Pumpkin Patch

Every year one of our favorite traditions is going to the pumpkin patch. This year we picked one of the only sunny warm days in October and had a wonderful day! We went with our friends the Riddochs and the Greers.

What We've Been up to...

Nick and I took the older boys and their friend Joe to see "Star Wars in Concert" at the BOK Center this week. They had a full symphony playing all the music from the 6 Star Wars Movies while a huge screen showed highlights from the movies. There were lots of other special effects, and the entire thing was narrated by Anthony Daniels (aka C3PO). We also got to look at some pretty cool Star Wars memorabilia.
My mom had a Halloween party for all the family this week. It was fun to see all the cute cousins in their costumes, play some games, and eat lots of yummy food. Grant, Brady and Drew made this veggie skeleton for the party.

Camping at Greenleaf State Park

Last weekend was fall break, and we took a short camping trip to Greenleaf State Park. Well, maybe we're stretching the definition of "camping" a little since we stayed in a cabin with heat, running water, and satellite tv. (since when do state park cabins have flat screen tv's?) It still had all the fun elements of camping like sitting around a fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, going on nature walks, seeing wild animals, and fishing. What it didn't have was all of us freezing to death in a tent when it was 40 degrees outside and tossing and turning all night because you're sleeping on the hard ground. Trust me, I may never tent camp again!

One of the most amazing things at Greenleaf were the deer that would come right up to us. They would even eat right out of the kids' hands.

The best part of our weekend was just getting to spend time with some really great friends!

Pumpkins

Brent and Drew (with a little help from Brady) dressed up like Mario and Luigi. I love the paper mustaches!

Right before Trey was born, Grant decided he wanted to make a blanket for him. Since I don't really sew, and my sister does, she agreed to help him. We finally found a free day when Trey was about a week old, and Grant spent all afternoon working on this blanket with Alicia. He couldn't wait to go straight to Heather and Steve's house to deliver it.

Best Buds

Drew loves playing soccer so much! He just can't get enough of it. Having your aunt and uncle as your coaches and your cousin on your team makes it just about perfect!

These two are seriously best buds. It's so awesome to have a cousin that's so close to the same age as you. Drew would happily stay with Brent 24/7.

Grant's Family Birthday Party

We had Grant's family birthday party about a month ago, but I just noticed that I never posted the pictures on my blog. I love that our extended family makes a big deal out of birthdays. We're always looking for a reason to celebrate.

Heather and Alicia both have birthdays close to Grant's, so we had a party for all three of them.

Grant has jello cake every year for his birthday.

Aunt Suzie is a sweetheart to have all of us over for a birthday dinner at her house.

Grant and Mimi talking about the remote control car she gave him for his birthday.

Look at all those little hands helping Grant unwrap his present. :)

Pioneer Day 5k

Cleveland has a celebration every September called Pioneer Day. There are all kinds of events from a parade to a street dance at night. My brother and I both ran the Pioneer Day 5k that morning. It was a gorgeous morning for a race, and the course was fun since it was on the main road in Cleveland. My favorite part was that they didn't block off traffic from the course, so you had people driving by honking and cheering you on.

Here is Steve approaching the finish line. And, much later...
I crossed the finish line!
I love my cute little cheering section. Nick, the boys, and my mom and dad all came to support us. Steve came in 2nd overall, and I came in 2nd of the women. Nothing like a really small race to boost your ego!