Fall is in the Air?

 Ok, so Fall might not be in the air just yet, here in Florida, but Halloween is creeping closer by the day. The pumpkin patch was waiting for us last weekend after a mountain bike ride in our local state park. The boys did great on their bikes while Mom and Dad ran the trails with them. It's finally cool enough to enjoy Rocky Bayou and more importantly, less buggy!

After biking, we hit the pumpkin patch and found the perfect carving pumpkins. Our visit was a quick one because Dad came across a bike demonstration on base that was AWESOME. These guys were good! They had huge ramps set up and thrilled the crowd with flips, twists and other extreme biking maneuvers. The boys were amazed! Axel was psyched. Lucas was nervous. That about sums up the boys when it comes to extreme sports. :)

Back to the pumpkins...

I tried to get every one to wear silly mustaches for the pumpkin carving but they thought I was nuts!



Lucas went the scary route.

 

Mom loves doing this.

Lucas was our photographer.

Axel went the happy route.

Nice photo Lucas!

The finished pumpkins.

 I'm glad Lucas took these photos because here in Florida, you have about 3 days before the pumpkin  gets full of while fuzz, rots and is a fruit fly breeding zone. They look extra creepy in this state and then turn to a pile of mush before your eyes. I like to remember our beautiful pumpkins like this...

I think we did great!

Axel's got a little more scary with the lights off.
 

 The next day, we headed to Pensacola for an Art and Wine Festival. To make if a full day of fun, we left early with all the bikes packed in the car. Dad found some great bike trails for a long family bike ride. This was the first time Axel would use the trailer bike and Lucas would be on his own bike. I'm not sure how far we went but it was the farthest Lucas has ever gone on his own. There were moments of frustration, tiredness and a less-than-pleased boy but overall, he did really, really well. We were very proud and he learned that sometimes exercise it tiring and hard work. :)

After our bike ride, we hit the beach for a little football. It was a gorgeous day and the ocean was a calm as I've ever seen it.

 We then headed over to the boardwalk for the festival. We walked out a long pier with the boys and discovered Moon Jellyfish. October is jellyfish season around here and the water was full of them. They were bigger than dinner plates. I told the boys not to fall in because I wanted nothing to do with those jellyfish.

 The festival was really fun for Mom and Dad. Lucas read his Harry Potter book and Axel played with whatever gadget he could find. They mostly hung out in the shade while we taste tested each and every sample available. There was more wine than we could ever want and seven chefs featuring various foods. We fell in love with the bread pudding and the chef fell in love with us...or maybe with our accolades and tips! Either way, it was a great working relationship!

The boys opted for pizza and this big mirror was perfect for a family photo!

 On the way home, Axel requested another trip to the beach. We all agreed and found a huge sand bar to walk way out on. The water was warm and the air was cool but it was so beautiful. We had a great time swimming and then headed home. It was time for some relaxation after a busy, fun filled weekend.

Homework time.

They guys are the best of friends and it makes my heart smile.

Here's my BFF! I love you all! -Love, Mom