The Pumpkin Patch

We spent our Sunday afternoon out at the pumpkin patch with the whole family. We had our lil family, my sisters and their families, my brother Jeff and his family, my parents, and my Grandma Ransom... we were just missing my brother, Rick. He was stuck in Las Vegas working :(

We had a blast, took way too many pictures, rode the train, ate delicious food, had snow cones, and finally picked a pumpkin before heading back home. The weather was perfect and the company was the best! I just love the changing colors of Fall, don't you?

Evan was intrigued by both the pumpkins and the miniature trains on display. He kept saying, "toot-toot" the whole time. And carried around his "kumpkin" proudly.

Our happy family

Of course, Evan went straight to the BIG ones!

Mikayla telling Evan how to pick a good pumpkin

Evan, Noah, Mikayla, and Caleb

Waiting for the train

All aboard!!!

Grandma and the gang in one car

Brandon, Jodi, and Caleb ready to ride

The miniature train

Jeff, Steph, Sydney, Mikie, and Devin

Sydney and Mikayla

Noah and his pumpkin

Evan wanted to carry it himself

Evan and his "kumpkin"

Nana, Papa, and Evan

Sunflower

The Zoo With Ginger and Andria

We went to the Chaffee Zoo in Fresno with Ginger and Andria. They were kind enough to drive up from Bakersfield early in the morning so we could spend some time together at the zoo and have lunch before they headed back. The weather was perfect for a day out and we all had a great time together. Andria talked about wanting to see the giraffes all morning... and when she finally got to see them, she not only looked at them, but got to actually feed one!!! The excitement on her face was priceless(You can click on pictures to see them in full scale). Evan was busy snacking and making noises like a monkey, but I think he really enjoyed the zoo much more this time than in the past.

Thank you, Ginger and Andria, for coming to share special family time with us. Evan keeps asking for "AJ", so we are really looking forward to spending this coming weekend with you all in Bakersfield!

Here's a few shots that I captured. I know Ginger got some great ones too so maybe I'll post a second zoo blog later.


Andria's Excitement

Feeding the Giraffe

Evan feeding himself, LOL :)

Watching the sea lions.

There they are!

A gorgeous, not to mention very friendly, zebra.

Friends-Fair-Food-Fun

My best friend, Katie, and I went to the Big Fresno Fair on Wednesday night for a fun girls night. Back in August I purchased tickets for us to go see Casting Crowns and Leeland. It was an awesome time of worship and so wonderful to be surrounded by others who enjoyed praising God as much as we do.

And of course, after the show we got to walk around and enjoy the sights, sounds, and treats that the fair always has to offer. It was a blast sharing that time with you, Kate. Thanks for going with me to the fair this year! Here's a few photos of our night.

Katie loved her corn dog!

Leeland

A self portrait

Casting Crowns

Silliness

Cinnamon Rolls, mmmmmmmm.....

I saw Spidey!!!

The sign in the tunnel as we left

Be Very Quiet... We're Huntin' Frogs

Killin' the last 25 minutes before bedtime was tricky a few weeks ago, so we took Evan out to the back yard to hunt for frogs. The results were surprising... He wasn't scared one bit, picked them up, carried them around, then spiked them like a football. Somehow he didn't quite understand that the throwing of them was not okay :) Luckily nobody was injured and it made for a fun adventure.

Evan's 17-Month Pictures

Evan did not care much for the photographer and refused to smile at her, yet we managed to capture a few good shots. Enjoy!

Evan's First Haircut

Evan had his very first haircut last Wednesday morning. He did so well! The salon had a large clock, so Evan was more than entertained. Aunty Steph went along to take pictures and provide further distractions while I held Evan on my lap. He looks so big now with his new haircut, but I am pleased that he still has the wave/curl to his hair. Here's a few pictures of this memorable day!

Playing Catch-Up

Here's some pictures to get you all caught up! They range from us packing, driving back to California,the Grand Canyon, dress-up with Andria,Evan's first big "boo-boo", 4th of July, Evan's 1st beach trip, etc. Enjoy!!!

Still Getting Settled

For those of you who have been asking about current posts, emails, etc... SORRY! We are still busy getting settled into the house here in Kingsburg. Bryan started his job, I'm going to start working a few early mornings at Curves in town, and Evan is working on molars! He had both of his lower molars pop through the gum this week and the fussiness is beginning to subside. Evan is adjusting very well and enjoys the extra room to run, a yard, and having so many family and friends nearby.

The three of us have already made a trip to Santa Cruz so we could enjoy the much cooler weather, the beach, and time with great-grandparents and friends. We look forward to many more weekend trips.

We've got all new living room furniture too! We love it. It's so nice to be able to buy new and be rid of the hand-me-downs we have so patiently lived with for two years. Now our own style can take root. YAY! It's been fun getting the house put together. I'll post pictures soon. I would have posted them earlier but the camera cord was accidentally thrown away at some point during unpacking and I just got a new card reader for the PC.

Anyhow, just a general update. I'll post pics and tell more later. I need to head off to bed soon so I can be ready to work at 6am. Feel free to email or leave messages for me to reply to. I've just been bad at initiating conversations with all of the chaos :)

God bless and have a wonderful week!