Pumpkin Patch

Eli has been so excited about going to the pumpkin patch.  We finally made the time to go last weekend.  It had rained earlier that morning so I was afraid it would be a muddy mess but it wasn't too bad.  We only had one mud incident!

We returned to McGarrah Farms Pumpkin Patch this year.  We loved it last year so I wanted to go back!

(I can't figure out how to put these pictures side by side so whatever).

I love comparing the pictures and seeing how much Eli has grown!  He's almost a head taller and his face is maturing.  Makes me really sad!  I do believe he's wearing the same jeans though... Ha!

I love white pumpkins!  We found a perfect one!

This little cart is actually quite heavy!

Eli thought he was in charge of the clippers.  I think he would have cut every pumpkin out there if we let him!

I thought Eli would be too afraid to climb up this hay mountain but he went right up without hesitating!

They have a hayride that we skipped last year.  Eli wanted to do it this year so we did.  He thought it was great!

I love everything about this time of year, especially pumpkin patches!

Catching Up

Wow!  I have a lot of catching up to do!  I have so much to tell you!  I don't even know where to start.  We have been busy... as always.  Fall is definitely here too.  The weather is cooler, apples are everywhere and leaves are finally beginning to change colors.

Is he not a trip?  He keeps me laughing all the time.  This last picture is one of my favorites ever!  I love that little smile of his!

We went to Destin back in September.  I will have to do a post (or a few posts) on that trip.  Of course I have lots of pictures!  The weather wasn't perfect but we were able to make it to the beach and pool every day.  A great time was had by all!

Football is in full swing.  Our team, the Razorbacks aren't doing so great.  What's new?  Give us a break.  We have a new coach this year.  It's a growing year.  Whatever.  We still love our Hogs and force Eli to wear his jersey every Saturday!

I'm off work for the next few days.

Expect lots more posts soon!

First Week of Preschool

 The time has finally come.  Eli's first day of preschool was this week.  We've been talking about preschool starting for almost a month now.  He was sooooo ready to go back to school!  He will be going the same days as last year (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) but will stay until 2:00 instead of 11:15 like last year.  It makes me very sad to think that this time next year Eli will be starting kindergarten.  I can already tell you I will be a basket case!

I swear he's grown a foot and matured so much over the summer.  We measured him the day before he started preschool.  From March to June Eli grew 1/4 inch.  From June to September he grew 3/4 inch!  Talk about a growth spurt the past 3 months!

Eli went right in his class room and started playing with his friends.  A few of his friends from his class last year are back in his class this year.  His new room is right next door to his old class (and connected by a door).  So there are many familiar things to make the transition easier.

This is his teacher, Ms. Trisha.  He loves her!

I think this will be a great year!

I set my alarm Wednesday morning so I would have time to get up and make his lunch.  Making lunches everyday is one thing that will take some getting used to!  I tried to be creative and pack a healthy lunch he would eat.  I went to wake him up to get dressed.  Then I remembered... he gets out early the first week so they won't be needing a lunch!  Ha!  All that hard work for nothing.  Oh well.  The weather was nice when he I picked him up from school.  We decided to sit under the tree in the front yard and have a picnic (with his school lunch I had packed)!  Eli thought this was a big treat!

Strawberries!  Yummy yummy!

Last year when I would ask Eli what he did at school he would always say "I can't remember" or "I don't know".  Now when I pick him up he talks non-stop about what happened at school.  I love listening to his stories!

  To make Eli seem even bigger he graduated to a booster seat in my car!  He has grown out of the car seat in Chad's car so I decided to get a booster for my car and put his Britax (which he will fit in until he's 70lbs) in Chad's car.  I think he was just as excited about his booster as he was to start back to school!  Talk about growing up.

We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch to celebrate a great week of new firsts.

This afternoon we went to Bentonville's splash park and First Friday.  Then we went to eat pizza and frozen yogurt.

Eli decided he didn't want to sit with Mom and Dad.

He's no longer a baby, that's for sure.  He is officially a big kid.

And I'm so proud of the big kid he is becoming!

Family Bike Rides

We went on our first family bike ride this month.  Eli is doing so well riding his bike!  Last year we went on the local paved bike trail and Eli rode in the bike trailer.  Now he's able to ride his own bike!

 We had many pit stops along the way.  One of Eli's favorite pit stops was the playground.

After the playground we went down to the little creek that follows the trail.  Eli thought he was doing something wrong since I allowed him to get in the water!  HA!  He had the best time and came out soaking wet.  He said playing in the creek was his favorite part of the ride.

I would love to go back and get some pictures in the creek with my real camera.  I'm sure one day I will be mad at myself for not using it more.  My iPhone is just too convenient these days!

Ain't Life Grape

The Annual Tontitown Grape Festival is becoming one of our favorite things in August.  Eli remembered the Grape Festival from last year.  He specifically remembered riding the Ferris wheel!  For a month or two he had been talking about wanting to go to a carnival so the timing was perfect this year!

We stood in line and got his wrist band.  Definitely the way to go if you ask me... but then again I only have one child so the $25 wasn't terrible.  We would have spent WAY more than that without the wristband that allowed him to ride all the rides he wanted.  

First stop was the big slide.  This used to be my favorite when I was young too!  BTW, he got in trouble for going down like this.  His response?  "Daddy told me to."

:)

Then he went again.  And again.  And again. And again.

You get the point, right?  Now see why the wrist band was worth it?

This little roller coaster went FAST!  Eli loved it!

I think he rang the bell the entire ride.

Eli has been eying this trampoline jumping thingy at other places.  We thought he was finally big enough.  It was a hit!

What's a carnival without a carousel? 

What kid doesn't love picking a duck?  That was my favorite game as a kid.

Of course we had corn dogs for dinner.

And the best part of the night?  Riding the Ferris Wheel!

Life is grape!

:)

The End of Summer

 I can't believe summer is coming to an end.  I'm so sad.  Our weather this summer has been fabulous!  We've been able to do lots of playing outside.  It's even been too cool to swim some of the time, but we still went as often as possible.  Preschool will be starting in less than two weeks.  We are winding down and ready to get back on our schedule.

We went to the Bentonville Square for their First Friday celebration.  Eli was in heaven riding this pony.  It was so cute to watch him!

Afterwards we walked to the crepe stand and ate crepes.  While sitting and eating the crepes we noticed a beautiful rainbow.

We've been trying to do away with naps this summer.  Sometimes he just can't make it any longer.

We have made many trips to the Bentonville Splash park this summer.  This is definitely one of Eli's favorite places to go!

We've had PJ days where we stayed in PJ's until the afternoon.  Who doesn't love those days?

We've spent a lot time at the Springdale Aquatic Center.  Eli swims so well here.  The pool is shallow enough for him to touch so he's not scared to go under and swim.  He's doing so well swimming and I'm so proud of him!

Eli found his fireman costume in his closet.  Chad walked by him room and Eli is sitting on his bed dressed in his costume and smiling.  This boy loves being a fireman!  If you ask him what he wants to be for Halloween this year he will say a fireman... AGAIN!

More goofing off and playing at home.  Eli likes to pretend he's a magician.