Boyd Orchards.

Could he get ANY cuter? No. The answer is no.

Man, I love fall. I love the smell of the leaves. The hot cider. The warm clothes. It's the best. A fabulous season like fall deserves a little recognition. So, Chuck and I made a list of holiday festivities that we wanted to do as a family during this wonderful time of year. On our list for Halloween was apple picking and visiting a pumpkin patch. Joy!

So, last Friday Chuck didn't have classes and we headed over to Boyd Orchards for a day of fun :) There are tons of activities (hay rides, play ground, petting zoo) for little ones, but Jackson just isn't quite old enough to enjoy them quite yet, so we didn't do any of them this year. We grabbed a delicious lunch at the cafe with some yummy hot cider (one of my most favorite drinks in the entire world). Then we set off to do some apple picking! Unfortunately, most of the apples were past their prime. We didn't end up picking any of our own. But Jack had a fabulous time riding around in the wagon and playing with the rotten apples (yucky) on the ground anyway! The pumpkin patch was tons of fun and we loved watching Jackson try and pick up the giant pumpkins. This kid has 0% fear, 10% confidence and 90% perseverance. He. does. not. give. up. Which I'll be so grateful for when he is studying hard at school and not trying to open the fireplace again and again and again. and again.

 We ended the trip by trying out their apple cider donuts (YUM).

He did not stay sitting in the wagon for very long. He kept trying to stand up...while we were pulling him. Crazy guy.

"How does this work?"

"Don't worry, Dad. I've got this."

Looking for better apples.

This is his new exasperated face. Makes me giggle every time.

"Look mom, my size!"

So glad we were able to visit Boyd Orchards! Yay for Fall :)

Ruler Growth Chart for little ones.

I've finally started finishing some of the twenty something projects I have going right now! Woot woot. I bought the supplies for a wooden height chart that I saw on pinterest ages ago, but just hadn't started it because there were more pressing projects at hand. But last weekend I started it and finished it all in one day! That rarely happens. Okay, never happens. The work was quick and I had Chuck to help out with Jackson so I just kept on trucking!

source

I saw this adorable oversized ruler growth chart floating around pinterest and wanted to try making it on my own.

Time commitment:

around 4-5 hours

Cost: 

approximately $15

Supplies:

1. Rust-oleum's american walnut stain (I got mine at Lowe's for seven dollars and some change)
2. A 1 x 10 x 6 (I also got this at Lowe's for around five dollars)
3. Black acrylic paint (I used some old stuff I had on hand)
4. Printed numbers 1-6 (I printed my favorite font at 200 pt.)
5. Pencil
6. Measuring tape
7. Paint brush
8. Finishing sander with 100, 150 and 220 grit sandpaper
9. Old rag

I started by sanding my 1 x 10. I started with 100 grit sandpaper and worked my way to the finer 220 grit. I sanded the entire board because I'm slightly OCD, but if you know what side you want to use, then you only need to sand that side. I would recommend sanding all the 1 inch edges as well since sometimes those can have sharp edges or splinters. I was so excited to get going on this that I forgot the camera. Sorry : (

Next I whipped out the Rust-oleum stain and started slapping it on. Please ignore the crazy red head in the photo. I have no idea why she started working in the garage in her pajamas. Crazy woman.

I waited for about 5 minutes before I started to wipe off the excess stain with an old t-shirt (Thanks, Dad).

I went inside to check on Jackson and to grab a snack while I waited for the stain to dry. It only took fifteen minutes or so. Next, I set up the measuring tape next to the 1 x 10 and marked out the tick marks with a pencil. In order to hang it, I needed to start the tick marks at 6 inches (so I could hang it 6 inches from the ground).

After all the tick marks were in place I printed out numbers in my favorite font (size 200 pt.), cut them out and laid them out on the board. Once I had them lined up where I wanted them, I traced over top of the number, making indentions in the wood. 

With black acrylic paint, I hand-painted the tick marks and numbers (painting within the indentions I had made in the wood).

Ta-da!

What do you think?

 Sorry for the lame pictures, it's late :) But I wanted to be able to finally have something to show for all of this time I've been "supposedly" working on projects. I'm pretty stoked about it. Check back to see how I plan to mark his height each year :)

Thanks for stopping by!

I love my little man.

I know every mom thinks their kids are the greatest. So, I'm just living up to the cliche. He really is the best. I've got a bunch of random photos that are adorable, but I didn't know what to do with them. So, enjoy. 

Hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma Krebs and the Matt and Corinda Krebs fam on a Sunday!

Jack's first time in a swing :)

Elsie LOVING it!

Looking around for his Papa :) Chuck usually works in the office and plays peek-a-boo with Jack from our bedroom doors. Jack goes looking for him during the day sometimes. Precious.

This smile melts my heart.

What'd I do, mom?

Can I guy just play with his toys?

Pretty sure this is the cutest saggy bottom around town.

Jack's halloween costume :)

Wrestling with Dad!

Reading with mom :)

Grandma Woods sent Jackson a package in the mail! He was super excited that I let him hold it when I pulled it out of the mailbox :)

Thanks for the pajamas, Grandma!

Top Ten Jack Favorites:

1. That smile.

2. Tickling his toes while he's eating - he dies laughing.

3. When he looks out windows.

4. Getting hugs.

5. Waving bye.

6. His excited noise.

7. Hearing him chat when he wakes up from a nap.

8. When he squats down and his pants sag.

9. When he plays with the hair when we are snuggling before nap time.

10. His "hold me" stance.

Love this little guy to pieces.