31st

Once I outgrew trick-or-treating I never thought much of Halloween...until these two little munchkins came along:

Although I am a little disappointed they didn't bring home more chocolate for me this year. I have no use for Skittles and Laffy Taffy.

Ethan's nod to Harry Potter. He honestly thought people would not recognize him because of the glasses and black hair (which is not washing out very well for family pictures tomorrow).

Adelaide refused to be Hermione. A pink princess is all she wanted to be. A pretty, pink princess to be more specific.

Even Randal was not able to escape. That's what he gets for being married to a member of the ward activities committee who needed a skeleton for a game.

Here's hoping you all had a happy Halloween!

PS--Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?





Because he didn't have the guts!

Naked

Last spring a tree in our front yard died. A tall tree. A very tall tree.

Its death sparked a 6-month, marital debate. Randal, itching to use his new chain saw, wanted to cut the tree down himself. I didn't want it falling on my house. Hence the debate.

I called professional tree cutters for quotes.

Randal called in the neighbor for reinforcement.

Randal won.

He and Glen did a great job. The house is fine. The street lamp, however--not so much. We were going to replace it anyway.

They didn't stop with just the one. Five others came down too.

Now we're left feeling a little bare and vulnerable around here.

I'd be sadder at the loss than I am if it weren't for all the d@*# leaves we have to rake right now. I kinda wish they'd cut them all down.

Back in Business

Many of you have posted 1st day of school pictures.

Well, these are 4th day of school pictures.

Dead batteries in the camera.

That's just how we roll around here...late.

Preschool

2nd Grade

My sentimental heart is still trying to get used to seeing both kids go off to school.

And I'm sure those of you in Utah/Idaho with whom we spent most of August are wondering where's the post. It's coming. I'm just trying to figure out how to wrap a month I wished would never end with the right words. Soon. Very soon.

Backtrack Pt. 4

At the last minute, the kids and I joined Randal on a business trip down in PA. While he was busy with meetings and whatever else he does all day, we went to the Hershey, PA where (you guessed it) chocolate is made.

There we made our own chocolate bars.

They were delicious...but then that goes without saying.

I don't know much else about Hershey, PA but I'm ready to move there. Any city with chocolate shaped street lamps has got to be a great place to live.

When Randal was able to join us, we visited Gettysburg. The battlefield is one on those places in the US everyone should see. It feels like hallowed ground. Not to mention it puts into perspective everything my high-school AP history teach tried to teach me.

Of course, dragging kids around the battlefield isn't ideal, but we were still glad for a chance to see what we could see.

We ate at this civil-war-era building turned restaurant. You can see the bullet holes on the side of the wall where Union soldiers tried to take out Confederate sharp-shooters held up in the attic during the siege.

Although the significance of this place may have been a little lost on the kids, Ethan came away with a book about Abraham Lincoln's childhood from the gift shop. He has been faithfully reading it and informing us of the president's life. Things I never knew. So I guess you never know what your kids will come away with.

Backtrack Pt. 3

The fun didn't stop in North Carolina. Randal's parents flew in for a visit. During the big east-coast heat wave...lucky them.

Grandpa N. had never been to the church sites out our way. So we took a quick trip to Kirtland:

(John Johnson farm, Ohio)

Visited Palmyra:

(the Sacred Grove)

And stayed for the pageant:

( King Noah)

As for our kids, they will remember this:

They were like sponges, soaking up all the love Grandma and Grandpa had to give. Yes, that is what they will remember the most. That, and playing Ticket to Ride every night where they listened to Grandpa try to weasel out a third card every turn.

Thanks for the visit! We love you!

PS--Get better, Grandpa!

Backtrack Pt. 2

A few weeks ago MI, GA and NY met in NC for a fantastic week at the beach.

Saying we had a great time is an understatement. Between Randal's travels, remodeling, and the inevitable return of summer humidity, this trip was just what the doctor ordered.

The kids had plenty of friends to play with:

We visited a museum and an aquarium:

We made the best of the one rainy day:

And we fished off the wharf:

Where Addie showed up Ethan by baiting her own line first:

We even got to see what a baby shark feels like before he was thrown back to sea:


But mostly, we made thousands of these:

One of these:


A couple of these:


And carried hundreds of these:


Not to mention spending so much time doing this the skin, literally, rubbed off of our bellies:

And until we absolutely could not do it anymore:

Thanks Wessmans and Ellisons! We had a great time! Let's find another centrally located spot again soon.


So what was next? Stay tuned...

Backtrack Pt. 1

We have been so busy! I love it!

The irony is when I have plenty of time to post, I have nothing to say. And when I have no time to post--that's when all the great stuff is happening around here. So I'm going to start at the beginning...

Recently, we had a few visitors. By few I mean seven. What luck!

Grandma Barker, Dad, Mom, Aunt Linda, Aunt Turley, Aunt?SIL? Karen and Uncle?BIL? Mark all came for a visit. We had a great time.

And can you believe it? I didn't take a single picture. What is wrong with me?!

So this is the best I can do...one of the reasons for their trip:

(on the Smith farm)

We're lucky enough to live near such an amazing place. It seems to attract company. And we're not complaining, whatsoever!

We were sad when they left. Adelaide said she missed Grandma and all her "friends".

We were so sad, in fact, that we hopped in the car and drove all the way to North Carolina.

But more on that tomorrow...