Happy Fall y'all

Well, fall has finally found us, the leaves are changing and there's snow on the mountains. It was still near 80 most of the past week though. I'm certainly not complaining. Keep off the days of "have to stay inside" as long as possible! Life is settling in, I am finally getting a better handle on getting to play and still get homework done and get to school. I am running a lot because there is only so much time before school, during school, and after school before bedtime but we have gotten a lot of fun into those hours. I am more tired for it--but you know the song, "You're gonna miss this". I am trying to soak in these years while we have them.

Kindergarten is already changing my kiddos. They are less likely to hug and especially kiss me (Davis really won't any more :() and are more interested in playing with their friends than Daddy in the backyard now. Though the neighbor kids seem to really like playing with Lowell, so I think the boys just don't appreciate what they have in that great man.
We had parent/teacher conferences last week and I am so (SO) pleased to say the boys are doing great. Really so much better than I anticipated. I had been on eggshells starting school thinking back to our first bad preschool experience, but Lowell reassured me they can't kick the kids out of public school so I waited and watched . . .and expected a phone call. But none came, the kids ran off each day to their friends smiling (no fights to go to school!) and reported school was, "pretty much awesome"-Davis. Their teachers report they are doing well and settling in. Davis's teacher says his behavior is within the norm and that he is a cutie. Carter's teacher says he is a joy to have and at the top of his class academically. Whew! I am struggling a bit with letting go, they have been my babies for so long it is hard to relinquish them every day to someone else. Next year will be so much worse. Sigh. One more thing I am proud of them for--I have seen them and their teachers concur that they are very good at including other less social kids. They are tender little hearts and are helping other kiddos adjust (which was mentioned in both of their father's blessings). I am so proud of my little men!

At least my stinker baby is keeping me busy. That little girl turned 1 and into a fiesty little miss. She is into everything and very vocal if she doesn't get what she wants. Which most of the time is me, so I carry her around a lot. She was pretty cranky for a couple of weeks, I think it was a mixture of teething (Molars and cuspids) and starting cow's milk. She still gets mostly breastmilk but the cow's milk she is getting seemed to be upsetting her for a time but now she is doing better. My happy funny baby is reemerging and she is more likely to be busily toddling all over the house (or outside, she loves to be outside!) exploring than demanding to be in my arms. I can't believe how big she is nor can I handle that she is a toddler. Where did my baby go? :( We love her--I just hate how quick my little people are growing. Their childhood is buzzing past me.
Well onto our adventures and plenty of pics!
Seriously, could you get a better picture? What a lovely day at the gardens!
They even brought home a "tadpole" that yes is just a fish, they named him Mason. He's a teeny little guy, probably very baby Koi (that probably would have frozen over the winter so he's okay at our house).
We got a good deal on Cornbelly passes and have already gone 5 times. The kids love it there. Here was opening day-bounce pony racing.
Claire and I on the cow train ride
Sis not sure about the corn (she loves it now!)
But the boys had no hesitation, they dunked their whole bodies in the corn and were white all over the rest of the day!
Little corn maze
Kids on the big rocking chair
That night we used our last Hollywood Connection Passes (it was crazy busy and we left quite quickly) but I did catch this cute one of Claire in the mini golf area.
We felt bad about how bad Hollywood had gone so we went back to Cornbelly's--they had some rocket exhibits there and the kids got to make their own and shoot them off.
Our season pass including a number of bonuses including bull riding. I didn't think they'd let little kids go, but they had a slow setting. It was hillarious, the kids had so much fun.

We picked up some balloons for the kids' birthday pics at Fotofly (I don't have the disk here to add them, but they are on facebook and turned out amazing!)--I grabbed Claire her first sucker while I was there. :)
Melinda got a campsite up the canyon again and we took advantage of it having a campfire and checking out the fall leaves.



