September

September seems to have flown by at record speed.  It's been a busy month for sure. Looks like we're due for a month-end round-up.  Hang on, here we go!

We finally started our summer project.  Better late than never! The deck received some much-needed updating.  No more broken or leaning rails for us!  We replaced some floor boards, added more steps, and replaced the railing.  All it needs now is a good coat of stain.  

Brian spent a week in Portland, Oregon, for a work conference.  The boys and I held down the fort (some days more successfully than others) while Brian gained some insight into the health care and health insurance industries.  The conference kept him busy but he was able to take a couple of early morning walks to explore the city.

We were so happy when he got home!  The boys hardly gave him room to breathe for days.

Last weekend my cousin Ben and his family came to visit.  We celebrated his daughter's 5th birthday at Chuck E Cheese and on Sunday we visited Ferguson's Apple Orchard.  We had so much fun driving tractors, climbing the hay mountain, and picking delicious apples.  

We used some of the apples to make a small batch of applesauce. The boys loved the mashing and stirring. It turned out so yummy!

This week our friend Rose turned 2!  We celebrated with a party at her farm.  We took a hay ride out to see the chickens and to the sheep pasture.  We had a delicious lunch and topped it off with a super cute monkey cake. Happy Birthday, Rose!

Farewell to September, and welcome, October!  This month we're looking forward to a visit from friends from Denmark (yay!) and we are anxiously awaiting the birth of our good friends' first baby!