Fall Fun And Family

September

After a rough day at school for Sarah, we went to Braum's and each kid picked a container of ice cream to buy.  Ice Cream for the win!

We attended the Hutton Construction Block Party, (a fun party hosted by Hutton every year for Hutton employees and their families).  It was at Walter's Pumpkin Patch this year, near Eldorado.

Silas liked trying to ding the bell on the strong man contest.

Mom and Dad stayed with us two nights while they went to their 50th class reunion activities during the Clearwater Fall Festival.  Sarah made them a sign to take with them and hold up, " 50 years since we graduated high school.  Hi Friends!"

Silas and I visited Eric and Red on one of Eric's jobsites to see the big equipment working and the progress being made.

October

Phoebe started taking piano lessons in September.  She enjoys playing, and practicing, and is progressing quickly.

We found this GIANT Stick Bug at our new house.  Below you can see Eric holding it.  It was just about as long as one of Eric's hands!

Silas wanted to hold it too.

All three kids liked watching the Stick Bug and touching it.  They eventually let it go on some flowers on our front porch.

We attended a state play-off soccer game on a cold October night with family here in Wichita.  Emporia High played Bishop Carroll.  Pictured below, Kevin, Stacee, Paul, Cindy, Phoebe, Sarah, Silas, and Gloria.  (My Mom's first cousin is Kevin.  Kevin's Dad - James and my Mom's Mom - Georganna, were siblings.)  Kevin and Cindy's son, Cameron is a starter for the Emporia High varsity soccer team.

We went to a high school football game on another cold night.  Valley Center vs. Andover.  Eric knows one of the stars of the Valley Center team this year, Larry.

Phoebe got a new bike from some of our friends.  She had outgrown her old bike and they had one that their daughter did not use anymore.  Phoebe is very glad to have a new - bigger bike.  She can go fast now and rides all over around our new house.

November
The kids and I drove to Manhattan and met Mom and Dad there to watch the K-State vs. Emporia State basketball games on a Friday night.  We were all decked out in our purple attire.  Dad and Mom had on their ESU attire...except Mom wore a KSU jacket over her ESU shirt.... I think that was so she could have on the right thing for whomever was winning.

Silas got really into the games yelling loudly and cheering for K-State.

I even ran into one of my good friends from my KSU college days, Becky.

K-State won both the women's and men's games.  Phoebe fell asleep towards the end of the men's game.  It was fun to be back in Bramlage Coliseum cheering on my Alma Mater.

Silas had a countdown for days leading up to the release on blue ray/dvd of Disney's Cars 3.  He couldn't wait to get to the store to buy it and watch it 1000 times in a row at home.

Eric has been telling me he needed some updated pictures of the kids for his office so we had some new fall pictures taken.

Silas's school had a special Thanksgiving lunch and short music program for parents and grandparents.  The tables were decorated with all of the students fall/Thanksgiving artwork.

Thanksgiving day we gathered in Hesston at Dale and Jan's house for the Hastings Thanksgiving.  The weather was beautiful that day.  We spent the majority of the afternoon outside playing on some new school playground equipment (zip lines), and having a big Hastings wiffle ball game.

Above, the wiffle ball players, left to right, Dale, Paul, Stacee, Lindsee, Sarah, Johannah, EP, Hayley, Phoebe Silas, Josh, Jordan, Eric, Austin, and Zach.  Below, the cheerleaders, Jan, Randi, Gloria, and Wyonna.

Below, top to bottom, Austin, Hayley, Sarah, Silas, Stacee, Phoebe, Zach, and Phoebe.

The day after Thanksgiving at our house Uncle EP played a few games of basketball and 4-square with the kids.

We also got the kids play equipment put back together at our new house.

On Saturday, after Thanksgiving, we had a baby shower for Lindsee and EP at Mom and Dad's house.

Her Birthday Party

On December 1st Phoebe got to have a  few friends over to celebrate her birthday.  Two girls, Haylee and Lila, came home from school with us to play and eat dinner.  Her friend, Alessondra joined us later.  The girls had fun playing together outside until it got dark.

We ate pizza for dinner.

Alessondra brought Despicable Me Bean Boozled for us all to play.

If you have not ever played Bean Boozled, you should...at least once experience this game.  It is hilarious! We played with partners.  Each team spun the wheel and then ate their colored jelly beans at the same time.  Each player had their own cup...just in case they needed to spit a gross jelly bean out.

Some tips inside the game box lid:
*DO have a trash can handy at all times.  Trust us- you'll need it.
*DO NOT let wimpy crybabies play this game.  (On second thought maybe let them play.  It's always fun to watch the chaos unfold!)
*DO fake out your friends - IF YOU CAN.  Got pencil shavings?  Keep a good poker face and swear it's a "Ba-na-na!"
*DO make up your own rules.

Phoebe and Haylee were partners.  I think Phoebe got a gross tasting jelly bean every time it was their turn!  Her facial expressions were THE BEST!

Eric and Silas were partners.  Eric got to taste a LOT of gross jelly beans too...like barf and Minion farts.

We ate chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with yellow icing for dessert.

Happy Birthday, sweetest girl in the world.  Happy Happy Happy Birthday, to you!

Phoebe opened her presents from her friends after eating the cupcakes.  From Alessondra she got a storybook and stamps.

From Haylee she got a Jewelry Box Kit and Chelsea (Barbie) and her Pony.

From Lila, she got Legos, a Junie B. Jones book, a shirt, and a hoodie.

The big event of the evening was going to the movies!  Eric and I took all of them to the new movie, The Star.  It was an excellent movie!  If you have not seen it, GO!  Take your family.  Take your nieces and nephews.  Take your grandkids.  We ALL loved it!

Pictured above, left to right, Haylee, Phoebe, Alessondra, Lila, Silas, and Sarah.