Halloween and Thanksgiving fun!

10/11 - Probably the biggest tourist draw to Mt. Vernon, MO is the annual Apple Butter Makin' Days festival.  That name makes me cringe every time so I refuse to say it properly.  I either add the missing G, or I just call it Apple Butter Days.  Just call me a grammar snob!

Josiah got to be in the parade this year, on his school's float (which won first place in the float judging!).  He had a great time!  He got a little overzealous with his candy throwing.  I think he may have injured a few spectators.

Levi loved picking up all the candy thrown from the floats!  Here he is with his 2nd cousin (or first cousin once removed, I can never remember the difference) Amelia.

 And letting his Paw Paw carry him to the square after the parade for all the yummy food!

 10/19 - we got a new bull!  He's a full-bred red poll.  He looks so little but he was actually over 500 lbs when we bought him.  He has an official registered name, but we call him Royal (we were really excited about the Kansas City Royals' great season!).

 Levi has no natural fear of giant animals.

 10/25 - Josiah had the day off of school Friday, so I took the boys to see my parents.  This is them with my Grandma Lucy in her new assisted living room (she just sold her house)!

 10/27 - pumpkin carving fun!

 And on the other side of the pumpkin, our Royals tribute!

 10/31 - our church had a harvest festival.  We made the costumes for the boys this year, which was fun, but not something I'll be doing every year!  :)

 11/2 - Levi all dressed up for church!  How can you not smile at a 3 year old in a tie?!

 11/3 - sausage making!  This is the pork that we raised on our farm.

 11/6 - my best friend Genevieve and her son Roen were in Columbia, so Levi and I took a quick trip to visit her!

 11/7 - hanging out with the cousins!  A bonus that we got to see them while we were at my parent's house.

 Levi is such a manly farmer.

 11/9 - goofing off!

 11/16 - snow!!  It was a COLD November.

 11/23 - an early birthday present for Josiah - a big kid bike with brakes on the handlebars!

 11/26-28 - we went to the Dallas area for Thanksgiving with Jason's sister.  Instead of Texas, Levi kept calling it Tes-kiss, so we had to kiss him a lot.  It was a fun trip and we had a great time!

 Levi is "helping" play the piano.

 They got to sleep in Aunt Ericka's bed one night!

 Josiah doing some Christmas shopping on Amazon.  I think he got his Mi Mi's cart up to $200 before I cut him off.  :)

 We went to a street fair while we were there in McKinney.  Carousel, ferris wheel, petting zoo, a constructed sledding hill - the kids of course loved it!

It was a great trip and we enjoyed a break from the freezing MO temperatures!