Was Halloween really almost a month ago? Maybe it seems like not so long ago because it lasted for like a week! And the older my kids get, the more festivals, fairs & parties there are on the calendar. All super fun, but next year I think I'm going to "forget" the candy buckets all week & just let them play & have fun.
Since Daddy was working so much after our vacation, Mommy got to brave the pumpkin patch with all 4 kiddos. We decided to do Buckelew Farms since I THOUGHT it was closer. Yeah, right. I now understand why there are about 1,000 crosses on the side of that highway. Those folks drive like crazy people!! I'm glad we tried Buckelew, but we won't be going back. Just in case you're trying to decide between Buckelew & Apple Annie's next year, here's the scoop:
#1- They don't give you any pumpkin-plant cutters! Emma's poor hands were raw after wrestling her pumpkin off the vine.
#2- Everything costs money except the diseased-looking 4H petting zoo. There were jumping castles- $3 per kid, giant bikes to ride- $3 per kid, & a bucking bronco- $5 per kid. They did have Eegee's, though. A definite plus.
#3- It was 96 degrees there!!! Yes, I know AZ is hot, but if I can avoid 4-5 of those degrees by driving to Willcox, I'm drivin' east!
Well anyways, we survived & we'll do it different next year. I'm glad I tried it, though. I always would've wondered.
For Halloween this year we had a cheerleader from the infant section (size 4t? Really? She's almost 8!)
a soldier that Frank helped Mommy sew, 
a Batman that was Jack's attire for 2 weeks straight,
and a skeleton that got finished just about 30 minutes before we had to leave to go trick-or-treating with our super cool friends the Dyers. 
Isn't Jacob the cutest Ewok you ever saw? His Mommy made his costume & I think it's awesome.
For our ward's trunk-or-treat our family had a photo op hanging from the back of our car. And yes, it was Andy's idea. You're shocked, I know.
I can't believe the holidays are here already!
a soldier that Frank helped Mommy sew, a Batman that was Jack's attire for 2 weeks straight,and a skeleton that got finished just about 30 minutes before we had to leave to go trick-or-treating with our super cool friends the Dyers. Isn't Jacob the cutest Ewok you ever saw? His Mommy made his costume & I think it's awesome.For our ward's trunk-or-treat our family had a photo op hanging from the back of our car. And yes, it was Andy's idea. You're shocked, I know.I can't believe the holidays are here already!
One of those cabins is on my Christmas list. Do you think Santa will give me one?
Anyways....yet another pic of the fall beauty (or 2). I can't help myself, I really can't.
The kids thought that this place was every bit as enchanting as Hershey's ChocolateWorld. Arizona kids find it VERY entertaining to simply stand in one spot & throw rocks in the water.
Who knew? By the way, they're also very enchanted with grass. Sigh, if only Mommy didn't want to cry at the thought of the winters there....
But we made the best of it by visiting a bunch of Amish shops, the most AMAZING Amish grocery store (Mommy wanted to move into the deli section) and collecting some souvenirs for the folks back home. A nice relaxing way to finish out the vay-cay. 
And someday we'll get to order that Amish dining set that we've been dreaming of since we got engaged there 11 years ago. Someday!
Frank liked all of the yellow bridges over the river & Mommy & Daddy liked the giant tunnel that goes through a mountain...
& then explodes into downtown. 
One of our most unforgettable moments on this trip was coming out of that tunnel into the night skyline of Pittsburgh. Totally shocking & completely amazing. (You probably had to be there, I guess!)
One thing I would definitely change if we did this again is to remember that when your flight info says that you'll get home at 10:45 at night, that's REALLY 1:45 am Ohio time. And I would also remember that my kids won't sleep unless they're in their own environment.