Happy Halloween!

Here are the cute kids in their Halloween costumes. Caleb's helmet is just a little bit too big!

And our attempts at carving pumpkins this year. From left to right: Alien (Mike's), Pumpkin face with bat mouth (Haley), regular old pumpkin face (me), cat on tree limb (Maya).

Crazy snow storm!

If I am counting correctly, this is the 4th time that it has snowed this October. That is crazy enough, but this storm has been wild. We measured this morning and we had about 12 inches and it has just kept snowing all day.

Mike took the kids outside this morning, and they didn't last very long. It is very cold and windy, plus it is still snowing. We put goggles on Caleb because he kept crying about snow getting in his eyes.

Our poor pumpkins that we haven't even carved yet!

We haven't even brought our chair cushions inside yet! That looks like a nice soft seat though, right? Look at that pile of snow on the table!

Fall Fun

Last weekend we went to a pumpkin festival at our local garden center. They had lots of fun things for the kids to do. When you first walked in there were several model trains set up that mesmerized Caleb. Then we headed over to the petting zoo. Caleb also loved that. Haley and Maya kept there distance from most of the animals.

They cornered this cute bunny.

There was also face painting, which the girls could not pass up. We also enjoyed a kids musician that sang lots of great songs, entertainers making balloon animals, and an inflatable obstacle course. The kids also got to decorate a pumpkin. We had a great time and spent most of the day there.

A couple days later we made caramel apples. Of course the kids ate mostly caramel, not much apple.

Happy Fall!

Caleb turns 2

My baby is now 2. No longer a baby. We had a very low key birthday celebration last week - cake and presents. I made him a cake that was supposed to look like a big Oreo cookie. It was pretty delicious.

Mike took some pictures of Caleb at the table after we ate cake. I think they represent his current personality so well.

He got some great presents. The biggest was a train table set, which Caleb and the girls have really enjoyed so far.

Haley and Maya made Caleb a little sign with Legos. We had a great time celebrating our little man. Sure love you Caleb.

Mini Makeover

This past weekend, we hung up some curtains in our family room and kitchen.  I have been wanting to forever, and when my mom asked what I wanted for my birthday, I said curtains!  I knew I wanted orange in our family room.  Not burnt orange, bright orange.  That was pretty hard to find.  I finally found some on Ikea's website, but unfortunately, you can't order much from their website.  My sister-in-law's friend works at Ikea in SLC, so she pulled a favor for me and had her friend purchase the curtains and mail them to me.  I love them.

Before.  Very boring plain, uncolorful wall.

After!  Color!  It really makes the room look bigger, more lived in, and finished.

The kitchen has a sliding glass door to the back yard.  The previous owners had put vertical blinds and a redish window treatment above.  I HATE vertical blinds.  They are the biggest pain in the world, and unattractive.  So, we finally took down the ugly window treatments and put up our own!

Before.  Ugly to the max.

After!  Cute green curtains.  Functional and pretty.  Luckily these were easily purchased at Pier 1.  I love the pattern.  Here is a close up.

Thanks Mom for such a great birthday present.  It makes me smile every time I walk into these rooms! 

Good friends

For my birthday, my friend Rachel organized a trip to a pottery studio with our friends.  I got to choose the colors, and everyone designed and decorated a dessert plate for me.  I love them so much.  I can't wait to use them!  Thanks Rachel!

My birthday

I turned the big 3-0 on 09/09/09.  I was still in my pjs at 9AM when my doorbell rang and it was my parents!  What a total surprise (glad I had cleaned my bathrooms the day before!).  Haley and Maya were thrilled to find grandma and grandpa when they got home from school.  My mom took me shopping (thanks!) and then everyone went out to dinner to celebrate.  We came home and ate a big chocolate cake from Costco.  My parents were able to stay until Saturday morning and we were all so sad when they left.  Thanks for the great birthday guys! 

I'm in trouble

He moved the chair over and climbed up all by himself.  Oh dear.

First and last camping trip of the year

We went camping in Rocky Mountain National Park this past weekend.  This year we got a spot inside the park, in the Moraine Park area.  It was very wooded and pretty.  There were rocks to climb right by our site, which the girls had lots of fun on.  Caleb thought he could climb them and succeeded in falling and eating a lot of dirt.  We got there and started setting up the tent, which had last been used by the young women of our ward at Girls Camp.  They broke a pole and didn't tell us.  So, the tent took about an hour longer to set up than anticipated.  We finally got camp set up and started cooking dinner.  Hot dogs, the best camping dinner ever.  We of course concluded the meal with s'mores.  The kids were exhausted by this time and actually asked to go to bed.  Mike and I went to bed not much later.  Everyone slept except me.  Why do we ALWAYS camp right next to the group that brings enough beer to stay up all night drinking and laughing?  I need to bring ear plugs.  Caleb woke up at 3ish, tossed and turned with us until about 5 and then was up for good.  Then we were ready for a day of hiking!

After we took down camp, we hiked around Sprague Lake.  It was a very easy 1 mileish flat walk.  However, the children were cranky as all get out.

The girls found some more rocks to climb on around the lake.  Maya insisted on wearing Mike's hat.   

Caleb pointing at the water and quack quacks.

The whole family at Sprague Lake.

