Ward Halloween Party

Our Ward Halloween Party was a great time! It was so nice to just bring rolls and our kiddos this year (the new primary presidency had the fun of decorating, planning and executing) and to just enjoy it.

They had soups and rolls and dessert, they had booths with games, they had face painting, they had cotton candy, they had a parade, and they had GREAT decorations. After dinner, the children took turns wrapping up the Bishopric with crepe paper to make them mummies. (Steve got involved and the wrapping got a little crazy.) We had a fun night with our friends and we came home with candy, prizes, painted cheeks and hands, and smiles on our faces!!!

A Halloween Dance Class

Each year, the week of Halloween, Reagan's dance class wears their costumes to dance class. It is so cute. They play scary, Halloween music. They scream. At the barre, they can't point their toes or extend their arms and fingers - they have to be "scary first position", "scary second position", etc. It cracks me up and, for Reagan, the costume really got in the way. This year, she has decided to be Rapunzel, so, we have a dress, shoes, a wand and a wig. Well, the wig was bugging her SO much. She kept trying to push it out of her face, without losing the entire thing off the back of her head. She would swing it back off of her shoulders only to have it flip back forward when she made the next move. I guess having extraordinary long hair would take some getting used to. Adding to the craziness is the fact that they combined two dance classes, so, Reagan didn't even know some of the girls to begin with. It was a fun, different, scary day! Here are some pics of our Halloween Dance Class:

Cornbellies

When we were at Barnyard Boo yesterday, we saw Cornbellies. Rather than try to do too much in one day, we figured we'd return today and make a day of Cornbellies. We have gone to this festival every year and always have a good time. What makes me laugh is that they will have (what I consider to be) the coolest things to climb, jump or ride on, yet Reagan and Cole will want to play on a couple of hay bales that have a slide on it. Oh well, we're here for them, so, they call the shots. Whatever they want to do, we do... and we did a lot! Check out our day:

Barnyard Boo

Having annual passes to Thanksgiving Point, we decided to head down to Farm Country and see what was shakin'. Well, it was Barnyard Boo time. Farm Country celebrates Halloween with games, face painting, treats, prizes and food. We rode horses, fed the animals, rode on a wagon, played games and had a great time!

Fall in the Backyard

I just love the colors of fall. Finally, they have reached our backyard and we are lovin' it. Most nights, Steve takes Reagan and Cole outside to play while I cook (or clean up) dinner. They love to explore, to play games and to talk with Daddy. Steve took some pics the other night and, although they are not as clear as when we use our regular camera, they still show the rich colors that make up our backyard these days. Soon the snow will fly and we'll be missing the fall. Until then, we'll try to be outside as much as possible.

Bell Canyon Hike

Once again, we headed out on our favorite hike - Bell Canyon. As we pulled into the parking area, our car showed that the temperature outside was 57. I had bundled the kids (and packed more bundles in my bag). We hiked up pretty quickly, walked all the way around the lake and took some time to look over the valley and at our house. Reagan and Cole took turns "being in front" and leading our crew up the mountain. Cole tripped one time and had some tears, but other than that, he was happy. About 3/4 of the way around the lake, Reagan was upset at something (I honestly can't remember what) and was pouting and very mad. Steve and Cole, despite all good reason, decided to hide behind a tree and jump out and scare Reagan. Well, that was it - she was crying, wouldn't walk, and she was furious! Eventually we convinced her that in order to "go home" as she was requesting, she would have to accompany us around the rest of the lake and back down to our car. Begrudgingly, she started walking. The fall leaves were out and it was beautiful. The sun set before we could make it back to the car, so, it became pretty dark and pretty cold pretty fast. That's ok, we still had a great time. Take a look at our hike:

Cole's Cowboy Party

About a week after Cole's actual birthday, we had his party. He wanted a cowboy party, so, we were thrilled when the weather cooperated to have it outside. We had cowboy hats, bandanas and sheriff's badges for everyone. We rented a pony from Pony Haven and the kids' loved it!!! We barbecued and had pizza (what Cole requested) and we chatted and played. Big thanks to Miss Nance, our swim teacher, who offered to come and do face painting - it was a huge hit. We had so much fun! Cole invited friends from school, from church, from swim class and family - he was in heaven.

Happy Birthday Cole Cole - We Love You!!!

