Oktoberfest And A Fiery Sunset

I stayed up until midnight playing games on the iPad.  Too bad Autumn didn’t sleep in and woke up at 7:15.  She wanted to watch Jem, so we snuggled up on the couch and watched some recorded episodes.  I love watching it w/ her, b/c it takes me back to my childhood.

When Mom & Dad finally woke up at 9:00, Dad made Texas shaped waffles for Autumn & we watched Jane Eyre, since I rented it last night from Red Box.  It was way too slow for me, which is disappointing b/c I was hoping it would be on the same caliber and level of Sense & Sensibility or Pride & Prejudice.  However, it wasn’t even close.  I’m glad I didn’t pay to see it in the theaters and only spent $1 to watch it.  Autumn got bored of it too, and curled up in the rocking recliner and watched Rio on the iPad.

Dad had to go to work and Mom & I watched Jump The Broom since I had rented that, too.  It was much better than Jane Eyre and I liked it.  I might buy it if it was in the $5 bin at WalMart.  While we were watching that, Autumn was coloring at the kitchen table.  When she finished this picture, she asked me to tear it out of her book and then she brought me the tape and said she wanted to go put it on Papa’s mirror so he would be surprised when he got home.  She was so proud of her picture, and I’m so proud of her b/c she really colors well and stays in the lines.  Her teacher at “college” said she’s a good little artist and always wants to play in the art center.

Dad got home from work, and we were so bored from being cooped up inside all day, so we loaded in the car and went to Oktoberfest.  I had planned on eating a bratwurst, but when I saw that they had a doner kebap stand, I had to try it out.  (I am looking a little rough here b/c we spent the night at Mom & Dad’s last night and I hadn’t been home to shower or do my hair).  Anyways, we tried the kebap and it wasn’t even close to being as good as Kebapci’s, especially b/c they served it in a tortilla.  So, it was better than no kebap at all, but made me miss Slovenija and long to go back again even more than I already do.

We walked around and checked out the different booths, people in German dirndls & lederhosen dancing to German music, etc.  You can’t tell in this picture, but there is a booth to the left of Dad that said “Helmut’s Strudel” on it and it made us say “Awwww” b/c our neighbor that we LOVED when we lived in Germany was named Helmut.

Autumn was happy b/c she got a free balloon and got to see this pirate ship.  We walked over to it to check it out and they were selling sno cones out of it, but I kept my distance b/c there were way too many bees flying around the trash cans by the pirate ship.  I thought for sure that Autumn would keep asking for treats or things while we walked around, but she didn’t.  She was content with her balloon.

Perfect photo op.  I told Mom & Dad to go sit by Autumn so I could get their picture, but Mom took my camera and told ME to go sit by Autumn b/c I’m never in pictures since I’m the one always taking them.  This is definitely not our best picture together b/c the sun was in our eyes and so we’re squinting, but I’m glad Mom had me go be in the picture w/ Autumn.  I need to get more pictures like this of us together.

There was a petting zoo on the way out and it was $5 per kid, and the parents got in free.  LOL.  Dad went in w/ Autumn b/c he’s the animal whisperer from growing up on a farm.  Mom & I stood and observed from outside the gate.  Dad said Autumn was so funny b/c she wouldn’t open up her palm to pet the animals.  She would pet them w/ her hand curled up in ball like this.  She loved the little pot-bellied pigs and rabbits and Polish chickens (they looked cool b/c they had big tufts of feathers on their heads).

Awww.  So sweet of Autumn to give the donkey a hug!  They also had a llama and some goats.  There were a lot of animals for such a small space, but I’m glad Autumn isn’t afraid of the animals.

It was packed parking near downtown, so we parked a few blocks away.  I thought it was funny that here we are, our preppy selves in a white Cadillac parking at Dawgs ‘N’ Hawgs.  They were BLARING some rock music at an outside patio and gave us strange looks when we walked to our car.  But we didn’t care b/c it was a great parking spot.

I just love the downtown section of this city.  They have so many cool old buildings and perfect photo ops everywhere you turn.  It’s country but urban at the same time.  We came home and cooled off (there was a really nice breeze, but it was still 92 degrees) and relaxed while watching TV.

Autumn & I left at 7:30 b/c we needed to run to the store to get some groceries and return the 2 Redbox movies.  I had to pull over onto the shoulder of the road and put on my flashers to stop and get a picture of this breathtaking sunset.  I didn’t photoshop this at all, either.  I just put my camera on a “sunset” setting.  This is really how vibrant and beautiful it looked.

I took this one while we were stopped at a light, waiting to turn left.  I thought it was kind of cool b/c of the streak of the brake lights passing by.

This is how it looked by the time we got to our subdivision.  I like how you can see the reflection of the colors and trees in the pond w/ the fountain and ducks.  Autumn & I went and got our groceries and returned our movies and came home.  We put away our groceries and then had a popsicle while we watched the last 1/2 of Tangled that was on TV.  It was so nice to sit and snuggle w/ Autumn before she went to bed.  I put her to bed and worked on updating my Project Life journaling and got all caught up.