Ba-GAWK!

We got ourselves some backyard chickens recently, and boy have they been fun! We selected two Delawares, just old enough to lay and plenty feathered out for winter. Ernie named one "Breakfast" and Len named one "Cinderella."

Ernie and (scary!) Dad holding our two selections at a small farm in Plattesmouth.

This is the last picture we will ever take of the hosta beds looking so neat and contained. Thanks, Chickens.

Our compost bin is getting pretty full, but chickens don't mind! They love to peck at anything, especially spent Halloween pumpkins!

Five days after bringing them home both girls felt comfortable enough and started laying! Len is holding Breakfast's contribution (a small grade B-sized and lighter colored egg) and Ernie is holding Cinderella's.

I made a meatloaf and we had only one store-bought Husker egg (from the East Campus Ag division) left in the fridge. Can you guess which one came from the store and which one came from Cinderella? Just look at that rich orange yolk!

Halloweenies

The great annual candy hunt arrived once again. Ernie and Len got to get costumed up two times consecutively, for Boo at the Zoo and traditional Trick-or-Treating.

Len loved hugging Ernie in his pillowy jumping spider costume. And he called her "My spiderweb mistress Queen Mab."

Costumed cuties.

Explaining to Princess Leia that she's not supposed to have a light saber.

Asking two mermaids for the FIFTH time if they are real mermaids (here's a hint, Lenora: Real mermaids don't lie).

Happy Halloween!

Rob's house is always a favorite visit. Lenora decided that spiderwebs are flesh-eaters, so she's threatening him rather than smiling right now.

He's still my baby

Ernie recently experienced the wonder, joy, and slight pain of loosing his first baby teeth. It was pretty exciting as the bottom two started to get wiggly, and Mom made him a tooth pillow to hang on his doorknob that could hold the lost tooth and the fairy's reward (because, you know, his door is so sticky and we were worried about the fairy getting in there unheard). He was super-excited to "feed" his tooth to the pillow. And when the second bottom front one came out suddenly a few days later on Halloween, he already knew the routine.

Someone is now $8 richer ($5 for first teeth, and $3 for teeth that cause traumatic crying upon exit. Please refer to rate sheet for all others).

Even adults have fun

Aunt Laura gets particularly festive in October, and she's a fantastic host.

After decorating her apartment for Halloween, she invited us to her house for pizza and to watch The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The kids felt very fancy, and enjoyed playing with her decorations.

And she had her annual costume bash! Some attendees include Willy Wonka (Stacey Walsh), Thing 1 (Erin Colonna), one of Marie Antoinette's Ladies in Waiting (see the blood-stained dress) (Laura Deans), Pretty Witch (Sara Feit), and Medussa (Laura Mohr).

Dance party with My Little Pony and Academic, or perhaps Indiana Jones from the first five minutes of Raiders?

Wonder Woman (but casual, like for a party) and Charlie Brown on Halloween.

Igor loves a party, and she settles down with an orb to enjoy the scene.

Farm

We went back to the Mohr farm recently do do a few more items before the new renters move in, and got to enjoy the post-harvest farm.

Some nice, trusting farmer had left his tractor, with the cab unlocked, and keys in the ignition, on the property just for our kids to play with. How thoughtful!

We got to see the Ah-MAYZ-Ing! results of all our carpet pulling, pad scraping, and staple pulling in the newly refinished wood floors of the upper floor. Does anyone miss that bespeckled carpet Grandma and Grandpa had installed in the 1960s?

Here's the room at the top of the stairs.

Here's Dad's old room.

And here's the "big room."

We got to go into the field, which we can never do when it is planted so tightly. Mom and Dad walked the back 40, but the kids didn't have the energy so they hauled it in early to pretend to rest with the g-rents in the house.

A lovely day.

Pumpkin Carvin 2012

Sedea as Michael Jackson at the Boo-Fet.

We had a crowd!

Grandpa Darrell doing his gourd in secret!

Kitt was brave enough to lead others into the haunted garage.

Aunt Laura carved Ernie's vision.

Some very good contenders!

Judges at work.

Jeremy set up a mallow roasting station.

We learned we have a VERY study coop.

Grandma Bonnie's costumes were delivered and enjoyed!

The scary jumping spider and his Mistress Queen Mab spiderweb.

Modeling in the spider-infested garage.

Shelley's Wedding Weekend

We had the honor and pleasure of traveling to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for our dear friend Shelley's wedding. It was a beautiful trip with perfect weather for their gorgeous day.

Ernie was really excited for the plane ride. Both kids were incredible travel troopers. And Ernie got to sit in the cock pit on the way home!

Jeremy "researched" The Pit for our lunch stop upon arriving in Raleigh. Thanks for the rec, Man v. Food!

Here's the happy couple the night before the wedding! We're so glad Shelley has found someone so perfect to lover her as much as she deserves.

Lenora learned she LOVES the beach. Particularly the crashing waves.

Ernie was not a fan of the beach as he imagined he would be, but he did enjoy finding remnants of sea life, like this mermaid's purse.

Len would have spent the whole day having Daddy lift her over waves if she had her choice.

Cape Hatteras Light House, site of the wedding.

Lenora knew she wanted to become Shelley even before she saw her in the white dress getting all the attention. Here she is on Shelley's bike.

She's the bride!

Can you guys who's handsome boy this is? Konen is such a sweetheart. He's as dear as his mom, and her spitting image.

I think the kids had such a great time at the reception. They loved seeing the sunset on the sound.

Aren't I lucky?

Gorgeous day.

Jeremy left the kids alone for a few seconds to get some drinks. He found Ernie fiddling with the camera and Len at the cake table (it was her birthday, how thoughtful that a three-layer cake was provided!). Ernie took a good picture!

Isn't she lovely?

The sweetest father/daughter dance I ever did see.

I think this shows what a good match they are.

After all that fun and new experiences, a 3 a.m. wake up call.