Halloween Hayride

We've had a low-key Halloween this year. We've had a bunch of other life stuff going on that before we knew it Halloween was here. Jeff had an emergency gall bladder removal and I've embarked on my long awaited braces. It seems like one appointment after another. You can't stop time so we celebrated in a small way.

We ended up recycling costumes from last year. These ones still fit and the kids actually were excited to wear them again. We figured why not get another use out of them since the kids were willing. We started our day with a little trunk or treat action.

We were a small little group of families kind of spread out but were super happy to be there. The kids love trunk or treat and had a great time taking a few laps. They even got a bonus donut from the bishop that they stopped to enjoy while handing out candy for us. This was 10am on Saturday so we soaked up every minute.

We had a few options to fill the rest of our day and kind of went back and forth or what we wanted to do. We ended up deciding on this free Tractor & Truck event. Once we arrived we got to go out on a hayride. It took us around this beautiful lake with stunning views. The air had a crisp bite to it and we enjoyed bumping around.

The kids each got a free pumpkin and time to decorate it any way the wanted. Both kids loved getting creative and putting flair to their own special pumpkin. We spent a bit of time in this area just let them have a good time.

Next we were off to explore at least 20 or so tractors, trucks, & service vehicles. It is so funny to watch the kids explore. They love to honk horns, turn on lights, and touch everything within reach. It amazes me that nothing gets really broken with all the exploring going on. Andrew was thrilled to see the firefighters. He told me during parent teacher conference for the first time that he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. He had a great time talking to them and letting them know that he was going to be one of them someday.

After several hours we ended with playing at their play park which was new and different for our kids. They could have spent several more hours there but it was beginning to get dark. We ended our night with some good ol' Mcdonalds and a family movie at home. We are kind of curious to see if we get any trick or treaters tonight. In the past we've gotten one or none. I'm sure the kids would love to pass out some candy so I guess we'll see what we get. A big Happy Halloween to all our friends and family. I hope you have a great time.

Party at the Big Tent

Since we've successfully started the new school year to great results we decided it was time to take the kids out for some fun. We got a special phone call last week saying that Andrew's 1st grade teacher was super impressed with him and that his behavior is excellent. She even went as far as to say that he behaved better then some of the other students in the class. This was awesome news and made us all so happy to hear.

We just happened to get a flyer in the mail that the circus was rolling into town. The kids LOVE the circus and always have such a great time. This was the perfect opportunity to award them for being such good kids.

We even got to get in early and go down on the floor for some hands on fun. We explored and had a great time. The kids loved this up close feel of what the circus is all about. Even though they liked it they wanted to find their seats early so that they were ready for the main event.

Andrew was glued to the arena the whole time. He was so fascinated by everything that he saw. He loved the clowns and he gave them lots of laughs. Every time I looked over at him he was watching everything going on and hardly blinking. He ended up getting something in his eye that bugged him but that didn't stop him from enjoying all that there was.

Megan was equally loving the circus. She watched with a casualness and took it all in. I think she said she liked the clowns the best of all that she saw. There was one young clown with spiky hair that she loved. Whenever he came out she sat up and took special attention. It was nice to see them have such a good time.

Jeff and I loved the magic tricks the most I think. There were super cool and we are still wondering how they did some of them. There were tons of stuff going on and a lot of new acts we've never seen before. It was a great variety and a ton of fun. We had a great time and I'm glad we decided to go. We almost passed but really wanted the kids to have something fun since they are having such a great year. Let's hope the trend continues for the rest of this school year.

Let the school year begin!

We have finally made it to the first day of school. It is the official end of summer vacation. My kids couldn't be more excited. I think we've been ready for about three weeks now and they've been counting down the days.

We have a new schedule this year to get used to. School doesn't start until 9:35am and goes until 4:05pm. It's crazy and was a little weird to have everything shifted in our day. Megan was up at 6:20am with those 1st day butterflies. She had plenty to time to get herself ready. Andrew was up shortly after her at 7:15am but dragged a bit. We had so much time on our hands this morning it was funny. It may take us a few weeks to be in a nice routine.

As we headed to the bus the kids were filled with excitement. We got to chat it up with one of Megan's old classmates while we waited at the stop. It was only the 3 of us waiting which is a small amount compared to the usual of 8. The bus came right at 9 on the dot which is our pick up time and things fell into place perfectly.

I headed out to pick up the kids from their long first day of school and ended up waiting and waiting and waiting. Their bus was an hour late!!! My cell phone died while I was waiting and I heard other parents trying to call and just getting the voice mail to both the transportation and school. In the end the bus finally came and found out he was delayed on his route at another school which put him behind. He promised not to be late in the future. He was so prompt this morning that this was too crazy.

