Happy Thursday sweet friends. Last week was a fun one…pumpkin carving and cave exploring with our sweet grandchildren!! Our “little ones” are helping us to stay young. Just keeping up with them requires running shoes!
“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”
Habakkuk 2:20
Last year was our first time to carve Jack-o’-lanterns with the grandchildren. We allowed them to help as much as possible. I have to make sure my Renaissance Man is especially careful. He sliced his thumb carving a pumpkin for our nephew over 35 years ago that required a trip to the ER and stitches. That was the last one he attempted until October 2021. I wonder what renewed his interest?
Wyatt was too young last year to get involved in the action, but he was very interested in what was happening this year…at least for a while!
Let the carving begin!
Each grand had their own pumpkin. After RM cuts out the lid, it becomes their job to clean out the seeds and fleshy part ahead of the carving of teeth, eyes, and nose.
Wyatt decides to help Emma inspect the inside. This one passed and was approved for additional carving!
We provided a big spoon to scoop out the inside but reaching in and doing it by hand is a far better way! EM doesn’t seem to mind at all.
The finished Jill/Jack-o’-lantern is not fancy. But at ages 6, 3, and 1, they are easy to please. Ella Mae insisted that she put everybody’s initials on their pumpkin.
I think all had fun and we hope this can be a tradition, at least as long as they are young enough to enjoy it. The afternoon was pleasant and we later had supper on the patio! RM has completed the fire pit, and after supper it was time to roast marshmallows. It’s all about making memories!
When we saw this pic and these expressions a few days after the carving we wondered what in the world is everyone staring at? After thinking about it for a while, I remembered that a helicopter came over very loud and low that afternoon. Candid photos are sometimes the best!
WL had a little assistance from big sisters with his pumpkin but he seems very happy with the outcome! Maybe you didn’t notice, but EM decided to add their last initial once all 3 were finished.
At dusk, RM lit a votive candle in each pumpkin. They smiled at us while we hung around the camp fire eating marshmallows! The girls roasted theirs over the fire but WL just ate them out of the bag!
We continue to realize there are very many intriguing, beautiful, interesting, and educational places to see in north Alabama that we have never visited…all within 2 hours or less of our home. Cathedral Caverns State Park in Marshall County is one of those spots. The cave entrance is spectacular, at 126 feet wide and 25 feet tall, it is one of the largest commercial cave entrances in the world.
One of the first stops on our guided tour was at Goliath, the worlds largest stalagmite. Goliath is 243 feet in circumference. Our son, daughter-in-love, and the grands joined us for the visit and tour. It was a great ‘school’ field trip for Ella Mae but quite amazing for all of us!
The mystery river that flows through the cave passes over this formation. A very dry season has caused only a small flow of water. RM said this looked like a pumpkin to him. Maybe he had the carving on his mind.
It is hard to describe the enormous cavern but this view gives you some idea of the incredible size. We needed a light jacket as the year round temperature inside is 58-60 degrees. With no wind and over a mile of walking, none of us were chilled for long! I was a little concerned about visiting the cave due to my claustrophobia, but that was never a problem!
You can use your imagination and come up with formations that resemble all sorts of things. Many places inside are named based on what they look like. I could come up with dozens of names just from this one area!
Minimal yet well placed lighting serves to showcase the shapes and especially the colors.
Having a stalagmite the size of Goliath is certainly impressive. However, equally so is this top heavy most improbable formation, a stalagmite that stands 27 feet tall but only 3 inches wide at the base!
Speaking of names, our guide mentioned this was their slice of bacon! I can see that. What do you think?
After over 90 minutes underground, we were glad to be back in the light. If you are ever in the region, Cathedral Caverns is an amazing place to visit. Be sure to call a day or two ahead to schedule a tour time. It is only accessible with a guide and tours can only be scheduled 2 days or less in advance.
Thank you for sharing in the pumpkin carving and cave exploring. I always appreciate your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a splendid autumn day!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Adorable photos of your three little pumpkins Pam! What a fun outing and field trip for the grands and adults too. I’m amazed you were able to get such good photographs with the low lighting in the caverns. Happy Thursday. ♥
Thank you, Mary. Butch’s cell phone did really well in the cave. I was pleasantly surprised. The lighting is beautifully done inside.
