Carving Pumpkins

 So, we carved pumpkins for the first time!  Yep, we finally did it.  I don't know if it was mess that always stopped us, or just finding the time, but we finally did it.  And guess what?  It was fun! 

(It happened to be crazy hair day at school too!)

 The kids were totally surprised at all the grossness inside the pumpkin and that they had to stick there hands in it to get it out. 

 And then, we let them carve them.  With a knife!  Really, is that how everyone else does it?  It seemed so dangerous but I felt like I had to let them be independent and do it themselves.  They each decided on their own what they wanted to carve, and then went for it. 

 Even Mckay did it.  Look at him getting into it.  Luckily, no one was injured. 

 Mckay thought it might taste good too!  He said it wasn't that bad!

 Nate volunteered to help Nat figure out her idea.  She wanted a witch and a bat. 

I think they all turned out pretty good.  Mckay's Mouth is awesome!  Nick's has a "U" on the side that you can't see.  And Nat's witch and bat, love it! I guess Pumpkin carving will finally become a yearly tradition. Finally!

Gardner Village to see the

 Witches!  

We happened to go when the rest of Utah was there, but the kids still had fun checking it all out.

 We went with cousins, so that always makes it more fun.  Olivia loved checking out the ducks. 

 Olivia didn't want to get off this witches lap!  She freaked out when we made her and was not happy the rest of the time.

Monster Cups

We made some monster pudding cups to help us get in the Halloween spirit.  The kids had fun being creative and designing their own cups.  They actually thought the homemade vanilla pudding I made was gross.  Guess I will stick to the instant next time!

Nick Plays For The Rage

After spring soccer, Nick decided to try out for a competition soccer league.  He made it onto a team with The Rage and has loved every minute of it.  They have had two practices a week and a game or two a week since it started, so it has been busy.  He also had Flag Football.  Between Nick and Mckay's games, we spent most nights during the week at practices and games.  I can only imagine as the girls get more involved, what life is going to be like!    It is so much fun to watch soccer as the kids get older and 'get' how to play.  Some of the games were pretty intense and I had to remind myself several times to relax and not be so worried about it! 

Nick played Defense and did a great job!  It meant he didn't have the chance to get a goal very often, but he kept the other teams from getting goals. 

 We had lots of fun watching him too!  I think it is a great family activity, as long as we have lots of snacks on hand.

Way to go #16!  We are so proud of you and excited to watch you play Futsol for the next few months.  (Happy it will be inside too!)

Fall Soccer

 Mckay had a great time playing soccer this fall.  We had great weather for almost every game! 

 Mckay was great at getting the ball away from the other team and taking it down the field.  He made quite a few goals at the the last few games. 

This next picture makes me laugh.  This is exactly how soccer is at this age.  It's tough for the kids to realize they have a whole team to help them out.  Mckay and Jake are on the same team, but it looks like they are battling each other for the ball!

Thanks Elena for being a great coach.  Mckay had a great season!

The Pumpkin Patch 2011

 We made our annual trip to Rasmussen Farm's Pumpkin Patch in Draper with the Bradley cousins while the boys went to Priesthood Session for General Conference.  It started to get a little stormy just before we got there, but luckily it held out while we picked out our favorite ones. 

 This was the best Olivia would do, unless she was sitting in this....

the wagon.  She was happy if I would pull her around and not stop. 

 Natalie found a little pumpkin that was the same size as the ones we grew in our yard.  It was the one she wanted!

 Mckay and Nick wanted the biggest ones they could find.  They had to carry them to the car though- so that knocked a few of them out of the running!

Playing Dress Up

This is becoming a common occurrence at our house.  Olivia will go to her drawers and bring me whatever she can find.  She wants it all on at the same time!  We love this little girl and her creativity.