Freedom

Blake is finally at the age where I can take him outside to play and actually set him down. Didn't love the hat, but he loved the freedom to move around. This makes Carolyn happier too because we can go outside more often. Just in time for rainy season!!

I love these two

This is going to be all sentimental, but I love these two together. Carolyn and Chandler are only two months apart and they spend a lot of time together. If Carolyn had her way, they would spend practically all their time together. They are best little buddies. It's nice to have Chandler come play Carolyn's games with her. They don't play by the rules, but magically they have the same made-up rules. It just warms my heart to listen to them talking to each other. They tell stories and correct each other's method of playing pretend. Apparently there are only certain ways to pretend you are going to a wedding. I'll be sad when one of our families moves away and it isn't a 3 minute drive to get the two together.

(Please note that Carolyn's hair wasn't always out of control. It's gotten worse with age.)

Wedding finery

Of course, I don't have a picture of the bride and groom from the wedding, but I think this wedding party looks fantastic.

Union Square Reunion

Albeit, this was just a mini-reunion. Many moons ago, Jeremy and I were newly married people looking for friends. Our apartment complex was great for this and we made some wonderful friends to share food and game nights with.

As happens to friends you meet in college, we each graduated, got jobs, and moved away from Provo. We were the only couple who actually lives outside of Utah and that made it easier to get together.

This picture is totally blurry because we didn't have the flash on. It was the only way to get all the adults in the picture. There was no way we were going to let the kids take the picture. So we have the Alos, Lucases, Horners and Williamsons .


Here's a better picture of all the women. It's amazing how 5 years have passed since I've seen some of these people, and we all look the same.

Also amazing is the fact that the last time we were all together, there were no baby bumps in sight. Now, there are 8 children between the families.

These are the best picture we could get with 8 kids. I'm just happy no one fell off the couch.


My favorite part of the evening was Carolyn's demonstration of her "rock star" skills. Whoever taught her how to do it (I'm guessing Noa) must have made quite the impression because she's told me many times since that she wants to be "rock star."

It was so fun to get together and see old friends, so here's my open invitation for everyone we know to come to Portland!

This is why I hate laundry

Remember this sweater Carolyn wore with her Halloween costume?

Remember my old Halloween costume?

This is what happens when you wash them together.

Lots of other clothes came out with a blue tinge, but the weirdest was one of Blake's jackets.

I'm not quite sure how the blue dye only interacted with his pockets and not all the other yellow, but now he has a one of a kind Jordan jacket.

Halloween: 1993 style

In 6th grade, my friends and I decided to make our Halloween costumes. I will admit my memory is hazy, but for sure I know that Megan was involved, and I think an Emily. There might have even been 4 of us. I can't completely remember. But mine was blue, there was a pink one, and I think a yellow one. I don't even know what we thought we were. Besides awesome, because obviously, this was the best costume ever. I assume our mothers helped make these for us because I couldn't sew when I was 11 years old.

Months ago, my mom said she found it and asked if I wanted it. I told her yes then forgot about it. Today it arrived in the mail.



This is Carolyn trying out what must've been the most awesome thing in 1993. She's a little lost in all the fabric.


Amazingly, I managed to wiggle into it. The fabric is voluminous, but the hole in the bottom to get in is not.

I love blasts from the past that remind of good times. It looks like Carolyn will be able to create new memories with it. If her giggling is any indication, she loves it.

For cuteness' sake

Happy Halloween

So glad I found my wallet

I just had the best weekend with all my siblings. We flew into Provo where Spencer graciously let us all crash at his house. I think that the last time all the siblings stayed together was Christmas 2001. I was still just dating Jeremy. There was only one grandchild and he was 6 months old. We've for sure spent time together, but it was fun to be there all night and not have someone go home to tuck in children.

We all love football so the main event of the weekend was the BYU-TCU game. In case you are wondering who is far left that is Ashley, Spencer's fiancee. We are all going back to Utah in about six weeks to see them wed.


It's been about five years since I've watched a football game in person. This was a big deal. And then...


This was at the beginning of the third quarter. Things weren't looking good, but it's been so long since I've been at a game, I had a great time.

But not so much everyone else. Those mostly empty seats that spell BYU? Well, those are the legacy seats for the big donors. That's probably not a good thing to have those mostly empty before the third quarter is over. Second year in a row that TCU wallops BYU. We stayed until the end, but there weren't a ton of people there anymore. It made post-game traffic a breeze.

We had a great time. Blake did well besides not wanting any of my brothers to look at him. He warmed up a little bit, but not much. I have some wonderful friends in Spanish Fork who took Blake for the game, and he was mostly happy. That was a blessing. I enjoyed being back in my old stomping grounds, eating some delicious food (especially since our Costa Vida closed about a year ago), and playing MarioKart any time we were all sitting around at Spencer's.

So, what game are we going to next year? I'll be able to leave Blake by then!!

Two things I haven't seen in years!

A "cougar tail" also known as a 2-foot maple bar doughnut! Mmm, delicious.

But much cooler, was running into my freshman and sophomore year roommate, Lisa. I haven't talked to her since we left Provo, and our seats at the football game were just 2 rows apart.

More football pictures to come.

It takes a village...

to carry a baby a quarter of the way up Y Mountain. That's right. Just a quarter of the way.

I'm not quite strong enough to hike the Y holding a 20-pound baby, and Blake's not such a fan of anyone but Mom these days.

Oh joy oh joy oh joy

The details are numerous, but suffice it to say I spent all morning on the phone with numerous people looking for my wallet. Jeremy even walked over to the parking garage I was at last night to check there. I had no luck. Because of my flight leaving tomorrow, I was a step away from heading to the DMV to get a new license.

Last night when we noticed my wallet missing, we searched my car and my sister's because I had been in both, retraced my steps, and started monitoring my bank accounts. When I got home I took a flashlight and thoroughly checked my car again. When all my phone calls were fruitless, I decided to take the flashlight to my sister's car (it was pitch black the first time around) and then, if unsuccessful, head to the DMV. Hallelujah, it was in her car. I feel ten times lighter than I did earlier in the day. It's so nice to be able to look forward to this weekend without all the added stress.

Seriously?

So what does a person do who bought a ticket to the TCU-BYU game in Provo, plans to have a fun weekend with all her siblings and Blake, and has looked forward to this for months?

Well, lose her wallet, of course. With her driver's license and credit cards 40 hours before her plane takes off.

Today will be a busy busy day.

Best. Game. Ever.

This makes my heart warm.

Watch me.

Pumpkins galore

Everything fell in place for us to really enjoy the pumpkin patch this year--Blake took an early nap, the pouring rain at my house was magically not present at the farm, and my children behaved well. It was wonderful.

Carolyn was quite timid on the large hay bales. She probably enjoyed the jump off the best.
We tried for a picture of all the cousins.

It didn't work so well.

First Emilee decided it was the last thing she wanted to do.

Then Blake had erupted, seemingly out of nowhere. Ethan, who was holding him, looked at me and asked, "Um, why is he crying?" Well, because he's a little slow and he just figured out that his mom was not holding him. Blake gripped me for dear life once I picked him up again.


Unlike last year, Carolyn picked out her pumpkin in record time. It was quite the balancing act carrying a pumpkin and a baby, especially a baby who really wanted to go crawl around in the mud.


Getting her pumpkin early meant Carolyn had a lot of time to run around. This might be the first time she's ever beat Chandler in a race. I'm not saying whether or not she got a massive head start.