Oh, Pam! This made my very early morning! First, I’m so happy RM didn’t have any mishaps carving! They all turned out with as big as smiles and as cute as the grands! Like you, I love candid photos too. Your family is so precious to me. Wyatt has sure grown just as the girls! Their eyes and smiles are so endearing. I just want to squish them. I absolutely love caves, Pam. Missouri is also known as the “Cave State” and I’ve spent many years visiting them and absolutely love learning of new places and seeing this spectacular cave near you! The pictures are perfect (yes, I saw the bacon too!). What a wonderful picture of you, Butch, and the grands too (you know how I love flannel!)! God bless you and your family. I just love you so! 💛💕❤️🙏🏻
Dear one, your comments warm my heart. I thought you would notice the flannel 🥰 How was your day, my precious friend? 💛🍂🎶🙏🏻
Good morning sweet, Pam. You are so welcome 🤗 I was able to sit outside and enjoy a 70-something day with my pup. And look at precious pictures. My afternoons find me with fatigue. I’m having specific pain behind left ribs. They determined it’s actually the lesions on my ribs causing pain (it was shared once cancer goes to the bones it can be painful). My friend, Kim, cut almost 4 inches off my hair so that feels much better! With God as my lead I’m winning! I slept better last night and woke up thinking I might take Finn to the lake trail and that’s a wonderful sign. 💕💛🐾🍁 I love you and pray you have a beautiful day and weekend with your RM and family!
Good morning, Karla. It makes me smile that you could sit outside and enjoy. I am so sorry you are fatigued and for the pain behind your left ribs. Happy for your good rest last night and a possible lake trail with Finn this morning. Praying for you my sweet friend 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Love you 💛🍁🎶🙌🏻
Thank you, Pam! 💛💕❤️🍁🥰🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Pam,
Such beautiful photos of your grands pumpkin carving and the caves too.
How wonderful to be out exploring new and interesting places.
Thanks so much, Elizabeth. It was really loads of fun!
I love this! The faces of all three of the kids are just magical, filled with joy and light and fun. And I love that you wrapped up the day with the campfire, marshmallows and glowing pumpkins. What a great day. Couple of days, actually, with the fun caving, too! Love that you are close enough to be with them often!
Jeanie, we had the best two days. Thank you!
I am so glad you shared this family outing. Love your photos and what great memories!
The pumpkin carving and firepit story was great. Great photos and memories here also.
Memories were made and it was fun!
How cute the grands and pumpkins are! Those caverns look amazing.
Thanks so much, Penny!
What fun activities Pam! Cave exploration is always interesting when there is a guide. Pumpkin carving with the grands was a hit! Wyatt was getting into it too! Glad Butch kept all his fingers intact as pumpkins are difficult to cut into! Thanks for sharing your family activities! There is a cave with a lake in it called the Lost Sea in Sweetwater TN that may be interesting for your family. You travel through it by boat. It’s in the Chattanooga area and may be an interesting weekend trip. We went many years ago and found it fascinating. Happy Thursday! Clara❤️
Thank you, Clara. I have heard of the Lost Sea. We need to check on that. Wishing you a lovely fall weekend!
This just made me smile this morning. What a sweet and fun time with your grands and pumpkin carving. Glad no finger incident! Beautiful cave pics. Happy Thursday. Have a good rest of the week and weekend.
Thanks so much, Kris. It was fun!
I would carve 1,000 pumpkins and clean up all the mess while everyone else went into the Caverns. – not my cup of dark, trapped, bat-filled, scary tea. But honestly, the pictures are beautiful. Toasted pumpkin seeds, anyone?
I was pleasantly surprised, didn’t see a single bat, it is well lit, and I actually enjoyed it. But, I understand not being your cup of tea. Now carving pumpkins is definitely fun 🎃
Happy memories with your sweet little grands. The pumpkins look great for each grandkids. How wonderful to have the Cathedral Caverns State Park so close. Such a fun outing for the whole family. Touring caves is an awesome trip.
We enjoyed this sweet time. They grow so quickly, just blink and they are grown. Thank you, Linda!
Adorable pictures of the sweet grands. What fun! Marty would love that Cavern. Me…not so sure! I want there to be LIGHT! LOL! Happy Thursday to you. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
We grandmothers love photos and adventures. Thank you, Cindy!
What fun carving pumpkins with your grands. Lasting memories for sure and I love their facial expressions during the process. The visit to the cave was another wonderful occasion for sweet memories.
Our weather has turned much cooler, but that aids in the clean-up that is still going on in Florida. We are so blessed and how Blessed you and Butch are with your family so close for times such as this. What a joy to find new and exciting places so close to your home. Happy October all of you. Thanks for sharing.
Kari
Thank you, Kari. How are you all doing? How is your neighborhood? I am glad you are having cooler weather to aid all the clean-up. Sending love and hugs🙏🏻
We are all doing well…I am resuming our Friday Bible study even though things are not completely done…but I feel the closer to normalcy we can get, the better. Also, it helps the ladies to get away from their damages and see that we are all in the same boat. LOL And I made a pumpkin sheet cake and apple cider….perhaps I will post the recipes as they sure are delish!
