September 2018

September got off to a great start! We cashed in a gift certificate Jeremy won last year for a stay at the Provo Marriott. We had a late anniversary weekend trip and it was wonderful. Julie and her girls watched the kids for us at Grammy and Grampy's house. The kids said they had an amazing time playing with cousins.

We got to do a session at the beautiful new Provo City Center Temple. It was wonderful to see and learn about the restoration the building wen through. We used to have our regional conferences in the old Provo tabernacle during our BYU days. The transformation was miraculous.

Our nephew Wyatt is a student at BYU. We decided to take him out to breakfast so we could visit with him. We tried the famous Waffle Love restaurant. Our favorite was the chicken and waffles. Jeremy ordered a waffle with dulce de leche not realizing that it would come topped with a GIANT scoop of ice cream. Next time we will get something simple like strawberries instead and try another savory flavor too. We had a great time with Wyatt. I thought we got a picture with him, but I can't find it now.

After all that sugary food we decided we should walk (ahem, HIKE!) some of it off. We hadn't been up Y Mountain since college days so we gave it a go.

We made it to the top of the Y...barely. Christine was pretty tired and we had to stop a lot.

The views were wonderful. Some of the fall colors were starting to appear.

Once we hiked back down, we decided to drive through our old neighborhoods and see if the places we lived looked the same.

They did! We miss being younger, but we don't miss being stressed out students. It is so much more fun to visit Provo when we're not worried about money, grades, jobs, or navigating a new marriage. We wandered the streets, visited an old book store, enjoyed a few restaurants, and had a quiet night all to ourselves. Happy anniversary to us!

We spent Labor day exploring the mountains a little closer to home - although Daddy was expecting the drive to take about an hour and it ended up being two hours. We were starting to worry that we were out in the middle of nowhere when Daddy recognized some landmarks and then found the trailhead.  The kids were so anxious to get moving after a long car ride.

The girls were excited to cross into Yellowstone National Park. Mommy was a little nervous about all the beware of bears signs. It is time for us to start hiking with bear spray and a gun.

This trail was so fun. Lots of shade and fun places to access the river for exploring. The kids loved it.

We spent so much time playing in the river that we didn't get to finish the trail. But the kids were ok with that. There was so much to see.

Joey liked making us nervous by running to the edge of the overlooks. He sure knows how to raise our blood pressure.

When we stopped for lunch, a butterfly took a liking to Daddy. He must have smelled good.

The kids were so excited about the butterfly. It came and went a few times during our lunch rest. The kids would scream every time it hovered over to a new spot on Daddy's head or face. Finally the poor bug got tired of all the noise and flew away.

We hiked a little further to get a view of a little waterfall, but the kids were acting tired and we've learned that if we wait to turn around when they are too tired, it is a miserable experience for everyone. We caught the turn around time just about perfectly. The walk back was really fun.

The boys held hands to help each other along the trail. It was so precious that Mommy kept snapping pictures. We love the images so much that are going to print and frame a few of them in the boys' room.

Seriously just the sweetest moment between these two little guys. I hope they will be friends forever.

We stopped to cool our feet at our favorite rock shelf. It was hard to leave it behind. The kids just loved playing and exploring here.

Joey started getting grumpy near the end of the day. Mommy had to help carry him and let him take pictures to help him keep going.

We stopped at one last bend in the river before the last stretch to the car.  The kids were losing motivation fast, so we inspired them with the promise of ice cream and french fries at Frost Top drive-in. That got their feet moving.

Everyone else had the same idea to get ice cream on the way home from the moutains. The drive-in was a zoo. We wiggled our way up to the counter to order. Once we placed our order they asked us to find a table or wait outside. We ended up outside.

Joey liked sitting at the counter and playing with the bear figurines. We're just glad he didn't break one. We were not in the mood to be the proud owners of a broken bear figurine.

Mommy got a break from making dinner that night too. The kids cashed in their final summer reading program coupons at Papa Murphys. They got a cute little pizza making kit. It was a fun way to end a fabulous Labor Day.

Tommy was hit by the first back to school bug. He had a fever and upset stomach for a couple of days. He bounced back fast. And thankfully no one else caught it.

