Picking Apples!

Last weekend in between helping my BFF move, getting a massage, and hanging out with family I took a little time out and headed the the apple orchard with Malorie and Racyn... They are becoming real pros at this as it was our 3rd year!! The kids were pumped to head out to the trees! Malorie insisted on pulling Racyn around on the wagon too!



Yep, they even got me!! :-)

Big Juicy Apples!! Cortland Apples to be exact.

Racyn had to sample the first 6 apples he picked! Seriously, 6 apples!

Off to get some Pears too!

So we only picked a few pears and then the kiddos were in a race back to the apple trees.

A rare "let's get along" moment!

Pull buddy!

3 feet 6 inches

3 feet 9 inches (lets imagine her standing up straight)

So after 25 pounds of apples and 8 pounds of pears we were on our way!

We made back to the van, pulled out of the driveway and it started raining! We got lucky!!

Below is a picture that I took that same night on Spruce Rd in Arpin (just after leaving my parents driveway)!! The colors were much more amazing in person but it was so beautiful!! Hope you enjoy the fall, my favorite time of the year!

This year I am going to win that blue ribbon!

Every year come summer time one of my co-workers starts talking about the Central Wisconsin State Fair. She is a member of the fair board, volunteers during the fair, goes to almost every single grandstand show, but most importantly always enters her latest sewing and quilting projects into the open class division.

This past year with all the showing off I do with my pictures she kept telling me "Julie, you need to enter these into the fair". Over and over she would tell me this! So I took her advice. Now, it took me quite a while to look over the categories and decide what all I was going to enter. I decided after going to back and forth that this year I would only enter photography. So then came the tough decision of which "lots" to enter under each "category"!! Choices, choices, choices. It was tough, finally 3 days before the deadline to enter I made my final decisions. I entered 15 pictures.

Who knew how much work it would be to do this?? Not me. You have to choose your pictures that fit into the "lots" or catergories, then you have to print out the picture into the appropriate size, then you have to get tag board and cut that into appropriate size, then cut slits in the tag board to make the picture stays on the tag board, (I, of course, used photo glue to make sure it stayed as well), then staple all the entry tags on the tag board and take them to the fair without wrecking them! whew!

A few days before "judgement day", I started losing sleep! I was so anxious  nervous excited! When the day finally arrived I sent my spy (aka dad) to the judging, since I had to be at work. (lesson learned). He was very quiet when it came time... As mentioned earlier I was a little excited (OK, hyper) about this. Finally, he said I got a ribbon! Then two. then three. Finally it was lunch time so I cruised on down to the fair... just in time to see a fourth ribbon being put on a picture!

Dad was eager to show me my other ribbons since he hadn't told me what pictures or what place I had gotten. Imagine my surprise when I see this on my picture:

That's a blue ribbon and an honorable mention (2nd place overall). Awesomeness!

I ended up getting 2 blue ribbons and a white ribbon (3rd). Not bad for a rookie! I have decided that I LOVE doing this! And have already started planning next years entries!

I encourage all of you to find a talent and enter next year! It really makes the fair experience that much more exciting!!

Here are my entries:

and the winners are:

See you next year at the fair!

I love being a mom!!!

Yesterday at work I realized I was going to be "extra" at work Tuesday, so I asked to have the day off to run some errand's and prepare for Malorie's birthday! (which is Wednesday).  This morning we woke up to a beautiful fall morning!! I live for weather like this, where if you just throw on a light sweatshirt you will be comfortable. The kids and I decided we would ride our bikes to school.They were pumped, not to mention glad we weren't rushing out the door to drive to daycare for them to get on the bus. I was probably more excited than the the two kiddos combined. I NEVER get to take them to school, let alone ride bike with them to school. Then once we got to school the scrap booker/blogger in me stepped out and starting snapping pictures (that's just what i do). I don't think I have stopped smiling yet at how happy I am/was to be a small part of their school day this morning. Here are some pictures:

 Riding bikes to school!

 We made it!!

 AWWW!!!

 Racyn getting his folder ready for his school day.

 Hanging his backpack in his locker.

 Malorie by her locker area.

 Malorie's friend Emma asked me to help her feed her tree frog!

First Grade!

Natural Beauty

Last weekend we attended a birthday party for my 2 year old cousin. The weather was not awesome to say the least and in between rainstorms we managed to have the party outside. It was at Weber's Nature park at the end of 5th Street W in Marshfield. I have never been there before. In fact, I didn't even know the place existed. Well to say the least it was a beautiful place. and of course my words would never describe it good enough so I am going to share some photos. Some with the kids and some without! I hope you will be able to see how much I love nature and loved photographing it! Enjoy!
What are your hobbies?

playing in the rain

Tuesday night the kids and I thought it would be a good idea to go for a bike ride... so off we went, and only got to the top of our driveway before we saw Kristi and Jackson, who pulled over and we quickly decided to head over to their house (4 blocks away) and continue the bike ride with them.
Well, we got to their house, found Jack's helmet and decided to ride back to our house so that Kristi could use Rob's bike. We no sooner decided that when it started to rain. So Kristi drove to our house while the 3 kids and I rode our bikes. in the rain. the pouring rain. the COLD pouring rain. And not sure if all of you know Jackson but he is 3... so not to fast on a bike yet... So it was a LONG COLD POURING RAIN ride back to our house. Longest 4 blocks of my life. But we made it!!!
About 3 minutes after we got home the rain was over and what should appear? A double rainbow! and everyone knows what happens when there is a double rainbow!!! My camera comes out!!! So here are some shots of kids, rain, rainbows, and umbrellas!!!

After playing in the rain and mud puddles for a little bit we all headed back out for a bike ride! and had a blast!!! Never a dull moment here!
Have a great weekend!

Relay For Life

Every year for Relay for Life I set a goal of $100... Every year I raise between $40-$60. I am really not a good fundraiser apparently! But this year I did it! I raised $110!!! Thank you everyone who donated to something that is so very important to me. I remember going to my first Relay the first year I started in the Oncology department. I knew then how important it was... to everyone. and have been involved every year since.
 I also like that my kids are getting into it (at least when they aren't over tired as they were this year). This year was also Rob's first time joining us. There were a lot of firsts this year because it was the first year they had a birthday cake contest... judged on taste and appearance. Well, of course you all know I entered the contest. And delivered one heck of an entry. Thanks for the help Julie Boehm. She helped me put the finishing touches on! Of course, I never heard who won! So if anyone knows, let me know! HA!
I hope if you have never gone to a Relay for Life event that next year you can either join me and my family or find one local to you. When Rob and I were living in Michigan I remember mom, dad, Tanya, and Adam coming to visit and we went sight seeing and ended up at a park (this was 9 years ago) and we seen a lot of people walking in the dark with luminaries lite up... I had NO IDEA what was going on. But knew then that it was a powerful thing. Walking around the track really helps clear your mind and lets you reflect on how cancer has affected your life. For me it is thinking about patients I have met and how their fight with cancer has affected me.
Here are just a few shots from our night.

Racyn walking laps with us

 Rob and Malorie walking

The church group met and did a lap together in honor of all the members in our congregation that are either fighting right now or have in the past.

Malorie by Aunt Lois' Luminary