Flanagan Clan

This was definitely an impulse buy, but I couldn’t resist!

We had, lying around the house, my very first digital camera that I received as a Christmas gift while I was in college. It was quite the camera in it’s day, but has since been made obsolete by many new, slicker models out there. It also appeared to be broken, because, although it had fresh batteries, it kept on giving low battery errors and telling me to change them! So, before putting the camera out of commission for good, I let Patrick play with it a little bit. He quickly figured out how to snap pictures, and had a lot of fun taking pictures of Sammy, his toys, Daddy and Mommy. It was quite interesting to see what he came up with. Here are just a few of over 275 pictures he took!!!

Sammy playing with a ribbon

Sammy pulling himself up on the coffee table

Pictures in one of our coffee table books

One of Patrick’s puppets

Self-portrait

Daddy!

A Dinosaur!

A DUCK!

He actually arranged these bowls in order to take this picture… artistic, huh?

Here are a few pictures of the cake I made today for Jonny’s birthday party. I got the inspiration online, while looking for cake recipes. I changed the recipe a little bit, and this is what I came up with. Isn’t it cute?

It’s a triple chocolate cake with a milk chocolate mousse layer in the center. The frosting is vanilla-flavored, and the “bow” is made out of Fruit by the Foot.

Another view

It’s not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but considering everything, I think it turned out really well. The real test will be tonight, when we eat it!!!

Here are some more pictures from yesterday. After returning home from the pumpkin patch, Sammy played with Patrick’s pumpkin for a while, and then we went over to my parents’ house for dinner and to help celebrate Uncle Jonny’s 25th birthday.

Sammy likes playing with round, little pumpkins!

Our little half-German boy playing in Oma’s backyard

The birthday boy. Happy 25th birthday, Uncle Jonny!!!

Today we did one of our favorite fall activities: picking out a pumpkin! We all had a great time this year at the Schultz Farm down in the Orting Valley, going through corn mazes, feeding the animals, playing in the giant wood chip pile, and finding the perfect pumpkin. We got over 100 pictures from our time at the farm… here are just a few of the many, many great shots we got!

Patrick on his way to the pumpkin patch, decked out in a cute fall sweater and his rubber boots!

Patrick and Sammy helping Daddy feed a hungry but friendly little goat

Patrick  preparing to enter the spooky corn maze!

Andrew and Sammy in the corn maze

“NO, MAMA! NO MORE PICTURES!!!”

Patrick and Andrew running down the top of the wood chip pile

Sammy not exactly enjoying sitting in wood chips and getting covered with them

Patrick “driving” the huge red tractor!

Patrick helping to push the wheelbarrow

Sammy and I trying to find a good pumpkin!

It’s fun to sit on pumpkins!!!

Our beautiful orange pumpkin, a “fairytale” pumpkin, and Sammy’s shoes!

Along with 8 ears of sweet corn and a mini-pumpkin that Patrick picked out, we head for home after another wonderful year at the pumpkin patch

Patrick, as happy as can be, holding the little pumpkin that he picked out himself