season but it was nice to get out and walk around.

First Day of School and First Combine Ride

 It was a crisp almost cool first day of school this year. It did not last tho and we got out early every day for a week and a half this year. The kids were pretty excited to start school again, and I was looking forward to a little bit of structure back into the day. I always miss them when they go tho. Adalli really missed them and has had to do a little bit of adjusting to being with just mom and little sister Natalie. I have really enjoyed being able to focus on the little girls and take time to color and read lots of books lately.

 Rachel was the only kiddo willing to pose in her new desk.

 First bus ride of the 2012-2013 school year.

 Natalie's very first combine ride. She was born in the middle of harvest last year, but never got to ride in a combine until she was 10 months old. She really enjoyed it and loves spending time doing whatever her daddy is doing.  

Wedding and Bike Ride

 Rachel and Adalli attending the gift wheel barrow at a cousins wedding along with some other special cousins.

 It was a beautiful outdoor wedding! Adalli and Rachel had a wonderful time dancing with their aunts, uncles and cousins. Natalie enjoyed watching.

 We only got one bike ride on the bike trail in this summer and we were lucky to get that in actually. I always forget how much work it is to get everyone and everything ready to go. Then after a little while the little ones are ready to go and the big kiddos are bummed because they couldn't go very fast or far because we were having to go slow for Adalli. Thank goodness for Grandpa and Aunt Mo's help. My garage sale special bike broke half way thru the ride so I had to push it back. I kept thinking to myself "I am so glad it was not just me and all the kiddos today." My dad is an amazing bike fixer and it is fixed up good now. Thanks so much Dad!

 Gideon rode his ripstik the whole time and did really well at going up and down the hills. John was with us but he was very fast and didn't want a picture so I don't have any proof that he was here today.