Pumpkins, Eureka!

As I bought the pumpkin in, the lady was like, "Oh no, what's wrong?" I was like, "Well Matthew touched the stem and it's now inside the pumpkin with water." She was so impressed with the strangeness of the pumpkin, she cut it open while I was there and I had to take a photo. Isn't it gross? But you can actually tell there is still an 1/2" of good flesh all around the outside. It literally is rotting from the inside out, not the normal way, outside in.

So for an extra 3 dollars, we got 3 pumpkins! A real sigh moment, turned into an happy ending.

Sigh

I had to go to the garden store to buy my Mom some mums, so I decided to buy a really cool Galeux d'Eysines pumpkin too. I got it home proudly (while my husband was telling me I pick the ugliest pumpkins). A little later, I noticed Matthew playing with the stem while I was on the phone. It seemed loose. I checked it out after I got off the phone and it came right off. The inside of the pumpkin is totally moldy green and it has water in it because you can hear it sloshing now. Sigh...

We are back from our scouting mission

On the way to TX, we stopped and visited a garden we've watched grow all summer.

In the process we made new friends. We also stopped and saw old friends.


After 3 grueling days of spinning wheels, searching lists, and driving all over neighborhoods again and again, we finally believe we've found a house.


It has an enormous backyard. This is just one section. But it has several snags. All of the houses down there did, due to the fact they are all managed by property management agencies. We have to find homes for some of our pets we've had over 10 years. And the agency that holds the house we want may decide not to rent to military anymore. We'll find out in the upcoming week if we'll get the house. Until then, we'll go back to the non-stop packing process we've been doing.

Show off

Obviously Phil is home and took the decorating to a whole new level. I love that man!

Homemade biscuits and apple butter

For awhile now Matthew has been wanting to help me cook. Normally it involves working over a stove with hot pans and liquids, but when I'm baking, I've been trying to let him help me.

So last month when we were knee deep in apples, we made homemade biscuits to go with our homemade apple butter.

Matthew got messy, made a mess, and some biscuits.

They turned out very yummy! Matthew gave it a thumbs up.

kinderGARDEN Thursday: 2010 award winners part 2

The peoples choice award was the last award up for grabs. It was very hard to pick one as all 5 of the blogs up for the award really deserved it. But a winner was picked and it was my bloggy friend Faith over at faith buss! Congrats! Your little ones are adorable.

And that wraps up the 2010 kinderGARDENS. Be sure to look for it to start again in the spring!

Homecoming

Jewel and Matthew

I have no idea if the home team won, but I do know that we had a good time watching the parade and wearing our "tattoos." In fact Matthew is still wearing his!

It's offical

We are a one household family again! It's the first time in 2 years and 5 months. Now the challenge will be to pare down our stuff as we have doubles of alot of items...

We're off to see the Wizard

At least the Munchkins.

We went to OztoberFest, just so I could get my picture with 3 of the 5 last surviving original Munchins from The Wizard of Oz. Here is Margaret Pellegrini with "munchkins" right after they arrived. She was a flowerpot girl and I believe the one who told Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road as well. (She played several parts.)

Jerry Maren, the Lollipop Munchkin, with wife Elizabeth.

Wife of the late Clarence Swenson (a solider) and Karl Slover, which I believe was a trumpeter.

While waiting to meet them, we posed with the cast members. Matthew with my old boss, Christy.

Matthew and I with the witches. I always wanted to be Glenda, as a child, for Halloween.

Matthew and Melissa with another Glenda.

It was so thrilling to meet them.

I've loved the movie for as long as I can remember. We had to watch every year when it was played on national tv. Our first VHS tape was The Wizard of Oz 50th anniversary edition, because I just had to have it. (We finally got a VCR so I could watch it!)

Think about it, they are movie stars! I finally got to meet and touch and pose with 3 movie stars and they were charming.

Afterwards we went through the museum. Matthew with Melissa and Michael.

We saw so much stuff it was amazing. I loved seeing the illustrations, I think they are the originals, but don't quote me.

But the most fun was seeing my Wizard of Oz lunchbox behind the glass and then to realize the troll I've had for years, and thought was just a princess, was instead Glenda. I'm sooooo glad I didn't donate her to the thrift store now!

We had such a great time! I'm still so excited! And of course, now the whole family has the movie on so we can see the people we saw today on the silver screen. Ahhhh...

Swimming at the lake

Matthew wasn't sure if he wanted to get in or not.

MaMaw trying to convince Matthew to learn how to swim off the boat ramp.



Finally, this is what I was talking about.

He ended up having alot of fun!