Pumpkin Festival

Saturday we went to a pumpkin festival in Norton, Ohio- not too far from where my parents live. It was small, it rained a little, and we were pretty cold, but it was still a lot of fun. 

Jake had a blast playing in a corn box, which was essentially like a sand box with lots of toys, just with corn rather than sand. I've been finding corn kearnals everywhere since then, including some falling out of the dryer just a few minutes ago when I pulled our clothes out. Just part of the adventure, I suppose. McKenna, on the other hand, hated it!

We did get a pumpkin while there, too (thanks mom and dad!). Our apartment now seems ready for Halloween, and I'm excited to carve it with Andrew and the kids in the next week or so. 

We had the best weekend! Friday evening we had family pictures with Jennifer, my cousins fiancée. She was great and has shown us some beautiful  photos she captured already. It was quite the parade getting them done, but it made it so fun, and much more successful. Behind the camera was not only Jennifer, but her two cute little girls, my grandparents, my aunt, and my cousin. And Kyle. You can't forget our dog :)

After pictures we spent some time with my grandparents and Megan, which was great. And my grandma is seriously the best cook- she kept us well fed and the kids entertained. 

My mom also spoiled us with both our favorite meals (chicken cordon bleu for Andrew and Hungarian goulash for me). Jake and my dad sliced the apples we picked and my mom made a crisp. Jake slept in his designated spot between grandma and grandpa while McKenna split time with me and Andrew in my brother's twin sized bed. The poor girl has a terrible time away from her own bed:( But she woke up happy snuggling with her sweet dad. It was a fun, fun, FUN weekend away with my family!

Apple Picking

We had a fun morning picking apples with Grandma and Grandpa Jensen. Despite a little rain and some chilly weather, everyone had fun. 

Jake had the time of his life running up and down hills, exploring the orchard, picking apples to put in our bag, and provided some good quality control with all his taste testing. 

We are loving our last fall in Ohio (at least for a little while). It is seriously SO beautiful!

1 Year Appointment

McKenna had her 1 year appointment on Wednesday, and she is doing great. She is saying quite a few words and even impressed her pediatrician, Dr Hackshaw with her extensive vocabulary- That's my girl!

McKenna's words:

Ball

Baby

Mama

Dada

Light

Bite

More

Drink

Sip

Cup

Dog

Down

She's up to 19 lbs 15 oz and 29.5 inches long. She's in about the 50th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference.  She fits in 12 month clothes most comfortably, although she wears a lot of slightly too big 18 month outfits too. We didn't want to have to buy new winter clothes partway though the season. Sorry McKenna, Mommy and Daddy are cheap :)

Poor baby had to have 4 shots and a finger prick :( she was so upset, and I felt extra bad because they didn't do them all at once. It was just one after another, and she proved she has a strong set of lugs with the serious screaming she did. 

Once we were done with the doctors appointment, the kids and I headed to the zoo. And it was a serious win because everyone had fun, the weather was good, and not a single meltdown occurred. Plus there was a tiger pacing in front of the glass, which really impressed the kids (and me).

This week we also had a fun adventure to the library, went on a few jogs, and spent some time at the park. I'm loving the fall- the weather has been great and Ohio is absolutely beautiful. 

Batelle Darby Metropark

Yesterday was the perfect fall day: mostly sunny, mid 60's, and the trees were absolutely beautiful. 

So after church we fed the kids lunch and took a nice long stroll through Batelle Darby Metropark here in Columbus. 

The kids enjoyed a nice stroller ride, and we all took in the beautiful scenery. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than enjoying the magnificent earth God has created for us with my little family. I'm so blessed!

Splash pad

We lucked out a week and a half ago and got a final trip in to the splash pad downtown Columbus- in October! The day started out chilly, but it hit 84 degrees. 

McKenna loves splash pads and gets right in the spray. Jake turns his head and tries to touch the water from as far away as possible so just his hands get wet. Hopefully she'll continue to love the water and he'll warm up to it next summer :)

The water was FREEZING and we were the only people crazy enough to be there, aside from a teenage boy and girl. But the kids were happy and I loved soaking up the last bit of summer with my cute little side kicks. 

Birthday girl turns 1

I think McKenna had a happy first birthday. Andrew took the morning off from school and we had a somewhat rainy but fun trip to the Columbus zoo. We let McKenna look as long as she wanted at her favorite animals and doted over her all day.

We made her favorite foods for dinner- mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese. She was a happy girl, and I'm sure Jake was thinking it was his birthday too :) We ended the evening with cupcakes and ice cream. McKenna wanted nothing to do with the cupcakes, but she absolutely loved the ice cream!

We got her some cute new toys and clothes. Between us and our family members, she was spoiled, and it's been so nice to have new toys to keep the kids entertained. It had been a long time since anything new or interesting had been added to their collection. September is a good time for a birthday!

McKenna is the sweetest little one year old, and I'm so glad she's ours!