A glimpse back at fall...



It seemed like fall didn't last long this year.  It was nice and warm around Brogan's birthday and then all of a sudden the temperatures started to drop along with the leaves.  We managed to rake leaves once before our trip to Victoria and the first snow fall.  The kids had a great time playing in the leaves (or destroying our work).  Note the shorts and t-shirts!

 



 

CHEESE!!!

So much fun throwing the leaves around!

Part of me thinks that fall took place in Saskatoon while we were vacationing in Victoria that first week of October because when we came home it was quite chilly.  We managed to find one farm that still offered pumpkin picking (although the picking was from a giant pumpkin-filled shed) and joined our friends the Dechkas to pick out the perfect Halloween pumpkins.

Baby Adalynn (just a couple weeks old), Neala, Izz, Lil, and Brogan at the pumpkin farm

And it's not Halloween without a trip to Dutch Grower's Pumpkin Maze!  (Brogan missed out on a school field trip to the Pumpkin Maze while we were in Victoria, but I didn't have the heart to tell him.)  We met up with the Dechkas again to partake in the maze.  Brogan and Izz had a great time in the maze, but Lil and Neala were a bit hesitant.  OK, Neala wasn't having it at all!  But Neala did have fun climbing on the straw bales and running around in the areas that were off limits...go figure.

Brogan the Devil and Izz as Minnie Mouse in the maze

Izz, Lil, Neala, and Brogan with Baby Adalynn the pumpkin up front

Cargill had a family bowling night (costumes encouraged)...Canadian 5-pin bowling.  The balls reminded me of bocce balls and were perfect sized for the kids.  I was very thankful for the bumpers because that seemed to be the only way I could knock down more than one pin.  The kids had a blast...it was all we could do to keep Neala from continuously throwing the ball down the lane.  It was very hard for her to wait her turn, but she managed to bowl 8 frames before she decided she would rather run around the bowling alley and into the lounge.  But Neala had a blast bowling with her friend Allie, and Brogan was asking to do it again before we even left.  Definitely something we might have to do again this winter when it's 40 below!

Daddy helping Neala roll her ball down the dinosaur slide (note the cute bowling shoes!!!)

Brogan and his goofy camera smile and Neala impatiently waiting her turn (couldn't help but share this one)

Brogan's bowling release...both hands up...I laughed every time!!!

We bought three big pumpkins to carve this year, and Brogan promised to help even though he cried over touching the guts last year.  Casey and I were both surprised that he dug right in this year!  Yea!!!  And we were NOT surprised that Neala did not hesitate to dig in!  I'm pretty sure she cleaned out the entire inside of my pumpkin and helped Casey with a lot of his too.  The first thing she did was look inside and then take a bite of the pumpkin.  She also taste-tested every piece of pumpkin that she pulled out of Casey's pumpkin and said "yuck".  (We have a great video of this on Facebook!)  Neala is going through a licking stage that might get it's own blog post!

Brogan putting on a gross face for the camera while cleaning out his pumpkin

Neala helping mommy clean out her pumpkin

Brogan helping daddy with his pumpkin

We decided to check out Boo Town at the Western Development Museum this year.  The kids had fun, but it was kind of a bust.  Long lines to do the kids activities and they nickel and dime (or quarter and loonie) you to death...after already paying full admission prices.  I think the highlight of the evening was a Singing with Sylvia show that the kids got to enjoy while I stood in line for popcorn for a half hour.

Kids at the Boo Town train station

Snow came a little earlier than desired this year and although the temperatures had been hovering around the freezing point, it did not melt away before Halloween night. Trick or treating was a bit frigid...between 16-18 F...so the kids had to bundle up.  Brogan had his snow pants and winter coat on under his devil costume and Neala had several layers under hers.  We decided to go trick or treating as a family for a half hour or so in our neighborhood to give Neala her first trick or treating experience...she was a hoot!  We went to our neighbors house first, and when she answered the door, Neala just walked right in to their house!  How embarassing!  We stayed a little closer to her after that.  A couple houses later, we noticed that when she would say "trick or treat" she was following it up with "smell my feet".  I guess after listening to Casey and I telling Brogan that he was forgetting that line of the song fifty times at dinner, it stuck in her head.  Thankfully, I don't think anyone realized what she was saying.  After a quick trick or treating in our neighborhood, Casey and Brogan met up with the Dechka family to trick or treat in their area.  One of their neighbors had a haunted house in their backyard...but Brogan wasn't scared!   

Lighting of the pumpkins on Halloween

Horrible but funny picture of the kids who are so excited to be having their picture taken before going trick or treating

Winter seems to be in full effect now.  Two days after Halloween, we got about 4 more inches of snow.  Let the winter fun begin!!!