Festivals, Fairs and Fall Fun!

I am a little behind on my blogging, so I am going to combine a few Fall entries into one! On top of being back to work fulltime and being sick 2 weekends in a row, this poor blog has been a bit neglected.  One of these days, I will figure out this whole fulltime working Mom thing and be back to my consistent blogging.  Until then, you may just have to settle for hogde-podge entries!

Back in September, my Dad and I took Mackenzie to our annual trip to the Shekinah Festival, in Plain City. She has gone 3 years in a row with my parents and their good friends, Bill and Sue, and grandson, Brayden.  She looks forward to it every year.  From horseback riding, arts and crafts, tractor rides, a petting zoo and homemade icecream, there is something for everyone.

This past weekend, I stayed home miserable with congestion and a sore throat, Jeremy took the kids up to Loudonville for the Street Festival and cousin Ella's 9th bday!  The weather was perfect, and the kids had a fabulous time riding rides, eating fair food, having a family sleepover, and being together.  Caleb and Owen even got to ride a few rides for the first time. They were BIG fans of the fair, and can't wait until next year when they can do even more!

after a night of fun, it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's for a sleepover!

and scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast....Grandma's the best!

...and then it was off to cousin Ella's birthday party.  9 years old...how is that possible?  I still remember Jeremy and I had just started dating when we got the call that Ella was born! 

Happy Bday, sweet Ella! 

 It's been a fabulous few weeks, full of fun family memories!  Next up, picking pumpkins and Halloween!  :)
I love Fall!

Lynn's Fruit Farm, 2011

Friday after work, we made our annual trip out to Pataskala to the apple orchard.  It is one of our favorite fall activities!  My children are ridiculously good eaters.  I am not real sure how that happened; my only explanation is that it must be some sort of deficiency they are making up for from their time in utero where I craved fried foods and icecream! We go through fruit/veggies like it's nobody's business in our house.  In fact, if you ask my kids what they want for breakfast, lunch or dinner....it is fruit.  If we get fast food, Kenzie orders the garden salad and whatever fruit they have....seriously!  So....going to Lynn's fruit farm for our family, is the equivalent of getting fair food for most families! 

Last year I carried Caleb in the Baby Bjorn, see here, so this was his first time to frolick through the maze of apples.  He LOVED it!  I'm sure in his opinion, all food should be so readily available, and he loved that he could pull apples from the branches and take a bite all on his own.  Mackenzie was in heaven, as apples are probably her favorite fruit.  She was serious business about finding the absolute, perfect apples.  I'm pretty confident that she ate 3-4 apples down to the core during the picking process.

On the way home, she was already listing the things we will be making with the $50 worth of apples we bought...yeah, we kinda got a lot.  We Buzzard's tend to buy, or in this case, pick in bulk.  I cannot wait to make our traditional favorites:  homeade apple crisps, apple pies and cinnamon apples, along with the other 43 things Kenzie is adamant about making. 

And of course, you can't go to the apple orchard without stopping by their market.  I won't even tell you what we spent there.... here is a picture of our purchases....however, I forgot to include the dozen fresh peaches and candied cashews that we also brought home.

Daddy/Daughter Buckeye Game

I'm pretty  sure it was only a few hours after giving birth to Mackenzie that Jeremy asked "so when do you think she'll be old enough to take to a Buckeye game?"  Anyone who knows my husband knows that he eats, breathes and sleeps Ohio State football.   He has waited patiently for 5 years, and today was the BIG day.  Of course, my husband who loves to go all out for special occasions bought her the perfect Buckeye dress, necklace, pom-poms and hair bows.  To say that she was excited is the understatement of the year!

Here she is counting down the minutes before leaving for the game. . .

....and of course Caleb had to make an appearance....in his jammies....don't worry, you know he too had an outfit planned for the first game of the season.  :)

I love this one, Daddy and his little buckeyes...

At St. John Arena waiting for the band's "Skull Session" pregame....

Hanging out before the game starts.....

and....after 5 long years of waiting....Daddy got the picture he's been waiting to frame.

I would say it was a pretty successful Daddy/Daughter date...and I'm pretty sure this will be an annual event!

After close to 100 degree temperatures, a heat advisory, and the sun beating down on them all day long, this girl was OUT!

...and just before bed, I took this precious video of her singing The Ohio State Fight Song, with a bit of a country twang (totally random, but hysterical).

GO BUCKS!