A Wintery Fall Day

Last week, on a Landon-directed to mission to relocate all of the leaves to the side yard one bucket-full at a time

It snowed through the morning today - big fluffy white flakes melting on our piles of leaves from yesterday's wind storm. And happily, it felt much more cozy than dreary :)

Campfire

Campfire at "Rainbow Camp"

We had just a sweet, happy campfire this weekend. Porter slept through it all in the van (it's amazing how with each addition to our family, going back to the previous count even for a little while suddenly feels so easy to handle, though I know that life with 3 little ones really was not easy, and neither was 2 or 1!) A simple dinner (of Panda Express - a campfire favorite when we're going for super super easy) made it extra low-key. And even though most of the leaves had fallen, making it less rainbow-y than our last visit there, it was still a beautiful spot.

Oh these have been beautiful days! I'm doing my best to enjoy the gorgeous times and not think too much about the long cold days ahead... So far, so good :)

A Happy Anniversary

In honor of our 9th Anniversary, I thought I'd write down 9 things that Jordan and I love to do together right now.
(in no particular order) We love to...

1. Read books together (a few favorite series: Peter and the Star Catchers, Percy Jackson, The Mysterious Benedict Society)
2. Watch White Collar (we've never been TV watchers- or had tv actually - but this one we like :)
3. Go for adventures - biking, running, walking/unicycling...
4. Work/clean - not that it's so fun cleaning, but we're a great team. Jordan is awesome at directing and  helping the kids so they'll stay focused and I'm good at cleaning quickly when I know everyone is helping.
5. Go out to eat at our favorite places (like our favorite Gaucho Grill)
6. Play with/be with/take care of our kids, talk about the great things they do
7. Shopping - even a trip to Lee's or Costco feels like a fun event when Jordan comes too. And he's the best clothes shopping partner because he picks out fun things, gives his honest opinion, and makes me feel like I'm beautiful :)
8. Play outside/work outside in the yard
9.  Campfires (even crazy ones!)

I asked Jordan for his ideas on our favorite things to do together. His list started like this: Change diapers, clean up spit up, clean the house, put the kids to bed again and again each night...

I think I may have asked him at the wrong time - he did help me brainstorm a real list too :) But really, even though those things are not actually our favorite things to do together,  they are the things we do together. I think we're pretty lucky to have so much time - with each other and with our children - doing so many of our favorite things, and so many of our not so favorite things too. All put together they make a pretty happy life. :)

From Owen

trying out the camera on my new phone (my first new phone in 9 years!)

The other day Owen said something that sounded so grown up it just caught me by surprise and made me laugh. Landon asked "Why did you laugh? He sounds like such a big boy!"  And Owen really has started talking like such a big boy. (And he's picking things up from Ellie and Landon like crazy - I'm glad mostly good! :)

Running errands this evening he spoke up with seriousness/sillyness

"I wish Daddy and Mommy could sit in the back here... and then I could be the driver!"

This sweet boy sure brings our family such happiness!

Halloween Costumes Take 1

dressing up for 'Boo at the Zoo' 

First Smiles (and laughs!)

trying to capture a first smile :)

Whenever Porter starts to smile,  the kids immediately gather around with oohs and ah-goos to try to bring out another smile and another. What a thrill these first smiles really are - the tiny little upturned corner of his mouth with the sparkle in his eyes that spreads such happiness. And today Ellie and I got to hear Porter's first tiny little laughs - such a happy surprise!

Fall Football (?!?)

I've never been a huge fan of football. But once I had boys (built very much like football players!)  I became an avid football-avoider. My thinking went something like maybe if I pretend that football doesn't exist, they'll never discover it or never think it's some great thing and  never have any interest in playing... Try clothes shopping for little boys while avoiding anything football related - it takes a definite conscious effort, which I ridiculously have made :)

Yet somehow I heard Owen answering Ellie's request to watch her climb a tree this afternoon with this- "First I have to play football with Mommy!"  And he is one cute little football playing buddy.

I think I'm going to have to find a new keep-my-boys-football-free strategy.

Park City (written by Ellie)

Alpine Slide (a 1/2 mile slide in Park City)

We went to Park City, and we went on a giant slide. Ellie and Landon thought it was awesome! And Owen and Porter stayed with Mom at the bottom of the slide. And when we went by them, we waved. Landon rode by himself and I rode with Dad. When there was bumps I said 'bump, bump, bump!' I didn't ever to say to slow down because I loved it. Dad asked me  'do you want to go fast or slow?' and there was a person up there to help us know how to do it and I said "fast!"

Why I love Logan

This weekend we took the scouts to a science presentation at the University all about the health effects of Logan's poor winter air with a take-away message something like 'run for your life!' Fortunately, right now we are at Logan's best time of year with colorful hills and beautiful trees and crisp, cool, lovely clean air :)

A few weekends ago we went on our first big bikeride  all together since Porter was born (to Kneaders for a delicious french toast breakfast!) I wasn't confident about making it up the Lee's hill to get home, so we dropped off the Subaru beforehand and  Landon and I left our bikes chained to a tree near Lee's on our way back and the two of us drove home. The next weekend when April and Nathan were visiting we decided to go for another ride down to Lee's to pick up campfire supplies. Only after we bundled up and packed up all the kids did we realize my bike and Landon's were missing... and finally remembered that we'd left them the week before.  I drove down the hill, sure to find an empty tree and brainstorming what to do about trying to replace the two bikes... but amazingly - there they were!

Exactly where we left them a week before, including helmet and headband nearby on the grass! 

(This isn't the first time our forgetfulness has made  us  grateful to live in such a safe town as Logan -- just about a week before this incident, Landon left his bike at Chick-fil-A and we went back after several days to find it still sitting in the bike rack, unlocked and untouched. Forgetfulness seems to be ours in greater measure as the parents of four!)

an April visit

Landon + campfire + hot chocolate

We had a wonderful visit this weekend with April (and Nathan too!) who came to meet little Porter and spend time with all of us. A little bit rainy but beautiful Green Canyon campfire, a bikeride to Lee's and another around the neighborhood, lots of stories read to the kids, a Great Harvest lunch, coloring time and visiting time and Owen hugs and sweet quiet help with dishes and dinner making and Porter holding and school pick-ups... and lots more fun too. A short visit but a sweet one!

Soccer Time

Backyard practice -- Ellie can tell you at the end of each game exactly how many times she kicked the ball in that game :)

Our September has been happily full of soccer practices and games for Ellie and Landon. I've never really watched soccer before, so I've been surprised at how much I've really loved watching them play. Beautiful fall evenings, walking across the street to the park, feeding little Porter and celebrating the sweet little accomplishments of our kids on the field... it has just been a delight. Ellie has gone from holding Jordan's hand while she played to just checking behind her for him standing a few feet away to finally now playing and practicing all on her own - and we're so proud of her being so brave and happy for her to be having so much fun. Landon is so much fun to watch because he alternates between super focused and intense as goalie or defender to running the field with  super sillyness like  cries of "Pow!" with a good kick or a nice play of a teammate. Owen has a great time playing with whatever ball is nearby on the sidelines or offering a "Yay! Landon! or Good job Ellie!" And especially with a new little Porter, it has just been so great to have this nice scheduled activity- what a fun way to spend our time enjoying this beautiful Fall!

Landon has been working on his drop kick, hoping to play like the 'professional soccer players'