Fall Break-The Heber Creeper

I have lived here in Utah for 15 years.  Can you believe it?  I can't!  Anyway, over those years I have heard of the Heber Creeper and I finally got around to riding it.  We have Fall Break around here and that means we get a vacation for school and a 5 day weekend! I saw this coupon for 1/2 off the Creeper and bought it so that the kids had at least one exciting thing to do over break.  While it wasn't too exciting, it was different and the whole family enjoyed being out together.

 We got a pumpkin cookie (too hard), a tattoo (my kids hate tattoos), a pumpkin (yeah!) and some "costumed characters" danced for us.  There were 2 cats and 1 Frankenstein that scared Callie.  I was a bit disappointed but like I said, we paid 1/2 the normal cost and we tried something new.

 

Naptime for Barbie

Since I have started being on Instagram and Facebook more I haven't blogged as much.  Here is a funny picture I took yesterday because I loved the creativity and usefulness of my blinds:

Kids are brilliant!

Callie's First Field Trip

 Callie and I were so excited for our first preschool field trip.  She was ready to go long before it was time.  Here she is posing with the pumpkins from OUR garden.  We finally grew some!

 While waiting for all of our friends the kids couldn't get enough of these cute fluffy bunnies.

 The corn maze was pretty tricky.  Luckily the kids were happy the whole time and it actually warmed up enough to take our coats off.  I love true Fall weather.

 

 The tomato tunnel where we got to try a tomato. 

 Two of our preschool friends didn't make it because they were sick. So sad.  We brought cousin Jacob and Aunt Sarah with us since Jacob's preschool teacher broke her leg and can't teach anymore.  Callie wanted to put her head through every single one of these holes.  Such a cutie!

 We made it through the maze and on to the animals and playgrounds.  So much fun!

 Callie thought these mirrors were hilarious!

 

 

 

 

My Baby Sis

 Over Conference weekend we had fabulous hosuequests.  My little sister Kayley, her husband John and her two kids Lainey and Jak.  We had SO much fun.  The kids got along great.  Lainey (5) got along fabulous with my 2 girls and then I loved watching my boys play with Jak (3).  I loved watching Jak look up to those boys.  My sis is gluten free so I made sure that everything we ate would work for her and her family.  I had no complaints, even with my mom's famous breakfast cake that was all gluten free and even had almond milk.
The best story of the weekend happened on Saturday night.  Kayley and John went out at 8pm to see a couple they had met in Hawaii over the summer.  All the kids were in bed and Greg and I were in our jammies reading or playing the computer.  My teeth were brushed, my face washed and I was falling asleep.  Then at 10:20 I got a text from Kayley saying, "We're coming over for ice cream...Are you ready to party?"  Greg and I got quite a laugh from that but not wanting to be the only foggies that we felt got dressed and ready to entertain.  It ended up being a great night.  The couple was really nice and great conversations were had.  The world is really a small one.  We found out that the husband served his mission in my home town, when I was 11-12.  He probably had dinner at our home since we seemed to always have the missionaries over.  And another cool tidbit is that the guy, Michael Birkeland, has been in lots of LDS movies like The Singles Ward, The RM and Home Teachers.  So we had a celebrity at our home!!  His wife was also pretty famous in that she owns the boutiques around town called, Boehme.
I really loved having my sis and her family in town.  I loved watching the kids interact.  I love that even though I live far from my family, Utah is a good place to visit so I get to see them more than if I lived somewhere else.

 

Fall

 Fall is definitely here.  The first weeks brought snow on the mountains and extremely cold temperatures in the valley.  I wasn't loving it.  I enjoy Fall, but Winter not so much.  I am really going to miss the endless amounts of fresh veggies we eat, especially making bruschetta as just this morning I ripped out my tomato plants and my basil plant has died thanks to frost.

 A great thing about Fall is General Conference.  First was the Relief Society General Conference the last weekend in September.  Every year my cousins and aunts get together and go up to Salt Lake to watch it in person.  There is something amazing about being in a room with 20,000+ women who stand for the same thing as I do.  And to be in the presence of the Prophet of the Lord.  Then last weekend was Conference for the whole church.  8 hours of listening to the prophet and apostles of the Lord.  Amazing!  What does the Lord want me to do?  I know now.  He wants me to be kinder.  He wants me to be a better missionary.  He wants me to teach my children so they will grow up and be good people.  He wants me to remember the covenants I have made at baptism and in the temple and live up to them.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for me.  I know that I can return to live with Them with my family if I continue on the path found in the scriptures.  The church is true and I am so grateful to be part of something so wonderful and uplifting.