Oh my... October.

I don't know why, but October is always the busiest month of the year for the Dennelers. So many things to do, places to go, and people to see. Here's just a few photos of the month's activities that have kept us on the move.


Eric's Prairie Fire Half-Marathon - He finished in 1:36:05 (Gettin' faster in his old age, believe it or not!)

Applejack Pumpkin Patch - The kids' favorite, it never disappoints.

State Tennis - Watching our niece get 8th place at state. Hooray Abby!

2nd Grade Fall Music Concert - Bea was all smiles as she sang and played the rainstick at her school concert.

WSU Pumpkin Run - Eric finished in 19:57. He was 11th place overall and 1st in his age group!

Preparing for Halloween - making things sufficiently spooky around here. 

You're Eating Me Out of House and Home!

Come on.... every parent has said it, and every kid has heard it: 

"You're eating me out of house and home!"

Here's a clever lunch box creation that illustrates the famous phrase. Sandwiched inside of a long metal pencil box, is a row of healthy, home-shaped bites. And even some broccoli trees to tickle young tastebuds.

Experiment with your own simple ingredients to make an edible row of houses, or see how I put mine together in my tutorial for SheKnows.

Cupcakes for lunch? Yes, please.

What kid wouldn't love to have a lunchbox filled with cupcakes?

These mini cornbread cupcakes cover all basic food groups - protein, grain, vegetable, fruit and dairy. (Don't forget dessert!) They go from savory to sweet, and would be a real treat.

Hot dog & mashed potatoes

Broccoli & cheese

Blueberry & cream cheese

Chocolate chip & chocolate frosting

Pack them for a school lunch or surprise your family with cupcakes for dinner some night. They're guaranteed to make a mmm...memorable menu.

You can find my super-simple, step-by-step instructions at SheKnows.

Go Gus, Go!

Gus just finished his first season of cross country as a 7th grader at Stucky Middle School. He hasn't participated in any kind of sport before now, so this was new territory for all of us. And I have to say, we're quite proud of our little athlete. He never complained after any of his long, hot, exhausting practices. He never stopped running during any of his races. And he improved his time at every meet, finishing with a personal best of 7:30.

It just puts joy in my heart to see him cross the finish line each time. I hope he liked it enough to go out again next year. We'll see.

Here are some my favorite photos from the season. 

Completely exhausted after his first race in 98 degree heat.

A huge group of runners!

Trying to beat someone at the finish line.

Teammates and classmates

Our Stucky Storm on a field of blue sky.

Finding his position at the start of a race.

Finishing strong!

Like father, like son.