Halloween!!

Halloween was fun this year. It usually streses me out because of cost and I am the least creative person around so this year I managed to do it under 20 bucks so that made me happy. We love all the Halloween treats and parties.
We also made it to California Adventure last week. The kids had fun riding rides and seeing it all decked out for Halloween.






Luke and Bekah really enjoying their sugar cookies!!!

Kyle's kindergarten had a Halloween parade so all the other grades could see their costumes. He was so excited. I took Luke along . They were both pirates.


Luke loved playing in the drinking fountain. He had never seen anything made just for his size.


On Halloween night we went to my sisters house for dinner and my brother Lance and his family came down from LA to go trick or treating with us. All in all we had a good Halloween week aside from most of us being sick at one time or another. They got way tooooo much candy and I love picking up candy wrappers all over my floor and in my couch cushions. Anyone else have these problems?
This is my only group shot. Nice huh? It doesnt even have everyone in it.
Bekah and cute little butterfly Mackenzie.

In case anyone is wondering...??? Tanner is a zombie basketball player??? He is at the awkward costume phase and this is what he wanted, he at least it was free right?

Disneyland!!!

This past week Rob's brother Matt and his girls Kalia and Susie came to town for a few days. We decided to join them for a day at Disneyland. We haven't been there in a couple of years and I forgot how much I really do enjoy going there. The kids had so much fun and with a bribe of cotton candy we even got Kyle to go on Space Mountain and the Matterhorn.




While the older kids went on bigger rides I took Kyle and Luke on Small World and the carousel. They loved it.


Luke and his Uncle Matt were matching one day not on purpose so I had to get a picture. Luke still wasn't too sure of his uncle but he warmed up to him quickly.

NBA here we come????

Today Kyle asked me when I was going to get a mustang convertible and I started laughing thinking in my head uh Never!!! Then Tanner says Kyle she will get a Mustang when I start giving them my money when I make the NBA. So funny. He is very confident that he will make the NBA, I said Tanner you have to have a plan B, he said I do, I will be a pro baseball player.
I took Tanner to get new basketball shoes. He loves playing and he is pretty good at it. So with that said, I bought him a men's size 10 1/2 shoe today, keep in mind that he is only 10!!!! What??? That is the same size shoe as my dad and my brother!!! Hey with feet that big, the NBA doesn't seem so far off. Oh and by the way Tanner if you do make the NBA a Mustang Convertible will not be my car of choice:)

Last Hurrah of Summer!!!

This year we took the kids to Las Vegas for a few days before school started. We had so much fun together. Rob doesn't get a lot of time off so it was nice to be together as a family. We stayed at Southpoint which is so nice because it is so far off the strip that we don't have to be around the yuckiness of the strip. It has a bowling alley and a full sized movie theater inside along with a great pool, so we had a great time. On the way to Vegas we hit a major traffic jam due to construction and it took us over two hours to go about 20 miles. Keep in mind we were in the middle of the desert in August.




SO this was what our temperature gage read. Sitting on hot pavement in a black car for two hours. Super fun!!

At least we had beautiful scenery to look at....NOT!!!

Well we finally made it and the next day we went out to the Hoover Dam. We had never been there before and it was so interesting. We did the little tour where they show you how they convert the water to electricity.

This is the new bridge they are building to cut down on traffic going over the dam. It was amazing to see all the construction that high up.

This is a funny sign we saw at the dam
One day we were there it rained all day so went to the huge outdoor store that was there. The kids had fun looking at everything.

We had fun bowling, I actually broke 100 this time.


Bekah, Tanner, and I went to see Band Slam one night. We were the only ones in the theater, they thought that was pretty cool.

Blessed 1st day of school

Pancake breakfast....$10
New shoes.. $90
New backpacks....$60


Coming home to a fight free quiet house with my little guy.....priceless.

School started yesterday and it was a success. The kids like their teachers, and Kyle loves kindergarten. It's wierd to have him gone, he has been my little shopping buddy for so long. Last year he used to ask me every morning when we were going shopping and what store we were going to, but I get Luke to myself for the next four years so it will be fun. Tanner started 5th grade, Bekah started 3rd, and Kyle in Kindergarten. This is the only time that I will have three kids at one school. Scary to think that Tanner will be in middle school next year, I will just enjoy them all at elementary this year.

Cardboard boat regatta

Last night was our combined youth activity at the lagoon. All the Young men and young women classes had to make a boat using only cardboard and duct tape, then they had races. We decided to go with Robert and watch. We had so much fun. The weather was perfect and the water was soooo warm.
This dragon boat is the one that Robert and the priests made. It didn't win but they won for creativity. The kids had fun having a ride in it
Tanner tried paddle boarding for the first time and loved it.

Mackenzie went with us and had so much fun playing with Luke in the water.

Well a couple of weeks ago Jamie and I decided to drive up to Utah with five kids and no husbands. There were two reasons for our madness. First was Jamie's 20 year high school reunion which I wish I had a picture of because she looked great, second was to run the Provo Canyon half marathon. So we decided to make it a fun week so sorry for all the pictures. One day we met my brother in law and his family at Echo Reservoir and we all attempted water skiing. Jamie was an old pro and got up right away. I finally got up for the first time in my life, but there are no pictures to prove it. The pictures below are of my little Luke water skiing with Dave. Pretty impressive that Dave could ski while holding a baby but he did it. Let's just say that Luke was not excited for this at all. He screamed the whole time.
still screaming...
screaming but knows it's almost over
Happy to be out of the water...
Rebekah tried but couldn't keep those darn skis together
Tanner had the same problem but was really close to standing up.
Mackenzie liked riding in the boat
Kyle and his cousin Brian riding in the boat
We had a chance to take Grandma out to lunch and visit with her in Ogden, it was fun to see her and the kids could not believe that she was 91.
Mac and Maria were wonderful hosts and we had so much fun staying with them. They were so generous and Maria made the most yummy food the whole time we were there. Homeade salsa everyday and yummy smoothies, Mac even made his famous crepes for us. Maria even taught Tanner how to make homeade guacamole.
Bekah and Koralee were instant friends and had so much fun playing.
We stopped for a much needed car break in Lindon at a place called Jump on It. The kids had a great time and burned some energy.

Ok so here goes my saga of the half marathon. Do any of you have a bucket list? You know a list of things you want to do before you die. I didn't think that running a half marathon was on there but after the time and the training and the race itself this has now been put on my bucket list and crossed off!!!! I will say that it was rewarding to finish this and I even ran the whole thing. It was a beautiful course and the weather was perfect. Aside from them running out of water at mile 11 and the finish line it was pretty good. As soon as I finished I said I would never do that again, I don't know if I have changed my mind but I am not as adamant as I was before. The training is so time consuming so maybe when my kids are a little older I may attempt this again

Don't let those smiles fool you, we could barely walk and I had to literally lift my legs into the car. Good times!!!


The night before we left we had a get together with some friends that we have not seen in probably 20 years. It was so great to catch up and hopefully now it won't be so long before we see each other again.
On the way home we made a stop at the Cracker Barrel which is my kids favorite.