Jack o' Lanterns!

This weekend we carved out pumpkins. Cooper still doesn't want to touch any of the pumpkins innards, while Amelia revels in it! They were both really creative this year. Amelia even did a "bedazzled" one. By the time we had finished theirs, I was so pooped I just did a classic design. Halloween is only 3 days away!

In other news, Cooper had an eye appointment today and..............needs glasses! Here's a quick picture of the frames he choose:

He won't get them for another two weeks. I think he looks dashing!

Moving the Camper

The four brothers all trying to have the "best" idea to move the camper (turn up your speakers):

Dad watching the whole thing giggling:

 Finally, the women stepped in and using Jojo's idea got it done:

Cooper was having a rough day and needed to blow off some steam crushing cans:

Semi-annual Call Clean-Up and Pumpkin Pickin'!

We had another clean up at my parent's house last weekend. They are getting ready to move into a new home, so we are slowly but steadily going through the house, garage, and outside so it won't be such a mess when they move. Cooper was a great help with the wheelbarrow and crushing bags of cans, and Amelia made sure all the cousins were taken care of!

Andy and Courtney, awaiting orders.

Just chillin'/

Grabbing some food.

Before.....

After!!

Coltman and his daddy.

 

Conagher was not in the mood to be photographed.

Matthew was!

Taking a short lunch break.

Dirt!

In a different post, I'm going to post the video of loading the camper. It's really funny to listen to four brothers try and figure out how to load a camper....especially since dad used to do it by himself!

They figured it out soon enough...after the women jumped in!


We also squeezed in getting our pumpkins also. This year is so busy with activities, lessons, and commitments we're having a hard time fitting out traditions in! Might be time to re prioritize our life, eh? We hit our pumpkin patch in the early evening instead of the morning and there was a slight difference from the other years:

It was PACKED! This picture just shows one view. The wagons were all being used, and people were everywhere. It was quite different from our other years. We found our pumpkins (I'll get a picture of them up soon), went through the straw maze, grabbed some cotton candy, and headed home.

Got through the straw maze!

Looking for the perfect pumpkin. Apparently "perfect" means huge.

Amelia resting while searching. Cooper wasn't feeling great, so he was not excited to be in pictures.

That's it! We'll carve them.......sometime before Halloween, and I'll post those pictures. Now we're on to parent teacher conferences, Halloween, and sugar overload!

Straw Maze

As I looked at our schedule from now until Christmas, I realized we have only 2 weekends when something isn't planned, or we have an activity or engagement. So to fit in the things we want to do, we decided to go to the straw maze last night. Now, if you look at the weather report, last night was the only rainy night we've had in a month. Luckily, the heaviest downpour came right before we went in and right as we were getting out (well, as Cooper and I were waiting for Amelia and her friend to come out). :-)  Here's a few pictures:

Cooper in one of the slides.

Jumping off the bales of straw.

Ready to get lost!

Cooper, Amelia and her friend Sara. Who's a year younger. But two inches taller. :-)

After I took that picture, we split up into two teams--racing to see who would get out first.

Inside the maze was a bus! We had to walk through it and even though it was still daylight, it was creepy.

This is looking back into the bus.

In a little more than 35 minutes--a new record--Cooper found the exit and we beat the girls out!

The triumphant winners!

 Sadly, twenty minutes later Amelia and Sarah emerged from the maze.....at the entrance.

By then it was starting to pour, so we raced back to the car. After stopping off for donuts and hot chocolate, dropping Sarah at home, we came home to snuggle up and watch a movie. Pretty good ending to a fantastic day!

Huh....lost about two weeks here...

....but such is the school year schedule! With school, homework, lessons (of all sorts), play dates,and everyday stuff! We did go to Jackson last weekend, however, and here are some pictures:

As beautiful as Jackson can be, it gets busier and busier each year---with this year be possibly the worst. I have never been honked at so many times, seen near-accidents, and witnessed so many rude people. Luckily we hit the candy store it didn't matter so much.

That's it...unless you want to hear about my last dentist appointment. Didn't think so.

Eastern Idaho State Fair 2015

For Labor Day weekend we went to Blackfoot to spend time with family and go to the fair. Amelia and Cooper were both excited to go because they entered goods into the baking contest and were going up against each other. We headed out early while everyone was at the parade:

 Obviously we headed to the bakery building first to see how they fared. Amelia won second place with her frosted sugar cookies:

Cooper won FIRST place with his white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies! His first try! You can tell by his smile how happy he was:

 In the quick bread department, Amelia won FIRST place AND BEST IN CLASS with her orange bread:

 Cooper rounded out his victory with a slightly less-enthusiastic third place with his pumpkin chocolate chip bread:

I was so proud of both of them! I'd hoped they'd place with at least one of their entries, but never thought each entry would win. Together, Amelia won $19 in prize money and Cooper won $8.

Riding high on sweet victory, we grabbed something to eat. Cooper found he could spell his name with fries. It made him almost as happy as his first place ribbon:

We also visited the petting zoo and Amelia rode the ponies. 

After exhausting everything available at the fair, we went back to Nana and Bompa's house (after a quick stop at Wal-mart to spend their prize money) to hang out. The rest of the weekend we played with cousins, rode scooters at the church, and begged my favorite aunt Judy to sew Amelia's elastic and ribbons on her pointe shoes. It was a fun weekend!

My classes will begin on Monday, so my posts may space out a bit---but these two semesters are my last! Yay!