Pumpkin Pickin'

Yesterday we took a trip to Jonomac Orchard for some fall fun. We were hoping to pick apples, but they were all gone just a few hours before we got there. We had a great time picking our own pumpkins (They were on 3 for $10!) and taking a wagon ride. We also had some yummy hot apple cider and our daughter took a ride on the apple train.

Friday Fall Fotos

It's been cold, windy and rainy too many days this week. Yuck. The leaves are so beautiful though.





These were all taken at NIU today on my walk to class.


Have a nice weekend!

Today

Last night Abby was up throwing up for a few hours. She's totally fine now thank goodness! This morning we took her to the orthopedic doc and her bone is healing...they see new bone growth. So happy! Luckily Josh called in today and was able to stay with Abby so I didn't miss one of my long days of school.


My Dad seems in good spirits. Tomorrow is the first CT scan since his treatments began so I'm very much hoping for some positive news.


I have my tenative schedule picked out for spring. I register on November 4th. I have to go and declare my political science minor and talk to my advisor to be sure I'm on track. I'm scared of getting bad news and nervous about fitting it all in but onward I march.


In pictures....

Me (see how life has beat me down...I look tired despite Starbucks and makeup, LOL)




Around campus:
Creepy skeletons...




More pretty leaves...





The end.

Hanging in there...

Dad starts chemo today. He's actually getting it right now. I'm having a really hard time. He's so upset about losing his crazy beard. I told him the he'll still be him even if he loses all his hair. How is this really happening? I am trying to so hard to be strong and to keep going on with life as normally as possible but it's very hard.

My life feels turned upside down. At the beginning of the semester I felt overwhelmed but my goals were all A's and getting myself into grad school. Now my goal is get through the semester and hopefully graduate in May. I would really like to graduate in May and have my Dad there to see it, so that is what I am focusing on....getting to that day.

Abby may need to have her leg re-set. The bone fragments have a gap between them that wasn't there last week. Tomorrow morning I will take her for another xray and we'll see what the doctor says then. I am anxious about it, but I do trust her doctor to do the right thing for Abby.

I am so thankful for the support from my friends (whether they live in my computer or my real life). Please keep thinking positive thoughts and remembering my family in your prayers.

I will leave you with a photo of the gorgeous bushes that I saw on campus yesterday. This is just a camera phone picture so the quality but could be better, but...

Fall Fotos

Since Josh and I didn't get to have our original anniversary plans happen, we decided to try again yesterday. So we had a lovely lunch at Ellington's and then went for a walk through park to see the gorgeous fall leaves. This was also a great excuse to play with our new camera. Here are some photos from the park. These are unedited so you can see what sort of pictures this camera takes. I'm quite pleased with the outcome.

The mighty (LOL) Kishwaukee River...

My handsome hubby...

Gathering 'round the fire

Saturday we had what will likely be our last fire of the season. It was the perfect night for it: just chilly enough and not windy. We made s'mores and had fun talking to our friends. I love sitting around the fire and just relaxing. And nothing beats that campfire smell. Mmm..

A visit

Josh's uncle visited us last night from South Carolina. Since we live so far away from each other we don't get to see his side of the family very often. It was really nice to see Uncle Stanley.

Sorry for the grainy camera phone picture quality.





In other news, it's really beginning to look like fall around here. The corn is really high and things are turning from green to golden and red.

A weekend escape

This weekend Josh, I and the kids went to Wisconsin Dells and stayed at a waterpark resort. We had such a great time. It was so nice to have nothing to do but play in the water. We did hit a few snags in the beginning when Evan realized he forgot his suitcase at home. Luckily that was solved easily by a trip the Old Navy Outlet where I used my bargain finding skills to replace most of what he needed for the same price as I'd normally pay for 1 pair of pants for him! Josh lost a contact lens in the wave pool and scratched his eyeball but he's doing better now. After we got passed those things, we had a fabulous time.

Here are the kiddos...they actually stood still long enough for Mom to get a photo.



Abby with her pink (of course) floaties that helped her swim.



We went to Build-A-Bear while and Abby got a new baby kitty:



Abby helped me make a husky. It was a gift from Josh for getting my thyrogen shots and either a yay-I'm-still-in-remission gift or a wow-that-sucks-you-have-cancer gift. We put a heartbeat in it and it's so cool! You press it's chest and it feels like there is a heart beating in there.



We also (as we do every time we go to Wisconsin) went to our favorite winery to get some wine for the upcoming holidays. The fall colors everywhere we went were so beautiful, but especially here.





Some grapes still on the vine.



And for anyone wondering, Lake Delton is still gone. Here's where it should be. Notice the "water taxi" sign....

Pumpkin Patch Pics

Today Josh and I took Abby to a nearby farm to visit their pumpkin patch. She ran into a girl from her Daisy troop there and they had a lot of fun playing together. Then Josh and Abby rode the haywagon out to the pumpkin patch and choose a pumpkin just for her. Evan didn't come with us because apparently it's no longer cool to hang out with Mom, Dad and little sister. ::rolls eyes::

Abby and her pumpkin:



Having a great time on the hayride:


Queen of the hay hill!


Josh and a donkey


Bouncing in the bouncy thing

Everyone loves a parade

Abby got to the march in the parade for the 2nd time with her Daisy troop. Here she is:





Everyone enjoyed the parade and catching candy.


Even Papa caught a lollypop!

One really big rocking chair

Friday Josh, Abby and I visited a local orchard where we saw a giant rocking chair. So naturally I made them get in it so I could take their picture.

Video of the kids

Fall Fun

Playing in the leaves

This afternoon we took the kids to the park to enjoy the 60 degree weather. They had a lot of fun playing in the leaves.