Halloween 2012

Justin's brother, Tony, invited our family to his work party at Adobe in Orem, so Justin and I dressed up (not normal).  This party was huge.  I heard there were 9,000 people that showed up.  The employees decorate their cubicles with a theme (Plants vs. Zombies, Mad Scientist, Hunger Games etc) and you walk through haunted house style.  It was amazing.  The kids loved it, although Ammon seemed to get scared sometimes, but that meant he would hold my hand which I love.

 Trick or Treating in Utah.

Not different from Minnesota.

If you notice in the bottom right picture, it was warm so no jackets.

Allison went with a couple friends from school.  Jacob, Isaac, and Ammon, armed with a highlighted map, went on their own.  Which if you might notice, means Justin and I were ALONE.  We watched an episode of Psych.  Awesome!  We had about 30 trick-or-treaters, about 50% more than MN.

The three younger kids participated in our tradition of The Halloween Goblin and gave a large portion of their candy to The Goblin in exchange for a gift.  The kids got little Hexbugs.  And The Goblin made out pretty well too.

October Randomness

9/1 I'm a failure.

Total Failure.

I tried (for the second time) to make a cover for my camera strap.

Failure.  Fail Fail!!

And let me tell you about my fail of last night:

I mixed my hair dyes just right.  Sat 35 minutes.  Washed.  Dried.  Still had gray hairs.

What the freaking CRAP.

Went to bed baffled.

In the middle of the night figured out I'd forgotten the developer.  Now I get to do it all over again.

FAIL period.

Must be pms time?  Who knows.

We have a ping pong table up in the basement.  That should be fun.

One hour later:  made a third camera strap cover and it fits.  Mostly.
My house gets dusty fast.
I am hungry for some yummy food.
10/2 Today was a better day.
I also didn't do anything crafty, just in case.
I did start to redo our 72 hour kits.  Mostly just need food.
Allison loves the Thomson tradition of chipped beef for dinner.
Jacob finished his MeeMercial.  Well, I say Jacob very loosely, but at least it's done.
I've heard "you look too young to have a 16 year old" a lot since I moved here.
Makes me wonder if they thought I was a pregnant teen Mom.
10/3 Our water bill for the month of September was $133.  For only water.
In Minnesota is was about $110 for THREE months including sewer and garbage pick up.
Had a meeting with Jacob's school about his education, transition etc.
It's overwhelming to me.
Jacob in college?  Wha???
10/8  General Conference was amazing.  We were at my parents house.  I feel I was able to get more out of this conference than many years past.
And Jacob possibly leaving in two years for a mission?  Whoa!
Had our kids give a synopsis of one talk per session.  I was amazed at how well the did.  Good job kids!
Came home to a freezing house.
Ammon wrote me the cutest letter.  Plus I got three Skittles taped to it.
Brought home a few more grapes and bunches of apples to play with.
My new full length mirror makes me look so tall and skinny.
10/17  My hands are freezing.  Welcome to colder weather.
Driving by a Costco, Jacob said, "don't they have like giant bars of mayonnaise?"
I laughed for about five minutes.
The church being built about a block from our house got a steeple today.  Woo hoo!
Family camp out to Goblin Valley was super!
Life is starting to get busy between school and church.
Maybe we'll make friends some day.  That would be nice.
10/22 Why do thrift store clothes smell the same no matter where you buy them?
Had a fantastic day out with one of my besties, Tina.
My birthday was crappy, okay, then crappy.
My kids were cute with making cards and wanting the day to be special for me.
10/23  I love Lemonheads.
So foggy this morning, I couldn't see houses next to mine hardly at all.
Especially just down the hill from me.
I MISS MY FRIENDS!!!

First Day of School in a New School

 
Pictures taken on an ultra windy day.  It's been 6 weeks since they started and are doing okay.  Allison is doing fantastic.  Ammon I find out tomorrow.  Jacob and Isaac are struggling a little, but not overly so yet.  They're all enjoying having cable tv, which we've never had, nor would have, except it comes with our lovely HOA.  

September Randomness

9/4 Looking into buying a new car.  Must have all wheel drive.  

It's going to totally wipe us out of our savings.

Went to WalMart and did double coupons and price matching.  

I love going to one store to get all the great sales.

But seriously, can't people take their kids home to nap and feed them at lunch time?  

So.  Many. Screaming. Babies.

Went to Cascade Springs (along with hundreds of others) yesterday with Tony and his family.

