First Annual Reinschmiedt Pumpkin Carving Contest

The First Annual Reinschmiedt Pumpkin Carving Contest has officially been held. We all had so much fun and I foresee this being a long time family tradition. Below are some pictures from the fun filled day and the RESULTS. Above: We gathered the pumpkins and the Tad Man and took some pictures with him before the carving began. He had a GREAT time and thought the pumpkins were really neat.
Above: The day started off with Ryan, Ashley and myself carving pumpkins. Angie and the boys were rounding up cattle, so they carved their pumpkins later on that evening. Ryan had to leave for Dallas that afternoon so it was a two session carving event. It was a good thing it happened that way because we did not have enough tools for everyone to be carving at once. (Note to self for next year).
Above: Later that evening the rest of the gang began to clean and carve their pumpkins.
Above: The boys were not as nice as Ryan, Ashley and I... Hehe. They did not separate the seeds from the goo, so Mom had to. :) Mom always roasts the pumpkin seeds and she does an AMAZING job. They are so good!
Above: Jake is carving away on his pumpkin.
Above: Tad is very interested in what is happening to the pumpkin he was playing with earlier. His Dad carved it for him.
Above: Jake's pumpkin. Go pokes!!
Above: Ryan's pumpkin.
Above: Julie's pumpkin.
Above: Angie's pumpkin.
Above: Ashley's pumpkin.
Above: Bryan's pumpkin. Bryan actually carved each side of his pumpkin. He carved some of the brands that they use.
Above: Ben's pumpkin.
Above: Tad's pumpkin. Tad's actually had a smoky effect. Well actually, it just kind of caught fire. As you can see, there is a flame that is coming out the top of his pumpkin.
Above: The judges working hard to pick the winning pumpkin. I would like to thank my Grandpa, Grandma and Lisa even though I think they picked the wrong one! LOL... I'm just kidding guys!
And the big winner is..... drumroll...... RYAN!!!

Cowboy Football/Pumpkin Patch Adventures

Saturday we went to Perry to watch the OSU game at Ryan's parents. GO POKES!! They won! I have to say OSU has had a pretty good year. We were due one though. They play Texas this weekend in Stillwater so they better bring their A game! Erica, Kelly, Alyssa and Grayson watched the game there too. We have so much fun with them.



After the game Ryan and I needed to get more pumpkins for the pumpkin carving contest so we all went out to the Bolay Pumpkin Patch (I told you that place is awesome). Alyssa loved it. Below are some pictures of the day.The picture above is (L -R) Alyssa, Me, Marianne, Ryan and Grayson. Behind us is one patch of the pumpkins. I think there are 4 big patches of them. Different kinds in each one.
Above: The Davis Family!! They are so much fun. Love you guys!
Above: Ryan pushed Alyssa in the wheelbarrow the entire time. They always have a great time together. They have some pumpkins already picked in the barn you can choose... but we wanted the full experience so out we went with our wheelbarrows and clippers to find that perfect pumpkin.
Above: Me and Grayson. He is such a happy little guy!! He has the sweetest little smile.
Above: Meet Pudge. I love Pudge. He is a lazy big ole cat. I caught him eating his dinner lying down and it cracked me up. Such a sweet cat. And no... he is not named Pudge because he is pudgy... he was named after the baseball player Pudge.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM & DAD! - Plus a Sneak Preview

October is full of birthdays for our family. Here we go:



Kirk - October 11

Grandpa Jack - October 16

Megan - October 20

Dad - October 22

Mom - October 23

Bryan - October 27



We celebrated my Mom and Dad's birthday yesterday at my Mom's house. I have such great parents and I appreciate them both so much. We had this AWESOME chocolate cake my Grandma makes that literally is to die for. We had a great family get together which is always a good time. (I think Lisa was the big Greedy winner too - which rarely happens) Love ya Biff!

I have to tell you, my Mom loves the icing on that cake (well any cake) and so Grandma gave her icing for her birthday. Mom was so excited. When Bryan was little, Mom used to scrape the icing off of the cake before she gave it to Bryan... that was until Bryan helped Grandma bake a cake and learned he was missing out on the best part!

Mom has us all programmed very well. She received lots of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Whoppers.

Dad is the same way... except he received Good and Plenty's which is a black licorice candy. Tad thought he was pretty special (and he is) sitting on Grandpa's lap while he opened his presents. That may have been because he got to chew on every card and shake all the candy.
Below is a sneak preview of Tad's Halloween outfit. I won't tell you what he is... but he is a pretty darn cute one!! He did not mind the costume at all, and I can't wait until he shows up on our doorstep Trick or Treating.

It's Fall...

