The Ultimate Fall Experience!!

October 6, 2009
Hee Haws Pumpkin Patch

Last night we went to Hee Haws Pumpkin Patch. We needed to get our pumpkins to decorate our porch, so I decided to make a fun night of it. We usually just get some pumpkins at Smith's. Getting them at Hee Haws was much more fun!! We were there for about 2 hours, because they had so much to do. Unfortunately we were not there at a good time for taking pictures, they do not turn out so well at night.

The Hay Ride

I was hoping the wagon was pulled by horses, but it was pulled by a tractor. Daxton was being a party pooper, and did not want to go on the Hay Ride. We made him go, and he acted like he was hating every minute of it. Don't worry, he survived the ride :) Everyone else had a great time.

Notice Daxton being a teenager and acting so put out to be with his family

The Animals

The kids really enjoyed the animals. Especially the enormous pig. It was huge!! They had a little petting area that Jada and Dawson went into. Dawson would not move inside for fear he would step in pooh.

Slides/ Hay Jump :)

The boys loved the slides, but Jada and Dawson not so much. All of the kids loved the Hay jump, even though they were doing what they do best while on it...punching and kick each other. Leave it to our kids, the fighting never ends :\

Brayden

Daxton (Don't look now, but I think he is enjoying himself)!

Dax, Dawson & Jada

Jada & Dax

Brayden

Dax

The Corn Maze

This was my favorite part of the night! I love mazes. We were in the maze for about 30 -40 minutes. It was funny to listen to each of the kids try to direct us. They all thought they new exactly which way we should go. That was until they lead us to a dead end. I think Brayden was getting a bit worried that we would never make it out :). Dawson kept picking up corn stalks and whipping everyone with them. It actually really hurt!

Our beautiful kids!!

Dawson & Dax

Dawson with his weapon of choice for the night... a cornstalk :)

Jada feeling the wrath of Dawson cornstalk :\
She was not to happy about it, and I think a few mean words were spoken to Dawson

Jada & I

Dave & I (My husband is so hot, luv ya Dave) :)

Jada & Dave

Dawson & I
Notice Dax & Brayden are not in any pictures with Dave and I. They were not
pleased with how many pictures we were taking in the maze.

Pedal Carts

They had these fun pedal carts that you could ride. All of the kids loved these, especially Daxton. It was hard to get them off. Dawson actually did really well pedaling!

Dawson

Brayden & Dave

Dax & Jada

Some Random, But Very Cute Pictures
Had to have a picture with a tractor to complete the farm experience!

They had fun cornstalk tunnels to crawl through

There was a pit full of corn kernels that Dawson loved playing in

There were these cute horse swings

Pumpkin Picking

Finally it was on to pumpkin picking. It was to dark, so we decided to pick from the pumpkins they had already picked. We still enjoyed this picking far more than the picking at Smith's. Brayden always has to have the biggest, so notice his pumpkin size compared to the others!

Daxtons pumpkin

Jada's pick

Here is the large one Brayden chose. He could barely get it out of the wagon!

Dawson kept changing his mind, but finally settled on this beauty!

The end of a very full, very fun night!

We had such a great night together. The only thing that could have made it better...if it had been a bit warmer. I guess that is all part of the fall experience!! I love my family!

Our Amazing Musician!!

October 1, 2009

Our very talented performer!

It is official we have a very talented musician in the family. Daxton and my niece Emily have been taking guitar lessons for almost a year now, and they are doing very well. He had his first gig (ha...ha...), or his first performance. First we started off the night celebrating Dax by going to dinner at Panda Express. Our kids love that restaurant. I guess just because I am picky, doesn't mean our kids have to be. Then we were off to Daxtons performance. His teacher is awesome and had Dax and my niece Emily perform at an open Blues Night in Spanish Fork. It is at the Boothe Brothers Music Theater. The first Thursday of each month they open it up to the public to play. They have a house band that plays for the first 45 min., then anyone who wants can take a turn.

