The Growing Caldwell Family

These pictures don't do it justice. We had a great time cooking out over the campfire. We made chili dogs and s'mores for dinner! The kids worked on popping their freshly plucked kernels and when those didn't pop, we brought out store bought kernels and made delicious popcorn! Charlie fell earlier in the day riding his scooter and you can see how bad he banged up his knee. He took it in stride, fortunately.  There were clear skies and Aaron took out the telescope and helped us get a view of Venus and a fleeting eye on Saturn.  What a wonderful day! The kids went to sleep with no complaints after so much fun playing outside and cooking their own tasty dinner!  

We spent the afternoon at Bennett Farms enjoying their pumpkins and lots of fun activities outside! The weather was beautiful and we were so happy to be out doing it together! Charlie was intrigued by the odd shaped gourds! The farm was decorated really well with great spots for photos. Waiting for a turn on the big slide! It doesn't get better than a beautiful day with these cuties! This girl loves her Pops! Ready for a ride! My loves.  Loved this cute photo spot! Lovie and Pops look cute there too! When did my babies get so tall! Livy on the hayride.  The hayride was a fun way to check out the farm.  Headed into the corn maze. Lovie and I remember several years ago we took the kids in one and it was Charlie and Sarah Graves who found our way out! Sarah Graves loved picking flowers at the farm this summer and was excited to pick more with Pops this visit! The kids found a few corn cobs on the ground as we went through the corn maze. They were so excited to pluck the kernels in hop

While we could all be together, we spent time celebrating Lovie's Birthday! Jeanne' made cinnamon rolls, fruit dip, and monte cristo sandwiches for brunch. It was so yum! There was a specialty drink, too! We named it the Wedowee Sunrise . We did presents and cake too. The cake was my contribution - caramel cake! This one was so good! Even those who aren't dessert fans liked this one! This guy was looking so cute!  

We had beautiful weather for softball and football! I have a hard time getting photos with the fence at softball. Sarah Graves continues to work hard as an outfielder. She loves the camaraderie  in the dugout with the girls! Charlie is enjoying flag football. He is a little disappointed that he isn't playing QB this season, but he is focused and plays hard each week.   

We kicked off the fall break weekend with a really fun evening at the Van Gogh Experience! When I first told the kids where we were going, they weren't really enthused. Once we got inside, they thought it was pretty cool! Charlie was very intrigued to learn that he cut off his ear. Lots of why questions came from that discovery! Sitting in this room where you are totally immersed in Vn Gogh's art was so cool!  My favorite part was wearing the virtual reality glasses and walking through Van Gogh's art and surroundings.The virtual reality headsets were a little cumbersome and we all struggled in some way, but it was really cool to feel like you were there! Lovie and Pops thought it was cool too!  We finished the evening with pizza on the patio at a nearby place. It was lovely to sit outside and talk about our cool experience.   

Aaron and Charlie were excited for their turn to go on a campout! They finally broke their streak of rainy campouts and instead had gorgeous weather! One of the highlights was having American Indians come and demonstrate tribal dances and a teepee. Riflery was a favorite activity too! Charlie's big highlight was all the time he spent in the gaga ball pit! He loved having so many kids on the campout and the chance to play his favorite game A LOT!  

 Aaron and Charlie went on a Cub Scout campout and it gave me time with just Sarah Graves. We had a fun and social weekend! Sis started the weekend off with a fun playdate with her friend Marcela and I joined them for a great dinner! Saturday morning we were up early for a day at the zoo with her friend Chase! We had beautiful weather and it was great to be outside! We went straight to the ropes course! The girls enjoyed testing their balance and zipping through the air! The girls enjoyed a frozen lemonade while they watched the elephants.  We were watching the zebras and commenting on their stripes when this guy started to take a BIG dump right in front of us! Everybody poops! Chase loved the reptiles, especially the snakes. Sarah Graves was very uncomfortable with those snakes around and couldn't wait to get out of that section! The giant bird nest is a must photo op! We were all excited to see the red panda out and about. Had a great day with my best girl! Later that evening Sar