This is the place field trip

Here's a sneak peak of the teachers wish list board I got nominated to re-do for the Book Fair. It must be my "highly creative" talents. Thanks to Steph and Leslie for helping me with ideas it turned out great. 

Maddy and the 4th graders were so lucky to have two field trips in one week. First was the symphony @ bingham high school. She said she saw several of her neighbor friends there even though they go to different schools. I didn't get many details out of her except she enjoyed it. 

Two days later we loaded 2 buses and headed to this is the place park. Both mine and Maddys  firat visit. The weather was perfect and has been all month. The bus drive was awesome sitting by my little girl. 

While waiting to be directed Maddy and her friends posed for a picture. These girls are best of friends. B track has been so good to Madison she has really good friends. Emily-Sophie-Lauren -Adrienne -alli and Maddy. Some have moved in to our school from boundary changes and one switched from charter and some were friends from last year. 

Our first stop was hand carts. The pioneers could only have 10 pounds of belongings on the hand cart. They walked a couple blocks and even without weight it was a challenge for the kids to push up and down hills. 

'Next stop was the school house. Maddy was chosen to wear the dunce hat to show the group what would happen if they were naughty. I thought choosing maddy was very ironic since she has always received straight S's for satisfactory. She was a good sport. 

We also went to the black smith shop and learned that was one of the wealthiest occupations. It was fun to watch the blacksmith make a tool. 

Before riding the train we snapped a class picture. 

We enjoyed a picnic lunch. It was so fun to meet her friends and their moms who also came on the field trip. It is great to have older kids who know what is expected of them and they do it really without being asked-I'd like to be a 4th grader teacher-ESP w a class like a Maddy's. Mrs Gray is wonderful and a great teacher leader and example to my daughter and her class. 

Witches and Grandma's birthday

Grandma's birthday is Oct 6 and usually we celebrate during conference weekend. This year she wanted to go to lunch following the 4pm session and eat at Gardner Village. Well a lot of people had this idea. So we took plan #2 and went to dinner at the kids 2nd favorite restaurant. Golden Corral!

The men left after dinner to go to the Priesthood Session, the women left and headed back to Gardner Village to see the Witches. Another fall favorite tradition. Grandma took lots of pictures--I didn't take any! I will add later!!

After the witches--weather was perfect and we skipped the cookie because we ate too much cotton candy and dessert at Golden Corral --and we had icecream cake waiting for us at home.

Grandma first had to open some cards.

And then a present. Love how all the grandkids are gathered around in anticipation of her gifts!

Yep, all these rules apply at Grandparents house!

We thought it would be fun to get a picture of Grandma and her wiggly grand kids. It is always comical event.

BUT we sang and ate and celebrated early with this lady! Happy Birthday Julie!

Cornbellys 2014

Fall is officially here. And with that comes lots of favorite fall time activities. It seems we have been spending a lot of time in Lehi these days. Back in September, Cornbelly's (Fall festival that is at Thanksgiving Point) sent an email that said the had a season pass and it would be available for discount at $19/person. We didn't really want to get the pass but it is one of the kids FAVORITE fall activates from the time Maddy and Jack were 2&4, so we had to get the pass. I'm so glad we did. We definitely got our moneys worth plus we've been able to play with cousins & grandma who also have the pass.

The pass has had lots of learning moments with it. Opening night they invited all pass holders to come and have a sneak peak. Well they didn't expect the crowds that would come with it--and it was only pass holders. They were not prepared and the weather was freezing. Mike was at scouts so I took the kids with just sweat shirts--it was only October 1 but BOY was it cold. Stephanie to the rescue--she had hats and gloves that kept the little ones warm once that sun went down.

Maddy, Lilly & Ashlyn

We were still off track when the first official opening day was. So we went early, packed a lunch and spent the entire day and most of the night there. We had a blast. Seriously 10 hours we were there!! Mike met us after work, we went to dinner but went back to enjoy more fun that night.

Yes lots of the same stuff I've posted in the years past but always new stuff too.

This giant tent full of corn seeds has been a family favorite. The kids can sit in here for hours!!

Here's Lilly and Dad riding the pedal bikes at dark. We have also enjoyed fireworks but my phone didn't take the best of pictures so no pictures to show of the light show in the sky.

 We enjoyed a morning with Tonya and cousins Eric and Luke.

 We attempted a cousin slide but Jack and Eric went a little later.

 Our pass includes lots of extras. Including the rock wall, a mining in rocks, kettle corn, snowcone, bull ride, pumpkin blaster just to name a few. The kids walked right up to the rock wall and did pretty well getting to the top.

 Karsyn and Ashlyn and Kamryn joined us later after dinner. Yep, same day we are still here! We love this place. BUT the weather was perfect and the kids had a blast and never complained so we stuck it out almost til it closed. Yes, we defiantly have gotten our moneys worth with the pass!

The next Friday we brought Alli with us to enjoy another 8 hour day at Cornbelly's. I must really enjoy it or be a nice Mom--one of the two!

