More on Halloween

My very sweet sister Shannon invited us to attend Boo at the Hogle Zoo on Halloween. I took Ike and Sabrina and we spent the day with their cousin Mitch, seeing cool animals and collecting candy. It was a great day to spend with my sister and we had a lot of fun. Sabrina was so happy the entire day and I am so glad that we could go.

Halloween 2010

Halloween has come and gone, except for the candy of course. My kids love holidays and especially ones where they get to dress up. This year Isaac chose a Fireman, since the local fire department came to visit in the month of October at his school. He received a hat from them and wore everyday after school during October. We made his costume from some duck tape and used clothing. He loved it. Sabrina was tigger. No her first choice in costumes, but I talked her into it, knowing that Halloween is not usually a warm night. She would have rather had been a fairy princess, a tinker bell, or something pink. But since it did rain on Halloween night I was grateful for the tigger costume. Autumn was a bear. She didn't enjoy the head part, but she too remained toasty and warm while we trunk or treated in the muddy rain at our church's little party. Carving pumpkins was eventful, but we managed to finish the project with no human cuts and only a little mess.

October fun

In early October we had the opportunity to go to St. George to see Grandma and Grandpa Gordon and to play with Coby and Mekenzie's kids at the spray park in St. George. We also got to attend our newest niece's baby blessing. The picture with all of the cousins is adorable, don't ask me why my kids just couldn't smile. Oh well.

More Fall updates 2010

The kids really enjoyed riding in the lawn mower wagon this summer. Each time we started to mow our field they were in the wagon. A few times they had snacks, sometimes they took naps but most the time they just squinted their eyes so avoid the dust. We went on a little drive up the mountains and saw down into the copper mine. It was an incredible view, and I am grateful we all made it back into the car safely. And last is Sabrina at the Great Salty Lake.

Erda has beautiful sunsets. This one topped them all this summer. Sabrina finally was very successful in getting potty trained. So in our family it is a huge deal, so we had a pooping party. The cake was very tippsy, but she loved it anyway. Our biggest accomplishment this summer was growing a garden. We grew tomatoes, carrots, squash- that produced for nearly 4 months,green peppers, a handful of peas,corn on the cob, and pumpkins. It was a enjoyable for the whole family especially come harvest time and the kids would pick the veggies and say, "look what we found".

More photos

These are pictures of Ike and Autumn just loving one another. They are the best of friends. Ike at the Great Salt Lake, and his first day of First Grade. My cute girls dressing up... still a daily affair. The last is one of Ike's great cousins Katie who we live next door to. They play together every chance they get.

More updates

So these pictures are in random order as well. We have spent a little time getting to know the great Tooele valley while living here. When we first arrived Isaac decided that cowboys were in style. He even made up a cute song and played his guitar to anyone who would listen. We visited the Great Salt Lake one afternoon. It was salty to say the least but they kids loved it, and even attempted to swim in it. And we visited the Tooele Valley Railroad. The kids enjoyed seeing the trains and learning a little bit about the Tooele Valley from the sweet lady who was our guide.

Updates

It has been a while since I updated and with day light savings today, I was afforded an extra hour. So here are a bunch of photos from the past six months in somewhat of an order, hopefully I will do better the next six months. We have had a great summer and are now well into fall and enjoying it.

This is from our camping trip on the 4th of July. We celebrated by going to the Provo parade with cousins and then went camping. It was a blast. The kids were tired just after the parade, but perked up when we set up the tent.


Early in the summer we also went hiking with Grandma and Grandpa Huff, Aunt Stacy, Uncle Kurt and Aunt Kristie. It was a short hike so it was perfect for the kids.

Grateful for Change

So I have been meaning to update our blog for sometime. Okay for about 4 months, but we have been busy. As you have noticed our blog look as changed. So has our life. This is an update, my next posting when I get all of my pictures downloaded will be updated with pictures. But as for now, you should know we live in Erda, Utah as of about three weeks ago. We sold our gym in Seattle, and we left the apartment management job (yeah!). We miss all of our wonderful friends and "family" who live in Seattle but are grateful for the fresh start and the open space in Erda. Erda is about 25 minutes west of Salt Lake City, for those who have no idea where it is. It is the hometown for Ben and his parents have graciously allowed us to stay in their "garage" house until we get back on our feet. For now it is where we call home and we love it!

Christmas, Birthdays and more

It has been so long since I have posted. But I had so much to be thankful for these past few weeks, that I thought I better update before I forgot!! Christmas came and went so fast although my kids had Christmas opening presents at least four times. Once at Grandma Huffs, at Grandma Gordon's, when they got home from their trip from Utah Santa had left a few gifts and then all the gifts from Utah that we shipped home got to be reopened. Gratefully we have now received all packages! We had a great time in Utah this Christmas. We loved spending time with so many aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma's, grandpa's and all other relatives. Thank you to each of you for feeding us, letting us sleep at your house, and for letting us borrow your shampoo, towels, washing machines and for taking care of us. Our highlights included the Gordon reunion, spending a few nights with the Rindlisbacher's and going to the park, Caroling on Christmas Eve to Mom and Dad Huff's neighbors, Christmas day at Grandma Huffs and seeing all the cousins and Great Grandma and Grandpa Downward, seeing Aunt Charlene, shopping with my Mom and crazy sisters for shoes, spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Gordon and learning about their mission to the Philippines, playing in the snow in Erda, going to Temple Square and safely returning home despite the long ride back to Las Vegas to spend an extra day in Utah again. How loved we are, and how grateful I am to know that we are a family forever because of the sealing powers of the temple.

What a beautiful night it was to go to the temple although, it was very cold!

Ike in the snow and looking nice for picture at Temple Square! He loved the snow in Utah!

Autumn is growing up, she lets me put barrettes in her hair and today she took her first steps on her own!! I can't believe she will be 1 next month.

Autumn's favorite Christmas gift is a tent and tunnel that she likes to hide in and pretend to sleep in. Ike and Sabrina are very fond of it as well. Ike even took a nap in it today.

Monday was a holiday, we talked Daddy into going to the park with us. It was the first clear, beautiful day in Seattle in a long time! I couldn't believe how well we could see Mt. Rainier.

Ike on his bike. He figured out later that he could run faster than he could ride it!

Autumn and her Daddy!

Last Saturday was Sabrina's Birthday! We spent most the day celebrating it with a sweet lady in our church who turned 90, and our ward had a party for her and her family at our church. Sunday we celebrated it with Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa Meldrum and Tiff and Mike (friends from our ward). She was very surprised by her Care Bear Sunshine Cake.

Sabrina was very anxious to taste the frosting. Ike was very eager to help her blow out the candles.

My little 3 year old! She loves to dance, and wants to be a ballerina one day, she loves to dress up in crazy outfits (note: the purple tutu, very short top, and beads with the Dora pj's that belong to her sister), she can be very intense at times, but yet she loves to be held, rocked and loved on her terms. She can make you pull your hair out because of her independent personality of getting into anything that pours, squirts, gels or squeezes. But she is very adorable and loving when she wants you to read her a story, play ponies with her or have a tea party. She can make your ears ring when she screams, but she can carry on a very intelligent conversation with you as though she is five. We love Sabrina and I can only wait to know what a beautiful girl she will turn into when she is 16!

Sabrina's New Puppet theater! Thanks to my Sister Kristie's help, advice and posting I was able to make one for Sabrina's Birthday.

It turned out great and the best thing of all was when Sabrina said "Impressive!" when she took one good look at it! Hopefully it will turn out to be hours of fun!