Fall Family Fun

Saturday we were blessed with some nice Fall weather. We decided to take advantage of it and spend some family time at the Center Grove apple orchard. I know at first mention the apple orchard doesn't sound like an exciting place to spend a Saturday, but this apple orchard is fabulous- they have so much more than apples! We spent the afternoon in the corn pool, on the jumping pillow, navigating our way through the hay maze, on a hay ride and on the giant slide. The kids had a blast and I can't think of a better way to spend our last Saturday together before Colby heads to Detroit this weekend.

The whole family on the hay ride.

Ammon got some sweet air on the jumping pillow. Abbi also loved the jumping pillow, she giggled and giggled when we would bounce and didn't want to get off.

The boys buried in the corn pool. I LOVE the midwest, I mean a giant pool of corn?? Where do they come up with this?? I am totally going to miss giant pools of corn when we move next Summer.

Abbi didn't want to have anything to do with the corn, but they boys all loved it.

On top of the corn maze.

Me and the boys on the giant slide. (It was more giant than this picture would have you believe, this is only half of it.)

So many things to do? Where should we start?

We finished the afternoon by enjoying cider donuts at the country store.

The boys insisted on having their picture taken on this giant cob of corn, I love it.

What a fun, fun day!

We are so grateful that we had one more day of nice weather before the inevitably long and cold Winter comes! We are also so glad that Colby has been able to be in Des Moines this month, I am praying that November will pass as quickly as October has..

Tradition!

A couple of weeks ago, Ammon came to me and said, "Mom, when are we going to decorate haunted houses?" I hadn't really thought about decorating haunted houses this year so I replied, "I don't know buddy, we'll see." He responded, "okay mom, but we have to make haunted houses, it's a tradition." It is? A tradition? I was so excited that not only did I come up with something that my kids enjoy doing, but that they consider it a tradition. I immediately planned our traditional night of spooky food and haunted house decorating and invited our friends the Campbell's and Nance's to join us. I had planned to have the kids wear their cute Halloween garb that Grandma Frost sent, but between soccer games and changing in and out of their costumes multiple times they ended up in old, grubby clothes instead. Check out this picture and you can just imagine how cute they would have looked wearing these outfits while decorating their haunted houses.

We started the night with a spread of spooky food including jello bats and pumpkins, bone breadsticks, ghostly strawberries, foot float punch, mummy cheese dip and cheesy brocolli and potato soup.

Our mummy-shaped cheese log.

Megan's ghostly strawberries tasted just as good as they look.

After dinner, we put the daddies to work fashioning haunted houses out of graham crackers and hot glue. Colby kept up his naughty tradition of flipping off the camera. Don't worry, next time I am going to suspend him from school and make him read Under The Tonto Rim for six hours straight.

After the houses were built, the moms and kids went to work decorating. There was just as much sugar as you are imagining, and I think the kids ate as much candy as they put on the houses.

The finished products!

It turns out that it was a good thing they boys didn't wear their new shirts, they ended up covered in icing. Little Abbi was at the party, but she missed most of the fun. She was a cranky little baby and I put her to bed!

Me and my sweet boys. Although Colby only made it into one (questionable) picture, he actually was at this party too. We are sure enjoying having him home and so grateful he is able to share some of our Halloween traditions with us this year.

This video is not of haunted houses, or traditions, but it is pretty darn cute. Grandpa Stewart requested more footage of Abbi walking so here you have it. She is turning into a little pro, which is great until you try to take her to sacrament meeting! It's a good thing she's so cute.

Eleven Months!

It is hard to believe that our baby girl is already eleven months old!

Abbi is such a sweet little baby and we are so happy she is part of our family.

It is hard to believe that someone so small...

Can have such a BIG attitude

Can make such a BIG mess

Can have such a BIG smile

Can throw such a BIG fit

Can have such a BIG opinion

Can hold such a BIG place in our hearts

We love you Abigail!

What the ???

Friday night Colby and I were able to go out on a hot date, without the kids! It had been a while since we'd been out to dinner by ourselves and we were looking forward to a quiet evening alone. We dropped the kids off at the baby sitter's and headed to the restaurant. At the restaurant, we chose to sit in the "open seating" in the bar rather than wait for a table. Shortly after we had ordered our appetizer and drinks, two old guys came into the bar and sat down at our same table! Colby and I looked at each other like, "what the crap?" and just started laughing. It was bad enough that the waitress brought us four appetizer plates and another restaurant employee handed me one of their sodas (to pass over to him). So much for having dinner by ourselves! So, as Colb and I ate our pizza and sandwich, old dudes dined on their fish and wine. At the end of our meal I kind of felt like saying, "well, thanks guys. I guess we'll see you later..." One things for sure, we won't soon forget that date!

Here is the evidence! Colby snuck this picture on his phone, so it's not the best quality- but it's proof of the "old dudes," cardigan and all!