Then we went to Estes Park and had ice cream at Hayley's ice cream, which is a tradition.  Next stop was the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park.  This area is more secluded and less used, it was a one way dirt road in.  We planned to do a .6 mile round trip waterfall hike.  But when we got to the entrance, the ranger told us the parking lot was full and we would have to park in a farther parking lot and walk 1 mile to the trail head.  Umm, yeah, that wasn't going to work.  So, we drove on and lucked out finding a parking spot about 1/4 mile from the trail head.  We hiked to the waterfall and back (with much complaining and carrying on - I made sure to point out to Mike that no one else had children as young as ours).  We ate our picnic lunch and headed home.  We arrived home at about 4PM.  Everyone took showers/baths and didn't have much energy to get up off the couch.  It was fairly miserable, but I guess I can do it once a year.  Soon, the kids will get older and enjoy it more (but for just about a year before they get to be teenagers and start complaining again).

Preschool Again!

Today was Maya's first day of her second year of preschool.  She has been counting down the days (me too!).  She loves her teacher and is excited to make new friends.  

I think that smiles says she knows it is going to be a good year.

10 years

Today is our 10 year anniversary.  Wow.  Can't believe it has been that long.  We were just babies when we got married.  Mike and I were just laughing today about some of the strange choices we made for our wedding.  First of all, it was on a Thursday, strange.  Second of all, our sealing was at like 9AM and then the reception was at 7PMish.  We had all types of time between the events.  Very strange.  I have no idea why I thought we had to get married first thing in the morning.  Another strange thing, I was totally not concerned about any of the girly things, like getting my hair, makeup, nails, etc... done.  Also, I went to a couple dumpy dress shops in Provo and chose one of the first dresses I tried on.  I guess I was blinded by love?  Whatever.  The important thing - getting married to Mike - was the best decision I ever made.

Minutes after we were sealed.

Several days later at an open house at Mike's parents' house.

Love ya babe.

Haley turns 7!

On Thursday, August 13th, Haley turned 7.  I can't believe she is already that old.  Isn't she still my little baby?  She was "off-track" so we were able to celebrate on her actual birthday.  Instead of a party this year, she chose to have 1 friend spend the night.  So, her great friend Ellery got to spend the evening with us!  

The day started out with the last day of swimming lessons, which we had been doing for 2 weeks.  After swimming lessons, we stayed at the pool for about 2 more hours.  We had a picnic lunch and played in the water.  The girls have really progressed with their swimming skills this year, I'm really proud of them.  I had to save Caleb's life once.  The lifeguard told me she thought he was just floating (you know, because 22 month old babies like to just float face down in the baby pool, right?).  Don't ever trust the lifeguards.  Then we went home and I made her cake, a purple flower shaped cake.  The same cake I made her for her 1st birthday!  We picked up Ellery and went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  It was great.  They brought Haley a little sunday and sang "Happy Birthday".  She blushed deep red, but loved it anyway.  Poor girl got her curse of easy blushing from me.  We also ordered a piece of cheesecake even though we were having cake and ice cream when we got home, because Mike couldn't bear the thought of being a Cheesecake Factory and not ordering cheesecake.  So, we went home, opened presents, ate cake and ice cream, the kids watched a movie, and everyone was in bed by about 10PM.  Not too bad!

Haley got lots of great presents this year.  This is a journal her Auntie Ann made her.  Gorgeous.  I want one!  She also got a Wii!  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!  We all love it!

Ellery made matching friendship bracelets.  So nice.

All the party goers.  Caleb didn't make it til 10PM!  I barely did!

Sure love you Haley girl!  Happy Birthday!

The semi-annual hair cut

BEFORE

AFTER

They love getting their hair cut.  Today was a good day.

Our garden is growing

I am amazed that our garden has been growing so well.  Mike deserves all the credit, it has been his baby this summer.

A cucumber!

Tomatoes!

The whole garden.  

So far we have gotten sugar snap peas, green beans, and a cucumber.  Can't wait for the tomatoes.  Nothing is better than a home grown tomato.

Wanted : Bee

Yesterday, Caleb was stung by a bee 3 times.  He was in the backyard near a bush that attracts bees.  Mike was watering the garden and I was doing the dishes.  Mike hears Caleb cry out and runs to get him and discovers he has a bee in his hand!  He brings Caleb inside and we find a bee sting on his hand, 1 on his eyebrow, and 1 right under his eye.  We think the bee must have stung Caleb twice around his eye, and then Caleb grabbed it to get it away from his face, and got stung on his hand.  That bee better be dead or I'm going to hunt it down!

Breckenridge

Some great friend from Utah, the Wards, were in Breckenridge this past weekend for a conference.  They invited us to stay in their condo with them, which was so sweet.  We had a great time in the quaint downtown area, the kids enjoyed each other's company, and we also went up to the ski resort to try out the alpine slide.  

Great time had by all.  Thanks Wards.

Monday Morning Lessons

1.  After spending last week at Girls Camp and the weekend in Breckenridge, I have mountains of laundry to do today.

2.  When I am busy doing laundry, Caleb will find trouble to get into.

3.  Caleb knows where the Vaseline is under my bathroom sink.

4.  Caleb can open the Vaseline jar.

5.  Caleb can spread Vaseline all over his face, hands, hair, clothes, etc...

6.  When I find him in the bathroom with Vaseline everywhere, I will scream, "No!  Stop!  Caleb!  Yuck!  No!  AHHHHH!"

7.  Caleb will cry because he knows he did something wrong and got yelled at.

8.  2 baths will still not get all the Vaseline out of his hair.

9.  I really miss Caleb's morning nap.

"First" day of 2nd Grade!

I blew it and forgot to take a picture of Haley on the actual first day of second grade (Tuesday, July 7th).  So, we took a picture today and are calling it good.  I can't believe she is almost 7 and in 2nd grade.  She is an amazing, obedient daughter and loving, sweet sister and we couldn't imagine our family without her.  Love that girl.