Apples, pumpkins, and the fam

Well, we've got another grandparent visit coming up this weekend, so I figured it was about time I got this post about the last grandparent visit up here. A few weeks ago, Matt's parents joined us for a long weekend, arriving just in time to see the leaves start to change and at the prime time for apple and pumpkin picking. So that's just what we did.

After doing a little searching, I discovered a new (to us) local orchard that got great reviews for the people and the product. The place we've gone to the last few years is always really crowded and feels super commercial, so we were looking for something smaller and more authentic feeling, and we found it.

B's usually good for a few minutes of picking, and then he starts chowing down on his chosen apple while the rest of us finish the work. We tried not to go overboard this time, but I think we still came out with about 20 pounds of apples from several varieties. We also picked up a gallon of their apple cider and a container of apple-cider donuts, which had gotten rave reviews. They did not disappoint.

Once our bags were full, we wandered over to the pumpkin patch to pick out a few small ones for our front porch. B loved all the bumpy, funny-looking ones (a boy after my own heart). With some help from Grandpa, we eventually settled on four to take home.

The rest of their visit was pretty quiet. We went to the zoo and the park, of course (standard required grandparent activities), and B rode the carousel at the zoo. He's ridden other carousels before, but I think this might have been the first time he actually enjoyed it. We went out to lunch on Saturday, and while we were eating, the fire alarm went off in the restaurant. It turned out to be a false alarm, but the fire truck came anyway. Grammie took B outside to see, and the firefighters were super nice, chatting with him and letting him see inside the truck.

 

 

Another wonderful visit in the books!

B turns 3

Who turned 3 today? This guy!

I can't believe how quickly my little man is growing up. He is still the sweetest, cuddliest, most loving little person, and I can't get enough of him. He's got such a personality, makes us laugh all the time, is so smart, loves to read and play sports, and is pushing the boundaries of his little three-year-old world more and more every day.

Happy birthday, Beckett!

WIP Wednesday: Little projects and secret projects

After finishing the Cut Glass Baby Quilt (see this post for all kinds of info and pictures), I jumped back into this stack to focus on the greens and blues for another quilt. This one's gotta remain a mystery for now, but I'm cutting, cutting, cutting away over here and getting really excited.

Meanwhile, I finished up a few small projects, and I've got a few more to finish up this week. First, I put together a little felt garland in fall colors for B's birthday party last weekend (his party was an "Into the Woods" theme). I also (finally) made him a new hooded towel using this tutorial, minus the embellishments. We were still using his toddler towel, which he outgrew it long ago. It's nice to get those wet feet covered again!

For his birthday, we got him a Kindle Fire tablet and some fun headphones to use for our upcoming travels, so I'm making a cover for the tablet (using my tutorial) and a drawstring bag for the headphones. I'm using this awesome Ann Kelle fox fabric, which I picked up from my wonderful LQS this weekend, along with a few other goodies. I cannot wait to break into Elizabeth Hartman's new book. It's taking all of my willpower to not set aside everything else and just start making all.the.things.

Finally, I wrangled up the last few scraps of the fabrics I used for B's nursery to finally make him a little toddler pillow to go with his quilt. It always feels good to get lots of little projects wrapped up, doesn't it?

The neverending to do list (but, hey, it's getting shorter!):

Cut Glass baby quilt
Mystery pieced quilt
Mystery HST quilt
New baby quilt

T-shirt quilt
Aviatrix Medallion quilt 
"Treasure" bag for B
Superhero cape for B
Sewing circle tote
Re-cover the downstairs chair

Ironing board cover
Reusable snack bags
Washi dress/tunic

I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.