Pumpkins and Weeners

This was our second year of being invited to the Cook Family Pumpkin Pick and Weener Roast. Last year was FREEZING cold. We lucked out this year---it was so nice and warm.

Grammy and Nicole posing with a "Cinderella" pumpkin.

The kiddos loved riding in the back of Chad's truck to load up the loot.

They sure liked to pick the ugly pumpkins.

So heavy.

I gave Cam this pumpkin---he picked one that was lopsided and squishy.

Had to get a "daddy" pumpkin.

After picking our share, we came back to roast weenies and marshmallows. I never eat hot dogs at home, but they taste so good outside!!

At least my boys ate their chips.

oh my goodness!!!!!

High on a Mountain Top

The opening hymn today in Sacrament Meeting was High on a Mountain Top. If you are close at all to Chad or any of his brothers you know the real words are, "High on a mountain top a badger chased a squirrel, the badger ate the squirrel, and now there is no squirrel."
I giggle every time we sing it and have to concentrate to get the words right. Well today I was distracted reading something else and sang the whole 2 lines in "Chad prose". Oh silly me. I'm not a very loud singer, but if somebody did hear, I hope they got a good laugh.

Oh, if you like that one, Chad's personal favorite is the chorus of Now Let Us Rejoice. "when all that was promised, the saints will be given, and nuns will molest us from morn until eve'n."
At least he has the decency to sing that one really quiet. But he belts out the badger/squirrel lines.

Church with Chad is interesting!!!

Boys and Ammunition

I really do want a daughter, but after tonight I've gotta say, "BOYS ROCK". This is what happened---We were watching football and it was time for bed (boys were very tired too), but rather than turning OFF the TV, Chad "surfs" (which is never a good thing). He finds a show on the History channel about guns and ammunition. Ummm yah, all 3 boys instantly wide eyed and jaws dropped. I knew this was one I was going to lose, so I told them to put on jammies and brush teeth during commercials and we settled down to watch an hour long show on the evolution of ammunition. They were so into it Cam was telling Chad and I to "shush" so he could catch everything that was being said. Cracked me up. It really was a cool show, although Chad missed a lot of it trying to find Spencer's gun--not that the kid has 20 guns, he wanted the one we couldn't find--of course.

2 Brilliant Women!!!

Mom and I figured out how to make a shopping trip to Target enjoyable and peaceful.

Put each child in their own cart. Give each a purse to lean against. Most importantly, buy them their OWN bag of popcorn and drink.

Spencer Fudwupper Fibbed Big

Check this book out!!!! Seriously one of my favs--so cute and funny--call it the pregnancy hormones, but I cried the first time I read it!!! Read the acknowledgement to President Clinton on the title page,,,even those wacko liberals (I'm not implying that ALL liberals are wackos) will laugh at it (they will have to--because it's true).

Oh, Kristi--forget the art kit for Christmas--I ordered this book for your kiddos for Christmas. meh---you know me, I will forget and they will get the art kit AND the book.

ANYWHO. This book was a golden find for our family--we read it at least 3 times a day for the 3 weeks we had it from the library. Well, it was library day, and I was gathering all of our books to return and Edwurd Fudwupper was nowhere to be found. We have a special place we put only library books, so they don't get mixed in with our books, and the boys know this. I was ticked. We spent 2 hours tearing the house apart looking for it, calling daddy, calling Grandma and Grammy to see if by chance they had come across it. NOPE. I chilled out after a while, but the boys knew I was not happy. They endured the "taking care of things that aren't ours" speech and the "dang it, do what mommy tells you to do" speech.

That was 2 weeks ago.

Last night, I was doing laundry and Chad was reading to the boys and yelled at me to come upstairs. He got done reading Where the Wild Things Are and Spencer threw the book on the ground--to which Cameron said, "Don't do that, that's how Edwurd Fudwupper got lost."

Spencer proudly pipes up. "That's not where Edwurd Fudwupper is."

Chad says, "Well where IS Edwurd Fudwupper?"

Spencer jumps off the couch and takes Chad into the kitchen and opens up the door to the lazy susan where we keep breakfast cereal and points to the very back. Sure enough--there was Edwurd!!! Dang kid. So Spencer gets to pay the library fine from his piggy bank. Chad says he probably didn't dare tell me where it was at first---yah, probably true. Dang kid.

Oh, earlier that day I went to throw something in the kitchen garbage and there were levis in there. I thought it was weird, they didn't look like Chad's work levis, and sure enough, they were mine. I asked who put mommy's levis in the garbage, and Spencer calmly said, "I did, because you were angwy at me." Dang kid,,,keep my eye on him AND the garbage.

Like Father Like Son

Just wanted to post some random picures of Chad bouldering (his true passion).

Cameron is like his daddy in oh so many ways, and we have another----what a little climber!!! Yesterday we met Chad for lunch and went climbing at the Quarry. It's nice that he is such a regular--we were able to walk right in and do whatever we want. I forgot my camera--dang. Because of course, when I don't have it Cam climbs up that 30 foot wall 2 times like it is nothing. It was so much fun to watch. Chad was nervous, I just thought it was great. Spencer wasn't into it quite as much, so Scott just hoisted him up in his harness and let him swing (thanks Scott--you were a lifesaver!!). Spencer thought it was great!!! Both boys were in heaven and kept saying, "just 5 more minutes." Chad was loving it too--nice 3 hour lunch!! After that much time my queasy stomach couldn't take the smell of sweat and stinky climbing shoes any longer. It was a great way to spend day 1 of fall break.

Utah State Fair

It's weird to be typing this post when it is 65 degrees (which feels warm and wonderful!!). Because the day of the fair it was 90 degrees (which felt hot and miserable!!!). We love the State Fair---the boys love the animals, potato sack slide, and Meadow Gold farm land. I love the kettle corn, corn on the cob, turkey legs, fresh strawberry ice cream, and the Meadow Gold farm land. Chad just loves seeing his family happy---he especially loves seeing the massive quantity of food I always consume.

The Meadow Gold farm land is amazing!! The kids put on aprons and pick up a basket and go to different little barns that have all aspects of a farm: feeding corn to the cows, milking the cows, wool from sheep, gathering eggs, picking apples, planting veggies, harvesting the veggies, putting gas in the tractors, driving the tractors, delivering all of their goods to the farmers market, then they are paid for all their work and get to pay for a treat with their money. They love the chocolate milk. It truly is the highlight of the day (close second to the turkey leg for me).

Spencer talked about putting gas in his tractor all day long.

Alex and the goat.

Mantha and Spence petting the goats---thank goodness for sanitizer stations.

Last year they had a tiger, this year was a bear---so cute. We also saw a really cool alligator show. Oh all the memories of just how hot it was are coming back--amazing what a month will do.