Saturday, September 28, 2013

Epplegaarden Orchard

We took the family to Epplegaarden Orchard today in Fitchburg. After dehydrating apples for one week straight, we were in need of some more apples. We picked Cortland and Jonnees. We also let the kids play in a cornfield and pick pie pumpkins.

Keegan probably ate more apples than he picked.  Ellary's little legs were apparently too tired to keep up with Joel's who insisted he walk until we gave him an apple and his attention was drawn towards its juicy goodness and he couldn't get enough of it. Koco seemed to like getting lost in the cornfield and I think she could have spent most of the day in it, and Aly was very goal oriented on picking apples and taking turns carrying Joel.

Kris and I enjoyed watching the kids having fun but about an hour into plucking apples we had enough. At that point we were the only ones picking.  It was a fun time with the family and another Wisconsin experience to check off this fall.

Joel is 1 Year Old!

Joel turned one year old on Sunday September 22nd. What a big boy he has become. Joel is walking very well, has 6 teeth, can give kisses and waves and is eating table food.  He's a happy and very affectionate little guy who makes us smile a ton.

We spent Joel's birthday for the most part at home. All the kiddos had bad coughs on Sunday so they stayed home from church. We watched "Fiddler On The Roof" then made Joel hot chocolate molten lava cupcakes with malt whipped cream frosting. We also  made kraut burgers. We ate dinner first then after opening presents (Mickey Mouse firetruck, U of W basketball jersey, sippy cups, a blanket/backpack, and a stuffed lion chair) Joel had his cupcake. He was a little apprehensive at first but as soon as I gave him a fork he dug right in. And just like that Joel's birthday was over after giving him a warm bath and being tucked into bed.

We're excited what this year has in store for Joel and all the things that he is going to learn and discover. In the past week he has already learned to nod his head. He also thinks he's old enough now to feed himself with a spoon and would much rather feed himself that way now.

Thanks for being such a happy spot in all of our lives, Joel. You bless us immensely!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Lapacek Orchards

We went to Lapacek Orchards in Poynette, WI yesterday. There were so many different kinds of apples to choose from. You could sample as many as you'd like and our tummies were so full that we didn't have to stop for lunch. We brought home some Cortland, Honeycrisp, and Harlan apples to eat, dry, and make applesauce with. We also picked raspberries and looked at a farm cat, the goats, chickens, and bunnies. We didn't stay as long as we'd like and see everything. The children are still getting over coughs. That just means we will have to go back next year for blueberry picking in August!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Full Swing

Now that the second week of school is over we are in full swing! I thought I'd share some of the things that the kids are involved in this fall.

First of all Alyson and Kourtney are playing the violin and cello in school. Alyson continues to take private violin lessons, we recently found her a new teacher, and Kourtney is taking private piano lessons. Both girls are involved in Girls on the Run as their preferred choice of physical exercise.

Ellary has adjusted to kindergarden quite well! Occasionally she will come home tired and feeling a little fussy but that is rare. She is enjoying her new ballet and tap dance classes and has learned so much already.

Keegan is taking a phonology class to help him with his speech. He takes his big boy backpack and a lunch then rides the bus to school. He is only there for a couple of hours twice a week but it is doing him a lot of good . We are already noticing an improvement in his speech. Plus he's getting to play with other children his age. It's good for him all around!

Here are a few pictures from the past week including a morning fishing trip with the boys, an outing to the Children's Museum with all the kids, Ellary's ballet lesson, and Keegan's favorite treat, ice cream from McDonalds.

Jessica's Birthday

I had a wonderful birthday this year. Kris tried to surprise me with a fishing trip to Lake Wisconsin but just several weeks before my birthday I began guessing what he was going to give me. It didn't take long until I nearly guessed correctly. Fishing in Wisconsin has been a bit of a challenge as it's more difficult to fish from the shore because of all the algae. Kris knows just how hard I've tried! Due to this fact alone Kris has me sold on a buying a boat when he is tenured.

So on my birthday he and I drove to Lake Wisconsin to meet a fishing guide. He took us out on his boat and taught us how to fish in Lake Wisconsin. Some of his techniques were a little unconventional to typical fishing. For instance he used little yellow floating blocks with flags on them to help us know when a fish was on our line. It was a very successful technique! Kris will be the first to admit that he doesn't like to fish. But it didn't take long for him to admit that fishing this way out on a boat was something he could get used to.

Then we tried bait fishing by casting our lines just over the edge of the boat making sure the hook reached the bottom of the lake. About 7 hours later we had plenty of fish including white bass and walleye and we didn't even keep them all! That night we had a fish fry for the whole family and then ate Hubbard pie for dessert. What a special treat for Kris to come up with such a fun and thoughtful birthday present for me!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Nana and Papa's Visit

Nana and Papa spent two and a half weeks visiting us in Wisconsin beginning August 26th and leaving September 11th. We had a wonderful time with them. 

The first week we loaded up with many things that we wanted to show them while the girls were still out of school. We took them to campus to eat lunch with Kris on Lake Mendota, let the kids swim off the pier, went to the Madison Children's Museum, downtown Middleton to the library and the Mustard Museum, and to Devil's Lake. 

The second week that they were here all of the kids gradually went back to school first starting with Alyson and Kourtney on Tuesday, Ellary on Wednesday, and Keegan to his phonology class on Thursday. Mom and dad ate lunch with each of the girls and ran errands with the boys and me the majority of that week.  

We also celebrated Kourtney's birthday b surprising her at a friend's pool. What a great time! Two days later mom and dad watched all of the kids for Kris and I so that we could go to Lake Wisconsin for some fishing on my birthday. Later that night we had a fish fry, and then we ate Hubbard pie. Tuesday night we went out for dinner at Sprecher's and Wednesday evening we said goodbye to them as they left for Salt Lake City. Now mom and dad can picture just what's going on in the Allee household when I tell them what we've been up to. 

Here are some pictures to document our time with them.