October 2021

We took a drive up the canyon to see all the leaves changing colors.  It was super busy, so we just made a quick stop to turn around.  Harper was asleep in the car so we let the boys do a little bit of climbing nearby.

Halloween is one of our most favorite times of year so we always have lots going on.  Rem invited some neighbors and the kids friends over to make some tombstones.

This is our first year having a front porch.  We had fun figuring out how we wanted to decorate it.  I helped paint the majority of the presents.  It was fun but took a lot of time and we want to add so many more!

Over the summer the kids wanted to do lemonade stands.  Rem had a brilliant idea to do a hot chocolate stand during October when we get so many people coming by to see the house.  They made quite a bit of money doing this, just in time to go to Disney World to spend it.

Halloween silliness

Visiting my grandma and doing her hair at the rehab center.  It's always nice going to visit her, I love her so much.

One last Cabin visit

We knew the cabin would get sold eventually, but the family finally got serious about it.  So I took the kids up by myself to have one last visit.  I'm so glad I did.  I will miss this place, we have so many good memories here.

Sorenson family Halloween Party

When you have a Halloween house, you must have lots of Halloween parties.  First up is the Sorenson side of the family.  We had soup, rolls and other yummy sides.  We took pictures of everyone in their costumes and then later we walked the neighborhood to see some of the other Halloween houses.

We chose Peter Pan for our family costume this year.  We talked about Star Wars and Avengers, but I really wanted my little girl to have a more girly costume after being Spider Pig and a Biker Fairy with a pink mohawk.  I shopped at a lot of thrift stores, borrowed an item or two, only bought a few new things and with some sewing it all came together.  I love how it turned out!

Sorenson cousins

Some of the adults

Harper's first dentist visit.  She did so good!  

Black and Orange friend party

The kids invited some friends over for some Halloween fun and a Black and Orange dinner of nachos and more.  We had craft time, dinner time and game time.  The kids love this tradition.

My birthday

For my birthday Rem invited some of our friends and we went to Evermore.  It was a fun new experience walking around and exploring a sort of mid evil town.  We did some knife throwing, watched a magic show and interacted with the workers who were dressed up and would put you on a quest.  They give you small items to collect and you can trade them.  There was a haunted walk through too, but it cost extra and we decided not to do it.

Flag Football

I never really thought about putting Graham in to flag football, but he wanted to do it.  He absolutely loved it and did pretty good for his first time.  He got a bunch of flag pulls and he loved running the ball.  It was fun watching him play.

Paxton had his last year of flag football through the rec center.  We liked his team and coach a lot better this year and he had a lot of fun.  He is definitely getting better each year he plays.  He had some great flag pulls and interceptions.

Gardner Village

My mom, sisters and I took the littles to Gardner Village while the big kids were in school.  We walked around and looked at the witch displays, went in a couple stores, Harper and Jo got their faces painted and then we went out to lunch.  It was fun getting these kiddos together, they sure are cute and silly.

Pumpkin picking and carving

With it already being October 28 we decided we better do some pumpkin carving since we hadn't yet.  We are used to doing it at my Grandma's party, but with her not doing too well and getting older she doesn't have the party anymore.  So we took the kids over to Wheeler Farm and let them each pick a pumpkin.  Graham chose a scary face to carve which I helped with most of it, Paxton did Thor's hammer that he did mostly himself and we let Harper paint her pumpkin which Rem helped with.  We had fun doing this with the kids.

School Parade and Class Parties

This year they held the Halloween school parade outside, which was perfect!  I hope they keep that change as long as it's not too cold.  After the parade Harper and I hung out at the school for a little bit until they were ready to start the class parties.  I helped out in Graham's class and did a painting craft.  When we were done we went and said hi to Paxton.

After school I took the kids to go visit GG in their Halloween costumes.  She loved the visit and seeing them all dressed up.  

Another night of selling hot chocolate, this time Paxton had some friends to help him.

Harper had a blanket on her head and was walking through our neighbors fog, she looked like a ghost.

Halloween Night

On Halloween night my mom and brother and his family came over.  We met up at my house, took some pictures and went out trick or treating.  It's always a toss up of who stays home to hand out candy and scare kids at the house or go out with the kids.  Rem stayed home and I went out for most of the time and then we switched.  Harper sure loved running up to each house and get more and more candy.  She did start to get tired so I ended up carrying her home and Rem took her out in the stroller and she fell asleep pretty quick.  We have a really fun neighborhood to trick or treat in with our house and a few other neighbors that go all out, fog machines, a small haunted walk through and full size candy bars from some of the neighbors if they know you.

We love Halloween night!  We always have people coming late to our house, not necessarily to trick or treat but to see our decorations.

We handed out candy on the conveyor belt again, the kids love it.

