Goblin Valley

On Saturday, my sister Janelle swam with the kids while I took Sam and Jer to their race.  Sam got done with the 1k in the top 15 and told me that he'd like to try the 5k.  The announcer kept saying that it is the hardest 1k in the US.  I'm not sure about that, but I'm impressed with Sam. Jer said it was the hardest half he'd ever done.... like running on Timp.  He also said that the views were spectacular and that he's glad that he's been crawling around in the attic and working on his core muscles.  After that we went to the grocery store, stocked up on food and headed to goblin valley.  

Arches

This last weekend, we went to Arches and Goblin Valley.  Amy had entered the Moab trail run, but after Walter's emergency surgery, Jer took her entry and we headed down.  Friday we went hiking in Arches.  The Delicate Arch hike was so much better without gale force winds trying to carry us away like last time.  I was surprised that Seth knew where we were.  He was telling me about how last time we had hiked there his hat blew away and we had to go catch it. That was at least a year or more ago.  He kept saying it was a dream.... I told him that no, it was a memory.  He said, "That's right!  Because I remember it!"

This girl wore a dress even though I told her to wear pants... I told her that she should at least wear shorts underneath her dress but she didn't. She got lots of comments on her awesome dinosaur dress though.

You can't really see us, but a man asked to take our picture together.  That was fun.

Halloween

Jer was working at FamilySearch at Halloween, so we went to their work party.  There weren't as many people setting up fun haunt alleys or anything, but the kids had fun trick or treating.

Seth was Link from the Zelda game, Evelyn was Marx from Kirby, Sam was bandana Waddle Dee from Kirby and Ada was a dragon.

We also went to our ward trunk or treat.  These are two of Ada's other Beehives.  The one in the middle was "When Life gives you lemons".

Evelyn and Levi

Ada, and her baby dragon Charlie with Emma.

Our neighbor made this fun activity.  You punch through the paper and get what's inside.

Evelyn, Logan, Sam

On Halloween, my parents, Janelle and the Gilchrists came down and we all went trick or treating together.  It was so fun and I LOVED watching Vivien get all excited as she ran around.  Seth loved it but didn't want to carry his stuff.  Evelyn's year was so much better than last year... Last year she was diagnosed with her skewed foot and had a UTI on Halloween.  This year, she just had fun. Ada was officially one of the "big kids".  I let her go with several friends around the neighborhood.  It was fun for her and she only got home about an hour after everyone else.

Evermore

Our Fall break splurge was to take the family to Evermore.  It's like a permanent Ren Faire.  You go in, choose whether you are going to be a ranger, hunter, knight, etc.... then get your first quest.  You wander through the town searching for clues, interrogating inhabitants, learning skills like shooting a bow and arrow or axe throwing, then going back and reporting to your clan leader.  It was fun, a little cold, but fun.  We went with my family and it was cute.  My Mom used to do archery as a teen, she shot really well and it was fun to watch her get excited about it.  My sister, Janelle, likes axe throwing and enjoyed that.  I hit the target on my second time and my little Seth yells, "Yay Mom, you did it!"

nerf war

For fall break, we usually go camping somewhere.  We were trying to save money and stayed here.  Jer decided to organize our neighbors into a nerf battle at the church.  Lots of people showed up.  It worked out just right.... the younger ones played first and when they were tired and started leaving the teenagers and up crowd showed up with their automatic weapons and let all the people who stayed take turns using them.  They were a lot of fun, but they are guns that cost $100 each.  I just can't see us ever spending that much on toys. 

Picking out pumpkins

We picked out pumpkins as Evelyn's Fall break activity choice.  She loves pumpkins.  We went to Wilkersons farms.  They have the best honey, but we've never gotten pumpkins there before.  We got there and my cousins, the Le's were there too.  Fun little family reunion.

All the kids wanted to get these moderately sized pumpkins, except Ada.  She found the smallest one she possibly could and said that it was the one that she wanted.

Goings on

Sam is apparently teaching Seth how to play chess... it's so cute.  It's funny when Seth doesn't know what to do next so Sam tells him where to move.

Raking leaves at Grandma and Grandpa Robertson's house.

Sam got his Weblos before the end of the year.... Next month he's scheduled to get his Arrow of Light.  I'm glad that he had so much fun in Boy Scouts.  I'm also glad they are switching to a program with a whole lot less things to buy.

I accompanied Evelyn on her field trip to the Curiosity Museum.  Deanna, the aide/crossing guard is super tall and told the kids that she could jump and reach the top of the thing that measures how high you can jump.  By jove, she did.

Ada's favorite subjects are Art and Science. Their class got to dissect owl pellets.  Gross, but she was in heaven.

Sam getting his Weblos.