Pumpkim Carving

Last night for FHE we had our annual pumpkin carving!! Each of us picked out a pumpkin and got carving. The kids didn't like how sticky and yucky the seeds and insides were at first but then they got used to it. It was a fun night and we had a great time spending time together. Hopefully each of you get to carve some pumpkins this year!!

HSM 3

Well, those for you who didn't know - today was the opening day for High School Musical 3. Since Bryant had no desire to see it and he is working late tonight. I took the kids right after school. We LOVED IT!!!! Madison said that it was awesome!!! Max liked the Boys are Back part and Maya sang along with the songs!! It ended great and we can't wait to see it on DVD!!!

Maya is 4

On Saturday, Maya turned 4. An event that she had been waiting a long time for. She has told me that once she is 4 is no longer needs to suck on her fingers (she has been doing that since she has been born) and she is a big girl. Well, she turned 4 and got 3 Barbies - A Sharpay one, Sleeping Beauty Princess and one that came with a Dog. She played with the Barbies all the way

home from Idaho.

She went to her Dr appointment and she is in the 75% for both height and weight. Little smaller than Madi and Max - 100% for Height on both and less on weight!

She walks around the house saying, "Mom since I am 4, I don't need a rest time." (which she still does). She also says that she doesn't need help washing her hair and this morning she told me that she was going to start do laundry, since she was 4.

I would love for her to do laundry, but I think that there would be a ton of soap in each batch and not much laundry!

But we love her very very much and are so glad that she is in our family!!

1600 miles in 5 Days

We just got back from driving 1600 miles in 5 days. Why would we drive that long in 5 days? Well, Bryant's grandparents in Idaho were celebrating their 60 Wedding Anniversary and we went up for the celebration!

We left Mesa on Wednesday morning at 1:30am with the temperature about 70ish and arrived in Idaho Falls at 5:30 in the evening with the temperature in the 50's. The kids were excited to be out of the car and were a little cold!!

We spent lots of time playing with cousins and friends. The kids got to stay up late every night and even learned that it is okay to sleep in. Most mornings they didn't wake up until after 7 am. For our family that is huge!!

Thursday - we played outside, played in Grandma Karen's toy room, went to Artic Circle for lunch and the kids were very excited when their Chrysler cousins got in around 3:30pm. Lots of people came over and it was fun to visit with them.

Friday - we played more outside - once it was almost lunch time due to cold weather. Had a hay ride at Grandpa Dale's house and even saw 3 does (deer) on the ride. Grandpa Dale was driving "El Bumpo" - a truck that was a 1972 GMC truck that was very bumpy!! That night we got dressed up in the halloween costumes and had a hotdog roast and spookie hay ride (thanks Greg) back at Grandpa Dale's house. Bryant, Wyatt and Derek were old ladies and Gina and I were men. Max told me that I should never dress up that way again. It kinda of freaked them out.

Saturday - we went to the park with the Claysons, celebrated Maya's 4th birthday and had a big dinner at Troy and Jody's. It was fun celebrating the amazing accomplishment of Sharon and Dale. After the dinner, Joy reenacted 3 memorable times in Sharon and Dale's life. Max played Dale and was a little embarrassed to be put in front of people.

Then we left around 3:30 Sunday am -(temp low 40's) and arrived back in AZ at 5:30 pm (temps in low 90's) and Wyatt brought us breakfast (THANKS WYATT!!!)

We were grateful to be home but also very happy that we went and drive all that way!!

October Break

Last Thursday and Friday the kids had no school. So we went camping with our AZ cousins to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. It's in Cottonwood AZ. We went with hopes of lots of fun and cooler weather. Well, the weather was a little cooler but much more windy. Friday night - the wind blew so hard the it blew in the sides of our tent many times and even rolled it with me and Max and Maya inside. I was up from 1am onward sitting up and hoping that I could keep the tent from falling on us again. As I was sitting there, I was thinking to myself, it is going to be a VERY long time before I go camping again.

Max and Maya were quite the troopers - only once at 1:30am did max ask if we could go home. I told him that we had to wait until there was light outside.

Madi slept in another tent with 2 cousins and they slept thru the whole thing. As soon as it was light outside, I put Maya and Max in the car and started taking down the tent. Once the tent was down the wind did die down some. My sisters and I have planned our next camping trip - in condos!!!

Even with all of the wind, the kids had a great time riding bikes and scooters and playing in the lake! They didn't complain once. It was just the adults who were tired of the wind.

We were excited to be heading home in a car with no wind.

Bryant was home studying while we went camping but he was great and got the oil changed in the car and put in the winter lawn.

Sorry no pictures - it was too windy for anything.

Max is 6 years old!!

Max with his bow and arrow set that he got from Maya. They had to pop balloons while sitting in a kiddie pool. It was much harder than they thought it was going to be!

On Thursday, Max turned 6. He had a party with the boys from his primary class and Matt on Friday. It was a lot of fun. We had 250 water balloons, squirt guns, whip cream pies to throw. It was one crazy, messy fun time.

Max got lots of fun stuff - one that he loved and me not so much was a bucket of 165 pieces of gum. I could only imagine the wrappers and gum left around the house. But as of yet it has not been too bad.

Big Water Slide

2 years ago, I got a smoking deal on one of those huge inflatable water slides. We have used it maybe 10 times total.

But, it is time for me to get rid of it. If you know anyone who wants it, or if you want it, you are more than welcome to have it!

If no one responds within 2 weeks, it's going to DI

Kari