Prepping for Halloween...

We decided to head out to Sleepy Hollow to do the corn maze and have some fun!

You could take pictures with these people from Star Wars.  Mark thought they were hilarious!

Jack had to take a picture with Darth Vader.

Mikayla just wanted her picture taken.

It was nice but drizzling on and off.  I had a buggy eye so I've been wearing glasses for a few days.

We ran into Dana and had fun hanging out with them.

Trike races were a big hit.

The sunset was very nice too!

Ewww guts!

More guts!

Mark kept using the battery-operated saw chitter away at the inside of his pumpkin.

Maxine worked on hard on her Star Wars pumpkin.

Our finished pumpkins!

Yay!  Bring on the trick-or-treating!

Hooligans...

So Maxine switched piano teachers to Merril's cousin, Kristen Ostler, and she lives in Washington.  Sara said that Maxine has outgrown her so we decided to move up.  We go in the afternoon, before the other kids get home from school so I hang around for 30 minutes with the littles until it's time to pick up her.  We went to the park and I told the kids not to get wet.  Turkeys.

Oh well, you're only young once.

Bubbies birthday! He's 3!

How does this happen??  My baby is 3!  We celebrated up with Grandpa and Justin first.

He's excited about it too!

One of the kids, I think Maxine, gave Mark tic tacs for his birthday.  He loves them!

Mark is growing up so fast!  For weeks I've been saying that his birthday is "coming up" and he'd look at the ceiling.  As it got closer, he started saying that his birthday was "coming down."  

He's such a lovey guy, almost always says "thank you" and "I'm sorry" without being prompted, and stays up later than any of my other kids at this age.  We're phasing out his naps because he can make it to the evening without one.  If he does take a nap, he's up late.  Love you buddy!

Red Bull Rampage...

The Red Bull Rampage is a bike race down a plateau in Virgin, UT.  The Red Bull organizers ask for local Search and Rescue to work the course and be ready to assist in case someone crashes.  Merril really wanted to do it last year but we had already made plans.  He insisted that no matter what, next year he wanted to work at the rampage.  

He got his wish!  He worked up at the top and on the track towards the top.  Here he is up at the start of the track.

The money was great for hanging around all day and watching cool jumps!

Halloween is coming...

Yay Halloween time!  I painted a jack-o-lantern on the lawn again.  I like it.

I finally finished some Halloween slipcovers for my regular couch pillows.  They turned out so cute using freezer paper stencils, a first for me!

We went to the park down at the pond and the swans were very bold.  Mikayla got pretty close.  Before I suggested she step back a little.  No fear in that one.

Tanner's Homecoming...

Jeannie's son, Tanner, finished his mission in Peru and it was time to come home.  Patiently waiting...

I can't imagine how hard it is to wait for 2 years to see your own son or daughter.

He did great!

Fall Nights...

When the night is right with the perfect combination of zero wind and awesome temperatures, we tend to be outside.  

Kids play, neighbors chat.  It's fantastic.

Mark was being a doll.

I promise, he is naturally tan.

Price is Right Episode Aired...

September 28th rolled around and that's the date our Price is Right episode aired.  I was terrified that I was going to look like the most ginormous crazy person.  Turns out, I'm not any crazier that anyone else in the audience!  There I am on the left.

Can I say again how absolutely fun this was??!!  So.stinking.fun.

Gordon Family Renunion...

My family decided to have a reunion at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.  We ended up renting a super nice RV from Wade Beatty and had lots of fun playing in the sand.

Bubbies had fun riding.

I don't think Mark wore shoes the entire time.

We borrowed a RZR from Uncle LaDel.

Yellow jackets became a problem and Mikayla was stung.  Bummer.  So did some other people.  Merril and I escaped.

Time for a quilt!

We're just going to start out with sleeping Bubbies because he's so CUTE!

Ok, so it all started when we had some impromptu company and I only have 1 nice quilt that fits on a queen bed.  So I hurried and borrowed a quilt from Dana across the street for the night.  Afterwards, I was on a mission to make another quilt.  I've had some clearance flannel forever that was going to be the bottom.  It's navy blue.  So I went to Jo Ann's Fabrics and just started looking for anything to go with navy blue flannel.  I found this:

I wanted it to be plenty large so I put a little green edge on it.

I saw a quilt at Sara G.'s house with an initial.  Kinda thought it was cool so I stuck a huge "C" in the middle of the quilt.  Not sure if I like it yet.  It makes it seem like a super hero logo.  Which I guess I'm okay with.  Whatever.  I might pick it off and move it at some point.

I really love the finished product!

So does everyone else!

Apple Pickin'...

Springdale used to have an apple orchard that let customers pick their own apples.  Unfortunately, it was purchased by a private party and has been closed down for about 5 years.  :(  This was the first year I found a local apple orchard!  It's in Apple Valley!  

We picked too many.  They were $10/5-gallon bucket.  All the kids had fun picking apples.  It's time for applesauce!

Grandparents Bike Ride...

Grandma and Grandpa C. like to organize bike rides from their house in Winchester Hills down into town.  Mark and Mikayla quickly fell behind the older kids so I drove on the shoulder and tailed them.  Mark is killer on that wiggle car.

Mikayla is riding so well without her training wheels.

It's about 8 miles into SG and they made it about 2 miles.  They did great!

Peach Days Weekend...

Labor Day weekend started with Merril taking Maxine and Jack up Oak Grove trail with Dan Moore and his son Bennett.

Then we went to Peach Days!

The older kids played in the hamster balls on water again.

They also wanted to play in this weird bubble party thing.

Pretty much everyone was soaking after playing and we went home.