Lately

It's been a while since I posted on here, so as Elizabeth did with her last posts, I'm just going to combine everything into one.

Pumpkin Patch!
We made our 2nd annual October trip to the Pick-A-Pumpkin Pumpkin Patch in Esperance, NY, run by my VanDerwerken grandparents. This year was special because Steph and Kaylon were out from Logan visiting. We went the first weekend of October, helped at the farm, and enjoyed general conference.

Grandma VanDerwerken enjoying Joseph!




Kaylon and Grandpa got along great - Kaylon loved the farm. This is when we were down in the fields looking at the pumpkins. The tractor Grandpa was driving couldn't pull the haywagon up the hill by the barn and died (no shock there), so we had to get out and walk up.


Joseph liked the pumpkins, but liked spitting up on himself and on mom even more. this is the little pumpkin we picked out for him to bring home.


Joseph is a peekin' out of the dad's face in this one - and I don't think pink is quite my color. But Elizabeth sure was having fun.

Fall at the Lake

Heather, our friend from Provo, came out to visit, and we went for a little tour around some parks nearby.

Elizabeth was being a little naughty and I caught her right when Heather gave her the glare.

At the lookout of West Rock Park, a good family picture on a cloudy day.

Well, Joseph was a little skeptical about how good the day was.


Elizabeth and Joseph pondering the beauty of the fall lake, as seen here:


Carnival

Last Saturday the Stake Youth Council put on a carnival, and we went as adult chaperones (a little bit easier for us to attend than a late-night stake dance). Here's Elizabeth trying to toss a hula hoop for some tickets:

Two of our ward youth in a donut eating contest (they were lying on the gym floor trying to eat the donuts).


Elizabeth and our friend Juan (we taught him as ward missionaries) working the food table. Joseph looks like he's playing air guitar already. And man that hair grew fast. He got the color from mom, but the straight hair from dad.


We had to give him a haircut before his prospective missionary pic. I'm writing this blog from my hotel in Chicago - here's the view out the window:

And the funnest thing - my makeshift fridge for breakfast - it's a good thing hotels have free ice and ice buckets in rooms.


I'm here until Wednesday, missing my wife and little baby boy.