The Other Pumpkin Patch...

Well I can officially say the rainy season has begun here in Oregon. Ugh... I don't remember growing up thinking that it rained a lot here, but this week I was reminded. My brother Andy was on the phone with me the other night and I was complaining to him, and all he could say was "Ashley, this is Oregon...from the middle of October to July 4th, this is Oregon, with a few days here and there of nice weather." One would think I could remember this...afterall it has only been 15 years since I last lived here. On the brighter side at least it is mostly a light rain and not a down pour, and the amount of green I get to see all year, instead of brown, makes it all worth it, next to the no sales tax.

So every day this week has been rainy except for Wednesday and yesterday. Not too bad right? To take advantage of the dryer day on Wednesday I took the kids out to Sauvie's Island to The Pumpkin Patch. I went with some friends from church earlier this month(when the weather was 80 degrees and bright blue skies), but Zach wasn't with me, so I wanted to give him the chance to go.

I love this patch. You can see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and all the colored leaves on the trees of Forest Park, even though you are so low in the valley. The kids love it for the cow train ride, the tractor ride out to the actual pumpkin patch, and the hay pyramids they can crawl through and climb on top of.

Last night I surprised them with their glow-in-the-dark Halloween jammies. They ran around the house "Glue-ing", as Kate called it. The skeleton snow angel was by far the favorite glow-in-the-dark action. Why is Halloween so fun? It is becoming one of my favorite holidays.

Plumper Pumpkin Patch...

A couple miles down the road from my parent's house is the Plumper Pumpkin Patch. It doesn't get more festive than this place. My sisters and I took all our kids and stayed for 3 hours. From running through the corn fields to racing rubber ducks down PBC pipe, the kids love this place! I am hoping the weather clears up again so we can hit this Patch once more.

Multnomah Falls...

Up until this week, the weather here in Portland has been amazing. While it has been mostly sunny and between 65 and 80 degrees, we have tried to make the most of it. The first weekend in October we took the kids and went up to Multnomah Falls, with Aunt Marnae, Uncle Brian and the cousins. This was Zach and Kate's first real hike. I assumed that when we got to the bridge we would stop and turn around. Instead we walked all the way up to the top. Zach made it all the way to the top and back down with no problem, Kate was in and out of her stroller, but didn't cry once. What troopers!

Kate Turns 3...

Kate's birthday was quiet in the sense that we just celebrated with family, but was just right for her. She felt special and considered having all her cousins, that live in Portland, up for presents and cupcakes a party.

Here is my annual birthday list about Kate...
She loves the color purple.
Is never without a purse, or two or three.
Loves "Pimpesses" and her babies Abby and Suzie.
Sings all day long, and especially loves to have music(The Doodlepops) on to accompany her playtime, or can be caught singing Follow the Prophet, I am a Child of God, or Book of Mormon Stories.
Is obsessed with Lady Gaga, and has the Glee versions played over and over and over while in the car.
Loves shoes and clothes, and asks for new ones at least bi-weekly.
Loves getting into make-up and can make quite the mess, especially in Grandma's bathroom.
Is never without a band-aid somewhere on her body.
Has a preference about her hair, and tells me how she wants it styled every day...lately in pig tails like her cousin "Brookie".
Loves "Gynastics", especially the trampoline.
Loves watching Olivia, and can't wait to start pre-school.

Happy Birthday Kate! We love you!

Coming Up...

This Sunday is Kate's 3rd birthday. I have sort of an idea of what I want to get her, but thought I would ask, just to see what she would say. She is a girl after my own heart I tell you...when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she answered right away "Shoes!" I love my little bug.

A Little Reunion...

Last week I met up with some of my girlfriends from high school for dinner. Most of them I have not seen since we graduated. It was so fun to see them and to catch up. I loved seeing them as moms. It made my babies not so baby. Which then made me feel old, even though we are all the same age...sheesh! Anyway, they all looked beautiful and are all loving married life, babies, and everything that comes with it...so great to see.



From Left to Right: Zach, Me, Kate, Claire, Lyla, Nicole, Colton, Shelly(two weeks until due date, Charlie, and Morgan

The Mobile Uploads from the Trip...