Happy Birthday Kirstin!

My little sister had her birthday and we were lucky enough to have her up for dinner that night!  The Kutterer's came too :) James and Tanner played a funny game with balloons in their shirts and would run into each other.  Then after dinner Kirstin and I re-created some childhood photos of us.  There is a craze around the internet right doing that, we'll have to re-create a few, would be fun!  Happy Birthday Kirst!!

Day Farms in Layton

 Last pumpkin patch of the season (and the day that Daddy was coming back from the Tour de St. George) we headed out to Layton to Day Farms.  It's a "pick your own" kind of farm.  There was a tractor ride out to the pumpkin fields, then we picked the pumpkins, and back on the tractor.  Handling three kids and four pumpkins when we got back...ha! The farmer was so kind and helped me to my car (they drop everyone off at the cars to be able to load their pumpkins easily).  Again, it was a beautiful day, and I love these cute kids!

Jack now does "photobombs" where he doesn't smile but sticks out his tongue.

This was our first time to Day Farms, but we'll be going again next year! 

Pack's Pumpkin Patch Madness

 This fall season we've visited Pack's Pumpkin Patch 3 different times.  It's perfect for small kids with their hay bale maze and easy access pumpkin patch.  The first time we went we invited friends from the neighborhood and headed out during school, so it was only the little kiddos:

Cute friends with Jack Cole, Eve, and Jordyn

Jack and Jonathan and Mommy

This year has had an very warm fall, so this is a perfect outside activity.

In this picture I was wishing I had worn shorts :)

About two weeks later we had a random day off from school, and so we watched a cute friend Peyton for the day.  Another great opportunity to go to the pumpkin patch. 

Peyton and James taking Jack in the wagon

Giants

Finally, the preschool fieldtrip was at Pack's Pumpkin Patch again this year.  Now being a pro at this, Jack set out to find a baby pumpkin, and boy did he ever.  See how small that little one is that he is carrying?  So small the cashier wouldn't even charge us for it.

At the patch, and with one of his teachers Ms. Shauna

The boys were always asking to go back to the patch with the hay maze.

This is one of our favorites and we were blessed with warm weather to enjoy it many times this season. If you are ever in Farmington, UT check out this family owned and operated farm.

Huntsville Half Marathon

This was a weekend in September that I have been looking forward to since last October when we decided to do this race.  My best friend from highschool Heather and I signed up for the Huntsville Half in February.  We had a training plan that we were both following, and it was really helpful and motivating knowing that I had her to answer to if I didn't do my runs.  This was Heather's first half marathon, and I am so proud of her and all of her hard work and sacrifices.  She lives in southern Colorado now, and the weekend went by too fast.  It also happened to be the coldest weekend of our entire fall season :(  I can't believe we haven't gotten together more, this was the start to at least a yearly get together! 

At packet-pickup the night before there were random super heroes in at the Salamon Center in downtown Ogden.  Captain America is a favorite of this family.  Jack didn't want to look at the camera, but to just be in the picture...I pick my battles and this wasn't one of them :)

Playing with kiddos the night before

On the bus to the starting line sporting our new race headbands

Another friend Britany from up in our neighborhood was running the race too!  It was her first half marathon as well, she and Heather ended up running a lot together.  And did I mention that it was pouring rain?  Wettest race ever.  I kept that poncho for most of the race.  There was a kids race afterwards that the boys had signed up for, but we all decided there was too much rain.  We ended up going to the gym and they raced around the track in their race shirts and still had fun. 

Later that night after warm showers!

The next day before heading back to the airport. 

Thank you so much for coming out Heather!  We will get together again soon! Love you always :)

Bike Rides and Races

Nathan has taken road biking this year to a new level.

He has a lot of drive, and an excellent climber, so

he participated in long distance races(100 miles) this year and

many long Saturday rides.

The Ultimate Challenge

The fifth leg of the Tour de Utah pro race was also

open to amateur riders before the pro pelleton rode

up this course to Snowbird Ski Resort. It 

had 13,000' of climbing!

Tom and Kristie met us up there too! 

 Tour de St. George
This century ride taught a few things about how to not
use too much energy too soon.

 Mommy set up a tent in the living room, and that is where
we slept one night when Daddy went to St. George for his race.

There was this small little window that the kids would go through,
they called it their "bunny hole".


Helping Daddy get ready, in their tent, and then we sent the picture with our "Go Daddy" sign while he was racing, hoping he'd get it and it would cheer him on!

