Fall Break

Fall Break was a nice breather from routine. On one hand I love that the routine keeps us productive and the kids fight less because they are together less, but then again it sure is nice to sleep in a little and then let the kids watch cartoons in their pajamas!

We didn't have any big plans for the break, but we tried to do something fun every day. The first day we had a lunch date with my favorite college friends at Erin's house in Provo. I love that my kids think their kids are cousins or something, because we seem to see each other on breaks and holidays. It's always a blast to catch up!

On Friday we started the day with a walk to the fishy park. It was a beautiful morning! I realized quickly that I am out of shape... this pregnant mama was huffing and puffing to keep up with the kids.

After the park we hit up the library. My girls were so excited to be included because they usually miss out while they're at school. We seriously loaded up!

That morning we also go the news that my sweet sister had her baby, and we had a new niece/cousin!!! Andelyn Raquel was born at 4:44 a.m. and was 7 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long. We can't wait to meet her!

Later that night we geared up to face the crowds and met the Sherwood's at Gardener Village for our annual witch hunt. It was super busy but still festive and fun! 

These cute cousins sure have a fun time together.

We had worked up an appetite so after the hunt we met up at a pizza joint called Zulio's for dinner. Yum!

Saturday was spent working in the yard, and then working in the nursery. It's hard to tell with the lighting in this picture, but we painted the walls a much lighter color called Worldly Gray. It's actually a greige so I love it because it can look warm or cool. After the ceiling is finished it will look much lighter. Next up we are painting the crib and changing table white, finding pink curtains, and working on a wall mural. It's so fun to think girly again!

Sunday evening we had a shin dig with some of Mike's siblings. It had been way too long since we hung out and it ended up being a late night full of yummy treats and games. The "big kid" table played 7 Wonders (a super hard game to learn!!) and the younger kids played spoons and a game that Maddie created called "Points." Good thing we didn't have school the next day because our kids were up till 11!

Monday afternoon Dana invited us to a neighborhood Halloween party. The kids thought it was pretty awesome that they could wear their costumes a few weeks early. These two dinosaurs were pretty darn cute... and hard to keep track of!

The party was pretty relaxed, with just the right amount of entertainment.

Dana and I made cupcakes for a cupcake walk. Jake had a really hard time with other people stepping on "his" number. Ty played the game for a good 20 minutes, patiently waiting for his number to be called to win a prize.

The party ended with pinatas and a sugar high to prepare us for the real holiday!

That night for FHE we played Maddie's "Points" game as a family. She put so much thought into it, we were very impressed! It has a game board like Chutes and Ladders, but each square has a number that tells your the number of point you add or subtract. Scattered throughout are big Bonus 30 squares, and frowny face lose 10 points squares. Each player has their own score card that helps you keep a running tally of your moves and total points. She even made her own die to roll for each move. I was also impressed with each of the kids--Ella added and subtracted her own score card, and Ty wrote most of his own numbers! What a great way to practice math skills. I bet Maddie's creation would do well on the market!

And then it was off to bed for a school night again. The kids were a little sad that the break was already over, but it's always fun to get back to school and see teachers and friends again.

Fire Trucks and Pumpkin Patch

In between conference sessions we were invited to a Firehouse Subs friends & family event, with free food and a fire truck to boot! 

The boys could hardly contain their excitement. Grandma and Grandpa met us there and even they couldn't divert their attention.

Everyone that wanted to got to climb up and take a look around (Jake was a little too nervous).

The kids even got fire hats, and they loved the free chips, drinks, and kids meals! The food is delicious.

A week later Ty's preschool went on a field trip to the Lehi Fire Station. We have been many times but it was the best tour we've been given! The crew was very thorough and happy to have the kids there.

One fireman even geared up completely, showing the kids what it was like with his oxygen mask and microphone. It could really help those kids to not be scared of them in case of emergency! Since the field trip and learning about fire safety at school all week, Ty's prayers have included asking Heavenly Father to protect our house and not let it burn down.

There's our awesome teacher Ms. Janell and her cute students (plus a few siblings)!

After the fire station we met again at Evans Family Farm down the road. We love that place! It's just a small farm but has the barrel train, animals, a hay maze, haystacks and slides, and a corn box. The kids had a ball.

We played to our hearts content and Ty got to pick a small pumpkin to bring home. It was a great success!

