I forgot to mention

I forgot to mention in the mix of all of my early October mayhem we were trying to paint and get that stuff [long overdue and have been trying to get it going forever--still not complete]

Oh and I also forgot....my Super Saturday projects that still needed to be completed!

How in the world do people get it all done?!

What I loved about Halloween

This year was a blur! I mean it. I love Halloween every year! This was not one of my favs! In fact for the first two weeks of October I think I was on autopilot! I was a zombie! This was my first tax season at a CPA firm and I was asked [and went willingly] to work full-time [for only 2 weeks mind you!]. I can't tell you I am not made to work full-time! 'It is not April? you say' well October 15th is the corporate deadline for extended returns. While I have done my fare share of tax returns at home for friends and family I have never worked as hard as I did for those 2 weeks. Learning new things, working full-time, football, soccer, being a mom, being a wife, being a cook, being a maid, taking a photography class, etc, etc.....I think I was the closest I have ever been to having a nervous breakdown! I swear I don't mean to complain. I have a wonderful family, I have a great opportunity at work, I have a camera I have wanted for years, I have so much! I just had too much at one time! OH MY GOSH! I let my favorite time of year totally fly by. Why? I don't know, I am having (still) the hardest time adjusting to my job and trying to keep all of the family stuff and other favorites of mine going something has to give! I don't know what my problem is!
I tried so hard to get myself ready. I tried to be organized. I tried to keep school work going (which totally flopped! My kids had the lowest grades they have ever had the first term of the year) and I tried to balance a small amount of me time in the middle! TO NO AVAIL! I stunk it up!
Someone please help me! What am I doing wrong? I feel like I am going 900 miles an hour and spinning in circles getting nowhere.

Okay I just realized I titled this post about Halloween and went on about me! [Seriously I think I have ADHD right now!]
I love Gardner Village! This year for witches weekend we got to share it with our newest cousin Eddy! What fun. I love the witches! So did the kids. They hay ride was great, it was chilly (like it was supposed to be) and the kids had a blast!
We did this on October 1st.....before the 'Mommy meltdown started!' I am glad we got to share at least one of my favorite traditions this time of year!

Boys and Boats

The boats Papa made for the boys to go fishing really do work.

If you notice papa even put hooks on the back of the boats so if they get lost out in the seas, the captain can throw out the fishing hook and reel them back....that papa he sure is a thinker......
one thing he didn't think of what boys and their hyperactivity when it comes to letting them just float.

So we went out to Daybreak and went to float them on the awesome Daybreak lake near our house! It was an exceptional windy day. The darn sails were paper and when the boats tipped over the sails ripped off! DUH!
Well that didn't stop them from having a great time running them down the creek that leads to the lake!
Oh I just love where we live! Such fun things right around the corner!

Prina Established 2009

Gregg's niece is so beautiful! She got married September 25th. The wedding was beautiful. Jaxon was the ring bearer!
He looked so cute with the sunglasses on! I told him to walk down the aisle with them on. Gregg was a party pooper and said no! He was so funny. He was so nervous about it at first. 'What am I supposed to do?' He didn't quite get what was going on at first. But he pulled through like the champ he is! He even survived the tux!
Darren, Gregg's brother was not even sad or emotional [even though she-- Lyndsie -- is the ONLY femal Granddaughter IN THE FAMILY]. Darren and Connie were just so happy! Lyndsie and Donovan will be so happy! What a cute couple!
Even though I was not invited I just had to go into the brides room and take pictures! What fun! She was pampered as a bride should be!
Just had to throw a couple of my other gorgeous boys!
Would someone please tell him he is gorgeous enough he doesn't need to make goofy faces?

Sports, sports, sports

Ah, part of my absence is due to my awesome family! I am so sad to realize it has been a month and a half since I last blogged....but I will get caught up! I will just say October left much to be desired in my life and November will bring more to be desired! I will make sure of it!