Just a note on Pony Haven - we would wholeheartedly recommend them. They brought the pony (Snoopy) in the back of a truck (no horse trailer needed I guess) and dropped him off, giving us a bit of instruction. The lady told us he wouldn't bite, he wouldn't kick and he wouldn't buck, but to make sure that he didn't step on anyone's feet because it would really hurt. She told us to feed Snoopy a piece of pizza or a hot dog if he was hungry and to watch our cake because she couldn't count how many birthday cakes he had eaten - she said his nose would often be blue (or some other color) when she picked him up from the cake that he had eaten. Then, she left. It was hysterical! The kids just took turns leading him around the yard and riding him around the yard. He was, as promised, the perfectly well behaved pony. It was a blast!

A Spotlight at Preschool

At Reagan and Cole's school, they spotlight the children on their birthday. The parents come in and bring baby and family pictures and we fill out a form about the child and their favorite things. Then, the whole class listens as the teacher tells the children about the birthday child, shows the pictures and makes the child a birthday crown. Best of all, the children sing Happy Birthday and the birthday child gets to choose "how" the song is sung. Cole chose "Cha Cha Cha". We had a great time visiting his class and seeing Cole be in the Spotlight!!!

Happy Birthday Cole!!

I can't believe that my baby is 4!!!! I seriously need a "pause" button. Cole's birthday fell on a Sunday, so his party will be next week, but for today, we went to church, we made and decorated cupcakes, and we sang Happy Birthday and blew out candles. Best of all, in Cole's opinion, we opened presents!

Cole is such a pleasure to have in our family. He is the sweetest little boy and is kind to everyone. He is a boy and growls, runs and climbs, but he is also considerate, helpful and thoughtful. He is sort of a Mama's boy, but this Mama loves it! He will cuddle with me, tell me that he loves me and wants to know where I am at all times. Oddly, he is also a Daddy's boy. He LOVES to play with Steve - they wrestle and they fight with swords. They explore in the backyard and they love to hike. Cole says the sweetest prayers and is always worried about others. He is such a good friend to Reagan and loves to play with (and serve) her. I can't believe he is so big and has grown so much, but I love to see each milestone he reaches and to watch him come into his own. Happy Birthday Cole Cole - We love you!!!!!

Snow ... Already????

So, it's the first week of October and we've already had snow. Granted, it was only here for a couple of days, but that didn't discourage Reagan and Cole from wanting to make a snowman the first chance they got. Steve indulged them and we had a minature snowman on our deck for a few days. (Not sure what the carrots on the head were, but he got smaller and smaller until all that was left was some baby carrots on the deck chair :)

Disneyland - Days 3 & 4

Our last day in the parks was spent re-visiting some favorite rides (Soarin' Over California and Small World), hitting some that we missed in the last two days (Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise, and Monsters, Inc.) and seeing a show (Aladin).

We also played in California Adventure at the Redwood Creek Challenge Course. Reagan and Cole loved it! They could climb on ropes, slide down rocks, crawl through logs and ride a tire swing/zip line - fabulous!

We had great food, visited with some more characters (and obtained more autographs for our books) and, when it became dark, we hit the parade route. A parade of princesses, characters, dancers and floats - what a way to end our day! Reagan and Cole were beat, so, we headed back to the hotel to pack up. The next morning, we were up early to catch our shuttle and we flew home.

We always have a great time at Disneyland. Yes, some trips have longer lines than others or better weather than others, but it is one of the best places to be - the happiest place on earth, right? Well, next time, I'll have to check the calendar because on this trip, we ran into "Gay Days". There was a welcome booth in the Grand Californian and on one of the days, the Gay Days participants all wore red shirts (good thing Steve wore his red shirt the day before). We didn't have any "incidents" or "situations", but I'd rather have missed Gay Days. I mentioned to Steve that I was pretty sure there wasn't a day celebrating two loving, heterosexual parents, raising their own children in their own home, but ..... what are you going to do? I suggested maybe we should write a letter, expressing our frustration. Steve said "Good luck - probably over half of Disney employees are gay. Think about it, what kind of straight man would dress up, put makeup on and dance around as a prince or Peter Pan?" Good point. So, I'll just be more diligent about checking the calendar and hope that we miss it next trip. I guess it could be worse - friends of ours have said that they have inadvertently his Disney during "Goth Days" and were shocked at the hair, dress and makeup of the people walking around the parks. Note to self - check the Disney calendar :)

Disneyland - Day 2

Today, we decided to spend most of our day in California Adventure. We hit Soarin' Over California first. It is Steve's favorite ride. We loved it! There wasn't much of a line, so, we did it again. It is so exhilarating, feeling like you are flying and seeing the ground beneath you, feeling the wind and hearing the sounds as you sail over beach, mountain, city, desert, and Disneyland.

