Be Thankful

Life if full of unexpected twists and turns. It may consist of turmoil and sorrow. Our peaceful and optimistic days may take a short detour at times. 

Be thankful for all of it. The good and the bad. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rocktober - Part 3

-Halloween was a big hit with the young and old alike in this house! For WEEKS Emerson would tell us he didn't want to be "nussin" (a.k.a. "nothing") for Halloween. He didn't like the thought of dressing up and he refused to wear any body altering costume, any kind of mask or any makeup. When we saw a firefighter costume on a mannequin in the window at Carter's, that's all it took! He was sold! Of course we couldn't argue with that! We were also pleased to find that the costume was 60% off and Wes gets the fore hats for free at work, so his costume cost us less than $20! Man, was I glad that was all figured out and settled! 

My 2 firefighters looking handsome and hungry for candy!

 Our ward had a trunk-or-treat party at the church. Since you never know what kind of weather you are going to get in Utah in October, they hold it inside the halls and everyone lines up chairs and hands out candy to the little passer byes. 

E hangs with his only friend at church or in the neighborhood. Isaac is still 1.5 years older, but hey, Emerson will take what he can get! There are NO young kids around here! 

(we have more pics or E on Halloween night, but they are on my mom's camera and she is more behind in blogging than I am!)

After the part at church, Wes and I dropped E off at my parents house and we drove to Provo to hit the Call's annual Halloween party. I look forward to this party each year because the costumes are always sooo good! There are some clever people out there! Wes and I decided to dress up as Mexican Day of the Dead souls! This was probably my favorite costume that we have worn over the years! 

Wes with the hostess with the mostest: Molly Call. My brother-in-law Matt looking classy as ever dressed as Adam!  

The world's first husband and wife in flesh toned spandex! Matt and Colett "covered" all the essentials of achieving a great costume! 

P.S. Matt's tattoo is a heart and inside it says Adam+Lilith with the name Lilith being crossed out and the name Eve written under it. I didn't get the joke so they had to explain it to me!

Stephanie and I take a moment from dancing the night away to pose for a pic.

My beauty of a sister sporting a blond wig and dressed at Eve. I tell her all the time that it is not fair how photogenic she is. SO not fair. I was having a really great time, but it just seemed odd to smile big when I am suppose to be dead. I had to play the part!

Partying like it's 1999! Molly and Duane have turned their garage into a party room! Not just for that night but for every night! Love it! 

Other events from October that filled my busy schedule:

-Brunch with Deborah and Heidi at Ruth's Diner

-LDS General Conference

-YW activities

-Play group at the zoo

-Lunch with Meg at Thanksgiving Point

-My brother and is family came to town

-My niece, Holly's, birthday party

-My nephew, Alex,  goes in for surgery at Primary Children's Hospital (and is STILL there!)

-DIY Club

-Guest posted at The Stationary Place

-Accomplishing one of my New Year's goals (stay tuned!)

-Neighborhood cleanup

-Freshly Picked Project Runway party in Provo

-Attended Wes' cousin, Laura and her new hubby's wedding reception 

I am so glad these posts are done. I can now finally move on to November! 

Rocktober - Part 2

We are fortunate enough to live very close to Engh Gardens. Every year they do an amazing set up for Halloween complete with a haystack maze and pirate ship! Emerson LOVES to go here and even when it's June and we drive by it, he refers to the nursery as "Halloween Place". They do a great job and we really look forward to going there each October. The pumpkins are astronomically expensive so we just get our pictures taken by them and then leave to go buy ours at the grocery store.

 Throw some sass into the pic, why don't you?

 Aye aye, matey!

 I think next year the maze not be as fun since he will be able to see over it!

 Boo! He loved it when I would hide and crouch around a corner and scare him! 

 Mr. Scarecrow (and his crotch) says he is a little over 3 feet tall. 

 His love of tractors is never ending! 

Hey there! 

Oh this kid is fun! And to top it off, he is a handsome little guy! I just love these pictures!

**************

We also went to my sister's house and carved pumpkins for FHE one night. This too is a tradition for our family. I seriously love everything about Halloween. I love the guts and gore, the horror and mystery, I love the food and the crisp air, I love the parties, decorations and crafts. But, I did discover something about myself this year, however: I don't really like to carve pumpkins. I don't like getting my hands, and arms messy, I don't like cleaning up the mess off the table and floor, I can never get my lines and cuts into the pumpkin to look good and I never feel creative enough to come up with something clever for the face. And the whole time I am carving it (and getting a workout, might I add!) I can't help but think that some jackass of a teenager is going to steal it off my porch and smash it in the road. It all bothers me and I think I'm done with it. 

