Kirkin O' Th' Tartan

Sunday was the annual Kirkin O' Th' Tartan. We have been attending this every year with Scott's dad, Fred, who was born and raised in Scotland. It really is the neatest thing to go to. It is held at the First Presbyterian Church. The church itself is beautiful. It's huge and has high ceilings and stain glassed windows. When you bring a scottish pipe band in there with drums and bag pipes it really booms. The pipe band plays, the choir sings, the minister gives a sermon and then those representing each clan come forward in a prosession to have their tartan blessed. Scott and his dad represented the Buchanans. They were both in their kilts and held the Buchanan tartan over thier arm. The minister gives a different blessing on each clan/family. I am so glad that Scott is able to do this with his father. It means a lot to both of them.

I took video this time. The first is Amazing Graze. The second is of my favorite song, Highland Cathedral. It's beautiful. The band was playing and choir singing and the clans were lined up in front of the minister for the blessings. Here are the words to the song:

There is a land far from this distant shore
Where heather grows and Highland eagles soar
There is a land that will live ever more
Deep in my heart, my Bonnie Scotland

Though I serve so far away
I still see your streams, cities and dreams
I can't wait until the day
When I'll come home once more

And so Lord keep me from the harm of war
Through all its dangers and the battle's roar
Keep me safe until I'm home once more
Home to my own in Bonnie Scotland

*Sorry. Video didn't work. I'll try again.*

Trick or Treat!

Soooooo, we are a week away from Halloween and my girls have just finished their third round of dressing up in their costumes and trick or treating. I was telling Scott that if I went to all the Halloween things that are going on that sound so fun (like Boo at the Zoo and the Spooktackular) they could easily trick or treat 10 times by Halloween. We could seriously be stocked with candy! As of right now, we don't even need to tell them when Halloween really is, they've had their fill.

Last week we went to This Is The Place Heritage Park. It really was a fun day. (I forgot my camera, but luckily Tawna was with us with her new phone.) There were a ton of kids in their costumes. That is my favorite part. I love seeing all the kiddos all dressed up. Brie was sooooooo excited to finally get to wear her ballerina costume. She was desperate to be a ballerina over anything else. The kids got to go through the pioneer village and get candy and do crafts at each house. We got to ride on trains and ponies. There was a parade down main street and they shot a candy cannon! What a good day.What a cute little chick!I think it's hilarious how the stroller buckle divides her chick chub. She was OUT by the end of it all.
We also had a party with our neighborhood playgroup kids. They got to dress up, play games and get lots of treats. Brie was most excited about seeing her good friend Emma as Cinderella. She wouldn't call her Emma, just Cinderella.Ava and Eliza. Tonight we did it all again for our ward Trunk or Treat party. We invited our friends over for dinner and then to the party with us. All the cars were decorated and all the kids were in costume. It was so fun. One car gave out pencils. We just got a call from our friend to say that Jazlyn came home with 40 pencils!! She did well.

Brie and Jazlyn.
Me and the girls trunk or treating.

FOOTBALL

This time of year is the favorite at our house. It's gorgeous weather outside, the leaves are changing beautiful colors, baseball is in it's postseason (although the Red Sox are now out) and college football games are happening every week!!! We didn't buy season tickets this year, but somehow Scott always gets hooked up with tickets to the football game. Both BYU and Utah have done VERY well this year. So a good time has been had by both the Cougar fan (until last week) and the Ute fan here.

