leaves

Trevor is not complete every year until he has driven the Alpine Loop to look at the leaves.  There is a small window of time when it is absolutely gorgeous, when all the colors are out, when the air is crisp, when you just have to go.  The fall is a pretty busy time for us and sometimes that window does not stay open long enough for us to all enjoy it together.  This year was one of those years.  We were just too busy, and schedules didn't work out, but that did not detour Trevor.  

Nope, not at all.  

We grabbed anybody who we could find, whipped through a take out window for some lunch and headed for the hills.

It just so happened that Ash was the only one "free" enough to come along. And so the three of us enjoyed a little Carl's Junior, a little "I'm the youngest, and I am special" time and a few breathtaking views of this wonderful state we call home.

And, now, my nature loving husband is complete, at least for this year.

Happy Fall!

a day at the fair

Kara still hasn't forgiven me yet.  For not taking her to the fair this year.  She was at college.  And we were at the fair.  Of course we were at the fair. 

She was sad because we tried a few new things this year at the fair.  I actually shouldn't say "we".  I should say Trevor and Mark, who are known for being best buddies at the fair.  These best buddies tried a huge chicken/turkey/maybe ostrich leg.  All I can say is SICK!!  I couldn't even look at it little lone gnaw on it.

We also tried deep friend green jello.  Yep, we did.  It wasn't that great.  At least we could always fall back on the tried and true funnel cakes, fresh squeezed lemonade and hot buttered corn on the cob, which we did.  Of course we did.

 As always we ended our evening with a ride on the big yellow slide.

I'm sorry Kara, but it was a great night, once again, at your beloved fair.

Maybe next year.



only a dollar

Years and years ago, when Kara and Tyler were little, we started the tradition of Christmas shopping at the dollar store. It was the greatest idea ever. They held their hard earned 3 dollars in their tiny little hands and walked through the door into a store where they could pick anything they wanted for the family members on their Christmas lists. We stood back as they persued each aisle, looked carefully at the tool aisle, the toy aisle and the beauty aisle. They filled their little carts with so many treasures and then the hard process of elimination began. They would then, ever so thoughtfully, pick the perfect presents.

They felt so grown up.

They felt the world was at their fingertips.

Nothing was off limits.

It was so fun to watch.

This tradition has continued and even evolved over time as most traditions do. It has now become a very precious December date with dad. He takes each child one at a time. He doesn't say a word as he lets them independently shop to their hearts' content. He sometimes makes three trips in one night, but the one on one time is worth it- as is the look of accomplishment on their faces when they are done and proudly hand over their crumpled wad of bills at the counter. There used to be a time when there were so many dollar stores out there that each child had their own store. Now that the dollar store boom has ceased we are limited to only the Dollar Tree and the Dollar spot at Target. But even with the limited choices we rarely have a repeat.

When they get home the wrapping immediately begins. And that is almost as fun and important as the shopping. Each gift is wrapped with a lot of care and a lot of love and a whole lotta tape.



Names are printed on tags with the utmost of care.
It is very serious business.



At one point as our kids got older we proposed a change. We asked the kids if they wanted to each pick a sibling and buy them a more expensive gift at an upgraded store. The answer was unanimous: NO WAY! Dollar store shopping was a tradition and it would stay that way. My older ones have gotten really good at picking out great things from those dollar store aisles. It has kind of turned into a competition as to who can find the best stuff. And as the years have gone by I find myself throwing away fewer and fewer cheap plastic toys after Christmas.

And so we continue to Christmas shop at the Dollar Store. My kids continue to save their hard earned 9 dollars each year. They continue to enjoy December dates with dad. They continue to buy gifts for each and every member of our family. It doesn't matter that some of the gifts break within moments of being opened. It doesn't matter that the Santa whip was really a cat toy (That cat toy has become a favorite). It doesn't matter that the hand sanitizer smells like raisins. It only matters that each gift was bought with love. The time and thought put into buying and wrapping each gift matters. Thinking specifically about each member of our family and what they might enjoy, that matters. Its the art and beauty of giving that really matters.

And that's a whole lotta stuff and a whole lotta smiles and a whole lotta mattering for only...

one dollar.

graham crackers and gummy bears

We have been making gingerbread houses with the Walters family for, oh, probably 10 years now. With December being so busy for both of our families, often times it has been hard to coordinate. But it is one of my kids most cherished traditions, so we always make it work.

Always.

This year we found a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon to squeeze it in before different evening festivities.

As always, we had a great time.

We are lazy and so we use graham crackers. And that is totally OK with us and with the house constructors. They have never complained. And we always have tons of candy and try each year to come up with new things to make the decorating more exciting.



One candy item that is a must are the gummy bears. We could not make the houses without the gummy bears. They are the gingerbread house occupants, the frolickers in the front yard, the participants in every outdoor activity. They are very much a part of our gingerbread day.

My new candy addition this year was that bowl of white stuff. It is white cotton candy and it was a hit. There were snowmen created, snowballs sculpted for snowball fights and snow covered roof tops. The cotton candy will definitely be back next year. It added a whole new dimension to the decorating.

The gummy bears were very busy this year, as usual. They were sledding outside their houses, stringing up tiny strands of nerd Christmas lights on their roofs, participating in snowball fights, hiding in snow forts, and a couple of gummies could even be found creating some "yellow" snow. Yes, you have got to love making gingerbread houses with boys and naughty bears.

Never a dull house around these parts.

