Is It Really November Already?

Previously on Goodness Grows Farm:  

Labor Day weekend we spent camping (in luxury in our dear friends travel trailer) at Seneca Hills Conference Center - a beautiful Christian camp in Franklin, PA.  We had a wonderful time visiting with friends, despite the rain for the last few days and using the amazing facilities!  

I am so in love with this little guy!  In September, he had just started walking and he kept us on our toes as he toddled around the campsite, making sure he stayed away from the fire!

 Not sure why Maggie looks so desolate and sad, but what a funny picture!  Someone must have told her that it was her last smore for the night.  I look that way too when people tell me that.

 This was taken after Chapel services on Sunday at Seneca Hills.  We're with Jim and Darlene Cossin.  Jim was the director of Seneca Hills the years that Erik worked there as a maintenance man and then as a camp counselor.  He was a mentor to Erik and he delivered the message at our wedding.  It was such a blessing that he did that for us as he knew Erik so well and gave our wedding such a personal touch.  He and his wife are just wonderful and since we're approaching our 10th anniversary, we wanted to have a picture with them.  Not to mention to show off what our awesome little family!

 The Schoyer kids.  We've gone celebrity and combined our last name with the last name of our dear friends.  I would imagine that we spent no less than 10 days without seeing each other this summer, so to say our families were joined at the hip would be an understatement.  Since this photo was taken, our friends have moved to the Franklin area and while they've only been gone two weeks, it's been hard.  I have a wonderful friend in K, a friend like I've never had before.  The way our lives paralleled is surreal and to steal a quote from "Anne of Green Gables" K and I are kindred spirits like no other.  Our husbands joke that we are the same person in two different bodies, but as I point out, I don't like coffee and as K points out, she's not a fan of the sparkly.  I'm working on her though.  I broke out my bedazzler for her Christmas gift : )

 These two little beings are just adorable.  They treat each other like a little old couple who's been married 60 years treat each other.  Even as bully as Willie can be, he's always go time to take care of his Ellie.  On this night, we were on our way to the rec center to play and the bridge across the stream was slippery from the rain, so of course, Willie had to escort his beloved across.  "Don't worry, Ellie.  I will take care of you," is what he said as he extended his hand to her and assisted her across.

Once at the rec center, Whitaker had a ball.  Literally!

He had such a good time that he ended up in a mini bath in the outdoor sink!

 Then camping was over and we were back to real life.  One rainy day Erik quit work early and sat with Willie and Frankie.  Shortly after this photo all pictured were snoozing contentedly.

 Everyone loves playing outside, but Whitaker hates not being allowed to swing on the big kid swings. He decided sitting on Walker's lap was a better option.

 In mid-September, Erik took the boys to Mt. Hope, Ohio to an exotic animal auction where they picked up Cupcake the baby pot belly pig.  Unfortunately, Cupcake did not make it very long here on the farm because of her young age, but they loved her while she was here and I even allowed her to live in the house for a while.  Until she got so stinky and I couldn't take it anymore.

 In August, I started selling Wildtree products.  Wildtree is an all-natural food line and I LOVE it!  This was a picture of all the products that came in my first party order!  Success!

 This was my portion of the delivery!  Since, we've enjoyed a Wildtree meal at least five times a week.

 Maggie did a mini-cheer camp this Fall and got to cheer on the field with the big cheerleaders at our local high school football game.  She loved it except for "It was a lot of standing."

Willie had his fourth birthday this month.  He was the line leader at his preschool on his birthday and we brought mini cupcakes for the class.  This guy kills me.  He's lovey dovey one minute and then Mr. "Get away" the next.  Mostly though, he's a lovey dovey!

 Since Willie's birthday was actually on a Saturday, we decided to have a big party and invited all of our friends.  Our dear friend, KJ, offered to supply the makings for scarecrows - all families had to bring were the clothes to stuff.  It was a huge success!

 As you can see, the kids adored the scarecrow project!

 Another set of new and wonderful friends brewed their own beer and brought it to the festivities.  Now we all want to take classes from them and all brew our own beer!

 The yard after I called everyone in for dinner!
Scarecrow Down
Pennsylvania Scarecrow Massacre
I can't decide which caption best fits this scene.

 We're blesses with amazing neighbors who provided us with even more entertainment for the day.  Our back property neighbor hitched up his tractor to the hay wagon and took us down the road to another farmer's property where we got to pick pumpkins right out of the patch.

 It was a bumpy ride but lots of fun!

We did a count and figured we had 37 kids at our event!  Everyone stopped for a few seconds on the way into the pumpkin patch for me to capture this picture.

 Heading down into the pumpkin patch through the corn field, and nestled between the onion and potato fields.

 Our only rule:  You can only pick what you can carry!

 Baby E's first trip to the pumpkin patch.

 Baby B's first trip to the pumpkin patch.

 Whitaker loved the pumpkin patch.  He thought it was a field filled with balls!

 Two of my book league girls!

The ride back from the pumpkin patch.

 We sang Happy Birthday to Willie on the way home and he thought it was "Too Loud"

 Finally it was Halloween and the kids carved their first pumpkins ever.

 Whit even got to join in on the action.  That is until he started eating pumpkin guts and seeds.

 Poor Maggie.  Her pumpkin had already started rotting inside,  but it was still good enough to carve.

 Erik gets in on the carving.

 I help Willie scoop out the guts.

Whitaker waits patiently for everyone else to finish.

 He loves his jack o lantern!

 We asked Whit what kind of face he wanted on his pumpkin and this was the face he modeled for us.  I think Erik managed to recreate the likeness wonderfully.

 Everyone tried the vampire teeth.

 Walker's were purple.

 Our Jack O' Lanterns all lit up.

And that's what you missed !