Dax concentrating hard on his performance :)

I could tell that Dax was very nervous, but I have never seen him so excited. He could not wait. It was so fun to watch him. His teacher played with him, and they got someone for the audience to come and play the bass and drums for them. It sounded awesome. I could not believe that Dax had the courage to get up there. I don't think I would have, especially at his age. I was sad that I could not get very good pictures.


Daxton said that he messed up a little bit, but I could not tell. I guess that is one good thing about blues music, you can pretty much just do anything you want and it still sounds great!! Daxton was even more excited that he got to do all of this with one of his very favorite cousins Emily. We love Emily. She did an awesome job on her performance as well.

This is a picture of Emily on stage even though you can barely see her :(

Two happy cousins, feeling good about their performances!!
It went so well they both agreed they want to go back and play together :)

I just have to say how great their teacher Ethan is!! He really does a great job with these kids, and is an excellent teacher. Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to help these two have such a great performance :) It was an awesome night!!

Dax, Ethan (the best guitar teacher ever), and Emily :)

Here is video footage of Daxtons performance. I could not get the camera to work till the very end :) Needless to say it is a very short clip. Hope you enjoy!!

I just want dax to know how proud we are of him. He really is getting very good at guitar. It is well worth the money spent to see him excel in guitar. We love you so much buddy!! Keep up the good work!

Way To Go Jessica!!!

August 28, 2009

I am so proud of my niece Jessica. She is the oldest grandchild in my family, and was just recently awarded the XO Award. This is a humanitarian award presented by KSL. They hold this award ceremony every year. Jessica has been nominated for the past couple of years, but could not be selected as she has been out of the country each time. She was honored for all her humanitarian aid she has been providing over in India.

My family with Jessica

Here is a description of the XO Award, and how they describe Jessica and her service in India. I pulled this off of the XO Awards website:

Kirton & McConkie XO Awards

Celebrating extraordinary acts of kindness

The XO Awards were created to recognize everyday people who touch us with their caring and kindness. We want to thank those people who often go unrecognized as they serve those around them. They go about their lives helping others just because that’s who they are. They enrich our lives and inspire us to go that extra mile as well.

Jessica, a college student, spent two years in India volunteering in leprosy colonies. She paid for the trips at her own expense by saving every penny to cover the costs. She has also volunteered at a local literacy center, battered women's shelter, served meals to the homeless, and participated in various charity fundraisers. In her many acts of service, she has come to believe that every single person has value.

All of us who were there to support Jessica

Jessica is such a selfless, giving person. She has done so much in India, and is always serving others. She is such a great example to my kids!! We were able to attend the awards ceremony with her at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake. It was such a wonderful night. We had so much fun. First they had live music, and served lots of yummy food. They also had a clown who made things out of balloons, cotton candy, and popcorn for the kids. They were in heaven. Then they presented the awards. They gave away six awards, and it was amazing to hear all the different stories from each winner. It is amazing to me all the incredible acts of service that are always going on around us that we never know about. It makes me want to be a better person.

Here is a picture of the 6 award winners!
Truly amazing stories (check it out if you have time www.xoawards.com)
My niece Jessica is on the front right.

Future XO Award winner!!

Anyway, I just want Jessica to know how much I love her!! I am so grateful to be her Aunt, and I am very proud of her hard work. She was very deserving of this award. Good Job Jess!!

My Husband Always Full of Surprises !!!