September 2021

Seussical

Paxton got the opportunity to join West Jordan's Youth Theater in the summer.  Rem works with one of the guys that had his kids in the theater and his wife works for the theater.  So he didn't have to try out, they just let him join.  He was a little unsure if he wanted to join, but after joining the first rehearsal he decided to do it.  He got to dress up as a Who and be part of the ensemble.  He mostly was part of the group with singing and dancing, but did have one line of his own.  He really enjoyed being a part of this group of kids and they put on an amazing production!  He can't wait to join the next one.

The Grinch was his closest buddy.

Pete's Train

Our neighbor is so awesome and has a train track around his whole front and backyard.  He loves taking all the neighborhood kids for a ride and the adults too!  His yard is beautiful, they have an amazing garden!

We Sold the Guinea Pigs

We loved Snickers and S'mores, but it was time for them to go.  The guinea pigs required daily feeding and cage cleaning and the cage cleaning was slacking.  It was hard to get Graham to do it and the cage would get really smelly.  Graham wasn't really playing with them much unless his friends wanted to play with them.  So we talked to him about it and he wanted to sell them, he didn't care anymore.  It made me sad, but I didn't want to be the only one to care for them.  They went to a good home and we will miss them.

Harper loves stickers!

Zoo day with Jules

Happy 40th Anniversary to my Parents

We treated my parents to a nice dinner at The Harvest in Thanksgiving Point.  Love them so much!

Sorenson Family Vacation

We have not traveled with the Sorenson family in a very long time and we have never all been able to go together.  This was the first time that everyone could make it!  We went to Palm Springs California and had a very hot, but relaxing vacation.  We got to stay at these nice villas at a Marriot.  The rooms were nice and large and we got a separate bedroom from the kids and a full kitchen and family room.  There was lots of cousin play time in the hotel rooms, lots of swimming and doing crafts over at the clubhouse.  One of the days we drove a couple hours to go to the beach which was definitely my favorite day!  It was nice to have a vacation that wasn't go go go.

Paxton and a bunch of the boy cousins.

Harper and Jo love each other so much.  I was trimming Jo's bangs and Harper wanted to sit next to her and put her arm around her.  They warm my heart how they are with each other.

August 2021

Disneyland!

We planned a very last minute trip to Disneyland.  Rem had just gotten a new job and quit the old one, so he had about a week in between jobs.  He told me that we should go on vacation and I said he was right because the kids didn't have school yet and it's his job that holds us back from traveling.  Rem chose Disneyland even though we had a trip planned to Disney World in November, but I didn't fight it because I felt like he should choose since he's the one that got a new job.  So we invited Jamie and Dan and they too dropped everything and came with us!  They still had some tickets they needed to use from when their trip got canceled from Covid.  It was a very quick trip of driving down, 2 days at the park and driving back.  Rem and I even drove back to St. George after we were done with the park.  Probably not the smartest decision, but we made it.  We all had a blast and glad that we did it!

Paxton braved every ride this trip, even the Incredicoaster.  Although he would say that I forced him on that one and he may have shed a few tears while waiting in line.  But he did it and seemed to like it okay, but said he wouldn't do it again.

The kids loved the new Spider-Man ride.

Lava Hot Springs

The day after we got home from Disneyland we left for camping to Lava Hot Springs.  We were very tired and slept well that night even though there are very loud trains that pass right by the camp ground.  We floated the river a few times in these large 4 person tubes, it was so much fun!  We also went to the hot springs, which were very hot and you definitely didn't want to stay long.  My dad brought his side by sides for some fun rides and the kids loved being able to just be outside playing.  We had a great time!

Hot Air Balloons

We may have missed a year or two, but I got the kids out of bed early and drove to our old neighborhood for the Hot Air Balloon Festival.  The kids and I love this tradition of muffins, juice and watching the balloons take off.  

Swimming with friends

Bluffdale Days

My parents live in Bluffdale and my mom was helping out with one of the booths so I took Harper and Graham to go play some games, eat lunch and get some prizes.

First Day of School

This day is always a little bitter sweet for me.  After many days of not much structure or schedule I'm definitely ready for them to go back to school.  But I do miss being able to just pick up any day of the week to take my kids to do something fun.  And I was sad for Harper to have her best playmates gone for most of the day.

Graham was super excited for school to start!  He loves seeing all of his friends, meeting his teacher and he loves to learn.

Paxton was not as excited for school to start.  He loves his long summer days with not much to do.  The only thing he was kind of excited for was to see his friends.  But once he was there he had a great day and was excited about his new teacher.

While the boys went to their first day of school, Harper and I had some girl time and painted her nails.  She was so excited, it was adorable!

Zoo day with cousins

While the big kids were in school we took the littles to the zoo.  The polar bear was super active and swimming, doing back flips in the water.  It was such a fun day!

Ice Blocking

Our friends do an end of summer ice blocking party up the canyon.  This was the first year we joined and the kids had so much fun sliding down the hill.  Graham was a natural at it and had no fear, just put his feet up and rode it all the way down the hill.

Cute Harper and Jules balancing on the new curb.