Fieldtrip: Upland Hills Farm

Today Alex and Evan had a field trip with their class to Upland Hills Farm. We got to go on a hayride, meet and pet a bunch of farm animals and pick a pumpkin in the end. They even got to milk a cow! The morning started out rainy, but turned out to be such a fun day!!

Happy Boy!

The Kids petting a duckling

Alex and Mrs. Barry getting ready to pet a pig

Alex and his girl Sapphire

Evan petting bunny

Feeding the Ducks

Alex on the hayride with Mrs. Barry

Evan milking a cow!!

The Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Time!

Evan, Alex and Sapphire

Such a great day!

Fall Color Tour: October 17, 2015

Yesterday we ventured up north for the day to do a fall color tour and stop off in Houghton Lake. Growing up, my Grandparents had a cabin up in Houghton Lake that I would spend weekends at with the family. When my Grandpa retired, they sold the cabin and built a home up there and settled in. They only stayed in that home for a handful of years before buying 80 acres with a house so that it could always be a place for the family to go. 

I haven't been there in eight years. I can't believe it has been that long, but 2007 was the last Thanksgiving we celebrated up there before my Grandpa passed away in 2009. It was too much for my Grandma to be up there by herself, so she has since moved down here to live with my Aunt, and the house and property is there for us to keep up and use. I have been wanting to get up there for a few years now to show the boys but just lose track of time.

We were headed north of there yesterday and decided to stop by and take a tour. I am so glad that I finally got to share a piece of my family history with the boys. My Grandpa passed 7 months before they were born, but so much of him is still there in the house and on the land. Here are a some pictures of us on the property.

One of my favorites

From there we stopped off at a store called the Rockin' Chair which I used to LOVE going into when I was little. I had to take the boys and get a few pics outside. Evan was excited to buy a bag of rocks/stones and Alex got a drum. We had lunch in town at a place called Garretts and then headed north to Petoskey to see the Tunnel of Trees.

I will forever cherish this picture

Check out the snow flakes!

The weather was kind of crazy for October. It would be sunny one minute and then we would run into a snow squall. The wind was pretty strong and the wind chill was very prominent. It is much colder in these pictures than it looks.

A hint of snow

The tunnel of trees is a 27 mile stretch of road lined with trees that run along Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey, Michigan. We thought we would give it a shot and it was definitely worth the time. It was a long day and the boys did great but next time we will make sure to book a hotel room and stay the night!

Snow on the Ground!

Fall with a hint of winter

Eric captured this beautiful shot

Making Family Memories