Let the Christmas Season Begin

So it has been over an month since I blogged, the longest time I have gone without. To be honest, Sam broke my simple point and shot, so a lot of photos are on Mike's phone, and it is hard to remember to download them so I can blog them. So get ready for blog post overload (a ton of them from the last three months). This will be the first Christmas where we stay home the whole time (out of seven years, crazy), so we finally got our real tree. The kids had a blast decorating it and we have had only a few break. Most of the ornaments ended up in one clump of the tree, but I love it.

Oh the leaves

The leaves in our yard are so fun to jump in.I like to jump with Izzie, with Robyn, and Katie.-Maggie

We got a ton of leaves this year. I would rake a big pile that fill up 6-8 bags each week. It lasted for almost two months. Every time a different friend would come over, we would jump in the leaves. Let's just say we are through and through done with leaves for the year. 

Yellowstone

We had a really fun family vacation to Yellowstone. I kept telling Mike that this is was real American families do. We stayed at his parent's little a-frame cabin just outside Yellowstone in Island Park. The kids thought the cabin was so cool. That first day we played around (lots of pine cone wars), visited a natural spring and feed massive trout, and roasted s'mores. Mike has such fond memories of this place that I am so happy that our kids could partake of the same fun.

The next day we went to Yellowstone. We did the Geyser route. This was not the most kid-friendly idea. Sam refused to stay in the stroller and wanted to walk himself. He would weave across the path, getting so close to the edge. And then he would stick his head over the ledge to get a closer look of the boiling water. It definitely made me nervous, along with all the Asian tourist who were trying to help herd him away. We saw buffalo and elk. It was so gorgeous to go in the Autum. The colors were so warm and beautiful. 

 This is where Sam decided to not walk, not go in the stroller, not be held. He just wanted to be jumped. That can only take you so far mister.

The last day we played around the cabin more. On the way home, we stopped by Mesa Falls and walked around. It was a shorter vacation, lots of driving, but it was really fun to just be together the four of us. Plus we all slepts so soundly, which really makes for a great vacation.

Little Family Traditions

I am a strong believer of family traditions. So many of memories of growing up are centered around traditions (big or small). I loved how we went to Trout Lake for 4-5 years in a row. I love how we could choose our birthday dinner, even when I asked for cut up hot dogs in BBQ sauce (my mom hated that dinner). One of ours that I have started with the kids is Mac-n-cheese Mondays. The kids LOVE mac-n-cheese and Maggie asks for it almost everyday. So I decided that we would do it on Mondays and I wouldn't have to fight it the rest of the week. Mondays now have evolved into a slower day where we might run a few errands or just stay home and play games. It is a good way to start the week.

Preschool

Maggie is doing a neighborhood preschool this year. We are having a lot of fun. I taught this last time and the theme was camping with the letter C. The girls are super sweet and love doing all the activities. Instead of doing a recess at the end, we are doing center time in the middle, where they do a theme-related "free play". This week, I had a tent set up in our livingroom with all the gear inside and then a box of blocks that I thought they would use as firewood, but ended up being their fish that they caught from the river (much cuter idea). 

Playdough fun. I had them poke little pieces of straws into the playdough to form the letter c.

Center time!

Water coloring a picture of a tent.

Date Night

I love babysitting swaps, and I am so grateful that we were able to get one started here in Utah. For our last date, we went mountain biking. Mike laughed at me because he said I went faster uphill than I did down hill (I get so scared going down fast that I end up hitting my brakes the whole way down). Autumn is in full swing here. I think Autumn is best season here because the golden grass matches really well with all the colored trees.

Loving Life

I have to say that we are loving life. Nothing big has happened, but it is all the small things that make it great. I feel like life gets busy and each week I fill like it will slow down, but it never does. There are so many beautiful things to see, fun things to do, and people to catch up with. But most importantly, loving life means loving those around us. I absolutely love hanging out with our two hooligans and whenever Mike has a free moment, he is spending it with them. 

Maggie on her Daddy/Daughter date getting rainbow sherbet with gummy worms, sprinkles, sour patch kids, in a chocolate sprinkle cone. It was as gross as it sounds.

Hiking with the pooch. 

Dinosaur Park: we all loved it. I felt like we should watch Jurassic Park movies there on a big outdoor screen.

Quick weekend trip up at the Cabin with the Barbers. Love having friends close by.

"Bay Bay" It is cute seeing Sam get all soft and sweet with a baby doll.