Fall Fun

The weather is still warm, but that doesn't stop us from participating in all things autumn. We kicked off October with a trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina, TX where the kids enjoyed a hayride, petting zoo, and of course, pumpkins. This was D.J.'s first trip to the pumpkin patch and he reacted in his usual high-decibel enthusiasm. He loved feeding the animals, especially the goats and sheep. Veronica, of course, went straight for the tractor.




Erek and I thought it was about time the kids went camping , so last week we packed up the tent, sleeping bags, and the dog and headed to Lake Murray State Park in Ardmore, Oklahoma. We were a little worried about how Veronica and D.J. would deal with sleeping in a tent with us, but they did very well. Unfortunately, we had to cut our trip short because it started to rain very hard on Saturday. So, after a very wet hike to the lake, we came home. We plan to go back next month.

The tent is up!!

Looking for rocks to skip on the lake

We love camping!!

Finally, big news - Mommy has joined a band! Yes, I'm fulfilling a childhood dream. Our band is called Black Prairie and we are made up of mostly members of the Our Lady of Angels Church Choir. Our reportoire includes hits from Lynard Skynard, Jimmy Buffet, America, The Bee Gees, Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Chesney, Pam Tillis, and the Eagles. Sam, our lead singer, has also written some beautiful songs that we cover. I mostly sing back-up and do percussion, but I get to sing lead occasionally. We had our first gig last Sunday when we played The Park in Plano, a local nursing home. We were a hit! However, I must mention that most of our audience was hard of hearing.

Black Prairie
From left to right: Blake, Rick, Sam, Shawn, Lorie, A.J. and me. (Not pictured: Gordon, our awesome lead guitarist) In the center is Diana, our biggest fan.

Our next gig is at the church picnic on October 21st. Ironically, we are working on the REM song "Losing My Religion."

That's all for now!