Claire decided dirt wasn't tasty, LOL!
The day before the boys' bday we had a fun-filled day--Krispie Kreme kids meals to start,
I had my free hot one in my hand and Claire had most of it picked out and gone before I even checked out. Next we went to Toys R Us and redeemed their bday club gift cards and got hats and balloons.
After school we hit up Chuck E cheese and their free bday tokens
Then to California Pizza Kitchen for their free kids meals there.
After they went to bed I decorated their hallway from a pin I saw on pinterest.
They were so surprised to see it when they woke up, they loved it! And finding $1 for each year of age in the balloons was even better. They don't usually get money, they thought it was great.
#6 pics!
We went to breakfast with a witch (Gardner Village) that morning, here's C doing the congo And the boys with the witches, they were so funny and awesome. The food was decent and the kids had fun. Thanks to my mom for keeping Claire. I think this will become a bday tradition! The boys' school requires treats brought to school to be individually wrapped and store bought, so this was the best I could do to make it fun, Twinkie Caterpillars. After school we headed to Boondock's where they had free bday passes (I love all the free bday stuff, just register your kids online and there's plenty to do!) The boys were busy laser tagging so I got some shots of my big 1 year old. We took turns mini-golfing and go-karting with Dad. Davis really is getting good at golf, he got 2 holes in one all on his own. We finished out the day with free bday dinner at Texas Roadhouse with a yee-haw on their saddle. The boys agreed it was their best birthday ever! Good, it was exhausting! :) Off to Cornbelly's again the next day--it was chilly so I got to bust out Claire's fall wardrobe. I got a HUGE lot on ebay--it's so fun! Saturday we hit up Spooky Saturdays at the dino museum, thanks to Hillary for coming along and letting Lowell get a morning off for once. Meeting the wizard Face painting that mommy waited forever for. They were happy, it's all good. Sunday we took a canyon drive to see the colors. I wanted to get a family picture, Claire was dressed SO cute but the light was fading and we didn't have anyone else with us, here's the results of me trying to use the timer and prop the camera in the dirt on the hillside . . . Sure you can't see the leaves any more, but it's not a bad shot! I'm surprised the baby is looking. After dropping the boys off one day Claire was so happy to play out front. She loves to get in and out of her wagon and rearrange her friends. We headed over to our usual pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins off the vine .. .
Yep, that was the best group shot I could get . . .oh well, we were all there and got pumpkins. The end. Back to Cornbelly's shooting paintballs and corn cannons with Daddy

Then off to do the corn maze as a family. We do this every year and we have never honestly finished it. The kids get antsy and we cheat to get out. I guess it doesn't matter as long as we are having fun. Carter looking for the way out, :) Davis was hurrying for the pig races and he got chosen out of the crowd, so I guess it was worth it. Claire baby can drink from a juice box now . . .and eat most of a kid's meal by herself, chicken nuggets and apples, it's not so bad. Still having fun dressing my dolly . . . I got the chance to chaperone the kids' first field trip, to Hee Haw's farm. I was with Carter's class and I dropped the camera midway and lost the batteries, so no pictures of Davis :( or the super cute 1 day old piglets. I had 5 kids in my charge and it was not terribly easy to keep track of them! They all made it back though and had a good time. The only downer was Davis was sad he didn't get to be with me, hopefully next time. And back to Cornbelly's (we go every Friday, I know how to get my money's worth out of a pass!) and there is so much to do the kids are still doing new things and begging to go. This time Jonny got to come with us. The afternoons have been so lovely lately we have spent a lot at home just playing in the backyard. My work had a contest for pics of active kids, here are the shots I got:
And that brings us up to date again! I am still trucking along on the Halloween costumes--family set of angry birds and thanks to a twin club Craft day and a ward Super Saturday, plus lots of help from my mom I am sewing them myself. The sewing machine has been dusted off and I have a new obsession. Watch for sewn Christmas gifts ;). We're looking forward to Halloween and then Hillary's wedding, eek! We hope you are well, lots of love!

And a video for Aunt Becky and cousin Dylan--thanks so much for the gifts, they love them!