Random September Happenings

Here are pictures of some of the fun stuff we did in the month of September:

Sept. 8

After our first trip to Utah, I came back with an antique decorative table that my mom let me have that has been in her family for awhile (since the early 1900's). It looks pretty nice in our bedroom!

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Sept 1-10

I made a wall hanging that I had been wanting to make for a long time. I found the free pattern online. It was fun to make. It was satisfying to use up so many scraps. It turned out slightly wonky but I still like it. I hung it up in my craft room.

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Sept 10

A picture of Elisa's necklaces that she has acquired over the years. She rarely wears the chunky ones, but I'm still going to keep them forever since they are so pretty

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Sept 12

Silly Ian asked for white pajamas to "match daddy" haha. So I made him these. Cutie!

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Sept 13

Miss Elisa and her adorable sweet piggy, Nutmeg.

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Sept 15

The kids waited at their bus stop for a solid 15 minutes until I texted another mom down the street, wondering where the bus was. She said her kids had already gotten on the bus. So we were like where the heck is the bus?? We walked to the street just north of ours, and there the bus was, just sitting there. Turns out it "hit" a parked car (more liked scraped the side of the car--I'm guessing the bus took the turn a little too wide). The poor kids were just sitting on the bus for at least a half hour, until the fire department came and cleared them of any "injuries". Another bus came to pick up the kids at our stop, and yet another bus came to rescue the stranded kids. An hour after school started, I saw the bus pass by our house. What a funny bus incident. I'm glad it wasn't me driving that bus!

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Sept 16

I bought some chalkboard sticker-paper to put on our chalkboard that the kids have destroyed. It was fun making silly messages until Elisa cam around and ripped the paper off.

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Sept. 20

Boo-boo in the bath! I fill up the tub and he washes himself.

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Sept. 22

A rare photo of the floor of my craftroom

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Our ward had a camp-out September 24-25. I wasn't excited to go, but Elisa sure was. It was a 2-hr drive to get the campsite, outside of Pine. We stopped at Wendy's for dinner and managed to finish setting up the tent before it got too dark. Elisa ran off with her friends, Makayla and Lily. Gabe wondered around and messed with the fire. Ian ran around with his friend James. It was fun chatting around the campfire after the fireside, but boy did I sure have an awful, freezing cold sleep. If you can even call it sleep. In the morning we made a couple of fires and the kids enjoyed throwing stuff into the fire. We packed up the tent and then headed over with another family from the ward to a small cave with a spring. We had to crawl on our hands and knees over wet stones just to get into the cave. We could stand up for a bit. Then we walked over to a hole in the "ceiling" and pulled ourselves up. I needed a boost since I'm wimpy. Then we stooped while we walked to what was referred to a the "birth canal". The only way to get through that tiny opening was to crawl on your stomach because it was so narrow. An obese person or claustrophobic person should not attempt to crawl through this hole. The hole spat us out at the roof near the beginning of the cave. I got scraped up a bit. I'm glad I did the cave but I'm not sure I'd like to do it again. Its a fun activity for kids to do, since they are smaller and more agile.

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Elisa told "scary" stories with her friends around the campfire 

Elisa, Ian, her friends, and some random kids from the ward stoking fire

Cuties enjoying the campfire

Elisa making a pinkie-promise with her friends to be bffs. Two months later, they're still friends....

Going up the hole in the cave

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Sept 26

Elisa got to go to Pumpkin fest with her friend Kassidy, whose parents were gracious enough to take her. From the pictures, it looks like they had a great time!

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Sept 27

Not month goes by without Gabe crying about something. And I can never remember what it is he was crying/whining over!

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Sept. 30th

I made a quiche. I thought it was good but the kids wouldn't touch it.

 

Utah Trip #2-Aunt Karen's Funeral

When we first arrived to St. George earlier in September, we were told that Erik's aunt Karen had suffered a heart attack and was unconscious in the hospital. Within a a few weeks, she had passed away. At first it was just going to be Erik going to her funeral, but I told him to bring Elisa so that she can be a comfort for Isabelle, who unfortunately was present at the time of Aunt Karen's heart attack. Then I decided that we all should go. The Funeral was scheduled for Friday September 17. Erik had to work late Thursday night, so he bought tickets for the kids and I to go up the night before the funeral (Thursday night, the kids skipped school Friday). We took a Lift car since it was silly to have two cars at the airport and I hate driving anyway. The airport was relatively empty and the flight was nice and short. Randomly, we had a ward member sit behind us who was also going to a funeral. We arrived pretty late at the SLC airport, and had to walk (seemingly) a mile to get from our terminal to the car pickup where Lisa was waiting for us. She was nice and let us stay the night and even borrow Eric's car for the weekend. 

