Center Grove-Labor Day Weekend 2015

On Sunday September 6th we headed to Center Grove Orchard for our first visit of the season. This is the third season we have purchased a season pass-although this is also the first year that we have had to pay for Elsie.  This particular weekend the orchard was only available for season pass holders and it was so empty!!!  I loved it!! It can get super busy later in the season but generally the first few weeks are pretty quiet and weekdays tend to be less busy as well.  But really, this was probably the least busy I have ever seen it.  It was a bit toasty but Elsie didn't seem to mind.

We met up with Lisa, Chuck and the kids and they were out by the giant slide.  This is the first year for Elsie to go down all by herself!  She had a little trouble staying on the mat ;).  

Evie watching on from the stroller

We hit up the jumping pillow! 

And the kiddos tried the small maze-good thing they had an older wiser child to lead them out ;)

And we played in the corn pit for a bit.

Swimming through the corn. 

They tried their hand at duck races

John and Elsie tried to rope a bull

And rode the pedal tractors 

After that we hoped on the hayride out to the orchard to pick some apples.  

After getting apples we decided to call it a day.  We stopped in the shop, bought some carmel to go with our apples, camel apples to eat on the way home and some apple cider donuts.   

And Elsie just had to take a picture here-she is just like her mama haha.  

There were a few things not up yet like the photo op on the hay bales at the entrance and we definitely didn't get to everything but that's okay because we will be back a few more times before the close Halloween weekend.  

Y Camp Fall Excursion

This past Sunday, Elsie, John and I went on a YCamp Alumni event.  It was a train ride on the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad which goes right through camp.  When living out at camp I saw this train go through ALL THE TIME!  I never rode it though.  So for this event the train would stop at camp and drop us off.  Then take a hayride out to a campfire where we would enjoy songs and s'mores.  I wasn't going to sign us up at first because it started at one which is nap time and was worried how Elsie would react since she is such a nap girl but I threw caution to the wind-ha and said risked it hoping there was enough action to keep her happy.  I also laid her down at 11:00 AM for a little nap before we left.  This particular afternoon was just wonderful.  The weather was perfect!  In fact, I was warm in a sweatshirt and Elsie shed her sweater the minute we got on the train.  

All Aboard! 

Elsie was pretty excited about the idea of riding on a train and she kept saying "we're up high Mommy!" but she got over it quickly and ended up laying down on the seat with her blanket.  Thank goodness we only were on for half of the train ride-not sure how it would have turned out if we were on for the full trip because this girl got restless. 

Views from atop the Bass Point Creek High Bride-154 FT High

Getting dropped off at camp.  

Our old house-Crawford Cabin where we lived from Jan 2009-June 2010 when we had to move out because of the flooding of the Des Moines River.  Now it is built up so there is no more worries about flooding.  

Train going back through camp.

We took a tractor ride out to The Preserve-a part of camp that was just in the beginning stages of development when I worked there.  I remember doing research about the fish to use to stock this pond for kids to fish-little did I know my own little girl would be trying to catch those fish :)

After a little fishing and exploring it was time for the fire and sing a long.  

The guy on the left is Alex-the new summer camp director.  On the right is Mike-one of my most favorite people.  He is the naturalist on staff and is so talented and knowlegeable.  He even humored Elsie by teaching her owl sounds.  

Adult vs kid marshmallow fight.  Elsie had fun throwing them at Mommy and Daddy.  

The bison on the prairie.  Well not really-they are steel cute outs.  John was trying to make a "bison sound" pretending it was coming from them.  Elsie exclaimed "Daddy that is not the buffaloes, that noise is from a cow!"  

More exploring.  It was really fun to head back out to camp since it has been since Elsie was just 6 months old since I have been out there and so much has changed.  It was also fun to see Elsie have so much fun there and I hope to participate in many more programs over the years to come-only two more years until she is old enough for Mother/Child and Father/Child campouts.  

The sign to camp say "The Closest Place to Heaven on Earth" and this Sunday was a great reminder of that.  

Night Eyes 2014

On Friday October 17th, John, Elsie and I went to Night Eyes at the Blank Park Zoo.  We had plans to meet up with our friends, Nick, Hillary, Owen and Brady but they were going to be arriving a little later than us.  I had no idea what to expect.  What we discovered was that pretty much once you got in, you get on the "treat trail" that takes you around the zoo.  You just follow the crowd.  I wasn't really expecting that which meant we didn't meet up with the others until the very end.  Also, as we were getting out of the vehicle we looked a few cars down and there was Kara, her friend Jamie and the boys getting out of their van.  We started out together but split up towards the beginning.

My beautiful Princess-Belle.  The crown lasted as long as it took for this picture :)

Hans and Franz (and Jamie)

First Treat Station.  It took her a few stations to get the hang of this whole trick or treat business.

While I went to buy tickets for the train Elsie and John walked around and took all these pictures.  Haha

One of the most interesting things about going to the zoo at night was that the big cats were actually acvitve.  We are members of the zoo so we have gone numerous times and never once have the lions or tigers been up moving around-just lounging.  But this night the male was running around, it would squat down, then take off running towards the female.  The tiger was also up wandering around and walked right in front of us.  

 Of course we had to ride the carousel.  

Finally met up with Owen, Brady, Nick and Hillary.  

And these two had a blast running around.  The alligator chasing after the princess :)

We were litterally one of the last vehicles in the lot!  Although it wasn't quite what I expected we still had a fun time!