Fire Station Field Trip

Alex went on his first field trip this week... to the fire station! There were a handful of very excited little boys from his class, and 3 little girls who seemed entirely unimpressed... go figure!

The firemen did an excellent job of talking to the kids about fire safety, showing them their gear and equipment, and of course the most exciting part for the boys... getting to sit in the fire engine!

At the end, each kid got a special sticker if they could demonstrate how to "stop, drop and roll". This is Alex's turn...

He's not covering his eyes out of embarassment, you're supposed to cover them for protection (something new that I didn't know...)

This field trip must have made quite an impression on Alex as he says he wants to be a fireman when he grows up. It will have to be a sidejob though, because he's also said he wants to be a superhero... and a golfer.

Fickle Fall

Last weekend we went up the canyon for a picnic, hoping to enjoy some fall colors. There was some, but not as much as I had hoped. So, I thought, "maybe next weekend we can go back and there may be more color". Boy, was I ever wrong. Instead of color dotting the mountains, they are currently blanketed in a lovely shade of... white. Yes, the "S" word. I can't even bring myself to say it. But in typical bi-polar Utah weather fashion, it is supposed to warm back up next week. Please, please, please warm up...

Back to the picnic... it was a lovely day and my lovely boy could spend hours just playing by the creek. Despite all my "dissing" on Utah, I do enjoy having the mountains so close, snow and all.

1st College Road Trip

Steph is kicking off her second year of college in a grand fashion. Her first year she didn't do much other than go to class each day. I know, that didn't sound right... going to class is of course the most important part of college, but I just didn't think she was allowing herself to live the real college experience, you know, the social side. This year she has done a full 180. She is in "The MUSS"! (I know it stands for something, just can't remember what...) When you buy a MUSS pass, you get into all the games and stand in the student section. Kicking off the inaugural season of the U being in the Pac 12, a bunch of MUSS kids traveled to Southern California last weekend to go to the game against USC. Instead of opting to ride the bus, Steph and 3 friends drove down themselves, a decision they may have started to doubt when they locked the keys in the car... in my driveway! Luckily, from there on out it was smooth sailing.

They spent some time at Manhattan Beach during the day, walked the Santa Monica Pier at night, and had a blast meeting up with a good friend of Steve's and his family for a tailgate party at the stadium.

Steph said there were a ton of Ute fans there, which I thought was awesome. I think it is so exciting to be in the Pac 12!

Unfortunately, the Utes lost in the final seconds but definately made a good showing.

The kids ended up having a great time. I was so happy to see Steph making memories and enjoying this exciting time of her life.

Preschool!

Alex started preschool a couple weeks ago and absolutely LOVES it! From the moment he steps foot out of the car, he takes off running and I have to chase after him and grab him long enough to steal a good-bye kiss. This is Alex on the first day. He's a pretty stylin' 4 year old with his skinny jeans, Vans and Giants hat... thanks to Sissy. That's what happens when you have a 19 year old sister who is into fashion.

His preschool teacher does it out of her home and has a cute little school set up in her basement. She comes very highly recommended by a couple ladies I know. My heart goes out to her right now as she tragically lost her mother on Sunday in a car accident. Bless her heart, she still held preschool on Tuesday.

The best thing about 4 year olds, is that as soon as they see you when school is over, they are so excited to run up to you with a big hug and anxiously show off what they did in school that day. Do you think Alex will still be willing to greet me with a big hug and kiss in another 8 years when he starts junior high?! Probably not, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts...

Better Late Than Never Temple Pics

When our family was sealed back in December, it was a freezing cold, super windy day. We took a few quick pictures in front of the temple, but it was too frigid to stand out there for long. I decided we would just come back in the spring when the weather was nicer. Spring turned into summer, and finally I coerced my family into getting all gussied up to head over to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for pictures. I didn't ask anyone to come be our photographer, so it was quite the task to put the self-timer and tripod to work. Despite it all, we did get some nice shots... I especially love the ones of Steph and Alex.

A Day at "The Beach"

I had read in someone's blog about a little man made reservoir out in Herriman that has a little beachy area. I thought it would be fun to check it out, so the kids and I went one day.

We had a really good time, and best of all... it's free!

Alex had a blast just playing in the sand. Now that all the pools are closing, I'm hoping we can go here again in the next few weeks for one last summer hurrah... (sniff, sniff)

Niagara Falls

While in New York, we figured there was no way we could be so close to Niagara Falls and not make the time to go there. I'm so glad we did, it was so much fun and such a cool experience. We took a boat ride on the "Maid of the Mist", it literally takes your breath away to have all the mist blowing in your face. It was also cool to walk along a trail to get a little closer. The crazy thing is, apparently on the same day we were there, but later in the day, someone (on the Canadian side) got swept over into the falls. Why you would even get that close to the water is beyond me!

Niagara Falls was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.