EKjourney Backup

We do like to do something fun and special for the children for Halloween even though we have gone back and forth about how "Halloweenish" we really want to be.  We decided to get pumpkins for carving, choose costumes from our costume box (nothing new/no shopping), and go to my parent's Trunk or Treat activity at their church.  We left everything to the last minute (this Fall has been so very crazy for us.)  These pictures were taken at 5:00 in the evening of Halloween eve.  It was raining and muddy but the children had so much fun! Clowning around waiting for the girls to finish running through the corn maize.   Brothers Pretty much the way it is! Our attempt at everyone looking normal:  JUMP! Pumpkin carving at Grammy and Grampy's (with cousins). I guess pumpkin guts are icky.  I like speckled, bumpy, irregular shaped squash/gourds the best! Trunk or Treat set up....I was a little worried when my parents packed up a cauldron filled with bones (real o...

We have been wanting to get out and hike before the weather changed so we decided to hike at Opal Creek.  Truthfully, I have been on so many wonderful trails that Opal Creek was not as impressive as its popularity would imply.  I had pinned a number of photographs from pinterest thinking I would see some spectacular water scenes but perhaps we didn't hike up far enough or explore the creek shore enough.  But, any hike, under the trees, in the fresh air, with my family, is time well spent! This was a beautiful spot, deep in the shade, where a little creek flowed through the tree roots.   The ferns bronzing up as they get ready to die back for winter. Illuminated moss Opal Creek is a former mining operation from the depression era so there are old dilapidated buildings and equipment along the trail.   We enjoyed looking for and photographing mushrooms along the way.  We would like to get a mushroom identification book to learn the names of the ones we found. ...