And then during Fall break we went back again with cousins and 2nd cousins and the rest of Utah that was also celebrating Fall break. Even tho there were thousands there the park was not too crowded unless you wanted to do the rock climbing wall or ride the hay sack slide. But we'll go back with our pass when it isn't so crazy and make up for the one crowded day!

Yep, we will be back again on Friday after Brent and Julie's wards Trunk or Treat. May be our last visit--we'll see! It sure has been a beautiful month weather wise. I keep reminding myself and the kids who wear shorts and t-shirts to school that October shouldn't be this warm (lots of 70-80' days) and a jacket sometimes should be required. It's Oct 22 and we still haven't had a freeze! Hope it sticks around til Halloween!

Here and there

These are pictures from my phone. I have almost forgot we have a camera that isn't connected and comes with me everywhere. I really need to be better at bringing the camera. 

Either way these are pictures from here and there and everywhere in between for October.

We spent a couple afternoons at the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. These two cousins are best of friends. They just grabbed each others hands and walked hand in hand out of the museum. 

We had an extra for 3 days (2.5 really). My cousin Chelsea was going to Moab and needed a sitter. So we got to watch her daughter Blakely, all my kids were so excited to have an extra friend around the house to play with. It went really well--esp because Lilly and Blakely are easy going kids but it was also like having twins. I am so thankful my babies all came one at a time!

But while you are tending why not throw one more into the mix! The hardest part of the day was kindergarten pick up. I had to load all the kids in car seats. We spent the early morning in the back yard pulling out plants and getting ready for winter when suddenly it was time to go pick up Lexi. Of course, Lilly needed a diaper change. I loaded Blakely in a seat belt so I could change Lilly. And Owen disappeared. I couldn't find him in the back yard or the garage--he's pretty quiet so when I called his name he didn't answer. BUT he went up stairs and was playing with the toys. I buckled them all in and away we went! This was dejavue--it wasn't long ago I was buckling 3 kids in car seats and running errands!

Lilly's extra friends left that day. And really they were a piece of cake. I even got all 3 to take a nap at the same time. That never happened when I had 3 kids.

I told the kids today was Grandma's birthday. Lexi asked are we going to have a party. I thought why not. I had some ripe bananas and made some banana cake. And we lite a candle and sang. Sure miss that mom of mine--thankful for her watching over these 4.

Fall projects! I feel in love with some new outdoor lights at Costco and convinced Mike he loved them also. My outside shutters have needed a paint of coat all summer. They were so faded. They were originally blue and now almost grey. Richmond didn't cover a replacement 4 years later.  I asked Mike to take them down and he said if they came down (if he could) they would never go back up. I also wanted to paint the front door.

 Not sure how but on pinterest I came across this stain and decided to give it a try on the front door. It is thick--gel like (imagine that) and gave the front door such a great face lift I decided to try it on the shutters. They painted even better than the front door did. Only trick was getting to all the places where they were.

The brick side, I leaned out as far as I could in Jack's bedroom. Our neighbor Davis had a tall ladder that Mike painted one coat on the east shutter. The 2nd coat I leaned out and held on for dear life! The girls rooms, I climbed out on the garage roof dozens of times. I also held on for dear life. BUT love the change a single can of stain made for the house. And of course the new lights! They are LED and turn on/off at dusk/dawn. LOVE the changes. And of course any project has complications. What should have been a simple light change for Mike was complicated. The screws were too long, the outlets in the brick were crooked you name it there was a problem. BUT Mike finished the project and didn't like me very much the rest of the night (or month I should say). We are also in the middle of finishing the basement. I'm terrible and haven't taken a single picture! We hired a friend to do the framing and electrical and plumping and HVAC and the sheet rockers just finished this week. So now the next project is painting. Again, Mike doesn't like my honey do's much this fall season! BUT i love the change to the front of the house can't wait to see more changes in the basement.

Back to school. We all survived track break and then had to go to the dentist for our 6 month check up. This one did wonderful. She just laid down and watched a movie while they cleaned her teeth. Amazing, not one of my other kids ever had a checkup when they were 2.

Fall break. We spent a Thursday at cornbelly's with lots of cousins and lots of Utahn's celebrating fall break also. Friday, we decided to go and feed the ducks at Daybreak lake and invited our friends and cousins to join us for a picnic and apparently a dip in the lake.

LOL. These 2. Then Sunday they came in looking all dressed up. Karsyn has a darker coloring then Lexi did--but she was covered in makeup also. 

And that makes it to the end of my phone pictures. We are in full swing gearing up for Halloween. I'm helping with 3 class parties in addition to being at the school already once a week. My friend watches Lilly so I can volunteer. All the teachers have asked that I be there every week. In the past I only have 2x a month, it's wonderful seeing the changes in my children. I am so thankful for teachers who work so hard! and on a side note I've never received so many hugs and affection from Jack. Hope his love of his mom at school continues!