Pumpkins

 What can I say about carving pumpkins?  Hmmm, I know.  I'm not really a fan.  Loved it as a kid, not so much as an adult.  It's messy, the kids last 2 minutes and then guess who gets to clean out all the pumpkins?  You guessed right if you said, "You!"  Yep, me that's who!

 However, I love the tradition of it.  The kids love it and so I do it every year.  Promising that next year we will paint pumpkins instead.

This was the first year that my kids have all really been into it and done most of it themselves!  Yeah!  Maybe I will like it again someday.

 Truley came up to help Piper out with hers.  Truley wasn't a big fan.  She stuck her hand in this one time and then she was done :).

 Tyson is not really fan either, but I made him finish gutting it.  And then he wanted an intense spider design so I handed him over to his dad.

 JD was wielding a knife.  I have scary pictures that aren't for younger views eyes.  It was crazy, intense, but he was loving it.  Me, not so much!

I'm glad we did it.  The kids loved it and the memories are priceless. Good thing they last longer than the pumpkins :).

He's a Bear

 JD earned his Bear award in October.  He was so proud because he was the first of all that group of boys to earn it and he did it in less than 3 months.

 That is my favorite part of getting these awards.  The mom hug!  Love it!

 Dad presenting his award.

 Can't remember what we were all laughing about but it must have been funny :)

 JD loves scouts and he takes his responsibility very seriously.  He is probably the most patriotic kid that I know and scouts is a good place for him.

I am so proud of you JD and love you more and more each day!

Johnson's Pumpkin Patch

 Awww, look at those cute kids!  We went to the Johnson's Pumpkin Patch over in Santa Clara.  It's a new pumpkin patch that is at some of Josh's good friends farm.

 They had an awesome train for the kids to ride.

 They had a fun little petting zoo.

 They had games! Tyson spent all of his money in this game.  It was trying to find a nail in the haystack.  He loved it and found it every time.

 Piper was in heaven because they had horse rides and that was where she pent all of her money.

 JD looks so uncomfortable here. It's a funny picture.

 Even funnier was when they were trotting.  His face is priceless.  He wasn't quite sure if he liked it or not.

 Oh my goodness, that is the picture of cuteness!

 Piper didn't care about finding the nail, she just wanted to jump in the straw.  Repeatedly, mind you.

We finished off the night with decorating sugar cookies and eating pumpkin pie.  Well, I ate pie, everyone else had sugar cookies.  It was such a fun night and I can't wait to go back next year.

I'm Beautiful

Piper came out of the bathroom the other day and this was what she looked like!  She told me, "I'm beautiful mommy!"

Yes darling you are beautiful! In more ways that you can imagine!  I hope you always remember how beautiful you are and that you always think of yourself as beautiful because you are!

Fencing & Biggest Loser

 A couple of weeks ago, our school (which is the greatest school ever) hosted a family fitness night.  One of the rotations was fencing.  Tyson got picked to try it out.  He's the one in the camouflage shorts.

 He loved it!  Afterwards we found out that you have to be 9 to take lessons. Boo!

 I love this picture.

 Tyson going in for the kill :)

 He also got picked to help Sione Fa.  He was a contestant on The Biggest Loser, season 7.  Sione and his cute family now live in Ivins and I actually teach his little boy at preschool.  He is a super nice guys.  Super funny too.

I thought this was a cool opportunity.  How often do you get to meet someone famous?

Camping

A couple of weeks back we took our one and only camping trip of the summer.  Can it still be called summer? It was in October?  In Dixie, I think it would be safe to say that it is still be summer. 

It wasn't REALLY camping.  We stayed at the cabin, but the kids still had a blast.

Look at those dang cute kids.  They were waiting so patiently in the back of the truck while the guys worked on pulling down a tree that too close to the cabin.

All boys, even 30-year-old ones love to play in the fire.

                                                                       

The boys loved throwing pine needles and sticks in it.

                                                                              

We made smores.  Which incidentally, Piper does not like. 

The boys however ate about 6 each. It was AWESOME!

Piper was loving the fact that Grandpa got to hang out with us.

Ha, ha, ha!  Scott was trying to use my camera to take a picture of us.  I love my expression.  This was the 100th attempt and he finally got one. We were watching Zoo Keeper and we are all super exhausted at this point.

Up with the sun!!  Throw your cowboy boots on over your pj's and your set to go squirrel hunting.

JD on the zip line. He did it about 10 times and then got tired of pulling the rope up the mountain.  If there was an easier way to get the rope up, I think he would have done it all day.

Awww, my sweet baby!  She loved it up there.  So many bushes and so little time........

Tyson was so cute.  He made a squirrel trap.  He even drew me a diagram in the dirt of how he would build it and how it would work.

Waiting ever so patiently for the squirrel to eat the cookie.

Piper strikes a pose. 

Still waiting patiently.  He would have waited all day long if we had let him.

Josh and I spent one afternoon cutting and piling the tree that they guys had cut down.  It was a lot of work. This is next years burn pile.  The kids had a blast playing in it.  Everything was covered in pine sap!  They kept making wands out of the sticks and trying to curse each other.  Proud mom moment!  They love Harry Potter as much as me. 

Then they took to making fox holes in the branches.  Again, that is why everything is covered in sap!  They loved every moment of it though.  I am so grateful we got in one last trip and that we all had a fun time.  I will cherish these memories forever!

Wagon Train

We had a very cool chance to see something that I believe was spectacular.  I wondered why people weren't lining the streets to see it? A real live wagon train!  A commemoration trip to celebrate the pioneers who settled Dixie.  They made the trip from Parowan to Dixie in 7 days. 

We watched it twice.  Once in Ivins and then we hurried to pick up Grandma and go watch it in Santa Clara.  It was phenomenal to watch.  I wish we could have afforded to take our family.  I got a little emotional watching it.

A funny story.  There was a little guy on a horse.  He looked to very young.  JD turns to me and says' "Why is a 4-year-old riding a horse?"  That little cowboy heard and he turned around, very offended and said, "I'm not 4, I'm six!"  It was the cutest thing.

If you give a kid a trophy........

It will make his day!

 Tyson was the team captain for the last football game. 

 After the game we went to the park for pizza.

 I love little boys!

 Look at his face!  Is he not the cutest?

He is so proud of his trophy!  What great coaches to get trophys and pizza for the boys!