Party Hardy, Party, Party, Party!: Picture Perfect October

There are a few picture perfect things I didn't get pictures of! Dillan, Hazel and I went to a Pumpkin Patch, for a preschool field trip. There was a dark enclosed hay maze, pumpkins, a corn maze, and a hay ride. Dillan's preschool also had a book fair, picture day, and a fireman come during Fire Safety Week (and that was all the same day!). Hazel got to stay and see the fireman's presentation and his firetruck, what a lucky girl! Once he got all his gear and oxygen mask on, she got pretty scared. I am new to having a kid in school, so I'm not used to all these special days and pictures and stuff!

We have a friend in our ward who is starting a CSA (community supported agriculture) in their backyard. Kyle has been spending a lot Saturday mornings getting the land and existing buildings in workable condition. It's fun to go out there with the kids, walk in the mud, see animal bones and cow pies all over, and it's okay!

We went to one of Jonathon's (a cousin) water polo games. It was the first one me and the kids had seen, always fun to do new things!

Started the month off with General Conference. We pulled the couch up real close to the computer and set up some activities for the kids to do on the piano bench. They were so excited! Conference Bingo was a hit, they got a small treat each time they got a new bingo row, that kept them focused and excited! Kyle and I loved the spiritual uplift.

Conference Weekend was also Kyle's birthday (he turned 30!). We went up to Larch Mountain, about an hour drive, on Sunday evening and hiked about 1/4 mile by the light of our cell phone to the top of a paved trail (after getting lost twice). Hazel is starting to be scared of the dark and Dillan had heard of Big Foot for the first time that day, so they were really brave to hike around (lost) in the blackness. The view from the top was gorgeous! We enjoyed the stars, city lights, Milky Way, and lots of tiny airplanes. It was a peaceful simple beautiful family memory.
Hazel left her snuggle blanket there, so we went to the fabric store and let her pick out some new snuggle fabric and made a blanket out of that. Her new one is just as special as the old one, and she likes to tell everyone she got it because her other one got left on the top of a mountain!

Kyle's car won't pass DEQ, so it isn't registered anymore. Man time!

Sleeping with her baby.

Hazel has stopped taking naps. We do Rest Time instead, where the kids play quietly in their rooms for an hour after lunch while Mommy gets to rest. After Rest Time they need to clean up their rooms. Hazel threw a fit and laid down on the ground crying. We told her she could come out as soon as that little tool box in the background was put away, then we left her in there crying. This was about 10 minutes later.

School Book time! It's real special when Daddy participates!

Some neighborhood kids collected leaves from all over and made an awesome pile in our front yard. Yay for Autumn!

Family Home Evening Activity was pumpkin carving. We're all a little nutty!

Family pictures at a portrait studio! Aren't we cute?

I'm 8 months pregnant in this photo!

They are dancing to Halloween music.

This is a new past time of Hazel's, squishing herself into her little toy boxes.

Dillan took this picture, and the next one.

Snuggles! Since Hazel won't nap anymore, she falls asleep in the car a lot. Often, someone gets snuggle time out of it.

She was excited for a whole month to be a pumpkin for Halloween. When we went to her room to get her costume on for the Halloween Party at Dillan's preschool she changed her mind. Buzz Lightyear! She continued to be Buzz Lightyear for the 2 church parties we went to and Trick or Treating.

Halloween Party at Dillan's school. It involved a spotlight of each kid, a costume parade, some songs they'd learned, a dance party, throwing some "snowballs" at each other, and some parachute games. So fun, so simple, no sugar needed.