Alpine canyon is amazingly beautiful. It's only about a 15 minute drive.  But it costs $6 to get in.

I love sitting around with family yabbering about nothing and everything.

Made four batches of plum freezer jam and four *almost* pies.

I read that you can freeze the fruit in a pie plate, then remove it, put it back in freezer (I put mine in vacuum freezer bags) and can bake a pie easy peeeezy later.

I love my counter tops.

Not sure how I feel about a gas stove/oven.  My oven is 50 degrees cooler than it says.  50.

9/5  2:00 AM on the dot.  Can't sleep.
My freezer is full to capacity.  I might need to plug in our extra chest freezer.
I made about 15 more batches of plum jam, and two peach.
That ought to last our family 6 months.
Took Isaac to the dr for his checkup.  He's still super small. 3% and -3%.
I found out that at least I don't have to bring the boys in as often.
Every six months instead of three months.  That will save us $60 a pop.
On the down side, we can't do three month mail order on their prescriptions.
That will cost us a bunch more.
9/5 In the pm.
It was a cha ching! kind of day.
Bought a new car!
A Volvo XC90.  Justin has been wanting one for years.
It is much smaller than our mini van, so hoping the kids don't get mad at less leg room.
Also bought flooring for our office.  The dog pee carpet has. to. go.
Excited to paint it a different color than the rest of the house.
We were recommended to paint Kilz on the subfloor.
Also bought a pear tree.
Ate at a yummy yummy restaurant called Teriyaki Grill in Draper.  I'd like to eat there everyday.
Still on the hunt for fun and different hooks for the kids bathroom for their individualized towels.
9/12  Jacob and Isaac went to their first night of Young Men.
Finished painting the office a nice gray.  Actually, I love the color.
The dog pee floor has been a pain.
Started on another project of changing the back of two shelves into pallet wood.
It's much more of a project than intended.   The nails are hard to get out.
Made dried apples with jello with the kids help.
Read today that we aren't allowed to hang laundry to dry outside.
Must have window coverings.  Legit window coverings.  No sheets.
No garage sale signs or any like that.  Ever.
This HOA buisness is a hoax.
9/13  I wish bacon were cheaper.
Two dumbs today.
First dumb:  Got one month supply of meds for Jacob for the price of three.
Forgot to use my groupon for a canvas print.  Expired one week ago.
9/17 It's a windy kind of day.
Justin is in Las Vegas all week.
Our office floor is done.  Done!
Next up is a mud room wall in there, but for now, it's amazing!  I LOVE it.
Spent the morning putting things away and reorganizing my filing cabinet.
I killed about 5 flies today so far.  Where did they come from?? Seriously!  Gross!
My favorite waffle iron is biting the dust...ie: the teflon is flaking off.
I happened upon one on eBay this morning that just popped up.
Got it for $25 with shipping.  This puppy retailed for over $70, so I was pleased.
We make waffles a LOT.
I love having a basement to shove stuff in.
I love the bookcase do-over Justin and I did this last week.  It looks amazing.
9/30 Justin and I got callings today.  Justin is Teachers Quorum Advisor (again)
and I'm in Activity Day Girls (again).  Reruns.
Wish we would hike more.
Went to dinner with Aaron and Tina last night.  I've missed them.
When people don't respond to my emails/phone calls after a few times, I have a strong desire to write them off.
Went to Logan on Thursday and loved it.  Too many finds at thrift stores.
Lunch at Rumbi with Mom, Justin, and Stefanie.
Isaac stayed after school for a test...he forgot I was in Logan.
Was able to get a ride to the elementary school and rode the pm bus home.
VERY stressful 30 minutes for me trying to find someone to pick him up.
Justin's job isn't going well.
2nd raffle for the kids went well.  I've decided it's hard to buy things that make everyone happy.
Except candy.

Bwahaha!

a

I love this kid.  Justin got him Ammon goggles to swim in our jacuzzi tub.  Even though they are pink, which he abhors, he wears these all the time.  

He has such a love for life.

That last picture on the right is a great capture.  Couldn't have planned that one.  Bribery picture for the future?  I say yes.

Camping in Utah. It's nice.

We had an extended family camp out this last weekend.  I LOVE camping in Utah. 

Truly I do.  Only a few bugs, cool at night.  Perfection.  Except this site was a little on the noisy side next to the highway in Logan Canyon.  We moved the second night and we could have conversations normally.  Minnesota camping was NOT favorite.

Jude and Grandpa.

