Grateful

May your day be filled with things you are grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Fire Drill

We executed a mock fire drill over the weekend. We've talked about safety with the kids and had a meeting place and a list of neighbors to visit and who next in case they aren't home and so on. We thought we'd cover all the bases, but nothing beats actually practicing, not just talking. So, Saturday we put the kids to bed - they were out cold in 11 minutes. We gave them just a few more and then turned out all the lights and set the smoke detector alarm off. And waited, and waited, and waited. Finally after about 45 seconds (a LONG time when there is a horrible loud beeping noise) Andrew said "turn it off it's waking me up". I went into his room and explained that was the whole point. Then we practiced unlocking the window, getting the screen off and I made him crawl out the window and run all the way to our designated meeting place and back. He got back to bed by the time Paul shook Nathan awake. He snapped that he was trying to sleep.

It was a good practice for many reasons, we realized in the pitch black of night, it's really hard to see and if they aren't careful, they'll make it out the window only to fall into the basement window wells. It was also good to know also that Nathan lands into a thorny holly berry bush that we've talked about pulling out for years - every better reason to now. Andrew also complained it was cold on his bare feet and we don't even have snow yet. At least they have a little idea what to expect, and we talked about not having toys on the floor to trip over, which might have sunk in...

Halloween

At the pumpkin patch

Darth, Orphan Annie, and Obe-one (I'm sure I spelled that wrong)....

I used to do "theme's" for Halloween, but then the kids got older and actually wanted to pick their own costumes. If one of my children has decided more than a few days before Halloween they were going to be a Star Wars character like the other one, I would have to have gone a Princess Leia, but Annie has been in the making for a year. Maybe another time. Now I got to get to work on next years.....

Halloween is a BIG deal where I work. Some coworkers look forward to it more than the Christmas party. Sheridan always comes up with GREAT costumes. This year he got his boys to come with him as the army guys from Toy Story. His littlest one is just now crawling and was doing they crawl where he uses his arms and drags his tummy across the floor. It was so perfectly cute!

October

Wow, this month has gone by fast. We went camping last weekend in the mountains around Scofield. We have been on a few trips this year, but always with other families, this one was just us. It was nice to spend the time with the kids. We played a lot of games, colored, went on walks, read by the fire. Good weather and just a great weekend. On the way to the camp spot we had to cross rail road tracks. Paul helped the kids line up some coins but we decided not to wait and found a camp spot. They went back and all the coins had slid off the track so they laid down some more and on our way home we were surprised to find the majority of them - all flattened.

This was the sunset on the last night. We camped off of Skyline Drive on the Wasatch Plateau.

Our designer pumpkins. We had a pumpkin carving night with great food and friends at Blake and Hollys. I ended up carving mine and both boys. I think next year we screen which designs they get to choose from.... my hand is tired! From left to right are: Andrews, Pauls, Nathans, and mine.

Baby Blues

I seriously LOVE the comic strip Baby Blues (and Zits)... The one about the back pack is from last year. The "accident" was recent.

Remind you of anyone???

I took the kids on a four mile hike this weekend to Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon. I was hoping to see the fall colors and Mother Nature did disappoint. Kids had fun although I think it was a bit too far/too hard for them.

Scouting

We have a new (very excited) cub scout! His first meeting was this past Monday. He is already counting down the days until the next one. Funny how when Nathan was in first grade I thought he was getting so big and every time I look at Andrew I think he is so small ( is that how it is with oldest and youngest) ~ and he is small~ he's just standing on a rock in the picture.