Halloween Family Date Day

We have started trying to have family dates at least once a week with so many fun things this time of year we have had a hard time trying to fit it all in. So Saturday was whole day of fun out in the beautiful fall weather. Gardner Village in Murray was our 1st stop and has become a tradition for Halloween, they have so many cute displays and pumpkins.

Feeding the ducks is always a favorite.

Hallie was very unsure about the frogs on the witches outfit, no looking or smiling for this pic


Next we headed to the Haunted Halloween boat ride in Provo. It was a boat ride down the Provo River with over 100 jack o laterns and lights strung across the river all hosted by our pirate captain. At one point our boat was attacked by pirates that brought us candy for Halloween. After we got warm next to the fire before heading home. No pictures(they all ended up blurry). We have so much fun with our little family and can't wait to add another one to the mix.

Fall Family Pics

I really liked how our pictures turned out I kinda wondered during the shoot. Hallie was less than cooperative but I just kept thinking all it takes is one or two good pictures to frame and no one will ever know how many it took to get them..haha.








A big thanks to Brit and her family for the time and effort she spent to get these done for us.

29 Weeks

So the last couple weeks have been a little stressful and trying to figure out what my body is doing. Since getting home form Mexico about 6 weeks ago I have been having parasite type symptoms but originally was told it was just due to the position of the baby. After talking to my dr after about a month of these symptoms she informed me that it wasn't the baby and sent me promptly to see a GI specialist. He ran several tests all of which came back negative, which is nice but still didn't know what was wrong with me. After some more invasive testing the drs determined I have ulcerative colitis. Luckily nothing more serious and to this point it hasn't effected the baby. Hopefully after some baby safe treatment we can get it under control. Being pregnant is hard and I don't know how women did it before modern medicine. Hopefully after a couple weeks I will be back to "normal" at least for now.

2nd Birthday Pictures(25 months)

So after much procrastination, weather, and scheduling conflicts we got Hallie 2 yr pictures done a little closer to 25 months. I know I say this with every month update but I really have a hard time keeping up with what Hallie has learned and what she is doing. Her vocabulary has expanded 10 fold since last month and she now uses full sentences most of the time. She has just started to like princesses and loves to dress up in her dress up clothes and spin in front of the mirror and sing that she looks just like a princess. This is a really fun stage to have kids at although trying at times with discipline and them becoming more and more independent. She understands more and is interested more interested in the world around her all the time. She loves to jump on anything and everything...which can be scary. She loves tv(which should be very helpful when the baby comes)and usually when she gets up after telling me she is hungry, asking how I slept, and confirming daddy is at work she asks to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We have been trying to spend as much time as possible outside before it gets cold, I just feel bad when she is cooped up all day. She loves to brush hair, help cook/bake, or pretty much be involved in anything someone is doing. She is a great helper and seems to be very excited for her sister(Im sure until she gets here)we hope the great listening and big helper stays. There are still days that I can't believe that she is ours we love our sweet Hallie.

A Ghost at our House?

So this month as part of our "preschool stuff" we have talked a lot about Halloween and fall. This morning after getting up and attempting to get ready for the day Hallie came into my room saying she had seen a ghost. At first I thought she ment on tv or in one of her stories or activities we have done but she was really sad and it kinda freaked me out. After talking for a few minutes about how ghosts are just a fun thing to dress up for Halloween and wont hurt you she was still persistant that she could see one. I asked her if I came with her if she could show me where the ghost was, she agreed. We walked over to my door and she pointed to some close hanging on the door and said ghost. I couldn't help myself from laughing after confirming that she was indeed talking about the clothes on the door. And explained that those were just her clothes for pictures later today. She replied with "So no scary ghost?" Nope Hallie no scary ghost but a good laugh just the same. And after looking at it I guess I can see why she would think that.

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch

Last Week while Matt was away on business we lined up some fun activities to keep us busy while he was gone. Black Island Farms was destination number one. It is a running farm in Syracuse that does fun fall activities this time of year. Hallie was so excited to go for a hay ride and see the animals. They had so many fun activities. After getting there we had about an hour until our hayride so we headed out into their field that was full of slides, a bounce house, and kid size mazes, and a bunch of animals.




Then it was our turn for the hay ride we got a tour of the farm as well as 2 stops. One to pick carrots and the other to pick pumpkins. Hallie loved the hayride and the red tractor that pulled the trailor.


She took a long time picking just the pumpkin for her and ended up liking the carrot she picked better because she had seen kids feeding the animals carrots before the ride so after we picked it she wanted to head back and feed the animals. And that was just what we did after posing with a pumpkin as big as her.

This was Hallie's favorite goat. There was a bigger black one that was a "bully" whenever he would come over to push the little ones one out the way Hallie would say "go away mean goat." Silly girl

Our plan was to stop and eat on the way home but I had a hard time even keeping Hallie awake long enough to get home for a nap(3 hours later) we had a great time we just wish Matt could have come but maybe next year. I love Fall!!!

The thoughts of a 28 Week Mommy

So I have had a lot of thoughts lately. Ones that I wouldn't normally share for fear that people would think that I was ungrateful or a big wimp. But you know what if thats the case then so be it I feel like I need to remember these times to cherish the especially good times. So here goes nothing. I hate being pregnant, pretty much everything about it. Its all selfish of coarse I don't like feeling crappy, being limited on what I can do and of coarse the gaining weight part. So yesterday we went to the dr to check on our little one. They took us back to the room did weight and blood pressure you know all that fun stuff. I got on the scale to find that I had gained 7 lbs in the last month. Now I can say that most days I can fill my insecurities with thoughts of this precious bundle that will soon be joining us but sometimes it doesn't work so well(yesterday was one of those days). So now my total count is 22lbs(can't believe I am sharing that with the world but I can't even remember how much I gained with Hallie and now I'm curious). After 2 long reassuring visits one with my dr and the other with Matt I am back trying to think happy thoughts of where all this weight is going. Second, I think being a stay at home mom is in fact at times harder than working ever was. I remember when I was pregant with Hallie my lunch breaks were spent napping or something of that nature now I feel that somedays I am lucky to get lunch! But to be honest I wouldn't change a thing. I love the way that life has worked its self out to this point. This is where I have to state what I think is one of God's greatest tender mercies. Everyones have a different name...mine just happens to be Matt. I will be honest I have been very blessed with a helpful and capable husband all of the time. But I truely can say that throughout this pregancy I have fallen in love with him all over again. He is getting very good at reading my mind. He does things before I even have time to ask. He never makes me feel like a burden, although thats exactly how I feel. He never expects anything in return and continues to give 110%. I really don't know how I got so lucky and blessed. So just a few minutes taken to remember the true and important parts of life.

Last Weeks Happenings

Over that last week we have done a variety of random fun stuff. 1st- last week while my mom was here we went to Tremonton to see my cousins baby Trinity she was 4-6 weeks early and just tiny. I can't get over how much hair she has. 2nd Hallie and I attended our very 1st SLC Royal game. Matt loves soccer and he was thrilled that Hallie and I wanted to join him. The game was a lot of fun and I think Hallie was more interested in the confetti the group in front of us threw every time there was a good play. She would pick it back up and throw it again. We also sat by the drum section that made it fun to see all of them dressed up and doing their chants. I think it is something we will definitely be doing again.