July, August, September, October and November have been some of the busiest months I have ever known since I have been a mom. Yes, busier than when I had our first bouncing bundle of joy! We were running from 'son up to son down' as one of my favorite sayings says. Jaxon played tackle football. And I can honestly say he loves that sport more than any other sport he has played! I just don't get it. He is/was 8 and has worked his tail off! Yet it is the funnest for him! He has learned so much this year and his coaches have been so instrumental in his desire to learn and play the game. He and Gregg talk frequently about plays and techniques he should know!
Jaxon my '97'! He was so funny when he got to pick his number! He was so excited yet, he wanted to please us and make sure he got a 'good number'. He is such a thinker and I can just hear what was going on in his mind when he went to pick his number "gotta get a good number, lets see who has this cool number, where have I seen this one?" After he finally picked number 97 he wanted to make sure it was a good one. Me being totally unaware a number made a difference said, "yeah, Jax that number is awesome!"
Talk about a manly 'tude' he was sporting for those 4 months! I swear I know the reason why he liked football so much. He admitted it to me. Yes, because it is the only place where he can beat the crap out of someone and get patted on the back/butt and told 'good job!'. Yes, he is truly a boy!
His team was the Bingham black team. They did really well. They took 3rd place in their division and went to the playoffs. They then lost the first game and was out of the playoffs. We were so proud of him for his tough effort this year and how much he learned.....now next year he has also been put on notice by the way! He needs to figure out the balance between school and football or football will definately take a back burner!

Kaden.....oh sweet Kaden! He just is happy to be part of a team and get out there and play! He is not super competitive (at least outwardly like others). He is just as happy as a clam to be playing and running (or maybe sometimes not running!)
Mister non aggressive likes to keep with the pack. Then when the ball is available (when no one is aggressively pursuing the ball that is) will run up and kick it. I love this picture. Gregg laughed when he saw it. Kaden is very much unagressive totally opposite of Gregg yet he has a trait of Gregg's that he always got harrassed about when he was younger. Kaden constantly runs with his tongue out! I am really hoping he doesn't fall to hard and bite his tonge! OUCH!
When he did kick the ball he did awesome! Somedays were better than others! And this day was an exceptionally warm day so he was into it! Others on the colder days he would definately just 'run with the pack'!
He did a great job learning his footwork this season too! Way to go Kaden. He even got a couple of goals too! We are so happy for him!

And just because I promised one of the only people who read my blog....here you go! :)
More to come! gotta catch up on everyone else first!

Fishing with Papa

Kaden loves to go fishing! Gregg will NOT take him! Do you want to know why? Well let's see, it is a toss up between touching the slimy fish, touching the slimy worms (not to mention actually putting worms on a hook) or even wasting time! I don't know which one weighs more heavily. So I have enlisted my awesome Dad! Yes, TK the one who never had a chance to take boys fishing! This is probably the third or fourth time he has taken them. Is it about the fish? No! Is it about the worms or the wasted time? No! It is about spending some good ol'fashion time being boys! At least in my little girl opinion! I could very well take them fishing but it most likely wouldn't be as fun ya know!
Notice one of THE MOST important items of gear! COOKIES! Who can lay back and pass the time without a handful of cookies?

So my sweet Dad has decided the fishing interest only lasts roughly (he says) 5 minutes. Then they want to throw rocks into the water (what boy doesn't), scream loudly (again what boy doesn't), and wiggle and dance around (alright!)! So he had a plan this time. He took them up to a little fishing pond in Bountiful. He made them these awesome sailboats! Complete with a hook on the back incase they need to be fished back to the shore! He is so awesome! He and Kaden (Jaxon didn't want to sail his--he was afraid he would loose it!) took Kaden's sailboat to the otherside of the pond. And wouldn't you know it, it came back to right about the same spot they were fishing. TK said it was a great way to pass the time and keep them interested! How fun! We are already planning the sailboats next expedition on Daybreak! It will happen before they go back on track!

Plan B...Wheeler Farm

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We were going to go to the zoo....it was closed! Is the Zoo ever closed? Well it was on this day. Terri had a plan. We went over to Wheeler farm. It was great! It was free! It was a great way to spend the afternoon with cousins, play with my new camera and relax. What a great afternoon! Thanks Terri.

What a good boy!

I have a really hard time finding any shots with Jaxon and Kaden and a somewhat serious face. They are usually goofy!
Zeke was having a ball feeding the ducks! He was laughing so hard!
Alasia, what a cutie!
Addilee what a sweetheart! I swear you never hear this little girl cry! What is that about?
My beautiful sister and her baby girl!!

I don't know why, but I really like to take out the color sometimes. I have to be careful or all of my pictures end up like that. Then I have to remind myself bright colors are fun too......

How funny is this? Okay so who can resist these funny boys. We came around the corner to a place Kaden was dying to see, this cute little playhouse. These two boys were so funny. I had to take a few shots of them.
This little boy just stopped LICKING the window sill with his tongue! He was so dirty I could have died! He was all boy, it didn't bother him at all, he was in his element.
Isn't this little boys red hair to die for? So so cute!

What a fun afternoon!