Pumpkin Patch

Jackson didn't have school on Monday, so we made our way to Morgan Hill's Uesugi Farm's Pumpkin Patch.

They had fun checking out how tall they are this fall!

They also had fun learning how pumpkins are grown and sitting on their pumpkin thrones...and jumping off of them!

Jackson's favorite activities were the corn maze and the pumpkin blaster. Audrey loved the hayride and the cow train. We also got to visit Butterfly Valley, learn about bees from Bootsie Bee, ride a carousel and train, eat pumpkin pie, and of course, pick out some pumpkins!

We were all exhausted by the time we were done, but it was well worth the energy! There are more pics in the album

Aptos Weekend

We spent the weekend with our new life group at the beach in Aptos. It was an incredible weekend with an incredible group of people. They organized all of the meals and even planned crafts for the kids. There were 13 adults and 13 kids. The place we stayed was perfect for everyone. There were bunk beds for the kids, an open area for playing, a swimming pool and hot tub, grills for cooking, and it was a block from the beach!

We went to the beach Saturday morning, and Jackson and Audrey headed straight for the water. They didn't care how cold it was; they were determined to play in it.

Jackson eventually became interested in digging a trench to transfer water into a hole. That didn't go so well since the hole was on much higher ground, but later Ross, another one of the dads, Leopold, and several of the kids dug a trench between a huge tidal pool and the ocean. They had a ton of fun. The water was still flowing when we left for lunch. We returned to the beach that evening and discovered the river that had formed from the small trench they'd started. It was so amazing! Here are a few before and after pictures. Jackson was SO proud!

Audrey was most interested in covering herself in sand. She was very successful, as you can see below! She had a ton of fun with her new friends and loved bathing in sand and then rinsing it off in the sea!

We spent the afternoon back at the hotel swimming, resting, and eating. When we went back to the beach later that evening, we roasted smores and watched some laterns being lit and floating in the sky. It was a beautiful evening!

Sunday, we went to a state park in Santa Cruz to watch the Monarch butterflies as they were migrating south. It was fascinating to see so many gathered in one place.

The butterflies were beautiful, and so is this precious girl! She's growing and changing too!

Our last stop was to check out the beach and tidal pools at the park. It was absolutely gorgeous!

There are more pictures in the album!

Hiking in Sanborn County Park

Today we took the kids for their first hike in the mountains. They loved it! It was the first time Ross and I have gotten to do much of a hike since we lived in Austin. It was great to get on the trails again!

Audrey was in awe of the beauty. It was fun to see her reaction to everything. There were a lot of beautiful views!

Jackson had fun taking pictures with my camera, which means there's some proof I was there! He did a great job taking pics. He got individual shots of everyone, as well as a couple of group shots.

It was a lot of fun until we realized we were on a longer trail than planned...we powered through it and enjoyed a much tougher hike than we expected. Poor Audrey's little legs couldn't take it, so Ross carried her a good bit as we were coming down. Jackson was amazing! The hike started around 3:30, and we made it back to our car around 7. Despite being tired and hungry, Jackson never complained!

We're excited to be able to go on fun adventures in nature so close to home. I can't wait for the next one!

There are a few more pictures from the hike in the album.