Having hit our most important ride of the day, we decided to check out the Roarin' Rapids. We laughed at people clothed in ponchos and thought "how wet could we really get?" It wasn't bad. We had a few drops on us. Those woosies in the ponchos. So, we decided to go again..... big mistake! We got through the ride as we did the last time - only a few drops. Then, as we were waiting to unload, we floated through a geyser. Seriously - a geyser. We were soaked - head to toe! It took hours for us to dry. Cole was cold and shivering through the Little Mermaid ride. Finally, I took him in the bathroom, took off his pants and held them under the hand dryer.

We saw two different parade type shows. Characters in both shows grabbed Reagan and brought her into the show to dance and play. She was so funny! We hit A Bug's Life, the carousel, Toy Story Mania and - the kids' favorite - the ferris wheel.

Best of all, we saw some friends. We also hit the Disney Store and let Reagan and Cole each choose a toy. Reagan chose a Baby Minnie stuffed animal and Cole chose a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal. Plus, we had to get Cole a mickey ears hat so he could match Reagan. (Unfortunately, I fear we may have gotten one that was too small because it started to look like a yarmelke on him.)

We left California Adventure and had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and we spent some time in Downtown Disney. That is always a fun place - shopping, music, food, and lots of activity. On this night, the Magic Kingdom closed early to prepare for Mickey's Trick or Treat Party. It is a huge party with only so many tickets sold. Unfortunately, this event was sold out - we'll have to make our reservations early next year. I guess it is quite the party. Well, since the Magic Kingdom was closed, California Adventure became way crowded. Reagan and Cole were tired, so, we headed back to the hotel. We have our last day in the parks tomorrow.

Disneyland - Day 1

I think it is a requirement to hit Disneyland at least once a year when you have little ones. They grow so fast and are at different levels each year. Last year's trip to DisneyWorld was less than optimum (remember Cole getting sick?). Plus, I think it is just too big for our kids at their ages and stages. So, we headed to Disneyland this month and we had a great time. This is supposed to be a slow-ish time, but I couldn't tell a difference. It was still big crowds and semi-long lines.

We took a 7 am flight and were in the park by 10:30 am. Nice! The parks are amazing and all decorated for Halloween. We started with Fantasyland and worked our way around to Small World. We were really pleased with Small World, which was closed the last time we were here. They now have many of the Disney characters mixed in with the children. We saw Cinderella, Ariel, the Lion King hyenas and others! Steve - who is not a great line waiter - was disgusted that we waited 45 minutes to ride Dumbo while Small World had only a 15 minute line. Unfortunately Pirates, one of my favorites, was closed. We rode the steamboat, climbed Tarzan's treehouse, and played in Toon Town. We finished our day by taking Reagan and Cole's first ride on Space Mountain. Since it is Halloween time, instead of just seeing stars and planets, you see ghosts, skeletons and flames everywhere. It was pretty scary. When we were done, both Reagan and Cole said "Let's never do that again!" and they asked to return to our suite at the hotel. Well, we were up pretty early to make that first flight, so, we headed back to the hotel. Steve went out and picked us up some dinner and we hit the sack, ready for tomorrow's adventures.

Here's a slideshow of our first day - sorry that the pics are in the wrong order - photo bucket was fighting with me and when I would link to it directly, they were in the same order, but not on the html link. I even tried to change the order of the slides, but the link wouldn't change :(

Western Days

I know we've posted about this before, but I love it. Our preschool has "Western Days" where the little cowpokes dress up and have cowboy type activities. Reagan has always loved it! Cole was Super excited about it. Since his Halloween Costume this year is a cowboy costume, we were all set. We dressed him up, sent him off and he was so excited to get to preschool. I went to pick him up a little early - I wanted to see his class and their activities. They were darling!!! They were sitting in the dark by a faux campfire. They were singing songs and roasting marshmallows by the fire. Cole said that they had some lambs at school and that they were able to touch them and play with them. They had pancakes for their snack and played lots of games. What a fun day!