September 27, 2009

Dave is so fun, always coming up with fun things to surprise me with!! Well the other day he had a surprise in store for me. He told me that morning, that I had to be dressed and ready to leave by 6 pm. He would not tell me where we were going, or what his plans entailed. I love surprises, but I started to get a bit nervous on the drive when he told me I had to change my name for the night, and not wear my wedding ring. I thought if I need to do those things, this surprise seems a bit shady. I was nervous thinking do I really want this surprise? So for the night my name was Lynn Harmon, and I was single. What the heck.... :\. Dave said "have I ever done a surprise for you that you really wished I hadn't?" I had to admit I have always loved his surprises, so he told me to stop asking questions. On the way I finally got out of him that we were going to a concert. He said he had been giving me little hints all weekend about what concert it was. I still could not guess for the life of me. So the concert was at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah. I still could not figure out who it was or why I needed to change my name, and not wear my wedding ring. I was starting to feel a little more relaxed about the situation. I finally remembered that Dave had played some music from our I tunes the other day that we have not listened to for a long time. So I asked if that was who it was, and I guessed right. I was so excited!! Yes, we were going to the Bryan Adams concert!!! I love Bryan Adams, in fact, I forgot just how much I love him!!! His voice is amazing. He is 49 years old and is HOT!! I hope Dave didn't feel to bad when I kept saying just how HOT he was :). Dave knows that I think he is very HOT himself, luv ya honey!

Dave and I with Bryan Adams!!

Dave got the tickets for free, which made the night even better. He had tried to win them off of a radio station, and so was a girl he works with. Well she ended up winning, but her husband did not want to go. She knew that Dave had been trying also, so she asked him if he wanted the tickets. Her name is Lynn Harmon, hence my new name Lynn Harmon. She had also won backstage passes so I had to pretend to be her. Dave made me take off my wedding ring in case the asked for ID, we could say we were dating and that I had left my ID in the car. They never did ask for ID, just my name. It sure paid off to change my name for the night. It was so awesome to meet Bryan Adams. He seems like such a nice guy. I am not into getting autographs, but Daxton asked Dave to get one for him. So I asked Bryan to sign my ticket. I had him put Daxtons name on it. He did not hear my right, and he put Baxton. Thats okay, Dax was still excited. Daxton is doing very well playing his guitar. I could just imagine him on stage like Bryan Adams! He could totally do it if he wanted to, He is really amazing on the guitar.

Our backstage pass, and Bryan Adams autograph on my ticket!

Anyway, we had a terrific night, and Dave was right.... his surprises are always awesome! Thank you Dave :)! Also, thanks to Jada who changed her first poopy diaper (it only took her 10 wipes). Leave it to Dawson to wait for Dave, Dax and I to leave to poop. Dax had to go to Court of Honor. So Jada got the honor of changing the poop. Good Job Jada!! Thanks for babysitting Dax, you are a great babysitter!

Dave's Big "40th" Surprise Party!

July 13 , 2009

So here is another very late post :(. I really need to get better at this. Well in July I blogged about Dave turning 40. I could not wait to throw him a big surprise party. I did not want to do it on his actual birthday, because I figured he would expect me to do it on that day. So on his actual birthday (July 9th), we made him a strawberry cream cheese pie, and gave him gifts. I am sure he thought that was the end of the celebration.... but on July 13th I threw him a surprise party. I had a barbecue with lots of friends and family. It was so much fun! I have never thrown a surprise party before. It was a lot of work. Especially because Dave almost ruined the surprise.

Jada eating the left over Black frosting!

I made cupcakes for the kids at the party. My sister Lizzy decorated them.
Notice the note hanging around the Gorillas neck...
It said "I'm Dave... I'm 40... Don't mess with me".

My little brother Lorrin asked Dave to go to the driving range after work, so that he would not come straight home from work. It would give me time to finish the party prep, and give people time to get home from work. Well that morning Dave said he could not go with Lorrin, because his foot hurt so bad. He was having an episode of Gout. Crap.... my surprise was ruined. I still made Dave take his golf clubs to work, in hopes that Lorrin could talk him into going. Well...it didn't work. So when I was suppose to be finishing up the party, Dave was on his way home. So thanks to my sister Lizzy, and some friends they finished things for me. I told Dave I had had the worst day, and that Lizzy said she would watch the kids while he and I went and got a movie and treats. I was freaking out, because right when he got home and I was rushing out so that he did not come in the house, his friend called me to ask for directions. I think at that point Dave was starting to wonder what was going on, because I was acting a bit crazy.

