Birthday Weekend!

Yes...that is truly what it has been. CR has celebrated his birthday all weekend long beginning with Friday, and I guess we will continue to celebrate until Thursday (his actual birthday). My aunt came over Friday to give CR his present and spend some time with us since she wouldn't be able to come to his party. He loved the candy machine that she gave him...I sure hope cavities don't creep up on us with that in the house! Then we went to Chuck-E-Cheese's. He always loves to go here, and has been begging me to take him for a while! I just kept telling him that that would be a good place to go when it is too cold/rainy outside. Today was just that and it was a good place for us to go to help celebrate his birthday with my aunt.

Then on Saturday, he began his day by going to the Windy Hill Apple Orchard Apple Festival with his cousins P&M and some of his friends from church. He was so excited to go on the hayride and eat apple treats! We went here last year with his MMO class, but this year we missed it with both of his classes (old class had not gone yet before we changed and new class went before he started). Although the festival was a lot of fun, it was very chaotic due to the amount of people there at one time. It made me nervous as he was amongst all those people...as I have a huge fear of him getting lost/taken (I guess because I almost did as a child). It was a lot of fun and he was very happy to spend the time with his cousins, mommy, daddy, and church friends. Hopefully next year we will get to go with his preschool class instead of going on our own to the festival. It is much more enjoyable and relaxing that way!

Walking the trail from the pasture we had to park in to the festival
We had to take a stop along the path to look at this huge pig.
CR enjoys the ride on Dada's shoulders instead of walking the long trail. After the festival, we sent Dada by himself to get the van while all of us waited with our goodies.
We took this same picture last year. It is neat to see how much he has grown in a year.
He doesn't know what to think of the "warts" on the pumpkin.
Such a big boy...he has to do everything his big cousin P does!
CR loves "his P&M" and they love him! Thanks Auntie Kim for the cute pumpkin shirt...P&M's was a hit at the festival...I can't wait for CR to wear his.
Yummy apple cider! I love this time of year for such treats!

Waiting in line for the hayride...they truly can't get enough of each other...there time together is so precious! It is so strange to me to see how much P&M have grown...they were CR's age when I met K. Now they are 10 and so helpful with CR.
CR claps along with Johnny Appleseed's harmonica as we enjoy the hayride. I swear the boy is going to be a musician...he loves musical instruments. When we got off the hayride he pitched a fit to stand and watch a group of players with all sorts of instruments and began to tell me what each one was (banjo, fiddle, guitar)

We stop along the hayride to take a look at the fat pigs and learn some "facts" about them.

Johnny Appleseed teaches us about the apple press that makes cider.

CR watches the demonstration intently...well for a few minutes...then he was done.

M and CR walk the sunflower maze to hear the Johnny Appleseed story.

A beautiful sunflower along the way being pollinated (I assume...since there is a bee on it). This is my favorite flower!

We couldn't leave before taking a trip to the "petting zoo" to feed the animals.
Lastly, CR gets to pick out a pumpkin to take home with us. K & I chose to take home a bag of apples...we are enjoying the treats of Fall!

*Then it was on to the birthday party that afternoon...see next post.