Once the kids got off the bus Megan was super happy. She loves her class and had an outstanding day. I got the play by play of what she did and who she hung out with. Andrew said he had a great day but hated waiting for the bus. It made him tired to wait so long. His teacher reports that he had a perfect first day!! Since he is in regular mainstream 1st grade I was nervous we'd have an adjustment period but we are off to a great start. I'm super excited for this year and can't wait to see them grow.

Water Works

We have had a great summer and have spent much of our time playing in whatever water source we could find. The kids look forward to our outings and they've become a must for us. Once school let out we quickly found that a happy house is one where the kids get to go out and do something for them at least three times a week.


We started small as the weather wasn't really great. We have been to the library a number of times and Megan received her award for completing the summer reading program. She made an effort to help Andrew but he never was patient enough to sit and listen to her read. It didn't take long before we wore out the library and the kids were ready for something new.


We hit up a few new play parks which the kids enjoyed. Anything outdoors really was something fun for them. The beautiful landscapes and awesome summer weather just invite you to linger outside as long as possible. We took every advantage possible to us.

This year we added a wading pool and the lake to our outings of fun. The kids loved both places as much as the old places. I think their absolute favorite was the lake. This is a bit far for us to travel and takes more planning on my part but they love it.

We had some hot beautiful weather which made all the water nice and refreshing. The kids loved the ice cream truck guy that would come around. Those little ears could pick up the music they play anywhere. Andrew felt super special for such a nice treat while having so much fun.


We had a few kind of cloudy days where is was warm but not hot really. The kids still loved the water wherever we went and sometimes got a little chilled when it was all done and they were wet. On those very few days we hit up good ol' 7-11 for some specially made hot chocolate. This was Megan's favorite part. She loves feeling all grown up with her own cup that she helped make. She is a fan of hazelnut creamer.

We still have 12 more days of summer left and it feels so far away. They are at that tail end where they don't really want to make the effort to go out but don't want to stay home either. We are still determined to squeeze out the last bit of summer but find ourselves ready for school. We've already gotten the new clothes and supplies so all we need now is the time. It should be a fun year and we can't wait to see what it brings.

Happy #7 for my little man

Ahhh seven years ago today this handsome little guy came into the world and our little family. He has always been such a cutie and we've loved seeing him grow.

Yesterday the kids and I had a great time looking back at all of our family photos. It was funny to take out Megan's baby book to find it completely full and all her. Then I took out Andrew's and found his only a quarter full. I kind of got nervous wondering where all of his pictures were. I guess I did the typical 2nd child got shorted thing and never filled the book. Since when he was born we switched to digital camera his stuff is mainly all on Cd's.

All three of us were giggling as we sorted through the Cd's and looked at the kids growing up. I sometimes forget how little and cute they were. As they get bigger and take on their own personalities they change physically in their looks as well as mentally in their maturity.

We decided to let Andrew rule the day as we celebrated a bit early with Jeff home. Andrew loved being the king and getting to call the shots. We gave him several options as to what we could go out and do. He picked another round of mini golf. As our last outing wasn't exactly stellar I was a bit nervous but this was his day and his pick. It's tough to have a party since he has a summer birthday so we just do our family thing and he loves it.

Both kids did an amazing job and were super good. It was fun as we played 36 holes in beautiful weather. At one point in our games each one of us got a hole in one. I think that made Andrew's day he loved his "hole in one" hole the best except for the water feature hole. Both kids showed their maturity and how big they have really gotten on me.

After our 36 holes we headed out for an early dinner at our favorite place, Red Robin. Andrew downed 2 bowls of mac n cheese and still had room for a bday sundae. They gave him balloons and he happily shared his treat with the family after he had his fill.

Later that night we also celebrated with our own chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. This was a must for him. He asked for it several times leading up to the celebration. He made sure we all knew what he wanted. He had plenty of sugar for his celebration.

Megan also helped him with her own party celebration. She made up several party games for them to do to make him feel special. Pin the tail on the cat was their favorite but they also tried limbo, hide n seek, and laser tag. She really wanted to put her own spin on his day and he was happy to let her. We had a great time celebrating his birthday and he loved being in charge. I think he has felt like a king for several days now. Since today is his actual birthday we've already had his special hot chocolate and we are planning lunch now. I love to see how far we've come and what a special little guy he is. I'm so blessed to have him in our family. I can't wait to see what we do next year.