We accidentally forgot a tent (thought it was still in Logan) so Jacob slept in our new car and the other kids in grandpa's trailer.  It worked out well.   Justin and I snuggled in our cozy two man tent in our new double sleeping bag from rei.  

What the crap...I know we didn't pay $400 for that bag.  Maybe $100.  Wowzas.

Nate and Chelsea, the newlyweds.

Nate pondering what his next clue should be playing Password.  Should it be "thick?"

Corinne sleeping.

Frog.  

Grandma playing a game kinda like charades.  I don't think charades is her game.  

Grandpa roasted a cob or corn over the open flames and said it tasted good.

Shawn with his second grandbaby, Roman.

Erin and Kevin are so cute together.  

Jacob and Isaac, mostly Jacob, found several caterpillars.  Isaac is admiring them in a donut box.

Kevin.  He was looking so serene.  Found out he was burning from the flames.

That's me.  Playing an animal sound game.

Erin and Roman.

Went on a short adventure to Logan river.  Shawn spent a good 15 minutes throwing big rocks in the river, seeing how much of a dam he could build.  He ran out of large rocks.

Justin going over the river until he remembered he had his cell phone in his pocket.

The kids built many rafts with stick people.  

Other thoughts:

Still don't like Phase 10.  

Everything tastes good when you're camping.

I love my family.  All of my family.

August Randomness

8/1  Ammon made me a heart rock our of a purple agate rock he found.

I love it.

He was so proud to give it to me.  He gave me a hug and the little back pats.

8/7  Made a special trip to Park City so we could register the kids for school
 on their special "set aside" day.
Got Ammon, Allison, and Isaac done, but the high school?  Not registering today, but will tomorrow.
What the freaking crap.
Hep A vaccine is required for school in Utah, so some kids need that before the first day.
Plus many other little items to get done.  I hate this type of stuff.
Watching Olympics more than I ever have in my life.
Put the fruit stand up at my parents house.  Made about $30 in 3 days.
Kids are driving me bonkers.
8/13 Papers signed on the new house.  We can't move in until the papers go through/Title or something, around noon tomorrow.
We vacuumed the house once over and emptied it three times FULL of dog hair.
Met several people from the new ward that were helping another family move in across the street.
Last night in Park City.  Then one night in Logan tomorrow.  And we have a home!
We can't have our garbage can showing from anywhere in our yard.  Must be hidden.
Unsightly.
8/20 I smell dog pee as I sit in my front room.  I need about $4k to redo our floors down here.  Donations?
First day of school tomorrow.
Got most of my kitchen unpacked today.  SO much cupboard space.
I don't even need my china cabinet anymore.
I love my new master bedroom.  So spacious.
And my own shower!!!
Had so many visitors already.  Here's a list of who I can remember off hand:
Ricky and Sherman, Garth, Tony, Sienna, Bo and Kai, Shawn, Andy, Stefanie, and Corinne, Erin, Kevin, Jude and Roman, Kent and Genie.  All within the first five days of living here.
Plus many visits from ward members and neighbors.  Two have brought us bread :)
Carpooling isn't working out like I wanted.  As in no carpooling.  I have been asked by a neighbor up the street to help her daughter get home.
That doesn't do me any good.
(she came back a week later and has found someone to help her.  phew)
8/21 Alone time.  Quiet time.  Sanity.
Almost every car at the bus stop was a huge suv or an Audi etc.
Were able to shop at Home Depot with NO kids.
Got a sweet deal on a lawn mower.  Regular price $400, Dittmer price $130.
Mowed the lawn when we got home.
Took about 10 minutes.
8/22 Changed my cell to a Utah area code today.
Makes it seem so final.
Looking at buying new checks.  Loving the paisleys.
Justin brought all of his crap from Garth's house home.
He brought me my two bags of pineapple lumps from New Zealand.  Oh joy!
Activated an old cell phone for the kids.  Theirs was left in MN at Dakotah's house.
8/27 Ahhh, the joys of Mondays.  Nice quiet.
Family (minus me- tummy trouble) went to Justin's cousins last night for dinner, Margene and Josh.
Slept through the RS sisters coming to visit.
I've trained the kids too well to not bug me during naptime.
Had a great lesson in RS about being thankful for what we have.
Trimmed Justin's beard and he looks much more handsome now.
Bought an LG washer dryer set on ksl for $900.
It's shmancey.
We have lots of weeds out in our back yard.
Justin gave all the kids Back to School Father's Blessings.
And he Dedicated our house.