The Calm Before The Storm

The ground is covered in snow now and it is cold outside. Winter came all of a sudden after some of the most beautifully warm fall days. It was gorgeous here and we enjoyed it until the bitter end. Until the storm came that brought in the snow and cold of winter. 

Evan spent the day here one day. When we went to pick up Brielle from school we also picked up Halloween decorated donuts and I brought along thermoses of hot chocolate. We went up into Millcreek canyon for our "after school snack". (Evan took most of these pics.)

 

I make some mean Swiss Miss.

Look at the expression on that face! Ha!

Zachary, about to make the biggest jump of his life!! So very brave.

 "Uncle Evan!!" That is what we hear every time he walks in the door.

 Zachary "fishing" with a tiny little twig down at the river. Scared me to death.

 Evan teaching Brielle how to whistle in the reeds.

 Ava and Zachary "fishing" on their boat in much safer "waters".

 We took a long walk through the woods to a bridge where the kids could threw leaves off (and Zach could step right into dog poop). It was so nice to have the kids running around in the leaves, climbing on trees, stomping in patches of snow and Evan and I could have a good talk.

 Kater all cuddled up.

Before the storm . . . . we also got to join our friends (Jeni, Ethan, Sara Katherine and Elyse) at Gardner Village to see the witches. We go every year and I'm glad to report that we are getting better and better at finishing the witch scavenger hunt. We found them all. 

 The final witch!!! We found her! She is promoting hope for a cure for breast cancer. This lead to a lengthy discussion on the car ride home about breasts and cancer. Perfect.

 And then . . . the day before the big snow storm came . . . . it was really warm and quite windy. You could tell a storm was brewing. On a day like that I get this really anxious feeling like I have to be outside enjoying the last minutes of warmth and fun before the winter comes and we are inside. Soooooooo, on this day we picked up Brielle and her friend, Brielle, from school on their early day. We drove through the Sonic drive thru for slushees and tater tots and then went to a new park. It was a perfect last day of fall.

The kids were so excited about the new, really cool toys at the park. They played and played and only stopped for a drink of slushee and a quick "hi" to me and Kate.

 

Then we pulled out the two kites I brought and went out to the grass field to fly them in all that wind. I only wish we had nicer kites. It was the perfect kite flying day.

Kate watched all the action from the side lines. 

 Ava was soon called "the professional kite flyer" by Brielle. She could get the kites up and flying every time. I love this picture.

 Brielle's kite flying high.

 Good bye to fall. The next day came THE storm and all of this was covered in 21 inches of snow!

Halloween

We partied it up through another Halloween and have PILES of candy to show for it. It was a good one. I like all the action. I should also admit that I really like all the candy . . . for me. And the kids love dressing up every day for a week straight. Everyone is happy.

Presenting . . . the costumes of Halloween 2012:

Our first day out in our new (used from Kid to Kid) costumes. Off to Scott's work party.

 

We were right by Grandma Great's house so we stopped by to trick or treat and say good bye to her before she left for St. George the next morning.

 Halloweeny snacks after school.

 Evan spent Monday with us. We had a lovey afternoon up Millcreek Canyon and then came home to carve pumpkins for FHE.

 Kate is not loving the raw pumpkin.

 Finished products. Each of the kids is acting out what their pumpkin is (Brie's idea). Brielle's is a kitty. Ava's is a jack-o-lantern. Zachary had a wicked cool mom that carved a Batman sign in his pumpkin.

 So proud.

 Best part of the goopy mess that is pumpkin carving are Scott's DELICIOUS roasted pumpkin seeds. They are seriously so good. He found a recipe that I will look forward to for years to come.

 The girls (and Zachary) got to dress up for ballet class.

Look at Ava's big red hair bouncing around.

 Brielle's class mixing up a witches brew.

 The ward Trunk or Treat. Everybody was very excited about this night. One of Scott's co-workers gave us a wooden, painted bean bag toss game. The kids all lined up for it over and over. They loved it. And . . . .it means I never have to worry about decorating our trunk again. Wahoo!

 A VERY happy boy with all his candy!

 Our costumes.

 This is how our baby gold fish came home. I should admit also that I couldn't stop laughing every time I put her in this costume. I thought it was so funny. She seemed to like being in her own little sleeping bag.

We had both Ava's preschool parade and Brielle's elementary school parade on Halloween morning. 

Ava marching up the street with her preschool friends.

That afternoon the kids played in the yard with the bean bag toss game because it was so WARM. I mean seriously warmer than I remember any Halloween being. It was 76 degrees. 

 A warm evening meant no coats and out trick or treating for almost three hours!

 And then . . . the piles of loot and a fair amount of trading candy. Oh, and a mom tax of all the chocolate ones that I like. And a Happy Halloween to all!

"I think I'll go run a marathon."

So, this happened a few weeks ago, but sad to say, it was done so nonchalantly I kind of just forgot to blog about it. How rude, huh? When really, it is a major accomplishment. A marathon. 26 miles!!! That is a big deal. 

Scott had kind of mentioned the Utah Marathon (an inaugural marathon in Salt Lake City), but wasn't for sure yet if he was going to do it. He did not train at all. He went out one morning and just ran 18 miles and figured he could pull it off. The night before the marathon I asked him what he was planning and he said, "I'm going to go to sleep at the same time as normal. Wake up. And then just go run it." As if it was nothing. He did eat pasta that night. 

In the morning, the kids and I went to see just how far he had made it. The course was all along his parent's and brother's neighborhoods. He could duck out to someone's couch anytime he wanted. 

We waited up at the Capital building. I have to insert here what a perfect, fall day it was. It was chilly and crisp outside with spectacular colors on the leaves. A perfect day for a run. We waited and waited and watched and watched. Nothing. And then all three kids decided they needed to go to the bathroom in the outhouses. I was helping Zachary on the pot with one hand, holding Kate in the other arm, propping the door open with one foot and that is when I looked up the road and saw Scott coming our way. I started yelling to the kids, "He's coming! He's coming! Come out!" They all came scurrying out of their respective latrines to cheer on and and say hi to Scott as he went by at mile 23. He looked so good. So happy and feeling great. Amazing. 

 He went running away to finish the marathon and I looked up to see Zachary chasing after him down the road. He did wear what he calls his "fast, running shoes". I made him come back and he sobbed! So sad.

 The kids and I drove downtown to the finish line and got to the final turn before the finish just in time to see Scott coming. Brielle, Ava and Zachary jumped in to run him to the end. It really was so cute.

They also ran with a woman Scott met along the course and became best friends with. They ran most of the marathon together (Her 29th marathon. She looked about 60.) and talked together the whole time.

 Our friend Dave Guzy came in just after Scott.

 We were so proud of Scott at the end of his 4th marathon. He says this was his favorite marathon. So happy for him.