Another Great Fall Day

Where to start????

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

We were blessed to spend a gorgeous fall day with the Leslie's and Grandma Bonny.  We planned a day full of fun fall activities.  The day began as we watched Niko's football team playing a game.  We only caught the last few minutes of it as the game went into overtime.  Next, was a quick lunch in the car and on our way to the Great Maze. 

The Great Maze was very interesting.  It was a maze cut through a cornfield.  Every stalk of corn looked like the next.  They gave you a tall  flag to hold up and surrender just in case all the stalks started looking the same and you needed help getting out. And yes, the stalks started looking the same!  They had a wagon ride  also known as the Night Bus Ride around the park as well as a train named the Hogwart's Express that you could ride around, too.  Yes, the Maze was Harry Potter themed, too.  It was loads of fun anyway, but given the Harry Potter theme, it couldn't get much better!  All of the boys were very excited about ziplining, too, but the line was sooooo long, they decided to skip it and move on in our journey.  

Walking through the maze with their flags

Great minds!  Planing the next roll down the hill.  

Our next stop was the State Park.  Again, we could not have picked a more gorgeous day for this!  The boys played chess on the huge chess board in the lodge.  They also spent time rolling down the hills, time after time after time.  It was so much fun to watch them play so well together.  Grandma Bonny, Daddy, and I watched and took in the sights, sounds, and wonderful fall smell of the day.  We went to church nearby in a small church with about 30 people for an evening mass.  We ate dinner at the Kentucky Fried Chicken buffet which is where all the boys wanted to eat. 

The night did not end there.  Niko spent the night with the boys.  It was an outstanding day full of memories and fun.  I know the boys will also remember this day for a long time.  We felt it was extra special with Grandma Bonny with us, too.  We always love to have her along on our trips.  She adds so much to all of our trips!  

Covering up Luke with corn! 

I  love you both so much!

Love, Mom

After a Two Month Hiatus.......

Goodbye summer!  

Dear Joshua and Luke,

It has been two long months since I last posted in your letter.  I had been doing so well over the summer, then school started.   Things have seemed busier than usual.  Hence the two month Hiatus.  I will try very  hard not to do that again.....So here are some highlights of what we have been doing:

Joshua & friends playing the Board Game they made! 

First of all, the school year has been off to a great start! You both are learning so much!  You both love your teachers and had straight A's on your first quarter report cards!  Joshua and his friends in class created a board game for families to play at Family Math Night.  This was an especially fun evening for Joshua and his friends to show off the board games they made.  Also, we played Candy Land, Operation, Connect 4 and much more!

The Purple Team! 

Luke has been keeping us busy with cheering him on at soccer.  He has had a fun season with an awesome coach and teammates.  Luke has worked hard.  He really liked playing the Goalie position, and he was good at it. He ran so hard to keep up with the soccer ball during the season. We are very proud of him!

Luke is in the orange shirt playing the goalie

The boy on the yellow and black team just got the ball from Luke! 

Happy 9th birthday, Joshua! 

Early in the school year Joshua finally celebrated his 9th birthday with his friends at the skating rink.  We planned on having his birthday party before school started, but things got so busy, and there were lots of other friends celebrating birthdays.  He had a great time with his friends.  Of course, I was thinking that in another nine years, we will probably be sending Joshua off to college.  That kinda makes me sad.  But it also reminds me to make the most of every minute with both of you.

Finished both races! 

Joshua wanted to run in the Wounded Warrior race this year.  One early October morning, we got up to do the one mile fun run.  But your Cub Scout group had planned at the last minute to run/walk the 5K.  So you guys ended up doing both!  It was a great morning of fun.  It was a beautiful day!  Also, it was an awesome event to participate in with the community!






We enjoyed a family day at the local orchards.  We picked some Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples.  Then, off to the pumpkin patch!  Both of you picked out your favorite pumpkin, and one that you could carry out of the field.  Joshua rolled his out of the field, but it worked out for him to carry it to the hay wagon!  We ate yummy apple cinnamon donuts and hot apple cider!  Delicious!  It was a gorgeous fall day!

Mom, Luke & Joshua on the wagon! 

Fun at the orchards! 

Dad, Joshua & Luke on the wagon! Yummy apple! 

Happy birthday, Grandma Bonny!  

Luke posing as a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder!
Arrgh Mateys! 

Both of you are attending the Atrium again this year.  You both have attended since you were three years old, and I am very proud of all the things that you learn and bring home in your hearts.  I know you are not always the most excited about going, but I can tell the work that you do and learn there truly grows your heart closer to Jesus.  This year Luke will be preparing for his first communion in the spring.

Joshua is still playing piano and loving every minute of it.  He is practicing more often and for longer time frames.  Right now he is working on Christmas music for his Christmas performances at the Shrine and at local nursing homes and assisted living centers.


I am very proud of both of you!  I love you more today than I did yesterday!.

Love,
Mom