"Oh the LORD is good to me!" - video

Please pardon my singing, but this is a very typical after mealtime scenario. We always like to sing this song and now Aubrey requests it and loves to join in! I'm so glad she loves it and Steve puts up with it too, which is more than I could say about the rest of the Van Grouws who used to hate it when I requested to sing this song after meals:) ENJOY! 

Fall Fun

Here's what we've been up to lately.  Earlier in the week it was BEAUTIFUL and over 80 degrees. Toward the end of the week it only got in the 40s! I guess Fall is truly here.  

Here we are outside on a hot day raking the leaves :)

Or I should say dragging the broom through the leaves.

So much fun running around!

Uh oh, she decided to climb up on the mower!

She quickly found all the buttons and acted like she knew just what to do!

SO BIG! Right before she decided to climb up and jump on the seat....

needless to say she ended up the ground crying ;)

Adorable:)

One day there was a tree trimming company 

who was in the neighborhood trimming trees, 

so we got out Aubrey's step stool and she loved watching them!

Later that day, Steve and Aubrey saw a deer in the front yard

nibbling at all the fallen branches. 

Aubrey got to see it too, but just as Steve snapped the picture here

the deer ran away and Aubrey is wondering why?! :)

It was so chilly we got out the feetie pajamas!

Aubrey kept saying "shoes, shoes" to her feeties :)

All clean and cozy after a bath!

Pigtails!

For church this morning I decided to try pigtails in Aubrey's hair for the first time. I thought church would be a good place to test them out since it would only be for a couple hours. They turned out ADORABLE:) I didn't get any pictures of her in her church outfit, but here she is playing outside while Daddy was grilling!

Autumn Acres

Since it was a beautiful fall afternoon we decided to take Aubrey to Autumn Acres in Oskaloosa. I have heard a lot about this place especially since my students often go here on field trips but we had never gone before until today! Aubrey had a fun time I think. She maybe was a bit too little for some of the things but we all had a great afternoon! Here is what we did!

the ropes course

we went out on a hayride and got out to pick an ear of corn 

family photo on the hayride 

barnyard billy even joined us!

going up the big slide. . . here we go!

daddy waiting with Aubrey for their turn

weeeeeeeeeee!

weeeeeeeeeeee!

playing in the corn box 

more corn box

good thing she wore pants or there would be corn all over!

playing in the inner-tubes 

launching and apple to try to win $50

(and we also did the corn launch)

view from the pirate ship of the whole area

going up to the top of the pirate ship

"ARRRGGG" I'm a pirate!

way up high...walking the plank

riding the little train

all by herself...such a big girl!

 awwww :)

checking out the corn maze 

drink in hand walking the rows 

peek a boo through the corn

more slide fun!

she would've done this all day long!

painting a mini pumpkin...first Mommy showing her how

then she wanted to do it all by herself!

ending the day with a little tether ball! 

Culvey

Tonight we went out to celebrate Steve's completion of his Master's Degree and Andrea's completion of her BA Degree.  Mom, Dad, Steve, Jen, Aubrey, Dan and Andrea all went out to eat in Altoona at the Big Steer.  We then went for dessert at Culver's. It was all very yummy! Thank you!

While we were at Culver's, Uncle Dan was kind enough to follow Aubrey around the restaurant as she ran around. After several trips around the place, the manager came out and gave Aubrey a little stuffed animal ice cream cone! Too sweet! She was the only one that was saw that got that! Super fun!

Here she is loving on her new friend who we called "Culvey" at Culver's

She then fell asleep with "Culvey" in hand on the way home! :)