Our community put on the musical Annie. We took the girls to see it. They had a great time. Hopefully we'll have more musical theater lovers in the family.

Uncle Brady came over for his birthday celebration. He got a lemon raspberry cake and his favorite chocolate pie. He was a happy birthday boy.

Joey has had a hard time adjusting to Tommy being at school. At first he loved having Mommy all to himself. But soon he realized that all his friends are now in kindergarted or preschool at the same time and it will be just Joey and Mommy in the mornings all school year long. We are so happy when Tommy comes home so that Joey has a buddy to play with. And the beautiful September weather has been great for escaping to the park before the girls come home.

Rather than just buzz cut the boys, we attempted a real hair cut. It was a little stressful and it didn't turn out perfectly. Mommy is ready to throw away the clippers and just take the boys to a barber.

Daddy has faith that one day we'll be able to cut the boys hair without Mommy and/or the boys ending up in tears.  Daddy also just wants to save the $30 it would cost to cut the boys hair every four weeks.

Our Kids' Town membership will expire in December. We haven't gone in a while so we made an afternoon of it. They boys made me a fantastic Italian lunch - while dressed as fire fighters.

Cutest lunch dates ever.

Joey's nursery teachers sent me this picture. They had a lesson about Daniel in the lions' den. All the kiddos got to be lions. Joey is the roaring lion in the back with a white shirt and blue slacks. He loves his nursery class. I am so thankful for nursery leaders who show up and really take the time to love and teach these cuties.

Annie heard a story in school about a little Indian girl who had to learn how to follow her dreams in order to make her goals a reality. She learned the phrase "Yagottawanna". And would tell herself that every time she had to work hard for something. The kids all made hats with the saying and set some goals for the school year. Such a cute idea to inspire them to work hard in school. Annie loved it.

The girls have been having fun dong makeovers, making up stories, and filming little movies in our backyard. I keep finding photos and movies that they have done. I love seeing them play so creatively. And some of their poses and stories give us a good laugh too.

Now the boys are starting to play with the camera too. These are Tommy's buddies Jack and Hunter.

Uncle Brady moved to a new apartment and we got to tend Rocky for a couple of days. All the noise and attention from the kids was too much for Rocky. He pretty much hid under our bed the whole time. 

The boys looked so cute dressed for church on Sunday that we had to snap a picture. They are looking like little gentlemen. Sometimes I look at their faces and I feel like I can see them 20 years in the future all grown up and handsome.

It is almost time for our annual apple picking trip so we went up to the orchard to scout the trees and find the apples we want. Then we ran around and played until we were ready for bed.

I don't know what Joey is doing in this picture. He was so tender with this statue. He tried to hold her hand and just stood with her for a long time.

The apple scouting mission was a success. The next night we met Daddy at his office for some pizza and Family Home Evening apple picking.

The kids were so worried that this little lady bug would be squished in our apple bag. We scooped her up and set her on a tree. She's probably just fine.

Daddy tried to teach us to juggle. After Joey dropped apples on himself a few times, we decided this was not the year to attempt juggling. So we took cute pictures instead.

It was a beautiful night. I am glad our kids look forward to this tradition every year. It is so simple, but it is a great way for us to play and connect as a family. It also reminds us to be grateful for where our food comes from and how important it is to remember that our beautiful earth is a gift from our Father in Heaven.

Mommy got to escape for a Zumba night with some friends. We had a nerdy back to school theme. Some of the ladies dressed up.

It just feels so good to have friends who like to get out and have fun together. Hooray for girls nights.

Before the chilly weather hits, we scheduled Annie for some baptism shots with my friend Katie. It was beautiful night down by the river. We had hoped to take pictures on the Idaho Falls temple grounds, but the grounds were locked. So we went with our second favorite place in town.

 Annie loved taking the pictures. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

 While Annie got the glamour treatment, Mommy tried to keep these three from drowning in the river or falling off the lava rocks.

Everybody stayed safe and had a fun night, so that's a win! We sure had a busy September adjusting to school and activities again, Daddy's work is getting busier and he's working longer hours, and Mommy is still trying to juggle Relief Society and family. Hopefully we'll get our feet under us in October.