Cox Farms

For 8 weeks I took an awesome fun part-time job at a farm: Cox Farms. During the day they run a family-friendly Fall Festival full of slides, swings, rides, food, farm animals, all-you-can-eat cider and apples, and free pumpkins. It took us two trips there to see the whole farm and even then we didn't do everything,we just saw everything. I've been working at night, at the Fields of Fear as a ZOMBIE, or as I was called by the end of the season, a mombie. Mostly teenagers work there, but the few moms became know as mombies. LADIES, let me tell you. This job is perfect for stay-at-home-mamas who need an evening break. It's only for a few weeks on Friday and Saturday nights. It would be even better if there were more of us there. Working the haunted hayride has been an absolutely beautiful blend of my love for farms, acting, people and the autumn outdoors! Oh, and some extra cash! One of the best perks? 15 free passes to the daytime festival to take my family back again and again and again. It has been awesome! Think about joining next fall, friends, because it has been a blast. Here are the pictures of our many trips there with family.

my guy is the one listening intently to the musician

I asked him to do this, but I laughed so hard at the result!

peak-a-boo!

He was such a champ on this huge rope swing - he actually held on that long before letting go and loving it. And then I was right behind him! Wahoo!

mining for treasures

When this uncle is around L you'd think she's never received snuggles before, but she LOVES this man and snuggles up to him almost immediately. So precious.

Seriously, I have the BEST family under the sun!

Even little L enjoyed the hayride decorations and dramatics!

This girl makes the best faces!

This adventurous tiny lady loved even the fastest and highest slides!

Favorite quotes from The Guy

Check out our awesome friend and photographer: http://www.tabitharheaphotography.com

http://www.tabitharheaphotography.com

  

 My little boy has a way of mixing and combining his favorites into little rhymes and songs all day long. He chants and talks to himself and to his toys and I TRY to catch the treasures he says:

Our garden!!! We actually ate tomatoes this year. That's a first for us!!

 This is a merge of a favorite Joy School song and Mulan:
"Look around the room with me.... I can see...Chinese" (He spotted the characters in the Lo Mein noodles on the table)
I was so impressed!

"You're a gas, mom"
"What?!?"
"I'm gonna put you in the car because you're a gas!"
I still have no idea where he got this from. I don't normally go around telling people they're a gas, but then again I wouldn't put it past my old fashioned self.

"L's going to go to Joy school too?"
"Yes, when she's big like you"
"Oh, YES! She will get bigger like I. You are sure right!"
I wish you could hear him say "you are sure right." with all his excitement. Who knew a kid could be so happy his mom's right?

 "Who's at the door? Anne Shirley and Diana! Come in!"
This is because I read several Anne of Green Gables books, some with him and then we watched the movies. They were his new imaginary friends.

A fun day trip to the Baltimore Aquarium with Aunt Sara and Grma Bev

Everyone else is going forward, we are going back in time to VHS's. They are free and include the classics we love!

 "I want to go on a bear hunt and work and preach as missionaries do."
A merge of We're Going on a Bear Hunt book and I hope they call me on a mission primary song.

"How does your garden grow? With cockle crows and cockle hens and let's get down to business!"
A merge of Mary, Mary Quite Contrary nursery rhyme and Mulan's song - "let's get down to business and defeat the Huns!"

This last quote was so funny that Jared posted it on FB and his step mom called it a "great birds and bees discourse." HA!

I love this little boy like I never knew I could love a kid! I'm so pleased that he is growing with an imagination and loves books, nursery rhymes, and singing. He is such a treasure in our house.

L's ONE YEAR OLD

M'lady has been one year old for too long and I'm finally getting back to sharing her glory with the world.
She is growing into a beautiful lady. Seriously. She is gentle, feminine, social, snuggly, and full of emotions. Such a lady. She communicates and listens like a lady. She points and says ever so sweetly, "da" and I just can't help but respond and reassure her that mama understands. My favorite moments are when she comes over to me from playing and burrows her head into me and moans softly, no matter where I am. If she can reach my knee, she'll burrow into my knee. If she can reach my arms, she'll burrow in there. And then moans or hums. It's the B.E.S.T.

She LOVES food now. She's picky and fickle, but loves food nonetheless. With two teeth and a third on the way, she's a regular pro. She did not handle them cutting through very well, but I think she's glad to have them. She has wanted to eat table food since she started noticing her world around her. She has always wanted to be part of the group and do what mom, dad and brother are doing. She eats three helpings sometimes, more than her brother most of the time. You just wonder where it all goes, because she's so small.

She was mad she had to stop taste testing.

To celebrate her big day, I made a mini apple banana cake with homemade raw milk cream cheese frosting. And she would not put up with anything short of helping me every step of the way. Then we used the cake so our friend and fellow Joy School mama could take amazing pictures of L's cake smash. Thank you Tabitha!!! Check out her incredible photography skills at http://www.tabitharheaphotography.com. Tabitha said she has never seen a one-year-old so focused on eating, and eat so much of the cake. Like I said, she loves food.

notice she grabbed the entire top layer and threw it behind her

 She's walking! She started weeks ago, before her birthday, but is much better now. She is cautious but undeniably adventurous and determined. She looks too small to be walking though. She is still a tiny peanut wee-nut.

She and big brother share a room and have for a long while. They are buddies and sleep 12 hours a night. I am SO grateful this plan worked out because when she was 5 months old I never thought that day would come. But they do well together and just chat in the morning if they are both up and moving before us. But usually they sleep great together, her in the crib, him in a big boy bed (a new addition as of last week!)

Aren't Tabitha's pictures outstanding!?!?! All those were hers. 

Now here are more of my growing girl since then!