An Afternoon at the Battlefield

Yesterday I took Leon to one of my favorite places, the battlefield in Battle Ground.  I let him roam and be curious and adventurous while I watched and took pictures.  It was a wonderful afternoon.

Throwing things into the creek and watching them float away.

Taking a little walk.

Finding a way down to the creek to play in it.  It was only 75/80degrees out but he was very insistent.  Don't worry - I only let him play in it for 10 minutes and I had warm, dry clothes in the car.

Cold and wet - heading back up to the car.  He didn't want to come.  He was having way too much fun in that creek.



The Little Oink

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace

I found this book at the library.   It is so stinkin cute.  It is about a little pig who doesn't like to make a mess but his mommy and daddy won't let him go out to play until he has made a "proper" mess.  So he makes a mess so he can go out and play.  But guess what he does when he gets to go out and play finally?
 He plays house - cleaning and sweeping and scrubing - making everything tidy! 

So cute!  I loved it!

Pumpkin Patch

So you may have seen the nice, cool photos of the pumpkin patch on my photo blog but you haven't seen the ones I took of Leon while we were there.  Leon was crazy - having so much fun so it was pretty much impossible to get a really good, nice photo of him but here they are:

He LOVED running up and down the aisles between the pumpkins

 

We took a little walk to see where they grow the BIG pumpkins. 

And then on our way back we stopped to look at the little pumpkins.

Leon was showing me how strong he was by picking them up...

I'm just glad he didn't try to throw it.

We had a great time.  It was a great way to spend some time while Daddy was on a business trip.  We have a pumpkin out on our porch waiting to be carved.  

I love Fall. 

Best Book I've Ever Read

I'm don't know if this is the best book I've ever read because it is or if it is because it's contents are those that I've needed to so desperately.  I loved every moment of this book.  It made me smile, it made me cry, it humbled me, it made me feel good, and it gave me so much perspective on my role as a mother.

This book is all about being proud to stand up and say "I am a mother".  It reminds us how important our roles as mothers are, not only in our families lives, but in society.  I especially loved how it reminded us that we need to view the role as a mother as something worthy and important - and how me need to teaching others to believe and show that too.   It talks about how we are in a partnership with God to raise and nurture the generations coming forth.  It talks about how sometimes it is hard but also how we can do it.  It talks about how me need to step into other women's and mother's shoes - how we need to stop judging and start loving the women around us.  It also talks about how every woman, not just mothers, have a role in "mothering" others.

I've been so grateful for this book.  I know what I'm doing as a mother is God's work and I am meant to do it.  I'm so glad to be reminded that He is there urging me on, helping me.  I'm also very grateful to have read it at this particular time in my life - I really did need it. 


P.S.  This is written by a LDS (aka Mormon) author, so there are a lot of principles/doctrine from our church in it - just in case you're wondering

Thanks to my friend, Melissa, for letting me borrow it.  I'm going to buy my own copy. 

Apple Orchard

Our ward's moms-and-tots went to an apple orchard farm last week.  We had a great morning walking around the orchard and playing. 

Harrison and Aunt Kris went with us.  Harrison is much more obedient when it comes to picture taking compared to Leon.

Dax.

Dax and his momma, Shayla (my great friend).

Oh, and there were goats so we had to go take a look. 
Here are some of Leon's little friends with the goats.

 It was in deed a great time.  Leon was wiped out for hours afterwards.   

Haircut

Before                                                      After

Leon got a haircut about a week ago.  I'm not too sure about it.  I used the clippers instead of just the scissors which made it much, much shorter.  He looks too grown up with it short.  It makes me want to cry.    I will say that I think in the before pic above it is too long.  However in this pic below it is just right, right?  I'm not ready for my little guy to look older then this.  And I'm sad that it won't be like this (below) for our family pics coming up in a couple of weeks. 

Isn't he soooo dang cute in this pic?

(this is one of my all time fav pics of him - it's perfect)

I love him, I love him, I love him.

Fun on the Farm

Labor Day was forever ago, but I've been wanting to post these pics for a while now.  It was Leon's first time on Uncle Ron's farm and he had such a blast (although it doesn't really look like it in a lot of these pics).

Kyle and Leon in the (HUGE) john deer combine.

I wheeled Leon around on that tricycle for a good 10-15 minutes.  He loved it.  He was mad at me for leaving him for a couple of days so I was trying to get back on his good side.

He even just like push them around.

Aunt Kris and Aunt Candy were making him smile.  And yes, I dressed him in overalls on purpose.

Uncle Kent took the kids on a ride on the gator.

All of Grandma Phylis's great grand kids (at least the ones that were there).

Us in tire rim of the combine