Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our dinosaur(yes he was the same dinosaur last year, but the costume still fit and he was excited so we went with it) and Belle. We had a lot of fun this Halloween season.  We went to Brian and Brooke's annual Halloween party.  The kids had a blast dressing up and playing games with cousins.  Our kids were not blessed with parents that love Halloween, but luckily they have an awesome aunt who does and throws a great party every year to get everyone in the spirit.

As a family we headed out to the pumpkin patch.  The pumpkin patch that we usually go to moved and was just too far to drive so we tried out a new one this year.  The kids still loved it so I think it is a keeper.  We chased bunnies, walked through the corn maze, went on a hay ride to pick our pumpkins, went on a train ride, went down a bunch of slides and checked out all of the animals.  The weather was perfect and it was a great family outing.

Right before Halloween we were blessed with two new nieces.  One on each side of the family.  Brian and Brooke welcomed Holland on Oct. 25 and Melissa and Dallin welcomed Ivy on Oct. 26.  The kiddos are loving their new cousins.

On Halloween night we headed up to Eric and Kim's to do some trick-or-treating.  It was a little chilly that night but it didn't slow the kids down a bit.  McKay was so proud of himself for always saying trick-or-treat and then thank you and he would report to us after each house.  The kids got loaded with candy and had a lot of fun spending time with their cousins.

Summer Fun

We had such a fun summer.  We went to Yellowstone, Lagoon, and spent a lot of time in McCall, but we still had a lot of fun here at home.  The kids and I spent a lot of time swimming at the grandparents, park with cousins and friends, family time all around and the occasional boating excursion.  The kids and I like to stay busy so we were on the go all summer long.

Yay!!! for being potty trained

Brooklyn did a tennis camp this summer and really enjoyed it.  We will be looking for more tennis camps next summer

In mid-July we were able to get all of Craig's siblings and their families together for a very quick family reunion, but as always the kids loved spending time together and it is always good to catch up with Lisa and her family that live in Florida. That same weekend I also competed in my first triathlon in over 10 years.  It was so hard, but so fun. I forgot how much I love to race and compete.  It was .5 mile swim, 12.6 mile bike and a 4 mile run.  I finished a few minutes faster than I hoped and was the 9th female overall.  I will definitely be doing it again next year.

Craig and I also did a few fun things this summer.  For our anniversary (June 28th) we went to the shooting range and then Texas de Brazil for dinner.  We also went to the rodeo together as a family and then Craig and I headed to the Garth Brooks concert that evening.  Seriously the best concert I have ever been to.  Garth is the definition of entertainer.  I would pay to see him again and again.  It was also Craig s first concert and now I'm afraid that if I ever take him to another concert again he will think it is just ok in comparison.

We were also able to spend some time with all of my siblings.  WE went boating and spent a lot of time swimming.

Brooklyn earned a free pass to Roaring Springs (the local water park) last year at school for reading enough hours and so I promised her we would go sometime this summer.  When Craig had a day off we decided to take to whole family.  McKay loved the kiddie pool because he could touch the whole time.  He wasn't a big fan when I made him go down one of the "bigger" slides.  He insisted on being with Craig the rest of the day, which was fine by me because I love going on the bigger rides with Brooklyn.  The kids had a blast and we spent the entire day there.  McKay passed out in his car seat as soon as we got into the car.

Just before school started Brooklyn got to do some fun things with each of her Grandma's.  Craig's mom did a tea party for the 3 grand daughters and then my mom did a sleep over for Brooklyn and her cousin LJ.  She felt very special and loved.

We tried to spend as much time outside as possible.  The kids loved riding their bikes and scooters, playing in the backyard, going to the park and splash pads.  As much energy as I could get out of them the better.  Brooklyn also spent a lot of time reading this summer.  She read 50 books and we can really tell how much of a difference it made.  We had a super fun summer, but Brooklyn was definitely ready to get back to school.  We had a lot of adventures and are ready for what fall has to bring.