Category: Family Fun

 

My kids have certainly had their fair share of fun this fall season! You’re probably all tired of hearing about what people are doing to celebrate autumn/Halloween. But too bad! haha

Uncle Casey helped Chase carve the pumpkin. Actually, Chase didn’t do much besides explain the concept he wanted, smack himself in the face with a slotted spoon, and then eat Oreos.

A couple weeks ago, we invited some friends to go to Pumpkinland in Orem with us. It’s a cute place where they have tons of things for kids to do (play areas, animals, gardens), and of course, you can buy pumpkins at the end. Definitely the best festive place for little ones. Pictured below is Chase with his BFF (just a couple of tough guys).

                                                

And Chase loved this goat (below). Somehow, it seemed as though the goat reciprocated his love.

(If you’re wondering what happened to Chase’s face, he had a few warts treated by a dermatologist. He’s gone through this several times, and it’s kind of painful for Chase, but this method doesn’t cause scarring which is important since the little warts tend to appear on his face. I’m hoping that this might be the last time he’ll have to have warts removed. Only time will tell!)

We took all the Activity Day girls to Cornbelly’s at Thanksgiving Point. SO much to do there, like a huge corn maze, a haunted creature you could walk through, pedal carts, big slides, hay ride, etc. It was our big (pricey) activity of the year, and it was so helpful that Gretchen came and took my kids around to do everything so I could just be with the awesome little girls from my group. I love my church calling! Hard to believe I’ve already been doing this for 2 years.

The above picture represents a kid’s dream come true… A large play house that you could color all over!!! Hopefully kids won’t see that as a green light for doing the same back at their real houses.

Have I mentioned that the traffic and construction here is ridiculous right now?? It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get back from Thanksgiving Point (should take 30 min or less). Poo.

All complaints aside…. The afternoon following our Cornbelly’s adventure, Gretchen so kindly took my kids to play at Hee Haw Farms in Pleasant Grove (yet another Halloween-themed place that has fun things to do). I wouldn’t exactly say my kids are spoiled, but………….. maybe they are.

This past week we’ve been *blah* sick. Hopefully Pace is the last one, and on the upswing! There’s not much to say about that, except that I have done absolutely nothing over the last several days! And we’re thankful for our normal, everyday life when we have good health.

This time last weekend we were on a fun family vacation in Idaho! Our good friends Bracken & Katie invited us to a cabin up there with them and the Fears. We really enjoyed this short, but fun-packed trip.

The best part of all was going to Yellowstone National Park! We went through part of Montana and into Wyoming just to get there (haha but that part only took like 25 minutes). We were shocked to discover that it costs $25 per car to get into the park, but we soon found out that it was well worth it!

Gorgeous scenery, and some good friends! (Sarah was taking this photo.) I believe this waterfall was called Firestone Falls or something; Pace had read about it and it was a really pretty spot.

Chase & Charlotte loved having kids to play with the whole time. Charlotte apparently wanted to get hit by a car because she kept charging wildly into the road. Luckily, she never got hurt!

                                    

We saw lots of bison & elk, a coyote, some interesting birds, and even some funny little mice. The animals (and the views) were fascinating!

My family went to Yellowstone when I was like 5, and I vividly remember the bubbling mud pots with the stinky sulfur smell. So of course we had to visit those, too. I loved the smell because it brought back memories!  (I think I was the only one who didn’t mind the stink.) We just had a couple of videos of those, but the photo below is of a hot spot that was bubbling right next to the river. It was a little chilly outside, so a few of us were tempted to jump in there to warm up, but we resisted. We also saw several geysers, which were interesting!

Some from our group went up to a mountaintop to hit golf balls off the cliffs. I just heard it was freezing up there!

The whole thing was a great trip and we loved having some family and friend time all rolled into one.

           

MAN these two drive me crazy, but I love them! Just look at ‘em …And their LONG-SLEEVED shirts!

It’s been a slightly chilly week all of a sudden, so we’ve busted out the cooler weather clothing. Chase loves superheroes, so of course I had to stock up on a few of his favorite type of shirt so they would actually get worn.

As for Charlotte’s festive shirt, my disclaimer is that I don’t generally purchase holiday clothing that will only be worn for 1 month’s time. But Charlotte’s shirt was a post-Halloween 2009 steal of a deal. And she’ll be able to wear it next year, too. AND it’s cute. …Justified.

The photo below makes me chuckle! Chase was trying to give Charlotte a kiss for the picture, but she squealed and shoved him away. Typical behavior. These two have their fair share of squabbles, but overall, I am shocked by how well they get along, and especially by how well Chase treats his little sister. TENDER. He even oohs and aahs when I put a new little outfit on her, which amuses me!

Chase put on his lined cargo pants the other day and came in the room to show me. I praised him for getting dressed, and looking super handsome wearing those pants. He responded sweetly, “I knew you’d like them.”

Chase looks a little funky in the picture below. But I just had to show off the skinny jeans I found for Charlotte. Couldn’t resist! And her black Mary Jane Crocs are replacing the gold ones that she demanded to wear every single day in the summertime (can you tell that these two have definite opinions about what they will and will not wear?!?).

