Fall Fun: The Zoo and Pumpkin Patch

One really special thing about our trip to Wisconsin is that my parents drove up to be there at the same time. We took Jesse to enjoy some fun in the fall of Wisconsin. Oh my goodness!! Wisconsin has a BEAUTIFUL fall! Wisconsin is just beautiful anyway. I love the rolling hills, farmland, black and white cows, trees, rivers, and lakes. Wisconsin definitely has a special place in my heart.

On the Friday of our trip, we met Susen, Mary, and Adam at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison. It's an incredible free zoo that's open to the public 365 days a year. My grandma, mom, dad, Jesse, and I met them there. What a special first trip to the zoo! :)

Susen and me with our little monkeys :)




Posing with sweet Mary



Grandma at the zoo with the kids. We learned that it's tough getting the kids to look at the camera when posing in front of animals. The animals are SO much more exciting to look at!

Jesse was thrilled when I sat him on the zebra. He smiled and bounced...until the ride started. Then he got a serious, nervous look on his face. He never cried, but his face was really funny!!

Adam and Mary know all about the carousel.

Our whole fun group

The evening after the zoo, we headed to my Grandma's house in Viroqua. On the way there, we passed several great Pumpkin Stands. We stopped at a Peck's Stand. It was amazing! It had apples fresh from the orchard and all sorts of jams and pickles. There was a great petting zoo in the back. What a fun stop!!!

To be honest, Jesse wasn't thrilled at first...



Then we cheered him up!



What a cute boy in the ORANGE pumpkins!

These were some Big, EXPENSIVE pumpkins

A cute little photo op

This is a big pumpkin, but I know it's not real

Yikes, Grandpa! I don't know what I think about this scary Halloween stuff!

A little horse!



These little goats are my size!


I like llamas!


Up close



I wrinkle my nose some these days. :)

Precious Family Time in Wisconsin

Jesse and I had the great opportunity to go to Wisconsin to visit all of our wonderful family there. Everyone there was SO welcoming and took great care of us! We had to beg, borrow, and steal rides, beds, and all sorts of other things. Thank SO much for making this an easy trip!


I grew up going to Wisconsin every summer and winter. I loved that my parents made it a priority that we know and love our family in Wisconsin. As we've grown up, we don't get together nearly as often as we'd like. This was such a nice time to catch up and even get to meet some of my cousins' children I'd never met. They're SO precious and fun!! :)

Uncle Dan was such a great chauffeur. He picked us up from the airport and returned us.

He was SUCH a great host as well. Thanks Uncle Dan...or GREAT Uncle Dan to Jesse. :)


I love a good 4-generation picture! :) My Gandma, my dad, and my boy!



Mamas and Babies :)

These are my Grandma's great-grandchildren except for sweet Elyse.
Leah with her two boys: Blake and Grant.
Brian and Susen's two are on both sides of Jesse: Mary and Adam.

This is my cousin Leah. I met her two boys.
Blake is 6 months old, and he's such a sweet, laid back boy! :)



Aunt Marilyn let Jesse love on her horses. Jesse was so excited to go to Uncle Carl and Aunt Marilyn's farm. She also drove us around. She took us by the old family houses: where she, Dan, and my dad grew up and where my grandma grew up. So special!

Open and Pull Out

Jesse certainly has a sense of adventure. He likes to go out and explore the house. He's checking out everything he hasn't been able to play with and every place I haven't taken him to play. And he's already found some favorite curiousities.



Jesse learned how to open kitchen cabinet doors this week. He's pretty good at it, but he gets frustrated when he pulls on the wrong side: the side with the hinges. Our hinges are hidden on the inside of the door. There's actually one that still tricks me sometimes. Scott pointed out the other day that he thinks the builders put it on backward - it should open the other way. When Jesse discovered he could open the door with his bowls in it, I figured it was ok - they're plastic. He found a spice rack - that has now been moved. The spices were in glass jars, and they were great for rolling around the tile. I introduced him to the tupperware door. This was LOTS of fun - with lids and containers being banged, scooted, and rolled on the kitchen floor. I'm pretty sure Jesse's not the first kid to like this cabinet. :) The bad thing about learning to open doors and drawers is that Jesse is also experiencing the pain of closing his fingers in those doors. Poor little guy.



Jesse has found the dog door. He pushes on it. Once while he was sitting close to it, Barry showed him how it works. I wasn't very pleased with Barry for putting this thought into Jesse's head in such an obvious manner, but we're still in the clear. We haven't had any baby escapes through the doggy door.



Jesse likes to play with blinds too. When he goes to a window, I raise them up so he can see out. He tries to stand up on the windowsill. He keeps me on my toes, and I'm just to thankful for Jesse. I'm so thankful I get to be the one who chases after Jesse. He's such a blessing.

We're starting the cabinet kid lock process...

This one can be lock-free. He needs to be able to play some.


Jesse's bowls and a spice bottle.

Tupperware...all over


Remember when Violet and Barry were looking out this window together? Now Jesse took a turn.

Whew!

Well, I haven't blogged for a while, because Jesse has kept me busy! He's napping right now, and I have the same ole dilemma I have each nap time. Which, of the dozens of things I need to do, will I do now? :) When Jesse was brand new, I think I chose from the two survival necessities would I do: eat or sleep. I'm far beyond those. Just look at me. I'm blogging. That's completely frivolous. :)

Well, Jesse has taken off, and I've gone after him. He's discovered some new things he loves: shoes, chewing on the bottom of shoes, splashing in Barry's water, eating Barry's food, dumping Barry's water bowl out... I try my darndest to keep him from getting those things, but he's sneaky. Here's some evidence of Jesse's interests.

Jesse makes some major messes. He can get away with not helping with the clean up for now, but ONE DAY maybe he'll have a younger brother or sister. I'll make Jesse clean up their messes and tell him it's Pay Backs.

Pulling books off the shelf is one of my favorite things.

Mom sees me. She might come get me and move me, so...

I'd better work at this as fast as I can.

Another mess - this can be documentation for when he's old enough to know better.

Ya think I can fall asleep like this?

Don't tempt me, Jesse. Curiousity got the little boy a time out in the dog crate...

He's OFFERRING a time-out.

I'm SO thankful Jesse hasn't figured this out yet... Won't THAT be the day?!

I like to crawl over here and splash in the water.

Mom doesn't mind so much when I splash, splash...

She doesn't love it when I DUMP.

That's my little rowdy boy. :) He's into everything. It sure makes our days fun!