Tink.

She's got the pixie look down.

God knows she's got the personality...



I tink we'll try it!

Cammie, a prize is coming your way... let's discuss. Thanks, everyone, for all the great suggestions!

BEAR DOWN...

I am so lucky to have friends that are willing to go along with my crazy ideas...

As soon as I heard that the Bears and the Packers were to have a classic showdown on Monday night Football this week, I approached Lynzee with a fun photo shoot idea for the girls. She obliged. I'll let the pictures do the storytelling here...

BEARS...

BEARS...

BEARS...



BEARS...



The teams come together:





It's head-to-head competition here, folks...





They take to the field...





READY...



SET...



CHARGE!



The Pack sends two across...



Looks like a pretty even match-up!





Little A goes deep...



WHAT A BLOCK by the Bears!



They're out there resorting to sheer intimidation!







It wasn't CLEAN. It wasn't PRETTY. It was a "W". And, thanks to that, I am able to share this photo, and not the alternative we also pre-shot:

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;
Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.
Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown.
You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.

Jewels, Key-haps, the 5K and Camping...

We had a busy, busy weekend here in the SPH! Fall decided to show up, and just in time!

Friday night, Lynzee and I spent the evening with a few of our favorite townies. She hosted a Premier Designs party, and we did a little shopping, chatting, and snacking. During the party, Tom was a total rock star. He entertained many of the kiddos. The downside- Sassy came home with approximately 1,376 mosquito bites. Oops. Little A stayed home with Daddy. They played outside, and Little A acquired approximately 1,376 mosquito bites. Oops. Huge parenting FAIL. I did order a cute ring to add to my collection- WOOT!

Saturday morning, the entire SPH was up bright and early for the Komen Wichita Race for the Cure! All fo us (my parents included) signed up for the un-timed 5K, and we also signed the girls up to participate in the Kids for the Cure Tot Trot. We joined my friend Elainne's team, The Rockin' Ta-Tas! We made sure to leave with plenty of time to grab a little power breakfast and get to the race! I took a couple of pictures (what I thought would be the tip of the iceberg) in the driveway. If you're wondering, Sassy is pouting because she didn't get to wear a pretty skirt like Little A. Apparently the sparkly pink headband wasn't enough.







So, it was off to breakfast... right? Sure, but nothing ever runs smoothly in the SPH. Really... NEVER.

To make a long story short, Tyler accidentally locked our keys in the car. They were left in the ignition, I had our spare in my purse in the car, and it was a mess. My Dad had the Jeep, but only one car seat. So, in order for Sassy to make it to the Tot Trot, Tyler drove her and my Mom to the race in the Jeep while my Dad and I hung back with Little A. I made a few phone calls and found someone who would pop the lock for only $40 and NOT make us wait for over an hour to get there. DEAL!

The three of us did make it in time for the walk, but not in time to enjoy any pre-walk festivities. Not in time to score any goodies. Not in time to meet up with Elainne or the rest of our team. Not in time to see Sassy 50-yd dash, nor in time for Little A to participate. Not in time to feel compelled to even lug my camera out of the trunk. Yes, I admit it. My spirit was a bit deflated upon arrival.

Once we got walking, though, we had a wonderful time. Truly. I pushed the double stroller 95% of the way, and it felt great. The weather was beautiful, the path was beautiful, and it was great fun to watch everyone getting into it. I can't wait to participate next year, and hopefully it will be a bit less stressful!

Oh, and Sassy did run the 50-yd dash. She was thrilled to meet up with her friend, Bubs, and run it with him! She even got a ribbon, which she decided to include in her preschool counting book on the "ONE" page. Way to go Sassy- Mommy is proud of you!

After the race, we rushed home to get the girls a quick rest in before we headed off to our next weekend adventure- the 11th annual Phipps Family 100 Tent Party. The Phipps are a family I know through PAT, and this is the second year Whitney had invited our family to participate. We were out of town last year, but very excited we got to take part this fall!