                                                  

And just one more fun pic for good measure!

What have we been up to?

Well. Life has been busy and good. We’ve been enjoying these warm October days. This summer weather can stay as long as it wants to!

We went to 2nd cousin Katelin’s 6th birthday party! We loved all the sugar we got to have there.

Chase and Charlotte have mainly just been busy being cute.

Chase loves to create things. Especially his own concoctions and recipes in the kitchen that make a HUGE mess. I just hyperventilate, that’s all. I don’t want to curb his creativity, but MAN our kitchen has just been trashed lately. Sometimes it’s good that Chase is so eager and curious because it motivates us to make cute things like these wheat pancakes.

Yesterday we made a volcano together with play dough, (add baking soda & vinegar to make it erupt), which was really fun. That was one of the tidier projects he’s done, along with the Lego one below. I love seeing what he builds.

We have also been spending money, which stresses me out. I’ve bought some new clothes for the kids, including some snow clothes. Today I found some good deals at 7 Circles Outlet in Orem. But kids are expensive, I’ve decided.

So are houses! We had to buy a new garbage disposal and Pace chose and put in a new kitchen faucet as well. I love it. Yay for Costco being way cheaper than Lowe’s! And yay for Pace knowing how to perform such intense home repairs! He does a TON around the house. I can’t believe his skills—how did I catch such a guy??

Chase enjoys preschool almost as much as I enjoy having him at preschool. I went with his class to the pet store for their monthly field trip. Chase & Charlotte were both very brave, petting the snakes, iguana, the hyper chinchilla, etc. Chase loved this blue parrot that kept vigorously flapping its wings.

OK I’m sure everyone already knows how to make homemade play dough.  I’ve tried a few recipes myself. But I want to share this one because it makes a very soft, low-mess play dough. It’s my favorite recipe so far because it doesn’t stick to the counter much like some of the other recipes I’ve tried!

Play Dough Recipe

2 c. Flour
½ c. Salt
2 c. Water
2 T. Vegetable Oil
¼ c. Cream of Tartar (found in spice section)

Pour all ingredients into a large saucepan. Food coloring can be added here if desired, 5-7 drops. Turn to med-high heat and stir constantly until the mix becomes very warm and starts to form together, about 3-5 minutes. Do not over heat, it will burn. Continue stirring until the mix forms into a playdough ball. Remove from heat and pour ball onto a wax paper sheet. Let cool for a few minutes and then knead until soft, 2-3 minutes. Food coloring can also be added during the kneading process as well, especially if you want to split the dough and use 2 or more colors. I suggest wearing baggies over your hands if doing this. Store your play dough in a ziplock bag and in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months, or until little white spots develop.

My parents came for Education Week a couple weeks ago. It was a lot of fun! My wonderful mother stayed with Chase & Charlotte every morning so I could attend Education Week! It was so great. It was pretty weird being back at BYU taking classes, especially because one of the classrooms I went to was one I actually had for a class or 2 while a student at BYU! I loved taking classes without the pressure of any actual tests. I’d be glad to go back every year if I could! (hint, hint)

We got to spend the afternoons and evenings doing fun activities like playing games, going to the park, library, & Costco, etc.

We went to the County Fair one warm afternoon. It wasn’t an amazing fair, but the parking and admission were free. And we saw an entertaining juggler, lots of animals, and all the fair entries like crafts and garden vegetables. I actually only spent 5 bucks there (for cotton candy and a ride for Chase). It was a great outing and a great week overall! Thanks to Dad & Mom for the visit, the love, and the Costco groceries!

Hello, blue Kool-Aid tongues! Ah, good ol’ summertime. I’d bought a few packets of Kool-Aid to make scented play dough (I don’t recommend it; it’s too sticky). Chase later convinced me to make a pitcher of it for them and a friend to drink, and I gave in (you know, to be a “fun mom”). They each tried some, and when my back was turned, they attempted to pour some more into their cups.

However, as they poured it, the lid suddenly popped off of the pitcher! It spilled and splattered! Absolutely everywhere. I got them to help wipe it up a little, but basically, I found myself mopping up an entire pitcher of sugary Kool-Aid that was ALL over my kitchen. It really had splashed everywhere… aaahh! So despite the cute blue tongue photos, we’ll be taking a break from the whole Kool-Aid idea for a while!

It seems like everyone around me is really busy, zipping around everywhere! But we’re not very busy! I don’t know what I’m missing out on, but I think it’s mainly because we still just have little kids. We do lots of things, but I like the fact that practically everything we do is flexible and optional! My intention is not to brag here, just to say that we’re still in a time of life when things are slow-paced. I’m just cherishing this time when life is not too chaotic in terms of obligations, schedules, and fitting things in.

Chase is just about to start soccer (with Daddy as his team’s coach!) as well as preschool, so I know that we’ll be a little busier, but not really; life will still be relatively simple.

We generally enjoy playing outside, spending time with family and friends, making things in the kitchen, and trying new art projects.