The next morning (Friday) was the funeral. The funeral lasted most of the day. But first, I picked up Erik from the airport, who flew in just in time for the funeral. I had the kids all dressed and ready to go before I picked up Erik--the boys in their matching suits and Elisa in a borrowed (to Sping-y IMO) dress from Aaliyah. On the way to the funeral, we stopped at McDonalds for breakfast and ate it at a nearby park. 

The kids were super hungry so I bought them an overpriced sandwich to share.

The kids enjoyed eating at the park until the bees found them!

The funeral was held at a church in Sandy. We had the viewing for a bit in the Relief Society room. The kids were too scared/ weirded out to go up and look at the body. I think this was their first funeral viewing they've ever been too. Then we all went into the chapel where several talks and even a special musical number by the kids (Elisa included!). 

Makayla brought her doggy, who hung out in the car during the funeral.

A poor angle unfortunately, but the boys looked cute in their matching suits.

After the service, we hung around outside for a bit and took some pictures, before heading an hour or so north up to Ogden for the Intermet, I'm not sure why it wasn't a burial. We strolled around and looked at all the old grave stones, some newer than others, obviously.  A few more words were spoken before we headed over for part III of the funeral, which was the luncheon, but at a different chapel than the service.

Finally free of that long, long funeral service!  

Cute Ian, who insisted I take his picture.

Elisa and Isabelle.

Grandma and Ian. Toot bad the shadows are so harsh, otherwise a nice pic.

A few more words in Karen's favor.

Grandma and her sister, Nancy (left) and Mary (middle).

There was so much food at the funeral. I guess only family was invited. The kids went a bit crazy with the sweets. I enjoyed the food (somewhat) and seeing Karen's quilts on display. Elisa had so much fun playing with her second cousins, especially Isabelle. There was so much food leftover that we were able to take a bunch home to Lisa and Eric. 

Feasting on sweets!

Elisa and her second cousins. Isabelle in the middle and Ellie on the right.

Cute Erik with uncle Gary behind him. Across from uncle Gary is Mary, and her husband in the back.

A picture of Karen, I don't have many pictures of her, if any.

The program

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After the funeral we went back to Lisa's house for the evening. Elisa went with Isabelle to hang out at her house for a bit. Erik went to pick her up later. We planned on spending that night at Tootsies that Friday, but I was too tired and the kids were having so much fun playing with their cousins that we decided to just stay at Lisa's house. My mom and Tootsie came up to see us. We didn't do too much, just hung out. I was too tired to do anything else!

Lisa's kitties love me. 

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The next day was our last day up in the Salt Lake area, we had a late flight home later. But until then, we made sure to get as much fun out of the day with family as we could! The kids played and played together and had such fun. For breakfast, Erik went to Schmidt's Pasty Cottage and bought us some yummies.

Ian and Aiden, BCFs (best cousins forever).

Elisa and Aaliayh, BCFs!

A box of pastries from the bakery. I liked the raspberry filled white cake and chocolate bread, but the rest I could take or leave.

Yummy egg and avocado breakfast sandwhich.

Quiche and fruit from Schmidt's.

I can't go up to the Salt Lake area without lunch at Leatherby's! We were worried that it would take forever to get seats since there was a long line to get in, but we hardly waited at all to get a huge table. Lisa refused to go, but I did get my cousin Rachel and her family to come, in addition to Tootsie and my mom. Even though Lisa refused to participate in our Leatherby's tradition, we still brought her kids with. The kids acted like clowns for only a short time, since we nipped their ridiculous behavior in the the bud before it got out of hand. We had a good time though. Yummy food and even yummier ice cream! We took lots of pictures:

Aiden pouting because his bad behavior was put to an end.

Aaliyah, Elisa, and Madeline

Ian was upset since his naughties were so abruptly stopped, so he pouted on my lap until the food came.

The girls were spoiled with a big churro ice cream sundae!

Enjoying my fish-n-chips and mooching off of Erik's sundae.

Brain and Rachel. Brian rarely smiles for photographs, according to Rachel

Although I sampled Erik's sundae, I mostly enjoyed Alan's Black & Tan sundae that I shared with my mom. Yum!

Those boys sure enjoyed their ice cream!

Tootsie and my mom. I don't remember what Tootsie ordered.

My mom

We didn't have too much time after Leatherby's to do all that we would have liked to. I told Rachel we *might* come visit her at her house, and Erik told his cousin Lindsey that Elisa *might* come back to hang out with Isabelle, but we ended up doing neither. The kids were so busy playing with their Blaylock cousins and we kinda ran out of time and energy to be driving to and fro across the valley. The flight back home was stinky, or at least the guy I sat next too was. At least Ian got to sleep a little. I guess the lights got left on in the van when Erik parked it because it wouldn't start. Luckily we have a car jumper, which has saved our butts at least twice now!  

A nice trip up to Utah, even though it was for a funeral. It was nice to see people we don't get to see too often and it was good for the kids to play with their cousins.