My girls on the other had keep it much more appropriate and are more concerned with the overall aesthetic appearance of their houses. I overheard Brandon this year whispering to Bryce, "I'm just stacking on as much candy as I can so I can eat it later, it doesn't matter what it looks like!"

And it doesn't really.

Those gummies are happy with just about anything.

Even yellow snow.

live

Last year for the first time we went to a Live Nativity. We had such a great experience we decided we wanted to make it a tradition. So we headed out again this year. It was up in Alpine and it was FREEZING! I am talking like 19 degrees freezing. It was bitter cold. But we braved the cold, bundled up and we began our journey.

Please pay no attention to those boots on my feet. They are hideous old fashioned grandma snow boots (especially hideous with skinny jeans). And nobody was supposed to see them. It was dark and I didn't realize that the picture Trevor was snapping of us warming up by the fire with hot chocolate was a full body shot. Embarrassing, yes, but did they keep my feet warm, totally!

OK, lets get back to the nativity please and get as far away as we can from those boots!


Along the path to Jerusalem we visited with a donkey.

And chatted with some camels.

We really liked the camels.

We were stopped several times by the soldiers who were looking for the baby Jesus.

And then we entered the bustling city of Jerusalem.

Inside we saw carpenters, leather workers, pottery makers, seamstresses, and basket weavers.

We ate unleavened bread and saw animals, sheep, geese and more camels.
We enjoyed it all very much.

But this is why we really came.

We passed the angles singing to get to the stable.

We felt the spirit.

And despite the cold weather, our hearts were warm.

which witch is which

How have I lived in Utah for so long and never known about the Witch Fest at Gardner Village?!? We went for the first time last year and had a blast. This year was our second time.

I now consider it a true fall tradition for our family.

Gardner Village is the most quaint, festive, whimsical place to visit. Cornstalks and pumpkins and sunflowers and the shops... oh, the shops.

We ate in the restaurant, fried green tomatoes of course, and then set out on our quest to find all of the witches.

Here is the first one we found.

And another doing a cannonball.

Here's the one eating a hot dog.

And the one on her bike flying through the air.

The last one we found was "Witchy Poo."

You just can't leave until you see Witchy Poo.

We always end our evening in the candy shop with a bag full of candy and a box full of fudge. The lights were twinkling, witches were strolling around everywhere, leaves were fluttering to the ground and crunching under our feet as we strolled along.

Yes, my pretty, it was a magical evening indeed.

soaked

The annual 4th of July water fight.

It just wouldn't be the 4th without it.

We were well equipped and ready to go this year.


Water balloons, coolers, guns, hoses...and of coarse a little water.

We knew what we wanted.

We wanted victory.

We set up barricades.

Sometimes we turned on our own.

We got a little wet.

Soaked might be a better word.

But would it really be a water fight, if we weren't wet?

Not a very fun one.

This one was intense, but we prevailed.

Yep, Travis that's right.

My blog. My opinion. My conclusion.

We won!

We totally won!

Until next year Uncle Travis.

I would start preparing now if I were you.

We going for a "threepeat!"

Presidents Past

Yes, we actually have a Presidents Day tradition. And, yes, we do it every year, without fail. The tradition comes from Trevor's youth. It is something his family did while he was growing up, and it is something that has been part of our children's lives as they are growing up also. That's kind of how traditions work. And like most of our traditions, this one also involves food.

Good, old fashioned food.

The tradition is this. We eat like the Presidents of old would eat. What would Presidents of old eat? Well, in our minds the only thing they ate was stew and maybe some homemade rolls. And so that's what our meal consists of every single Presidents day, hearty stew and a batch of homemade rolls. We eat by candlelight, we eat with only the basics, no place mats or decorations. We eat and then we discuss.

This is a picture of our discussion. The discussion where dad pulls out his fact sheets about good old George and Abe and he reads them. The kids are always fully engaged, OR bored out of their mind and sleeping on the table. The latter is usually the case. I have a great respect for the Presidents of old and am grateful for this tradition which allows me and my family to reflect on them and our great country, I don't think we do that often enough. Oh, and if we lived in those days half of my kids would starve, because every year on Presidents day I clear off 3 to 4 bowls of "old fashioned" stew that hasn't even been touched. That seems to be part of the tradition too!

Christmas Eve

Years ago, when we were first married, Trevor and I went to a friends house on Christmas Eve day for a visit. I was amazed at all the hustle and bustle that was going on in preparation for their big Christmas Eve dinner party. I vividly remember her dumping out tiny red jello molds onto plates of deep green lettuce. I had never seen anything like it and I knew I wanted to do it. I wanted to host a party every year for our families that everyone would look forward to, that would become a tradition, with jello molds and everything.

We have now been hosting Christmas Eve dinner for about 12 years. It is an open invitation. We don't want anyone to feel pressure. We just want everyone to feel that they always have a place to go. Some years are bigger than others. Some are smaller and more quaint. All are memorable. We feel so blessed that our families are so close. So close in fact, that they all consider each other family. It is a unique situation. My kids hardly differentiate between the two families, they are kind of like one. How did we get so lucky?

We eat and eat and enjoy being together.

The kids table is always fun...and usually a little messy.

We play games, sing carols, tell stories, and play musical instruments. (Well, some of us do.)

And we always end on a spiritual note. We focus on the true meaning of Christmas. When everyone leaves our hearts are happy and full and filled with the Christmas spirit. I want my children's lives and memories of Christmas to be about family. About cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all piling into our house to be together and to celebrate- it is something I never had with the very small family I come from, and I am grateful every day that my children have such a big wonderful family! Very grateful indeed!