2010 Annual Halloween Party

Once again, Kanthak Karate put on it's annual Halloween party. It was well attended and a blast to be a part of. You can tell that the three rules in karate, 1) Karate is for self defense only, 2) No excuse for bad manners and 3) No whining, all carry over into the lives of his students. Being around a group of peers that respect those rules makes for a very pleasant evening of fun.

Lots of fun costumes!

MMMMM, pixie dust.

I have a picture of Oliver with this mummy from a couple years ago, the mummy used to be taller.

OOOOHH, AAAAHH
The raffle is always a big hit!

Oliver enjoying the rock band, this band has played for, I believe they said, 6 years now. The first time they played they were in middle school, they are all college students now!

My favorite picture of the night...seems that there was more than just a Halloween party going on that night. Yep, my handsome Snake Eyes Ninja proposing to the cute poodle-skirted teeny bopper.
Okay, so they were both standing in line, chatting it up and Ollie knelt down to pick up his toy that he dropped. Joel just happened to capture the moment with perfect timing. LOL

Joe's Place Farms

I had a couple ideas/plans for the pumpkin patch this year and they all fell through. It was early release today so when Noah got home the boys and I headed over to a small, local farm with a pumpkin patch. Joe's Place Farm is a cute little place that has stayed strong even though suburbia is creeping in all around it. We had fun picking out our pumpkins and running through the Fort Maze. There was lots of puddles to jump in, hay bales to climb and produce to browse and buy.

If they can lift it and put it in the wheel barrow, they can get it.

Hard to smile for mom when trying to get your 30 pound pumpkin into the cart.

My boys.

DRAW!

Pow-wow in progress.

Noah showing me what happens in a saloon.

Dead end in the maze...ROAR!!

Hi Noah

Hi Ollie

KIPenstein

I started calling him Kipenstein back when the silly baby decided to rip his face open. It's healed up nicely since then and you really can't tell where it even happened but it's close to Halloween so KIPenstein seems fitting. My sister let him out to run around in the arena on Sunday morning and I tried to get some action shots. I'm still working on my techniques and Kip made me work hard for good shots. He is turning into a handsome young man with lots of personality...

Zooming around the arena!

The boy loves to eat flowers and he thought he had hit the jackpot! He soon realized that plastic props on the jumping equipment just aren't tasty. Didn't stop him from running away from my sister, it was like a game of keep away.

He decided to share with his little but older brother, Pistol.

WHAT??? He started it!!

Little bit of attitude going on!

Handsome man! Want to see Kip's dad? Then click on this link scroll down a little and watch the video.

Some Pics From My Sis'

There is a lot going on at North Lake Pintos, all sorts of animals and chores that go along with having all of those creatures running around. We were pretty busy this past weekend helping a friend by catering her wedding reception but I still managed to get a few fun pictures.

Go ahead lady, make my day, bakawk!

Beautiful ducks that are now laying eggs!

Our chubby dog got to run around on the farm all weekend.

Hi Beni! Yes, I love you too!

Posted this one on Facebook too...
Hal's expression is hilarious!

Brandon Likes Tractors

And since it was Brandon's birthday yesterday, this post is just for him. When we went out the farm to pick up our beef a while ago I saw the tractors scattered about the property and immediately thought of Brandon! I took pictures with the little man in mind and saved them until now.

Happy 5th birthday Brandon!!
We love you very much!

Cuteness

Our new dog, Shep, is doing great and had pretty much fully integrated into our daily routines. He loves to go with me when I drop Oliver off at preschool. He even pouts if I make him stay home. Oliver loves to come out to the van, after I pick him up from school, to find his dog waiting for him. He even pouts if I make the dog stay at home. He's a great dog. His weight isn't coming off as fast as I would like it to but it is coming off. If he had his way, he would just crawl into your lap and stay there all day.
Just thought I'd throw this picture in here...he's cute.
Don't let him fool you, he's NEVER that serious.

WANTED: Aphid Enemies

Our maple trees out front, along with all the other maples in the neighborhood are CRAWLING with aphids. Not just a few here and there but completely covered in them. I am hoping for an infestation of anything and everything (ladybugs would be nice) that will enjoy a gluttonous feast on aphids. Yikes!!

Literally a pile of aphids at the base of the tree.

Every leaf has aphids on them.

Where's the Beef?

We decided to try a different source for our locally grown beef this year so I contacted, with recommendations from a friend, Ernie. He lives in Banks and his cows have 5 acres to graze on and a barn with a door that's open to them at all times. They come and go as they please. They feed on the green grass, the hay that Ernie harvests from his own fields and a bit of corn that is also grown right there on the farm. He invited us down to the farm before picking our beef up from the butcher and we accepted. Ernie and his family focus more on raising pigs for Luaus, kids going to fair, consumers, etc. so it was fun to see his set up and all the cute little pigs running around. We also got to see the corn fields (that were at least 8 feet tall, maybe even 10 feet), the alfalfa fields and a huge wooded area that they use and manage as a source of firewood. Ernie was a cute farmer, proud to show off his land, fields and livestock.

Loved the barn!!

Cows were a bit skittish of the camera but this one decided to come in for a closer look.

Mama pig looks like she is begging for a break!

The little runt on top trying to power his way in for some milk.

We were up in the hay keep and this pig was too adorable!

Always rooting for a handout.

Piglets recently weaned from mama.
These guys made me laugh over and over. The camera shutter would click and they would bolt, run, jump as fast as they could to get away. Not two seconds later they were creeping back in hopes of getting a treat.

Peek-a-boo!

This guys was HUGE!

Good thing this kitty had a boy to call his own already. Noah and the kitty fell in love and were inseparable the entire time!

This the loft/hay keep in the barn, looking up to the ceiling. Do you see him? Look close.

Baby barn owl! Beautiful!!

We had a blast visiting!