So Dave and I left and went and got a movie, then headed to Walmart for treats. I was really trying to kill time. Then when it was time to get him home, he decided he wanted Guacamole....:(. I was freaking out again. So we were late getting him to the party, thanks to searching for Guacamole. Then when we got home he drove up to the very top of the street to turn around instead of just pulling up in front of the house. So by doing that he saw my sister Beckys car. I said she must have found out we were having a barbecue and invited herself over. He bought that, but then coming back down the street you could see balloons in our back yard. So I was leaning forward trying to make it so Dave wouldn't see the balloons. Lets just say, that Dave makes it very hard to throw a surprise party for him. I just about lost my mind in this whole process :).

The end result was very well worth the struggle. His reaction when he walked out the back door and saw everyone was awesome. He really was very surprised!! It actually ended up working out :). Everyone had such a great time! It was our first real event using our new deck. It worked out that two of my sisters who live out of state, happened to be here for the party. I was so happy. They both helped me a lot. So my Mom, Becky, Corey, James, Julie, Lizzy, Lorrin, Tahnee, our friends the Landvatters, the Attwoods, the Woods, The Vegas, and the Fraziers all came to celebrate Dave reaching the top of the hill to begin his decent down. We had a yummy BBQ, and had cake, and visited. I hope Dave had a great birthday!! I luv him so much, and had a fun time surprising him.

Here is Dave when he first came out

He was asking me "what have you done?"

Dave and his good friend from work Chad Frazier

Let the party begin!!!

Dave with his littlest guy!

My sister Julie, brother Lorrin and his wife Tahnee

Our Neighbor Kim, my Mom, My sister Becky and Kim's baby Brittin

Our friends Jared & Carrie, Dave and friend Barbara

Our friends Chad & Amy and their kids Quinn & Weston

Front Row: My sister Lizzy and her daughter Brinley
Back row: My sister Julie and her daughter Sydeny, my brother Lorrin and his wife Tahnee

My sister Becky!

Our friends Barbara & Marcos

My sister Lizzy & brother Lorrin

My brother-in-law Corey

My mom & nephew James

We put sparklers on the cupcakes for the kids!
Dawson was very excited.

All the kids loved the sparklers!

We are so grateful for such good family & friends!

Yes I actually put 40 candles on the cake!

Dave blowing out his candles. He actually got them all out in one breath!!
Way to go old man!!

Daves way of showing me thanks... he stuck his tongue out when I kissed him. Ooh..

"Our Family"

Well it was a great party, and Dave was very surprised. It was very stressful, but definitely worth it. One more big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my "old fart". I love ya tons!!!

Labor Day 2009

September 7, 2009

For Labor Day we decided to go to Cherry Hill Water Park! I thought we were crazy to go there on a holiday, but it was not to busy. Dave won 4 passes on the radio, he was the 20th caller!! Yea Dave! So we only had to pay for 2 tickets. We have never been their before. We stayed for about 4 hours, and by then Daxton was begging to go home. He is finally a teenager, and can not stand to be away from his friends for to long. We had a great time!

There was a big pirate ship that kids could play on, and Dawson loved it!! The whole water park is a pirate theme. It is so weird to have older kids, because Dax and Brayden were hardly with us the whole time. They just kept going off and doing their own thing.

Dave, Jada, Dawson and I really enjoyed the Lazy River. It was very relaxing :) I would get on the tube, and Dawson would lay down on top of me. We would go around, and around for a long time. Dave and Jada had a lot of fun together. We also went down the tube water slides, and Dawson decided he did not want to do that again. So Dawson and I sat and watched Dave and Jada. Jada loved having Dave all to herself. So they went down the slides together a lot.

There was a couple of pools to play in, and Dawson loved being in them. He wore his arm floaties, and feels so big to be able to swim without help. Dax and Jada were having handstand contest, so I decide to do it with them. When I came back up, Dave was quick to inform me that I was embarrassing him...oops :(. So I did not do any more of them. Sorry Dave!

Just before we left, Dawson decided he did not need floaties any more.
Good thing he stayed right by the stairs :)

We had a great time together. It was a fun day! We even got back in time for Daxton to have some quality time with some good friends.