Fall fun and trick or treat!

I can't express how much I love fall! The turning leaves, cool weather (although it has been unseasonable warm this fall...shorts and tshirts in October?) caramel apples, pumpkin anything, warm cider donuts (shh..don't tell Jeremy) jumping pillows, and Reese's peanut butter cups that I steal from the kids candy buckets all make this my favorite time of the year! This year I took the little two back to Howell's for an afternoon of fun. We hadn't been there in a couple of years and it has changed quite a bit! 

This was a new area they had set up and this was by far the kids favorite! They had set up a "mud pie" station filled with all kinds of old kitchen equipment and utensils with bins of sand, dirt, bedding, wood chips, etc that the kids could create not so yummy treats. 

One our way home we made a detour to an orchard we hadn't been to before, Wills Family Orchard, just outside of Adel. We grabbed some yummy apples and of course, apple cider donuts! 

Thank goodness for early outs (I don't always say this!) We were able to make a quick trip to our favorite orchard, Center Grove in Cambridge on an early out day before having to hurry home to start the night's activities. 

Case wasn't so sure about this giant slide, so Carter was kind enough to take him down a couple of times before he braved it on his own! 

Case wasn't so sure about this giant pit of corn either and chose to watch from the sidelines until he got tired of all 3 of us badgering him to get it! I think he liked it! I always tell the kids the story of Carter sticking a piece of corn up his nose on his preschool trip here when he was 3 and we didn't find it until 3 months later, all moldy in his nose. I think it scares them enough to not stick corn in any orifices! :) 

Jumping pillow workout! 

TRICK OR TREAT!!

The Saturday before Halloween I took the younger two to Hyvee for a Halloween party. They had a blast decorating cookies and pumpkins and gathering goodies at the different stations! Case left this goggles on the whole time and I couldn't help but laugh at him! 

Beggar's Night

Elsa, Raphael, and scary gladiator? 

We were invited over to our old neighborhood by our friend's the Reed's so the boy's could trick or treat together. 

Hunter, Duke, Carter

 Case got to go out again at preschool on Halloween to the local business' and this time chose the fireman costume. He is the one next to the Hulk. If you look closely, I think he is checking out the princess to his right!  Maybe he is trying to rescue her!