We packed a ridiculous amount of things, and followed Lynzee's van out to Belle Plaine, where the Phipps Farm is located. A trailer-pulling tractor met us at out cars and drove us back into the camping area. The premise- every family pitches a tent along the perimeter. The Phipps provide a roasted hog and turkeys- everyone else fills in the sides for dinner. There are games, games, games for the kids (and adults) to participate in and win "money" for Sunday's white elephant auction. There are campfires, bonfires, S'mores, live entertainment... Sunday morning, there is a huge communal breakfast with bacon, eggs, and sausage that each family contributes. It was a fabulous time!

Chad helped Tyler erect our tent:



Sassy jumped like a monkey on the trailer bed:



75% of the cuteness we brought along:



There was SO MUCH ROOM for the kids to run:



The girls sitting in front of our tent eating Cheez-Its:



After dinner, Soapy the clown kept the kids entertained:



This is a terrible picture of me, but here's proof that we were in attendance:



At this point, we got into our jammies and and prepared to put Little A to bed in the pack'n'play inside our tent. But, not before a little fun & games inside!





Little A fell right asleep, and we took the big girls to the bonfire, made S'mores, and listened to some of the live music. Finally, we turned in for the night. Sleep went well, for the most part. Sassy slept like a rock. Little A did wake up once when I left to go to the bathroom, and she sat up in the pack'n'play for a while, chatting. We finally brought her over to sleep with us, and we all slept until about 7:00 AM, which was way longer than I thought we would sleep, considering...

We got dressed and the girls had great fun brushing their teeth outside with bottled water! We even got a girl shot in:



We took the girls to play on the tree swings:



And, on a hiking adventure:



And down to the sand banks by the river:



And, the girls had some fun playing with Lynzee's parachute:



We ate breakfast, packed up, and joined in the white elephant auction with all of our game winnings. It was so much fun!



The goal for the party is to one day reach 100 tents! We can't wait to go again next year, and hopefully we'll be able to recruit some new friends to join us- as Whitney says, the more, the merrier!



Once we got home yesterday, showered/bathed, and started laundry, we changed into out jammies and spent the rest of our Sunday lounging and watching football! It was a great weekend.

Now, if only our Bears pull out a win tonight...

We're down with W.P.P...

...yeah, you know me...

Walter's Pumpkin Patch, that is.

Only the best.pumpkin.patch.EVER!

Alternately Titled: The One Where I Upload A Million 62 Pictures and Ramble About How Awesome it is to live in Kansas {for 7 Weeks Each Fall}...

Tyler and I discovered it on a whim back in 2006, the first fall we lived in Kansas. Even though there were several patches closer to where we lived, something compelled us to make the drive up to Burns, KS, and so began our crazy infatuation with Walter's. I believe we've gone at least twice every year, and this year we broke down and bought season passes. In short, expect to hear more about Walter's this fall!

I will say that it is an odd feeling for me to visit the pumpkin patch when it is 90 degrees. Just sayin'...

There's something to be said for fall weather in KS. Consider this- Walter's is open for about seven weekends each year. We've visited Walter's in 90+ degree weather, with tank tops, shorts, and flip-flops. We've also frozen our butts off at Walter's, decked out in full-on winter gear and still finding it hard to enjoy ourselves. Yeah.

There are tons of neat attractions, and each year brings new additions, which is always exciting. It's basically a casual photographers paradise, with beautiful fall scenery and plenty of spots to take that "must have shot" each year.

Sassy was so excited:



Little A wore the same bird dress Sassy wore last fall, sans the undershirt:



Had to pay a visit to The Shabby Shed:



And, who can resist these things??



Sassy loves running across the baled hay. She gets faster and faster every fall!



Sometimes, I find myself inadvertently recreating moments through photography. Like this one- I felt compelled to suggest that Tyler take Little A on a walk over the hay bale with the pretty sky in the background. I was trying to get the angle just right- the perfect amount of sky and horizon. I think I've been there before. For now, until I get my hard drive recovered, the memory will only be mine...