 It was really fun to just be with my family. The kids were really enjoying themselves and that's all that matters!

 My dad helped E with is pumpkin!

 Isabelle and Toby are hard at work!

Colett make rice crispy treats every year. She actually makes them all the time, but my dad always requests them when we carve pumpkins. We don't like to break tradition in this family. Colett has mastered the art of rice crispy treats and I must say that they are the best I have ever eaten! 

 Matt is an artist, not as a profession but as a hobby. He has done a Halloween painting every year for the last 3 years. I love them! 

 After 3 years, Emerson is still trying to warm up to Matt! Still.

 This is where it gets funny! After taking photo after photo that night - it somehow turned into a big photo bomb session! I cannot look at this picture without laughing hysterically! I think it is so funny and if you know my brother-in-law, it's even more funny! 

 Toby, this picture is absolutely darling of you! Sorry we had to go and ruin it!

 What lovely pumpkins, Mom and Dad but what's that behind you? Awe Nick - so funny!

Who doesn't love the subtle and ever so classic bunny ears! Way to go, Dad! 

Rocktober - Part 1!

We took last month by storm! October didn't even stand a chance. We rocked it. I looked at my calendar and gasped at the amount of things we had (and got) to do! There were 14 straight days that we had some sort of obligation to attend. By the 15th day, I pretty much collapsed and laid in bed all day. It was a whirlwind of a month and as much as I may have whined about it, I loved it! 

We did our annual Sundance visit. We thought there would be a lot more colors on the mountain sides, but with it being such a strange, warm Fall, all the leaves were either still green or they were dead. Not much of an array this year! 

Our Kodak moment

Looking at the fish in the pond with token sucker in hand. No trip to Sundance is complete without a sucker!

Riding the ski lift to the top. I thought E would be a little freaked out but he loved it! 

Even without all the beautiful Fall colors, it is still a sight to see! We were not disappointed one bit! The tip of Timpanogos is socked in the clouds! 

We have a little tradition of taking this exact same picture every year! 

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies!

Hello down there! My mom and dad give us a wave!

When we left the house we realized that all of us were wearing our skinny grey jeans. How dorkalicious! 

The art shack at the resort holds pottery classes. This is just a little reminder to my husband that I want to do this. Hint hint, my dear!

******

Wes and I also got to go to a haunted house this year for one of our date nights. We try VERY hard to have a date once a week because I think it is so important in a marriage. Nothing reeks romance as much as a haunted house! We met Colett and Matt and also Matt's family there. Destination: The Haunted Forest in Pleasant Grove!

They don't allow cameras inside so we only got to take a few in the parking lot!

This guy is giving Wes some steep competition!

Matt lost a few lbs. this summer and we are thinking he looks mighty fine!

Oh yes she did! Colett is indeed picking this guys nose! 

Wheeler Farm Fun

A few days ago, my mom and I took E to Wheeler Farm. I just love this place! I love how rural and unexpected it is in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. I love being able to see the animals up close and to study their behaviors and personalities. I love that it has picnic tables under the tall cottonwood trees so that we can have a picnic. I love that it is just a hop, skip and a jump from our house. I love that it is free. 

We like free things. Clearly.

*warning: I took A LOT of pictures that day!*

I spotted these guys crossing the road.  It immediately reminded me of the Abbey Road album cover:

 We always have to check out the tractors of years past.

 Dude. Chill out! Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the hen house? Oh, you weren't allowed to even be with the hens? I understand, now. 

 E was so confused as to why goats and sheep both say "BAAAA"

 Basking in the hot sun. These ladies have the life of luxury here on the farm!

 Mom and E 

 Bumpy rainbow skin. Kind of gross. 

 "He never hit the breaks and he was shifting gears". (5 points to whoever can name that song!)

 Giving him a big squeeze! He is pretty awesome!

  E would get one tiny blade of hay, stick it through the fence and say "Come and get it"! So funny!

I want to come back in December with a mug of hot cocoa and take a Christmas hay ride on this! 

 Sealed with a kiss!

 Oh mom! Close the door - we don't want to see that!

 More angry hen hungry roosters.

 Giddyup! Yeehaw! Rawhide!

 I bought him this $2 tractor that fell apart an hour later. It was fun while it lasted!

 Peek-a-boo! I see you!

He wouldn't come out of the treehouse so I had to crawl in and get him. I've seen a lot of Alfred Hitchcock films - this photo is a bit creepy!