The Great Pumpkin Patch of 2012

This weekend was a weekend that the Barr family needed for just family fun time.  The weather in Austin was fall like and the high on Sunday was only 65 degrees which makes everyone in the Barr house very happy.   Today we decided to hit the road for an hour out towards Marble Falls,TX to Sweetberry Farms.   Of course, Sweetberry Farms is no Butler's Orchard but it's probably the closest that we are going to get in Texas country.   When we arrived, we immediately noticed all the pumpkins.... there were really, really, really LARGE pumpkins, white pumpkins, grey pumpkins, green pumpkins, and on and on and on.   They had a corn maze in the shape of the state of Texas but we didn't go in there... you had to be at least 6 years old and plus I think Mom was scared to death that we'd get in and never be able to find our way out.   They had lots of place to take our photo which of course Mom loved and across the highway on the other side of the pumpkin patch was a flower farm too.   We didn't pick flowers though, especially since this is fall time silly and don't you know flower picking is for the spring.     Hadley and I had a blast running around and getting the best pumpkins ever!   Mom says in a couple of weeks we can carve our pumpkins for our trick or treaters.  For now they are displayed on our front porch steps.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Love,
Emerson & Hadley

 "Gee, I wonder what other pumpkins they will have... let's go"

 "Sweetberry Farms"

 "Hadley, watch me... I'm a pro at this... trust me... this is the one you want"

 "I hope it has a lot of good seeds, Dad makes good pumpkin seeds"

 "It's like two pumpkins for the price of one"

 "You're going to have to fight me before I'll let this pumpkin go"

 "yeah, yeah... good one Emerson"

 "Yeah, I'm not really feeling the white pumpkins" "Everyone knows that pumpkins are orange"

 "To the check out!"

 "CHEEEEEEEEESE"

 "Oh don't wait up for me.... I'll stay behind and help others find their perfect pumpkin"

 "Look at all our loot"

 "Haddie, don't miss any... we got to make sure they all get in the car"

 "This is the advantage of the being the older sibling.... you get to tell the younger one what to do"

 "Uh oh, looks like that back fired" "Sister has already thrown in the towel and I guess I'm not getting a ride" "Drats!"

 "Come on Mom, take the picture already"

 "ooooh, you're going to be in trouble Emerson" "Look Mommy, I'm the good one"

 "We decorated all by ourselves"

"I'm so glad to have a cool brother like you Emerson"

We Are the World

Every year our school has a celebration to honor different countries and cultures around the world.  This year countries like China, Africa, Germany (Hadley's class), Austrailia (Emerson's Class) and Egypt were among some of the countries represented.  Not only do we celebrate these different countries, each class makes their own costume and invite parents out for a parade.   So even though we live in Austin,TX, we're still exposed to other ways of life...not just texmex and BBQ :-).

 

 

Love,

 

Emerson & Hadley

 

 

 China

 Africa

 "Hadley is a natural German girl for sure"

 "uh oh, she saw Daddy and now she's ready to go home :-)"

 "Emerson makes a great Aussie"

 "If only my hat would stay on"

 "Good Day Mate"

"Hmmm... wonder what's for dinner?"

Hadley's 2 Years!

Where has the time gone?  That is what I hear my Mama say every now and then.   Mama's favorite question to ask usually starts out something like "Haddie Cakes, remember when you were just a little baby....".  Sheesh, that's when you know it's time to run to the play room for some relief and especially if the words coming out of Daddy's mouth are "Oh geez, here we go again".   Needless to say, my Mama is pretty sentimental.   Anyways, back to the subject at hand which was my 2nd year birthday.  Nana, Pappy, Uncle Scott and Aunt Cheeks (aka Aunt Mandy) came into town for the weekend.   Of course, Aunt Cookie made the cake and Riley came along to entertain us.    My Godparents, Aunt Meredith and Uncle Brad were there too.   We had lots of fun swimming, eating, opening presents, more eating, more swimming and more eating :-).  Hey did I mention, we ate?    Here some photos to mark the special occasion.  See whatcha think.

 

 

Love,

 

Hadley

 

 

 

"Before the birthday festivities began" "Pappy (or as Emerson calls him "Happy") has the best lap!"

 "Aunt Cookie makes the best cakes"  "Thanks Aunt Cookie"!

 Aunt Cookie and Nana Banana

 "My personal assistant - Aunt Cheeks"

 "Ms. Riley Roo Roo"

 "I will hug you and squeeze you and never let you go"

 "Please, you're not getting to hold my baby... what fool do you take me for?"

 "Hmmm.... what trouble can I get into?"

 "tough toddler, coming thru"

 "Shhh, Nana, we'll just take some of the frosting from the bottom and no one will ever be the wiser"

 "BUSTED, Nana made me do it I swear"

 "Seriously, I only get one wish?"

 "I'm getting my practice on for Christmas"

 "I know Liam, that's what I said too when I heard bedtime was near"

 "So Nana, one lump or two?"  "... and would you like some cream?"

"The Crew"

Entomologist or Just All Boy?

Entomologist : en·to·mol·o·gist, noun ~

An entomologist is a zoologist who focuses specifically on the study of insects. Given that the insect world is vast and incredibly diverse, most entomologists focus on a specific order or family of insects. Careers in entomology are incredibly varied, ranging from forensic entomology to agricultural entomology. Numerous colleges and universities around the world offer training in entomology to people who are interested in this field of study.

Now that we know the exact definition of an Entomologist, what do you think?   Mommy swears that I am going to grow up to be an Entomologist but, Daddy just thinks I'm "All Boy".  Truth be told, I think I'm both.  

It's no secret that I love animals and bugs but within the past year I have noticed that they seem to flock to me as if I have food for them and it's dinner time.   Lizards especially love me and never seem to run to fast from me.   Once there was a lizard that got into our house and Mommy tried and tried to catch it until she finally gave up.   I simply walked over, bent down and the lizard crawled onto the palm of my hand.   Often there are butterflies in our back yard (I think they like the pool for a drink of water) and they like to hang out with me on my hand and/or shoulder for up-to ten minutes or so at a time.   Spiders are really cool too but, Mommy and Daddy says that you have to be careful because not all spiders are our friends.   For that matter, spiders are similar to snakes and while I'm holding one below, it's not alive... in fact, that snake was on it's way to snake heaven.    Daddy is really awesome and will catch random insects, lizards and spiders and put them in my bug box until I get home from school.   There was a wolf spider with lots of babies on it's back (see photo below) that Daddy caught fighting for it's life in our pool.  Daddy also caught a Texas Spiny Lizard and saved him for me (Louie was his name).  Louie hung out with me for close to an hour before I let him go so that he could eat dinner.    I'm really good about letting my specimens go once I've had a chance to observe them.    At any rate, any questions pertaining to bugs, spiders, lizards and snakes I'm your guy... just give me call.

Love,

Emerson

 "It's ok little guy, I'll save you"

 "Here, isn't that better." "Now you can dry off"

 "Louie is the coolest"

 "I think Louie was tired because he stayed for awhile in the palm of my hand"

 "WHOA, now that's a frog"

 "Mommy, I think he needs to brush his teeth"

 "The frog couldn't hold it until he got to the potty"

 "The wolf spider is going to have lots of babies"

 "Isn't she a beauty"

 "She likes the sun too"

 "Haddie, don't touch it, she needs to catch her breath"

 "Mommy, this is how a frog jumps"

 "There, there little fellow"

 "I think I will name him Lenny"  "Lenny lives at Nana and Happy's"

 "Here's the little guy that Mommy couldn't catch"

"I wonder how big his Mama is?"