Some Fall Fun!

Yesterday we visited Apple Works apple orchard. I had heard a little about it, but didn't realize how cool it was until we went there. Unfortunately, it was thundering really loud when we pulled up, so we didn't stay very long. I'm not sure if they ever did get rain.

The boys loved this really big slide. We had to go down it with them. Here's a video:

The petting zoo was really cool, too. I didn't get a picture of it, but they had an animal there called an alpaca that was really neat. They also had goats, baby cows, and chickens....a

\][ah, the chickens! First Eli stuck his finger in the cage and got pecked. Then Ben got his finger STUCK in the cage and he got pecked by two chickens at once. Scared them silly! I tried it and it scared me too a little. It didn't really hurt though. Other than that, they loved the animals.

We'll have to plan another trip back there so we can ride the train and see more stuff next time.

18 months old. Wow!!

It's amazing how time flies! Ben and Eli are growing and developing so much right now. We just had our 18-month check up and the boys are finally nearing the 50th percentile in height, weight and head size. They're catching up!

We went to our first big "Indians" game the other day. Well, ok, it wasn't exactly THE Indians, but rather the Indianapolis Indians. They still dressed in their best tribe gear!

Our dear friends, the Kegebeins just dropped the bomb on us that they were moving to Waterloo, Iowa. We will miss them so much!! They gave us their "Gator" a few months ago since their girls have outgrown it. We just decided to try it out in the back yard the other day. They don't quite get it yet, but I think they like it! Thanks, Keggers!!!
Both boys are into talking non-stop now, especially little Ben. He just babbles all the time! They are both getting really good at noticing who people are in pictures. I made them a "Family album" the other day and they love to flip through it and name as many people as they can. I especially love hearing them say, "Ju-Ju and Zoe!"

Today is the last day that the boys will be going to the church for daycare. On Monday they will start going to the new building which will house CCDC for the next 2 years. I haven't seen the inside of the building yet, but I hear that they've done a lot of work to it. I'm sure that as long as there are toys inside the boys will love it! They are getting really good at recognizing who their friends are in class. They can point to each one and say their names. They also are learning colors and shapes and are using flash cards at school. I can't believe how grown up they are!!!

It's hard to believe that we'll be closing our pool again soon for another season. We'll have to get a few more good swims in before it gets cold though. They love the pool! Matt and I are hoping to take them to the local indoor pool over the winter to keep them used to the water. I'm hoping that their swimming skills will improve by next summer. That will make life so much easier around here!