And the cute continues

As if you haven't had enough...

On the trail in Mansfield

Hiding in a pile of leaves

Hmmmmmmm......

Wait up, mommy.

Michael Jordan's tongue, Cal Ripken Jr's stance

Slide Slide Slide, let it slide!

Mom's club fall outing 2013 was held at the Cedar Ledge Tree Farm. For those of you who are avid Ashford Living readers, it was at this event that "Pumpkin Headed Hills of Connecticut" was shot. There are lots of neat things for the kids (and parents!) to do at the farm, including big slides and pedal tractors.

Ready. Set... 

Go! Sliding in Style

Whoosh!

Splash!

Pushing Robby down the big tube

Tiny baby in the giant tube

Again mom, again!

Pedal cars?

Legs too short!

Red cup? You're gonna miss me when I'm gone...

Pumpkin (head) hills of Connecticut

Another Hay ride? Yup! And this time there were pumpkins along the way.

Look at the view in the distance. Oh, and that orange head in the foreground.

Do we have to do this again, mommy?

Gonna eat me an apple, anyhow.

Look at that -- quite a view

Seems we've stumbled upon a tree farm.

Pumpkin Head!

Pumpkin Head!

Hidden Pumpkin

We live in a great area.

Daily Happy: Shameless Dad Blog (Video Stylez!)

We went to Matt and Amanda's house on Saturday night. Great cookout. Good friends. Super Dribbling display by the newest soccer star: Robby! We captured this on film the next day at Uconn, if you don't believe me:

http://youtu.be/w1iMo-e85_c

Walking with Mommy on the balance beam

Touching a bumble bee

Is there baseball this week?

Oh, yeah: Go Sox!

I can't look

what is it?

Do you hear it?

Wait for it...

Baby in the leaves!

Pumpkin Times

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend for Amy Goff's Birthday party. It was wonderful to see Amy, Andy, Lauren, Uncle Mike, Aunt Nancy and all of Lauren's Family. We met at the Ward Berry Farm in Sharon, Mass. After plating on the hay bales and swings, we went on a hay ride (Robby's 3rd in 1 week!)

Happy Birthday Amy! Now on the the pictures:

Riding the swings

Waiting by the tractor for the hay ride

Checking out the pumpkins. Which one's right for Robby"

That's not the perfect pumpkin mom. Let's go.

I think we have a winner!

Check out these two little punkin' hunters

Behind the scenes. Nature show photographer stylez.

Bonus: Checking out a worm. It's the huge red line at the edge of Robby's Shadow.

Whoa!

Moonshine, and other adventures in West Virginia

As you all know, I have a special spot in my heart for West Virginia. It's mountains and meadows, rocky crags and hidden hollows, racing rivers and gentle streams. Both sides of my family have Mountaineer Heritage, and I'm proud to be able to go back on occasion and see the land that has shaped so much our our past. And drink some crazy strong moonshine with my sister!

We went to the Heston Farm winery and distillery, just outside of Fairmont. No relation to Charlton Heston and his cold, dead hands.

It was a lovely farm with wonderful views

The only place quainter would be in New England.

It was raining the day we were there, but I can imagine that kids would have a lot of fun on this train while their parents hung out in side drinking wine.

Eclectic is the word

Hurry up people. We've got wine to taste!

They had a nice selection of wines and spirits -- the wine grapes are grown in the Shenandoah, and the grains locally. Everything is fermented and distilled on site

The wines we tasted. The Cab Franc was by far my favorite. 

And then there was the Moonshine. 180 proof. Mountain Dew. White Lighting. The Creature.

Life is like a dollar bill. You can spend it any way you like, but you can only spend it once. 

Here's to trying new things.

Bottoms up!

How do you think it tasted?

Does this give you a hint? 

But the view through the mountains makes up for the indigestion.

A Mountaineer is Always Free