Picking up Brush

Today we cleaned up some dead trees and limbs in the woods. The kids were helping me this morning while Johanna ran some errands. Paxton was using his fourwheeler to hall some brush over to the burn pile. Shaelyn had a good time putting sticks in the bucket of the tractor. It was a great day for working outside. These pictures were taken with my phone so the quality isn't very good.

Paxton using his fourwheeler as a skidder.

Shaelyn helping load the bucket of the tractor.

Thanksgiving in Pittsburg

We went up north to the Lodge on wednesday with Mom and Dad and Brad and Shelley's family for Thanksgiving. It was a fun time. We rode the four wheelers a little bit and did some sledding out on the front hill. It spit snow off and on most every day we were there. There was only a couple of inches of snow, but it was enough to do some sledding. We had a fire in the fire pit one evening, played some games and read books. We went out to dinner one evening and had Neal and Debbie and Bill Smith for lunch on Saturday. We headed home on Sunday after meeting.

Danny giving the kids a ride up the hill

Paxton and Shaelyn out sledding

Are we at the North Pole?

Giving Brody and Paxton a ride

Paxton and Brody headed down the hill

Dad with a load of kids

Shaelyn in the SnoCoach behind the fourwheeler

Nice weather

Playing Farkel

Chappell Thanksgiving

The Saturday before Thanksgiving we had a meal down at the barn with all of the family. There were about 70 people there. Lots of food, laughs and games.

Center piece on each table

All of the Kent Chappell Family

Our family

Brad and Shelley's family

The four cousins

Mom and Dad

Playing games

Sitting by the Fire

Tonight we built a fire in the fireplace and the kids are sitting by the fire with their pillows. A good way to spend a chilly evening.

Laying by the fire

Watching the fire

Paxton reading a Sponge Bob book to Shaelyn

The Wiggles Show

Friday night we went down to Boston to see the Wiggles. We had taken Paxton a few years ago when they had come through the area before Shaelyn was born. Shealyn really likes the Wiggles now so we decided to take her to see them this year.

Outside the Orpheum Theater before the show

During the show

Shaelyn clapping along with the song

Sam coming around through the audience

Murray coming through the audience

Capt'n Feathersword getting ready to do something crazy

A fun show

Halloween Party

Last night was the Halloween potluck down at the barn. After supper they had a hayride with stations set up in the woods for the kids to go trick-or-treating at.

Our Family

All the kids

Shaelyn (Dorothy The Dinosaur) and Paxton (Luigi)

Pumpkin Carving

Friday night Andrea had a bunch of people over to their house for pizza and pumpkin carving. It was a fun evening.

The two pumpkins that we carved.

Lit up

Shaelyn Reading To Her Doll

Shaelyn reading a story to her doll

Hayride and Corn Maze

Today the kids and I went to a corn maze here in town and they gave us a hayride before we went into the maze and then when we were done the kids each got an apple to bring home. It was a fun time.

On the hayride

Ready to head into the corn maze

Running through the maze

All finished!!

Deerfield Fair

Yesterday we went to the Deerfield fair. Apparently quite a few other people had the same idea as the place was packed. It was a beautiful fall day and there was lots to do and see there. We saw a magician show, a flying circus act, some tractor pulling and went on some rides. Oh, I almost forgot, we ate that healthy fair food. My favorite was the fried dough with maple icing and powda sugar. It was a fun day!!

Paxton, in the red fleece on the left hand side, facing the camera.

On the tilt-o-whirl.

On the little roller coaster. Second row from the back.

Weekend Project

A couple of weekends ago we added this brick area outside the door at the end of the garage. The bricks are from an old chimney or something that was torn down at my parents house years ago and then dumped in a pile in the woods. So I decided to do something with them and had just enough decent bricks for this little area. I had done the little stonewalls for the planting areas earlier this summer. It was fun to finally finish up that end of the house.