Finally up to October, yay! This was such a fun and busy month for us. All the Halloween activities, UEA break, visit from friends, birthdays, trip to TX for me. It was a full month. Starting off the UEA school break we had a fun day at Thanksgiving Point enjoying the Farm Barnyard Boo and then Cornbelly's. I got a great deal on a season pass again and we spent a lot of time there. You'll see, there's tons of photographic proof. :)
Davis throwing rings around the witch
Claire tossing eyeballs into monsters
The boys showing off all the prizes, candy, and treats they won.
A couple group shots of Cornbelly's. Claire doesn't often make it easy.
Bonus of a twin, always have a mate for games.
Hay train ride (I promise this girl doesn't always hate life, she was actually having a blast. Me and my hay allergies were struggling a little more, but still a really fun day with my kids. And I rocked it mostly by myself).
My good friend Kris came with her family from CO to enjoy their fall break with us. We have been friends since we were 4 and it is really fun that we still keep in touch. I love that our boys are becoming friends as well, I hope they can continue our life-long friendship.
Dino museum, then Cabela's (look at those darling buddies!)
Double bonus having a cake decorator visiting for Lowell's birthday. Oh my the cake was fantastic!
Visit to BYU--these girlys have so many brothers--they need to stick together.
They are all such a hoot. We also climbed Ensign Peak--easy hike with a great photo op. Thanks for the visit Heller clan!
We picked a day to do the corn maze as a family--it was such a lovely evening (we had more of an indian summer--warm all the way into November [feels ages away after a January where we stayed below freezing most of the month and had record below zero temps for a couple weeks solid--boy I miss fall!]).
Victory! We always finish, I don't think we've ever not cheated . . .
The boys finished their flag football season and got their medals. They liked it, but I think we'll try another sport this year. We'll see.
This year they had a dog day event at the gardens. I was so excited--I have thought so many times about how much they would love it there and they did. Not easy being pulled by 3 dogs and Claire but it was still fun. Mostly I was trying to minimize their barking--they just get so excited. What I really need is the gardens as my backyard where these guys could run free to their hearts content. I'd love that.
We made our annual trek up to Hidden Peak (via tram). It was a little chilly and we were in a bit of a hurry to get back to trick or treating at Cornbelly's but still enjoyable.
We wore them out.
Made it back in time to trick or treat with buddies A&A. So glad for these cutie friends--doesn't hurt that I really enjoy time visiting with their mom either.
Messy little love, I adore her.
So toward the end of October I left on a work trip to Texas to train on a new analyzer we were installing. Similar to what I did last year in Chicago. I actually made this same trip 8 years ago as well when we installed the new one's older brother. Anyway, 5 days in a fancy hotel with lots of fancy food and nice people to meet and have adult conversations with. So hard to leave my family (and I am not crazy about traveling alone) but there were definitely some perks. My first night there I had this huge spread from room service while watching a couple of my favorite shows. Not too shabby. We really did spend the majority of the time in class, but the food was impressive.
Some of the nice people I met (3 were also from IHC but it was the first time I met them). And the hotel was seriously amazing.
Home again we did the UVMOM Halloween party and Lowell enjoyed my Texas sized treat.
Cutie girl ready for Gardner village Halloween festivities.
Hello goat
And pony ride. We enjoyed it but it wasn't amazing. Not sure we'll do it again next year.
Back to Cornbelly's we redeemed some of the "extras" that came with our pass--riding the bull (always a big favorite)
And paint balling
Went on a family hay ride
And played played played (I love that place!) I think the kids just might as well ;).
Halloween! We had some fun foods for breakfast and lunch (thank you pinterest)
The boys were going to be BYU football players then had to be zombie football players. To be a 7 year old boy.
Claire was content to "just" be a cheerleader. :)
Didn't carve the pumpkins until Halloween night--oh well, got 'er done.
Devil in front with dead pumpkin souls in the fire and big pumpkin eating little pumpkin.
Trick or treating was a hit. Claire got the idea quickly and liked running from her stroller to the door and was thrilled with the candy she received. She was very mad though at doors that did not answer. She made it a couple streets and got too ornery to continue so dad came and got her. The boys made it a couple more streets before their buckets couldn't take any more treats and I was pushing them in the stroller.
Home for pizza then to visit all the grandparents. It was a fun night, we sure love Halloween.
Cornbelly's had a pumpkin smash event after Halloween that was at least as fun as the rest of the season. We got to bring old pumpkins in and take them to a smash zone where the boys attacked them with bats and Lowell took one apart with a machete.
There was a strip of smashed pumpkins (found out later that is where the huge tractor rolled through--we got to put out all the pumpkins we could find and watch it smash them--good times).
Davis won at a pumpkin shoe race. They were slippery inside and heavy. He and Carter did well through and got a Halloween CD for their efforts.
Smashing pumpkins. Below they dropped a massive pumpkin from a crane onto a car. I was home with Claire but Lowell said the car was just destroyed and there was pumpkin everywhere. They also had a pumpkin filled with candy that they dropped--like a giant gooey pinata. Holy cow the kids had a great time.
They also got to meet Mia Love who was running for Congress in our district (bummed she didn't win though it was very close). Finally they dropped pumpkins from a helicopter. Turned out to be a long day at Cornbelly's but the kids had a blast.
Just a shot of the princess--such a fun and funny little girl.
Closing day at the gardens--always a melancholy day for me. I miss it so much after it closes. I am counting down to its opening again now. We did go several times in the warm of November (members can go after closing day) but this was the last full family trip of 2012.
Cute grandparents.
I always get a shot of the kids walking away for the year.
Goodbye gardens, Cornbelly's, Halloween, and fall. It was such a fun year this year--hopefully even better next year. I love Spring and Fall. Summer is next (not a heat fan but love having my kids home and all the fun things you can do in summer). Winter, not a fan. Too cold and so little we can do. Spring come soon!
