back to school...

The boys are back in school!  Cullen started last Wednesday and Finn started today.  We put Finn in the morning preschool class, 3 days a week.  So far, so good!  Finn came home from school very excited and talked a lot.  Cullen likes his teacher and classmates, though he is sad that Johann is not in his class this year.  He's also bummed that there are no toys in his classroom.  (Just wait until he realizes he has homework 4-5 nights a week!!)

Look ma, no training wheels!

Hooray!  Finn is now riding his bike with no training wheels!  I'm so proud of him, it's a big accomplishment!  Next stop, Notre Dame campus... students texting and walking beware!  :)

end of summer fun...

silly string gun... thanks grandma and papa!

campfire

S'MORES!

Police Officer Finn

SCHOOL STARTS SOON!  We had an end of summer campfire over the weekend.  The weather is already cooling off up here, so the campfire was perfect.

Diggers, Bulldozers, and Front-Loaders?  Ohh my...

We've also enjoyed a lot of heavy equipment action across the street the past few weeks.  They are knocking down all the trees and houses across the street to put in an apartment complex.  It's sad to see those large trees come down.  But Finn sure has enjoyed it all.  Especially seeing the little "dozers" knocking down the huge trees.  When they get around to tearing down the houses, THAT is sure to put my little sidewalk engineers over the edge.

Prairie Winds Farm

Touring/tasting the garden.

Smelling herbs... (chives, basil, and dill)

"Where's the green tractor?"

Finn's favorite. :)

Even after all the kids moved on, Finn was still there...

Lot's of goats!

Such a pretty chicken.

chicken eggs!

chasing chickens

Riding Pony Tally

feeding goats

Farmer Finn's turn to ride the pony.

It was funny seeing the kids (human and goat) all locked in together!

Turkey... gobble, gobble

Wild blackberries off the vine.

On a bee hunt.

We found a ton!

Cullen discovered these deer bones.

Pelvic bone or mask, you decide.

Bee hives!  We bought a jar of honey before we left.

As I've mentioned before, I'm in charge of the Notre Dame Family Life Committee playgroup.  We meet every Tuesday to let the kids get out and play.  This week I organized our group to meet at Prairie Winds Farm just south of South Bend.  It was great!  Farmer Charlotte also hosts a Farm Camp every summer, how much would my little guys love that?!?  As we left Farmer Charlotte told me how well exposed my boys are to nature, you can tell they get out a lot.  :)  I told her good, I don't want to raise little city boys!

our trip along Heritage Trail (Amish Country)

We stopped at Bonnie & Clyde's Soda Shop in Bristol, IN for root beer floats & milkshakes.

 They make their own root beer from syrup and soda water.  :)

I'm definitely a country girl!  I loved the beautiful countryside.

Bonneyville Mill, est. 1832

Inside the mill.  The boys thought this toilet was hilarious!

This toilet empties into the water (pond/lake).  We could see fish!

The workings inside the mill.  It's still operational!

Water under the mill.

So serene!

Another view of the Bonneyvill Mill.

Sign by the first quilt garden we passed.

Can you see the quilt garden?

Silly boys!

Buggies, Buggies, EVERYWHERE!

 It was so tempting to take pictures of the Amish, but they do not like to be photographed.

Yummy Yoder Popcorn in TOPEKA, Indiana!

 Yoder Popcorn is in the book: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

Wearing his orange pop from Yoder Popcorn!

Another quilt garden.

one block up close

Old Smokestack at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen, IN.

 We found a beautiful, amish-made dining room set here at the Old Bag Factory.

I wish this place had been open!

Dinner in Shipshewana, IN.  29 pies to choose from?  Yes, please!

 We had German Chocolate, Cherry, Dutch Apple, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream.  

Yum, yum, yum, and yum!

Peanut or Apple Butter for the homemade bread.

Dinner!  We chose the family-style and had an Amish waitress.

De-lish!

I heard about the Heritage Trail and their well-known quilt gardens, so we loaded up and drove the trail Saturday.  It was also listed as one of the Most Scenic Drives in America by Life Magazine.  It was beautiful and hopefully we can drive it again this fall when the leaves change!  We picked up the free audio tour (on CD) and learned about the local history and Amish along the drive.  The boys found the buggies and Amish-dress interesting.  Sean and I chuckled at all the horse/buggy hitching posts at the gas stations and grocery stores, next to the parking spots.  What an interesting way of life!