the patch

Most years we don't have the time to browse through an actual pumpkin patch to choose our pumpkins. Since I have to buy 9 I usually wait to buy them from the grocery store when they go out for 10 cents a pound.

That's why I always volunteer for the preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch. After all, how can you pass up a trip to the patch? And, this is my last time with a child in preschool.

And so, Ashlyn and I and her entire class headed off to Pumpkin land.

She was very excited.

There are animals and play places and corn fields and, of course, acres and acres of pumpkins.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to pick from the actual patch. We were herded into the barn where we could choose from the pile of $1 pumpkins (So, I'm not the only cheap one.). Ashlyn didn't know the difference, and she took her pumpkin picking very seriously. And then, from across the pile, she spotted it.

The perfect pumpkin.
For my little pumpkin princess.

Let the carving begin!

walking with pumpkins

Here we are at the entrance to the annual pumpkin walk. This year we had great weather and great pumpkins.

See for yourself.

Ethan's class


Ethan's pumpkin (how about that pickle nose?)

Alyssa's class

Alyssa's pumpkin

Bryson's class

Bryson's pumpkin. (By far my most favorite pumpkin of the entire pumpkin walk)

A few of our favorites: The chocolate chip cookies.

The eyeballs

And how about some angry birds?

Oh what you can do with a few hundred pumpkins and a whole lotta paint!

just call me green thumb

This year's garden harvest.....in the palm of my hand.

I think next year we should invest in some miracle grow.

state fair

Another year

Another September

Another trip to the Utah State Fair

We are creatures of habit, us Allred's. We go to the State Fair every year. We park in the same place and we follow the same route. We start at the horses and then we always enjoy a little snack while we watch the contest (is that what you call it, obviously I am not a cowboy) where 3 people on horses have to round up 3 calves that have a certain number on them that is randomly called out by the announcer. And although we always do the same thing, this years trip threw us a few curve balls. In other words, we saw a few things we haven't ever seen before at the fair. It started with an argument at the calf round up contest that got pretty heated between the announcer and one of the horse riders. We scurried out of the grandstand pretty fast after that.




This was not new. We always enjoy the little working farm for the kids. They get to put on aprons, milk cows, gather eggs, brush sheep, ride a tractor, pick apples, plant a seed, get paid for their work and then buy a treat. It is always a highlight.

This was something new. A strange man with very little teeth wearing overalls and a floppy hat was walking around doing some sort of ferret show. My kids were captivated. They even got to hold the ferret. Can you say hand sanitizer? I wish I got a picture of the ferret man himself, he was quite a sight. But I didn't, I think I was distracted (and horrified) by his toothless smile.

The vegetable room. Another must see. Nothing new this year, just the usual enormous pumpkins, brown eggs, shriveled zucchini, tiny grapes, giant sunflowers, garden anomalies, and a working bee hive.

We always make a stop by the giant sculpture made entirely of butter. This year it was cows posing as the Royal couple at the Royal wedding.

An unexpected but very pleasant new surprise was me running into my boyfriend Orlando. I had no idea he frequented the Utah State Fair, but I'm glad he does. It was good to see him.

For the first time we tried real candy apples. Kara thought she had died and gone to heaven, a party in her mouth. The others weren't so blown away by the candy apples.

We took our traditional zip down the big yellow slide, but not before we encountered a gaggle of geese wearing tiny clothes (new), watched a comedic magic show (new), and entered and survived an earthquake simulator (my kids favorite new thing this year)

Pumpkins, apples, ferrets, geese and so much more.

Where else can you see all that but at the Utah State Fair.

Bloom....

...where you're planted.

I found this little flower one fall morning as I was out walking to a neighbors house to deliver something. There were many flowers along my route but this one made me stop in my tracks. I ran back home to grab my camera. And then this little flower got it's own personal photo shoot.

This flower perfectly captured in my mind one of my favorite sayings,

"bloom where you're planted."