The Pillow Jumper is always a big hit. Now, if only I had an extra 10K+ lying around...



Inside the barn, there is a giant vat of corn for the kids the kids and Tom to play in. Every year, I am intrigued with the entire concept, but not enough join in. One of these years...



Tyler had to act in his inner-child, and climb the net up into the risers of the barn...



Sassy mastered the tunnel slide inside the hill this fall. Little A went down a time or two with Dad, but was mostly content as an observer:



Then, we swung...



...and swung...



...and swung.



I don't mean to sound hokey, but is there anything more beautiful than moments like this in a place like this? Um... no. Not really. Not to me.

Sassy and Little A took a ride on the teeter totter. Is that the correct spelling? Guess we'll find out. Anyway, it's a pretty good one. Lynzee and I may or may not have taken a turn earlier in the day, and tom may or may not have snapped a few pictures while we did. Pictures that I am sure will surface somewhere in some dusty corner of facebook. Ah, well...



We made our way over to a part of the far, that we hadn't visited before. The girls led the way across Kansas' newest swinging bridge and over to some giant tire climbers...



Then, there was this little carousel pulley thing that had tire horses for the girls to sit on. Once they were seated, Ty pulled them around in a circle. They thought it was pretty neat!



We walked over to the playground portion of the farm, and I turned towards Sassy and away from Little A for around 13 seconds. This is what I saw when I returned my gaze towards that little stinker...



Little A proceeded to obsess over the cat the entire time we were at the playground, caring only about chasing him, attempting to pull his tail, and in general making his life miserable. Yeah.

Poor cat.

Meanwhile, Sassy found lots to keep her busy, and we even managed a decent, albeit a bit comical, family picture...



After a while, Sassy led the way back up the steps in the hill to the front of the farm, where we planned our second attempt at "How Tall This Fall" pictures.



We took a few nice ones right as we entered, only to realize that the sign still read 2009, not 2010. Now, we couldn't have that, could we? So, we tried again. A bit more flushed and dirty, but still cute...



For whatever reason, it seems as though I am just not growing any taller as the years pass. BOO!

Then we had an entire Little-A-climbing-in-the-swing-by-herself debacle. Of course, I captured the entire string of events with my camera. Hy-sterical!



At this point, she finally called out for help. Stubborn, stubborn girl.



Ty tried to get a picture of the three of us (isn't it amazing how little us mamas ever make it into a picture with our kids? Weird.) but I was too concerned for Little A's safety, and she was too concerned with preventing me from supporting her (did I mention she's stubborn?), so no dice.



We went past The Shabby Shed again, and saw a ginormous spider sitting in a web one side. I freaked the hell out and Tyler spent the next 5 minutes berating me for being scared by a fake spider. An argument ensued over said spider until Tyler finally poked it, and guess what...



IT MOVED!

I ♥ it when I'm right... except when it involves huge, scary spiders proving their rightful place in nature and not as some Halloween prop.

No trip to the pumpkin patch would be complete without a stop at concessions for some pumpkin juice and a pumpkin cookie! Sassy wanted a pumpkin cup this year, and Little A opted for the red one- I thought it was a red pepper, Tyler thought it was a tomato (apparently we like to argue over meaningless things) and Tom & Lynzee had a fantastic time making fun of us once it was established that the cup obviously represented an apple. Makes sense.



Gotta ♥ how dirty the kids get after a day at the pumpkin patch!



Mmmm....




Cute, dirty sweet pea #2:



Last, but not least, we did some picking. Choosing, rather. We decided to wait until our next visit to take a trip out the the patch and pick our pumpkins. Instead, each of the girls were allowed to choose 3 gourds to bring home and place on the kitchen table for fall decoration:



Oh, and we bid farewell to the witch at Witchy's Place... always a fun time!



Thanks for sticking with me, readers. I only get to experience this excitement for a small period of time each year. please bare with me this fall... there will most likely be more posts and more pictures from Walter's!



So long, dear pumpkin patch. We ♥ you. Until we meet again...