General Conference

Conference is always such a spiritual feast. It also seems to usher in the Halloween decorations at our house! These silly boys enjoyed playing with stuff from the decoration box.

We started the Saturday session in pajama's, and the kids were excited to play Bingo with candy corn as they listened to the speakers. This time I still printed their usual packets from lds.org to take notes, but I also tried something new. I gave them a brown bag to open at the beginning of each session with something to help keep their attention or play quietly. The first was the Bingo game, the second was new packs of loom bands, the third was a color by number page and new crayons, and the fourth was candy necklaces. I'm sure I could think of better things if I put more time into it, but the idea was successful.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what stood out to me, because I loved every talk. I heard so many things I needed to hear personally. I balled during Elder Holland's talk about motherhood, much because the parallels between the Savior and bearing children were so poignant for me as I am currently pregnant, and also because every mother needs such strong and validating encouragement!

I loved the quote from Elder Bradley D. Foster that children are the largest group of investigators, and that parenting need to be intentional during perilous times. He quoted Jesus saying "Behold your little ones" and asked what the Savior wanted us to see? Their divine potential. It was comforting to hear that Heavenly Father wants us to succeed because they were His first.

It was awesome to see the three new apostles called and hear them speak for the first time! They bore powerful and memorable testimonies and I look forward to hearing from them more.

That night during the Priesthood session we continued a tradition we started last year of making personal pumpkin pies. My old neighbor Jen told me about how her family did this, and I thought it was so fun we needed to try it. It's been a hit so the tradition continues!

Yummy... my only revision to the tradition would be starting earlier so we can actually enjoy them before bedtime!

The Sunday sessions were wonderful too. Jake spent lots of time snuggling with Daddy. It's his very favorite spot.

President Monson was so sweet to see and his determination moving, even as his strength faltered at the end. I loved how a member of our bishopric compared the situation to Kind Benjamin, who said. "For even as this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I might speak unto you..." (Mosiah 2:30) President Monson has certainly worn out his life in the service of the Lord. He has been an apostle for 54 years, and served faithfully in other callings before that! I appreciated his message about being a light to the world. He emphasized that reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures is essential, and communication through prayer is vital.

I loved President Nelson's talk about women. It strikes a chord with me when he talks about his career as a cardiologist because he performed surgery on my own grandpa before he died.

I also needed the reminder to pray every day for the pure love of Christ.

Besides coloring and crafting, the kids got creative with leading the music.

It made my heart happy when conference was over and the kids expressed sadness. I asked them why they were sad and they said because they love being together as a family, and hearing the prophet. I'm thankful that they caught the spirit of conference!

Mowing and Movie

Meadow Elementary recently hosted their annual outdoor movie night. Maddie really wanted to earn money for the concessions, and I mean really. She asked for lots of chores and did them willingly. I think she ended up folding laundry, sweeping, and then this:

She mowed almost half of our back yard for $1! She thought it was so cool! I was impressed with her strength to push all the right levers and make the turns. We were both very proud in the end.

The other kids enjoyed the cool evening weather while cheering her on.

Movie night (HOME) turned out to be a great success. Last year it rained and we ended up on the hard cafeteria floor, so clear weather was a giant improvement. It was cold though, so I was glad I packed everyone's parkas! The hot chocolate, popcorn, and candy made it fun too.

Sugar & Spice Baby Shower

On September 19th I had the fun opportunity to host a baby shower for my next door neighbor Erin's first baby girl, after 4 boys! It was so much fun and really got me into the spirit of thinking pink again!

We themed it "Sugar & Spice and everything nice..." because that's what little girls are made of! It was a also a great time of year to have fall treats, so lots of friends helped by bringing things made with sugar and spice. It was quite the delectable spread!

Pumpkin scones, gingersnaps, snicker doodles, pumpkin bars, cinnamon popcorn, carrot cake, sugar cookie bars... oh it was all delicious.

The important part was the Erin got spoiled rotten by our wonderful ward and neighborhood!

The cute mother-in-waiting and her sister-in-law Ellen.

The two Kim's and the cutest baby Gracie!

Our sweet friend Natalie gave us both a gift to open at the same time, which was so thoughtful! We now have matching outfits for our baby girls to wear together!

I love this lady and I'm so happy we live next to each other and our baby girls (only 3 months apart) can grow up together.