For Christmas someone gave us a really nice set of dishes. Since we got married 15 years ago we have used Pfaltzgraff. We probably have gone through 200 plates. We like breaking things. We hadn't opened these new plate sets (Corelle) because I was merely waiting for us to break all our current Pfaltzgraff. Now it's time to try something new. So out these came. I really couldn't help laughing when I read on the bottom of the plates "chip and break resistant" hahaha.
Someone or other came today to buy 3 or 4 of our giant pumpkins for a somewhat local giant pumpkin race. So you ask what is a giant pumpkin race? I will direct you HERE and be sure to watch the youtube, it was so funny all the children and I were just howling laughing. Ok, just a warning, we are easily amused. We plan to go to the race this weekend (the link is not to the one we are going to, just one I googled) so watch for more pictures.
Bye-bye Pumpkins!
The Seven Sorrows
I think I have just read the funniest blogpost that I have in quite a while. This one comes from Fr. Z's blog:
Happy Birthday, Eowyn! I know, a glazer donut "cake"? I have heard from semi-reliable sources that some people eat these with ice cream and m&m's...... seems to me that violates the pristine purity of a glazer donut!
The little climber makes herself at home at the piano.
I think she is sings, too.
A nicely frosted and decorated Trinity Acres special.... that is this time the cake makers put on chocolate chips on top of glops of frosting. 
Now that I'm done with all this blowing out of candles business I can get back to real life... reading.
We have a great farmer's market. I can't say enough for the Kettle Corn. (tettle torn as Bilbo says) One week they also had hand pressed, homemade lemonade made on sight. It was sooo good.
Friends of ours with their pumpkins and melons.
This is my first stop, great little lady who said she didn't want to be in the picture but it was alright to take one of anyone else.
This isn't just a nice picture of tomatoes, can you see what I was actually taking a picture of?
A red dragon fly. I never saw one before. Dragon flies are about the only insect I like.
Each week the farmer's market committee has a special event. This week was a cider press.
This is the tomato lady.
The crocheting ladies. Each week I bring 2 of the children, this week was Eowyn & Rosie.
This is our favorite apple man (he is standing by his truck back there).
Neat-o liscense plate! (no, our Bilbo isn't driving)
Aragorn and I went out to eat and the buffet had octopus.... so I brought one home for Frodo.
I kind of assume this is a baby? I could nto get myself to eat it, I don't know if those are 2 eyes but they look like 2 eyes and last time I tried one, I felt sure that those legs were grasping my tongue, that is just too life-like for my taste buds.
Cheese!! 
Brotherly love.
On Poppy's Birthday Grandma and Auntie came over. One of the gifts was this giant box, much bigger than Poppy herself.
I was much relieved that it was a wagon and not a coffin. 
Now this is what I call a family-size umbrella, we would only need 3 for the whole family one for the boys, one for the girls and one for us. Excuse the 2 grubbi-muffins in the front row.
They also brought these cookies that were sooooo good. They even made a good breakfast next morning.... what was left of them that is!
There was a rather lengthy process to try to get this put together since Grandpa, Aragorn and Sam were gone....!
Poppy's patience.
Gotta have chocolate.
But I wasn't done yet.
Case if the crocodile tears.
Don't even think about taking this away. 
Poppy was delighted with the new jammies that Grandma and Auntie brought for her, but who designs these camera flashes to blind you in the process?
Ok, this was absolutely delightful.... four cranes in the back yard, well, not the yard but up along the fence line. I don't know what it is about cranes but they are so fascinating.
A friend of mine and I are starting a Latin Mass children's choir. Eowyn was dabbling in the music a bit.
A perfect day for a walk.... as the physician would recommend.
Down by the patch things are still growing but slowing down a bit
Wow! The squash has gotten absolutely huge!!
Just kidding, it's not quite that big.
No, those aren't weeds around the pumpkins, it's foliage.
I was having one of those kinds of days too.... which is why I was out for a walk. A little fresh air and an extra rosary clears the mind of it's fog.
Not sure how big this watermelon is but the boy is 10 so you get the idea.
This is a giant tomato and don't ask me why Frodo's hand is glowing pink when the tomatoes are the right color..... his hands weren't pink. 
I don't know but that these giant tomatoes are the ugliest things. They really look more like Siamese tomatoes but not just 2 but like 4 tomatoes all connected at the stem.
Baby Box Elder bugs are back.
The Elephant Man Pumpkin
Although I have never seen such huge pumpkins in my life I still find I'm rather disappointed that my image of 8 foot tall pumpkins was just a delusion. I seem to have alot of those. 
It was desperado day ... that is I was cleaning out my closet after school. I actually have a floor in there! That was the neatest thing I found. Eleanor ran across Galadriel's "boots" from after her brain surgery and thought they were the "coolest" (mis-matched) boots she ever saw and what grand noise she could make with one of them. Galadriel wasn't so keen on trying them on for size.
