Friday, October 24, 2008

A day in the orchard

Well, we've started yet another Winkel Family tradition...apple picking. We had such a good time at Grave's Mountain pikcing our own apples one day. You should have seen the kids when we actually got to pick them from the tree! They were having a festival and we had fried apples (they were like applesauce in a fried shell) and apple butter doughnuts...they were yummy! We did sand art and walked through the farm (place to visit but not live) and did the hay maze and haystack mountain. So what was not to like? Well, the apples were not as flavorful as if we had bought them in the store, but I guess you don't get a hay maze in a store (depending on the cleanliness of the store...okay, maybe you could call Costco that) and the fresh air! But we took our friend Madeline and she had a ball! It was a two hour drive, but totally worth it! Here are some of our fun times. I tried to do a slideshow, and well, now I have no hair. This will be a job for my techie-friend Janine.


Okay, the apples were a little bigger than this, really.

Braden was just as giddy as can be...but don't those apples look good?


These hills were a little difficult to walk on with all the apples on the ground...I can't count how many times Parker fell.


Parker, do you think those apples are really going to hide you?


Madeline was soooo happy to be in the mountains and on top to boot!

Does this look like something out of a magazine or what?






Yes, that is a lake and there was 1 sailboat on it!



Can you tell who "Daddy's boy" is?


It wasn't peak quite yet, but still beautiful!




This cliff was a little scarry, but leave it to the boys to test the edge...






What a great day it was!


Monday, October 20, 2008

Busch Gardens in October












We had a great time at Busch Gardens at our annual hookie day. Braden got to ride everything except Griffon and Parker, well, he rode what he wanted to ride. The days go by so quickly when you're at amuzement parks trying to get it all in. This is just one of our traditions that we're starting for the month of October. There is soooo much to do in this month I don't know how we're ever going to get it all in! Sorry, if I could have figured out how to do this in a slideshow format, I would have! Oh, Janine...help!!


Okay all you sports fans! If you like the Miami Dolphins I hope you're not offended by this picture. This is one of our two new gerbils named Snickers and he is the most patient gerbil I've ever seen. I don't know if it's out of fear, or lulling us into a sense of security, but he really likes to be played with. I know he doesn't look like he's having much fun here, but what other gerbil do you know would stay for a shot like this? This was taken by Jazlynn our babysitter and Braden. I guess there were looking for something to do...I'll leave some puzzles next time.