Happy Fall Y'all

This weekend was one big fall fest. October always seems to be busy and full of fun, Halloweeny things. This season has actually been a great fall season. It's the first one in 4 years that hasn't revolved around Charles either leaving or returning from Iraq. He'll get to be here for trick or treating this year and help eat all the candy! Friday night we took all of our kids and a few extras to the haunted hayride on the post. It was only a short 2 1/2 hour wait to get on the hay. Cody was a little nervous about the scary people jumping and grabbing at him and I was able to realize just how old I've become because none of it was scary to me. On Saturday our stake had a family fun fest where I entered a chili and pie contest and whadya know, I won first place in the traditional chili competition! I sure did. I took 3rd place in the peach pie category and we're pretty sure that competition was rigged;) Charles was for sure I was going to get first place there too. The only thing I walked away with was a lousy certificate that Charles put on our computer as the background:) He's cute! Then today I was able to attend a first grade field trip with Cody. We went to Apple Annie's. It's a big farm where you can purchase all sorts of veggies, ride a hayride, pick pumpkins and enjoy all manner of fall fun! The teachers didn't seem to care too much about the students and where they ended up or if they even made it back onto the bus when it was all over. A few students were lost in the corn maze and luckily they happened upon Holly and myself. Otherwise, I don't think anyone would have given a good crap about them :-| After seeing how that went I was glad as hell that I went and made sure my son made it back safely to Sierra Vista.

My prize for making a dang good pot of chili!

So as we've celebrated the season this year it has made me reflect on years past. My sister reminded me a few days ago of my first October without Charles. It was 2005 and she and her kids came into town, when we lived in Tennessee, the weekend Charles left for Iraq. We were determined to not let his departure get me down. We planned a fun day at some apple orchard. The name of the place has slipped my mind. You'll know why after you read this paragraph. We get there with 6 kids in tow and quickly realize what a giant dump the place is. The hayride was just around the dirt parking lot, pony rides were $5 to ride in a circle a few times, the animals in the petting zoo looked to be near death and wouldn't eat any of the food we bought to feed them. Then we went to purchase "apple sundaes" at $4 a pop and they turned out to be an apple with whipped cream piled on top. I handed Josh his sundae and it was in his hands for about 3 seconds before it hit the dirt and he was crying! A good time was had by all! My sister and I still have the yard stakes we bought that day, it helps remind us every year of what a grand time we had! Dadgum, deployments suck. Glad all that's over.

Our day in October 2005 at the crappy "pumpkin patch"