Scarecrows on Main Street

One of our favorite things this time of year is seeing all the scarecrows up and down Main Street. As part of our countdown fun, we walked up and down Main Street to see all the scarecrows up close.  It's always challenging to keep everyone safe and away from the road, get good pictures, keep a baby content, and protect Gwen who was afraid of half of the scarecrows. 

Each of the kids had their favorite, but Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat was a hit with all of us. Even Caleb loved it. We love Spanish Fork and these fun traditions!

 Caleb loves Curious George and spotted him way up in the tree. 

Adam's Essay

Last week, Adam was given the assignment to write an Essay on Veterans Day. This was his final draft. We thought he did an excellent job. This is pretty much the first paper he has ever written other than book reports. He was proud of his work.

Halloween Countdown-Week 1

Last week we began our Halloween Countdown. The kids were so excited to see our countdown go up and they are excited to see what activity is on the schedule for each day. 

We kicked off our countdown with a fun game of Halloween Scattergories. This was the first year we have played this game and it was a hit! The kids had so much fun coming up with ideas for their lists. 

 We made Cotton Ball ghosts. Gwen was happy to have a gluing activity. She would glue anything and everything if we let her. 

 We made Witch Hat Cookies. Caleb liked this activity. Well, he liked eating it. He loves cookies!!

 We made Q-tip Skeletons. I love watching their creative minds work. It's fun now that they are older to give them supplies and basic instructions and to see what they come up with on their own. I loved Tessa's skeleton!

 We made some cornflake pumpkin treats. 

 And of course, we have been having fun making our traditional Halloween dinners. So far, we have made Ghost Pizza, Mummy Braids, and Ghostly Shepherds Pie. We have also played several rounds of Halloween Bingo and Don't Eat Frank. 

Lots and lots of Halloween fun going on around here. The big day cannot get here fast enough for these kiddos. Especially Gwen. Her first question every morning is, "Is today Halloween Day?" They can't wait to go Trick or Treating! Hopefully the weather cooperates for us this year. 

Special Visitors

Last Monday, we were so happy to have some of our favorite people come to visit us! Uncle Matt, Aunt Briette, and Uncle Ryan all came home to Utah for a few days. We were happy to have them and Uncle Alex over for dinner and a fun visit. We miss all of our Nielson family that has moved away. We wish everyone was closer!

Fall Break 2015

Last week we had the best Fall Break! It was so nice to have Adam and Tessa home with us and I loved hearing happy children play all week long. The only problem we had was, it didn't last long enough!

Daddy had to go on a business trip to California for some of last week, so he missed some of our fun and we missed him. 

We started our Fall Break fun with a trip to Jaker's with our friends. These kids had a ball playing on and in everything. They all feel so grown up when they can climb up the hay all by themselves. 

 Gwen and Presley making Corn Angels

 Caleb loved the corn pit and the older kids had fun burying him. 

 Adam made it to the top!

 Tessa did too!

 Hay ride time

 The kids each got to pick a pumpkin to bring home. We ended up with a big one and a small one for each of them. 

 We went to Ma and Pa's house while Daddy was out of town. Caleb is pretty fascinated by his cousin, Gia. And Gia makes Caleb look so big!

 Monday evening, we headed to Thanksgiving Point for some fall fun. They had several games for the kids to play, bugs to examine, and crafts to make. And of course, we had to ride the ponies. Gwen was so thrilled to make a basket at the pumpkin toss. And yes, she dressed up all day, every day. 

 Tessa put together an awesome dinosaur puzzle she got for her birthday. 

 Mommy worked on Monday and Tuesday, so Tuesday we made spooky houses with Kache. 

 Tuesday night we met up with Aunt Katy and went for a ride on the Halloween Cruise. The kids loved it!

 Wednesday morning.....got off to a rough start. 

 Wednesday we did some of our Johnny Appleseed activities we usually do in the fall. 

 We also went to the movies and saw Inside Out. 

 Then we headed to the Big Red Barn to check out the apple orchards and grab some treats. 

 Daddy got home very late on Wednesday night, and while the kids waited for him to arrive, we watched Topper Returns in Mommy's bed. 

 Thursday, Presley and Cooper came over to decorate some Halloween cookies. 

 Friday we headed back to Thanksgiving Point for the Scarecrow Festival. We saw such fun and creative scarecrows. We loved it!

 Gwen had to show us the diamond ring on the bride scarecrow. 

 We were so excited to find a Pippi Longstocking scarecrow. We have been reading that book together in the evenings. 

 It was a beautiful fall day for some family time!

 We found some awesome leaves to play in. I love watching them be happy kids. It's these moments that make me realize how truly blessed we are to have such happy and healthy kids. 

 They got to hear a Witch tell a spooky Halloween story. 

 Caleb did so well while we were out, but he was missing his nap time. 

 Saturday morning, Mommy and Daddy got to run away to the temple. It was wonderful to spend some time there. 

We spent the rest of our weekend rearranging furniture and getting some extra cleaning done for our special delivery on Sunday. Ma spent the week in California, doing some work at Great Grandpa's house and she brought this beautiful thing home to us! We are so grateful to have it!! Adam and Mommy are loving being able to play a real piano.

So that was our Fall Break. Full of fun and happy times! Before we left for school this morning, Adam and Tessa counted how many weeks until Winter Break. They love school, but I am glad they love being home too.