Fall Festivities: Part 1

Fall in San Diego County means going to Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center! This year, Z's 1st grade went on their first field trip to this popular pumpkin patch, and L got to chaperone as well.

 

Z and her buddies in her group.

Posing with the goats.

Happy hayride.

Since A didn't get to join the field trip, we took our own family outing to the Carlsbad pumpkin patch the following week.

A legit but very overpriced corn maze.

Pumpkin-painting is serious business.

Lots of purdy sunsets in the fall.

Our Arizona cousins visited us and stayed in the beach cottages on base.
The boys loved the tanks.

Checking out the WWII/Korea LVT Museum.

Dinner at Joe's Crab Shack.

Z and her 2nd cousins enjoying ice cream in San Clemente.

Funny stories around the beach bonfire. Thanks for coming out this way, cousins!

California kid excited about wet stuff falling out of the sky.

Twin Day at school! Z and her buddy Robert said they are already twins because they were born the exact same day! They are too cute!

 

Pumpkin- heads carving pumpkins!

Proud of the finished product.

 Always fun having Thea over.

Speaking of pumpkins, these happy clementines are all ready for a Spooktacular shindig.

We helped throw a Halloween party with some Marine band friends. From left to right: L and her buddy as Star Wars ladies, The Incredibles, The "Wayne Family" (baby Batman's dead parents), peanut butter & jelly, A as 1970s man, a prison inmate, stormtrooper love, Obi-"Juan" Kenobi, and cute kids. Such a fun night, followed by a laughs around the fire.

Batgirl enjoyed the Fall Festival on base.

On Halloween, a purple fairy on a bike picked up Z at school. 

And in usual Halloween tradition, Batgirl enjoyed a fire on the driveway while passing out candy.

Such a fun month!

Back to School

Summer ends early around here with school beginning in mid-August. 

Here's our cute 1st grader on the first day of school!

Waking with some neighbors to school.

Finally lost her first tooth, just in time for Picture Day!

Enjoying a BBQ dinner down at the beach with Papa and Gigi.

L met up with old childhood friends and heard one perform with her Seattle-based band on tour. Had to buy one of their awesome clear vinyl records too!

Backyard bonfires with Thea!

Impromptu birthday party for our Marine buddy Gregg (right), complete with party hats, sword-cut cake, and hilarious games of Cranium. No Marine should spend their birthday stuck in the barracks!

And September was full of Greek family-fun at two Greek Festivals! 

The first was in Cardiff (San Diego County).

Dancing...

More dancing...

And yummy food!

We had too much fun with the free photobooth.

Loving those gold laurel wreath crowns.

Our second Greek Festival was in Pasadena with more family from the area!

Enjoying the shade with her Yiayia. It was close to 100 degrees!

Greek girl cousins/sisters.

Having fun with the Greek goddess pose.

 Z says, "Opa!"

Such a fun event with the family!