Ryan and I decided to have a pumpkin carving contest this year. I went to the Bolay Pumpkin Patch in Perry and picked us out some pumpkins... plus a few others just for fun. If you have never been to the Bolay Pumpkin Patch you should check it out. It is a really neat place and there are LOTS of pumpkins to choose from.

There are basically no rules to our contest other than you have to carve the pumpkin. We have now recruited Bryan, Ashley, Ben and Angie into the contest. I will post pictures of our carved pumpkins and who the winner is in posts to come! All of the seeds from the pumpkins will go to my Mom for roasting. She does an awesome job and we always look forward to them every year.Below is a tree from our front yard. I love this time of year and watching the leaves change. I drove into the driveway and noticed how pretty it was and thought I would share. It seems like it changed over night. It was just starting to change at the beginning of the week and Abracadabra it was red! Love it.
Below are some more pictures of the Tad man. After he had finished his broccoli, rice and cheese baby food, he went after the grapes and potatoes.
Slurping a grape! Priceless.
We paused for a pose in the middle of playing. Always a happy guy... and such a joy to be around. (Update on the tooth... it is just barely poking through)

Monday Night Dinner/OSU Game

Tad is getting his first tooth! It is on the front bottom part of his mouth. As you can see below, he is having to check this new thing out and see what is going on! I don't believe it has broken through the gum yet, but I'm sure it will before to long. Then he will be munching on all kinds of new foods... well probably after a few more teeth, but hey it's a start!

I hope you all enjoy my niece and nephews, because that is most likely what the majority of my postings will be about. My family is my life, and I'm so thankful for them all.

Ryan and I tailgated at the OSU vs. Missouri game this Saturday in Stillwater. It was GREAT hanging with my buddies and catching up with friends. OSU inducted Garth Brooks, Robin Ventura and Barry Sanders into the Hall of Fame during the game. They happened to drive right by us so I snapped a quick picture of them. I wish Garth was looking our direction... but I promise that is him! I have to admit... I am a little excited about him coming out of retirement. I still listen to his music and think he is an excellent artist.

I am a wuss and did not go to the game. I enjoy watching them, just on a comfortable couch where I can control the temperature. I did get to watch the game with some dear friends. They are like second parents to me and I appreciate them so much. It was great getting to catch up with one another and we should do so more often. Love you guys!

Busy Friday

Friday night we had dinner at my Mom's house to celebrate my Grandpa's 84th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!! I love him and my Grandma so much. They are such great role models and are a very important part of my life. I am so happy I get to live so close to them and see them so often.


That same night Tad took 5 steps!! Lisa would get him balanced and then let go and he would walk towards Ashley. I don't know if Tad or his audience was more excited. He is growing up so fast. It has been fun watching him go through all the different stages. Such a sweet little guy and I love him so much!



That same night (I told you it was a busy night) we had a girl's night with Bev. She is so much fun and we need to do this kind of thing more often. Let's try to do it when I get a day off too so I can stay up with you girls!! As they say... every party has a pooper and I'm afraid I was it at this one. I had to work that day and tried to stay up but it just didn't happen. Had a great time anyways and am looking forward to the next one.

Traverse City, Michigan

I am new to this blog thing... but I will attempt to let you in and keep you updated on our very busy life.

Ryan was working in Traverse City at the beginning of September. I was lucky and got to come see him over Labor Day weekend... plus a few days. I did not know what to expect in Michigan. I have always visualized it as a cold and snowy place.

It was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous this time of year. The weather was in the mid 70's and the land is amazing. The drivers there are not quite so amazing. Maybe we are just used to Oklahoma's! Ryan and I both managed to get flipped off on our first day there. We did not let that ruin our trip though.

We first went and toured a local distillery and of course did some taste testing. It was a very neat facility. That day we also went on a scenic tour through the Sleeping Bear Dunes. There were 14 stops along the way with beautiful views of Lake Michigan.

We also went on a wine tasting tour while we were there. Who knew that Michigan could grow grapes, peaches, apples and cherries (Traverse City is the Cherry Capital). They have a HUGE festival every year that I will one day participate in). The peninsula where the wineries are located is absolutely gorgeous! Rolling hills of vineyards, farmland and trees... all with Lake Michigan in the background.

Below are a few of the hundreds of photos I took while we were there.

The vineyards were gorgeous and I must add the wines were quite tasty.



This was a stop at the Sleeping Bear Dunes scenic tour.

I was bound and determined to see a lighthouse while we were there. Not the typical lighthouse one would think of, but it has a very rich history.
This is overlooking Sleeping Bear Dunes. This is the half way stop on our 1.5 mile hike in sand. It was a very interesting hike with some amazing views!