The Irish of Arthur, Illinois

This weekend we had a full house! Karen, Emma, Anna, Ella, Kori, Ben, and Amelia came to visit! They came Friday evening, and for the most part the little girls spent the evening reacquainting themselves with Aunt Kelly's small toy colllection while the older girls caught up and talked about the Rankin girls that weren't there (Just kidding, Kim and Kendall!).

Saturday morning we went to Arthur to the Pumpkin Patch....60 acres of all things pumpkin and autumn. Karen wanted a few pictures of her girls; so, we dodged the other visitors and tried to get a few, but it was difficult. My favorite part of the day was on the drive up there. Emma and Anna rode in my car, and after passing a horse and buggy we discussed the Amish and how they lived similarly to Mary and Laura off of "Little House on the Prairie," one of their favorite TV shows. The girls were very astute in their observations: Mary and Laura lived in a log cabin and the Amish lived in white farmhouses...Ma's dress went all the way to the ground, but the Amish mothers' clothes did not, etc. Although they were good at spotting the Amish by the end of the day, they had more difficulty remembering what they were called. Until Emma actuallly saw the word spelled, the Amish of Arthur, IL, were affectionately known to the girls from Manito, IL, as "the Irish." I love them! :)

Here are a few of my favorite pix of the day!