You are always a blessing sweet lady! Yes post recipes🧡
Pam what an enjoyable post. The expression on your grandchildren’s faces are precious. Thank You for sharing.
Marilyn,Joan and Marion
It is my pleasure. I am so glad you, Marilyn, and Joan enjoyed. Happy Weekend!
Wyatt’s expressions in the pumpkin carving adventure are priceless. Just love the finished products.
There is a Cathedral Cavern so there must be a God (which is what they said of Bach) The cave is so ethereal and only His creation could have accomplished such poetic forms and mystery . What a bank of
profound memories you and Butch are building with the young ones…and us. Thank you for sharing this
fascinating journey….I am still tingling.
Yes, one of God’s beautiful creations. You are a sweetheart, Mary!
You are definitely making wonderful memories with your grands Pam! Love the pumpkin carving and all the different expressions on their cute faces. The photos of the cavern tour are incredible~ I admit I would be afraid to go in there! Have a great weekend~
Jenna
Pam, I enjoyed reading about your pumpkin carving and cave exploring. Your grandbabies are precious! It looks like they had such a wonderful time carving pumpkins, and I can only imagine how much fun it was roasting marshmallows over the new fire pit. We have plans for adding a fire pit to our outdoor space as well. I can’t wait! The caverns look amazing! Like you, I am claustrophobic as well. Thanks for taking us along on the visit. Have a wonderful weekend, sweet friend!
Shannon, thanks so much and have a wonderful weekend!
Love your pumpkin carving with the grands. I can’t wait for those years. We have caverns here in WV also that we’ve toured. What a great thing for the kids to see and marvel at!
Rita, you will enjoy every minute. I hope Butch and I can remain healthy so we can do all kinds of things with them. Happy Weekend!
Such fun Pam! Love the activity & the outing, a beautiful family time together 😊
Blessings sweet friend ❤️
Thank you, Jennifer ♥️
This was the best pumpkin carving of my life and the most fun! All of my own dint result in such fine pumpkins. And oh I noticed that EM is already all legs. She’s going to be a beauty. That’s not cutting EK short because her eyes are red hair are beautiful. The caves must have been chilly as EK looks like your hug was much needed. Thanks for letting us into your precious family in this way.
Alice, you are so sweet. EM has long legs and is tall. She doesn’t take after me at all in those categories. I am so glad you came along. Much love ♥️
Awww…your grandchildren are SO cute! We haven’t carved pumpkins in a few years now, but when our grands were younger, we would have them over for a ‘Papa’s Pumpkin Party’ with lots of pumpkin-y fun, including carving pumpkins. I miss those days. Thanks for sharing your memory-making fun!
The caverns look spectacular — God’s creative handiwork is so amazing.
The cave was amazing and God’s creativity leaves me awe struck always. We are trying to make as many memories as possible.
What precious grands you have & a great Halloween treat & tradition to do together😍🎃😍🎃😍🎃Also, although I too am claustrophobic, I do enjoy going into the caverns as long as they are well li ( I do carry a small flashlight-for my piece of mind😄😉). We do adore those Cathedral Caverns!! So majestic‼️
Thank you, Penny. Cathedral Caverns are majestic!
Pam, the pumpkin carving pictures are fabulous – what expressions on the grands’ faces. Priceless, really. They are all gorgeous. The caverns look so interesting with all the different formations – what a great trip that must have been – I honestly didn’t even think about bats until I saw it in the comments. Yikes. I can’t imagine that they would be in those caves though with all the people around so you were probably safe! Thank you for sharing the pictures of your pumpkin carving and cavern trip! Have a lovely week!
You are so sweet and thank you, Kim!
These caves are so cool. They have some caves similar to this up here in the mountains of northern California. I’ve been wanting to see them with the family. I hope to get to visit them sometime. Such cute pictures of the little ones and their pumpkins. We used to have a pumpkin carving contest every year, and my grown kids loved it!
~Sheri
I am so glad you enjoyed the cave. Hope you are able to visit the caves in the near future!
Aw, the jack-o-lanterns are just adorable! And so are the carvers! I can’t get over how quickly they are growing, especially EM. She seems to get taller each time you post a picture. Such is the speed of life. We want to slow it down, but no matter how much we try to squeeze the most out of every moment, the moment slips right through our tight grip. Lord, help us to cherish each breath of life and live it to the full.
Thank you, Cheryl. They are growing right before our eyes!