I have always loved that saying and I try to live by it and teach my children to do the same. I feel strongly that you should try to make the best of where you are and what you are doing no matter what.

Make the best of the calling you are in, the class, the neighborhood, the state of life, even if it's not what you would have chosen.

Just like this darling little flower did.

It bloomed amidst the weeds and dirt and construction when I'm sure it would rather have been with a bunch of other flowers that were swaying in the wind just a few feet over.

But this flower chose to bloom, right where it was planted.

And because it bloomed it made me smile.

It made me happy.

It made my day.

And I needed that.

Fall-ing

We took our annual drive up the canyon to look at the leaves in between General Conference sessions.

Fall is, by far, my most favorite season.

Yep, it's my favorite.

Do you blame me?

Fall is spectacular, fall is traditions, fall is cozy,

fall is...home.

The end.

boating...

...in late October.

Oh yes we did.

Don't ask me why we did.

Just know that we did.

And it was cold.

The duke

One of Kara's responsibilities as a Student Body Officer is to kidnap all of the homecoming royalty and take them to a breakfast to let them know they were chosen.

To find the Sophomore boy royalty she didn't have to go far.

Just down the hall, around the corner, and to the next bedroom, to be exact.

It was 4:45 a.m.

Tyler had been nominated and was on the homecoming ballot, but he had no idea he had won. It was up to Kara and her friend Moe to wake him up and break the news.

And here he is in all his early morning glory.

The homecoming duke of 2011 at the literal crack of dawn (actually, the dawn hadn't even cracked yet).

It is an interesting thing to be the homecoming duke and duchess, especially when you are 15 and can't date yet. They were expected to be at the dance, where they would get pictures taken for the yearbook and then be presented to the school during the dance. I drove Tyler down, walked into the school with him, waited for the photographer with him and watched, much to his horror, as he danced the royalty dance.






The duke, Tyler, and his beautiful duchess, Rachel.





It was totally awesome. I was like a fly on the wall, except I wasn't a fly. I was a full-sized old lady walking around the high school dance. How many years has it been since I have been to a high school dance? Too many to count. So, it was so much fun to watch these kids. I was really surprised and very impressed with the kids. I noticed so many dresses that had been altered to become more modest. I witnessed kids slow dancing at a very appropriate distance apart. I watched the crowds shriek and jump to the latest songs, having a blast with their dates. I loved it. I loved being there, I loved looking at these kids, I loved the thought that this was the school that my kids were attending, and I loved snapping pictures of my cute duke, who I think was mortified that I was there.

I also loved spying on my daughter and her date. When she first saw me she screamed and ran. But then she came to her senses and actually spoke to me, in between her comments that it was so wrong that I was there.

But I was.

I was there and they both had to deal with it.

She was proud of her baby brother. And so was I.

We all went to the homecoming football game to support Tyler as they introduced the homecoming court. It was a great night. A little too much attention for Tyler's liking, but I think he survived. After all, when you're a duke you just have to endure a little attention. It's all part of the job. And he fulfilled that job well.

I just had to end with this picture of the view from our football field. Not a great picture, but what a sight. Who wouldn't want to play football here?

Now those are some Friday night lights!

homecoming

Whenever it's a guys choice dance I never get good pictures. There is always a car full of boys outside waiting to go pick up their dates and everything seems rushed. This dance was no exception. But before the rush, Kara did have a few minutes to browse through a magazine and luckily she let me snap a few pictures.

Kara and Corray.
Homecoming 2011.
They graciously let me capture this moment in time with a few pictures, even with the car full of anxious boys outside.


Kara and Corray have been friends for years, since early elementary school in fact.

They had a great time.

I would know, because I actually witnessed it (see next post for more juicy details).

And someday she will thank me for taking so many pictures to document her crazy busy life.



Someday.

Up up and away

I live with a bunch of Superheros!

Really I do.

(And a daughter who is taking digital photography at school.)

Now excuse me as I go help them save the world!