Circle the Summit in Colorado

This century ride was going great...until a missed turn that resulted in a missed summit that resulted in missing part of the ride.  As he came into the finish (he was early, so I couldn't believe we had missed him at the finish line) he realized his mistake and took off again to get in all the miles.  We met him at the top of that summit at Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort, and he was done by then.  He had all the miles in, we just made our own finish line :) 

Another long ride while in Colorado

Harvest Moon Crit Race

Nathan's only sprint race this year. 

His mom and dad went to see him in this one!

Not pictured was a point to point century ride the "Interlaken 100", a ride up Mt. Charleston in Las, Vegas, up Mt. Lemon in Tuscan, AZ, and each Saturday's very long bike ride.  We have a running joke that I still haven't seen him finish a race.  He's been faster than he had expected, so I haven't been at the finish line yet, but we have been to many of his rides/races, and we always have the same "Go Daddy!" sign and cow bells that we ring.  Nathan has really taken off into cycling this year, and his goal is to not take too much of the winter off and start right up next season.  He's logged 2000+ miles this summer. Saturday mornings in the summer we'd have to work out a system because I would want to run and he'd want to ride.  So I became a night runner :)  We'll see what next year brings!  Definitely the LOTOJA race:)

Morgan County Fair

A very late post, but we did go to the Morgan County Fair this year...

 We saw livestock

 A neat tank thing (and the boys got matching cowboy hats)

 I entered Jonathan in the cutest baby contest

He didn't win, but I still think he was cutest :)

Entry photo of Jonathan

Jack Starts Pre-School!

Jack started pre-school this year at the same one that James attended last year!  He is loving it, and has a great little friend from the neighborhood, Eve, that goes with him.  I can't believe how big he has gotten:)  He is adorable, and feisty, and a wonderful big brother, and will fight and miss James all at the same time.  We love this little munchkin, but he has given us a run for our money.  He's a Daddy's boy, but don't let that fool you because he'll want mommy at times that I never thought (like going into the mother's lounge at church to feed the baby and he'll insist on coming with me...wha?) He is named after Kyle Aderman, and has ended up being like him in lots of ways:) Love you little buddy!

Ready to go in the garage

School here we come!

The Best, Most Spontaneous Day. Ever.

This day was seriously like the book "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" or something like that.  The spontaneity and how one thing led to another.  It was the first Saturday in September and there was a "Meet and Greet" by the Ogden Nature Center up at the lodge at Snowbasin to see some owls.  We had seen this advertised, then decided on a whim to hurry and go.  We barely made it to see the owls, and I'm glad we did.  First of all the owls were pretty neat:

James by a Great Horned Owl and a tiny Screech Owl

Then it was gorgeous fall day up there, and the boys decided to use their money and buy a frisbee.  So we threw frisbees around for awhile:

 

But then the gondola lift up looked so inviting.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  It wasn't too expensive. So we decided to take a ride up to the lodge at the top...

 

 ...and while there we got two hot chocolates to share:)

 Then the trails around the lodge looked fun, so we thought we'd take a little walk...

...and Nathan said "hey, that doesn't look to high up"...

 

 ...so we started climbing...

...and then we couldn't not make it...

...to the top of the mountain!

That view is to the other side of the mountains, the

Wasatch front.  We live on the Wasatch back.

Because, you know, when you go to see owls

at Snowbasin, you might just want to climb the whole thing.

(P.S. we never even took the diaper bag out of the car because

we were only going to stay at the lower lodge and see some owls!)

Our Favorite Fotofly

I'm weird where I like to get family pictures taken.  Most people just plain don't like them, or don't like the stress, or whatever.  It does take me a little while to relax and get into the shoot, but I do love it, and when you are having fun it shows through the picture. I actually really like figuring out the coordinating outfits:) And I love the end results from our favorite place in Draper, Utah, Fotofly.  This time we got two sessions because I wanted family pictures, and individuals for James 5yrs, Jack's 3yrs, and Jonathan's 6months photos, and some of the boys together. What is great about Fotofly is that you can view your photos an hour after you session, and that is when you pay for your CD (you now own that copyright) and session.  If you don't like them, you don't pay, as easy as that. We have never not gotten great pictures there.  They have excellent photographers and modern backgrounds and props. I give this place place five stars and two thumbs up.  (But you don't have to take my word for it) Check out this years favorites:

Family

Jonathan

Boys

Jack

Family

(check out Jack's mid jump!)

James

The Parents

Jonathan

Boys

Jack

Family

James