Because we have a split home (BYU vs. Utah), I decided the girls could switch off wearing BYU blue or Utah red each week on game days. Well, I absolutely can not convince Brie to wear her BYU t-shirt. Sorry Dad. She is influenced by her father who is always singing her "I Am A Utah Man" and she WILL NOT wear pants (again, because she doesn't want to be a prince). She has a cheerleader outfit for Utah and of course, that is her favorite. Thank heaven, Ava is still young enough to have no choice. Scott started off the football season by actually going down to Provo for a BYU football game! I know, I was shocked. He even had a good time. It was the blow out with UCLA. Notice the score board.He found my brother, Bryce, and heckled his friends.He said this is the only good thing he saw while in Provo. Whatever.Tawna and I started out our football season by taking the girls to the Mascot Bowl. It was hilarious! I've always wanted to go and I'm glad we did. All the mascots from different teams played the Lehi High School football team. Loved it!Last Saturday we all got to go to another University of Utah football game. And again, they killed 'em. Good thing we have snacks, friends all around, drunk people and Brielle to keep us entertained.

We went to the Farmer's Market in the morning before the game. Until next summer Farmer's Market. I will miss you.Brielle making her "U" with her fingers while Scott sings her the "Utah Man" song.
It got very hot with the sun beating on us. Tawna honestly wore this diaper on her head the whole game to keep the sun off. Yes, she made a good showing for the Cougar fans surrounded by Utes.When it got hot, Brie decided to strip down. Her shirt flew off and then her tights (Scott said that is how it's done at the U). I guess in the end Tawna did do the right thing in simply putting a diaper on her head.
Shade provided by Scott Buchanan.
Now, we are just anxiously awaiting November 22.

Discovery Gateway

We finally made it back to our Children's Museum. It is a great one. We have a membership and we don't go nearly enough. It's so fun. We invited our friends to come with us and that made it even more fun.

Jazlyn and Brie started in the construction area. They were pretty good at following the blue prints on the wall to build a tower. (Sidenote: Brie is wearing a dress because she ABSOLUTELY refuses to wear pants. This is because she doesn't want to be a prince! Yah. So frustrating to get her dressed every day. She has such an opinion on her dress, shoes, socks, everything.)
We moved onto the water area. Keanah and Ava loved that they were just tall enough to dip their hands in and get soaking wet.At the farm area, Keanah rode the horse, Ava collected eggs and Brie collected EVERYTHING else she could get her hands on and fit in her baskets. Brie then rode with her goods to the market.
Until they needed to pull over for some gas. Brie filled 'em up.Jazlyn checked Brie out at the market. And the two little girls went for a ride.The bear and the turtle put on a play for us. Ava played hide and seek in the curtains.
And then we were outta there!

Videos

You know how they always say that kids have more fun playing with the box than the toy you've given them? It is so true. Ava has lots of toys to choose from to play with (including push around toys), but this plastic kitchen stool is BY FAR her favorite thing to play with in the house. She is ALWAYS pushing it around and around in laps around the kitchen. For those of you who talk to me on the phone this is that LOUD noise in the background. Over and over again.

Scott loves giving the girls random things to play with. If something comes in a box he gives them the box and makes it into a house or a boat, if he finishes the paper towels he gives them the cardboard roll for a horn, etc. etc. I think it's fun that he does this, but it also drives me crazy to have what should be trash around the house. This is one of his best toys he's put together for them. He puts the fold up plastic table on the stairs and they have a slide and LOVE IT!!! I am already picturing them flying down this thing on the big, long staircase when they are older like we did at the Thompson's when we were growing up. Yikes!

Watching Witches

We've been to Gardner Village a couple times already this fall. It is such a fun place to go this time of year. The moms love looking in the shops, the kids love the pony rides and petting zoo and we all like walking around to see all the Fall/Halloween decorations. They have a bunch of witches to see. They are everywhere. Some are dancing, some are stirring up a witches brew, some are flying in the sky, some are sitting on the pot.

We went on a Friday with Scott and saw the witches (Scott's picture is with his favorite), ate fried green tomatoes (I'd never had them) at the restaurant and then went to visit the animals. It was a fun day. Poor Scott though kept noticing that he was the only man to be seen there.This week the girls and I went back for more with our playgroup from our neighborhood. We roamed for awhile to see ALL the witches, had a picnic lunch and played on the grass. I love these kids that my girls get to play with at playgroup.