2010 NOVEMBER FAMILY PICTURES AT THANKSGIVING

2010 THANKSGIVING AT THE FARM

We had our Chappell family Thanksgiving at the farm the Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving again this year. There were about 70 of us! The family keeps enlarging.... Everyone was able to come along with David & Eleanor Barkley (NY) and Sandy White (TX). Heather & Howie White were married that morning at Heather's farm with just their immediate families present. Then they all joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a beautiful day but nippy out. The kids all went for a jeep ride after dinner and had fun playing. Lots of yummy food of every kind and a wonderful time together!

2010 BRAD & SHELLEY'S ADDITION TO THEIR HOME

Brad & Shelley are putting an addition on their house, adding a two car garage, mud room & entry, guest room and bathroom, and family room on the main level with a sitting area upstairs for the girls, and a bathroom and walk-in closet off each of the girls' present bedrooms. They lost their bathroom between their two bedrooms for a hallway going into the new addition. Taking the closets out of their rooms and adding the new ones will give them more space in their bedrooms for a desk, etc. It has been a big project, started in April, and just about complete now. Edgar has been doing most of the work. It will really be nice, and they are looking forward to being done with the mess and using it! The addition is post and beam with all dark wood floors throughout. The main floor is open through the diningroom, with that brick wall taken out, making it wide open. The big rock with their house numbers on it in the first picture is new at the beginning of the entry to Brent's & Brad's driveways.

2010 HALLOWEEN AT THE FARM

We had our usual Fall potluck at the farm with tons of yummy food! Afterwards we adults set up different stations in the woods, and the kids came on a hay ride to the different cabins, etc trick or treating! Lots of fun!

2010 OCTOBER -- Ava's braces

Ava is SO excited today, as she got neon blue braces on her front teeth!

BIG BLACK BEAR!

We were heading off to bed tonight when Kent heard a banging noise out back by the breakfast room. Turned on the back light, and there was "BRUIN" having a great picnic at our bird feeder! He had bent the heavy metal pole right to the ground that holds the feeder and snapped the top off one of the feeders. Tried to take a pic of him, but the flash just reflected off of the window and got nothing! Too dark without a flash.... So when he looked up and saw us, he just ambled off, came back, and sauntered away again. He was right below the window, so you couldn't get any closer than that. We have brought the feeders in for the night, hoping not to invite him back again. He was here in the spring and did the same thing, and even though he has made his appearance in the neighborhood off and on, he hadn't bothered our feeders again until tonight. He was in Brent & Johanna's yard a week ago. That's too close for comfort for me! Doors are locked tight, and I hope Bruin is snuggled up in a tree somewhere for the night.

This is a pic from Google Images, but is what he looked like.

OCTOBER AND A BEAUTIFUL FALL!

After such a dry summer, we are enjoying a gorgeous fall! The foliage is stunning and about peak around here right now. It has been a busy busy summer and fall with a lot of company. Kent was also busy with Milford's annual PUMPKIN FESTIVAL, and we had a beautiful week-end for that and huge crowds. Then last week he and Edgar Fandrich went to Haiti for a week to continue helping with the building projects down there following the earthquake in January. The major projects are winding down and all of the friends now out of tents, so that is great. I'll add some pics from that next time when I get them off of Kent's camera. HAPPY PUMPKINS!