Halloween

Nope, I didn't forget about it...just catching up!

The boys were SO excited about Halloween this year. Sadly for all of us, Andrew and Logan were also very sick during October. It was a rough month with lots of missed school, medicine and rocking in the chair with mom. Hopefully next year we can have a little more fun.

But, we DID get to do a few fun activities. :)

The kids couldn't believe how big this pumpkin was...Josh is in utter shock (or something).

These pumpkins were less than $5! Bargain!

Teamwork was the lesson learned that day.

See, one works and the others learn from his perspiration. We are all about learning real life skills here.

Freedom!

Fear!

They went through it twice. Once with Mom to make sure nothing was going to jump out and get them (with Josh's face buried in my shoulder with me shouting "DON'T look Josh!" poor kid) and once just to prove to themselves that they are brave (they are).

These two were able to do some trick-0r-treating on Halloween...

This one sadly did not get to partake in the festivities. He was fevering at 104 (with meds) in this picture. Four days later he was hospitalized; but that is a story for another time.

Anything but dull!

Muir Woods

So far, Muir Woods has been our favorite place that we have visited. It is almost like stepping into a forest that only exists in fantasy. The paths are perfectly groomed, it is damp, dark and ethereal. The small stream that runs through the woods is crystal clear and alive with small fish. The explorers of the woods are quiet with a reverance for the beauty.

Here are a few of our favorite pictures:

The boys with Grandma Jensen and Aunt Candice.

Joshy posing with his favorite carved bear.


A rare moment of quiet reflection (see, it does happen!).

The beauty encircled us...it was hard to know which direction to look first!

Oddly enough, even the spider webs were beautiful (is that even possible in my world?!).

Snuggling Aunt Candice, they loved spending time with her.

Where is my camera?

The boys and I made a quick weekend trip to Utah in September. It was fast and furious and OF COURSE we all became sick out of it (happens every.single.time. we go home) but it was still worth it.

It seems that more and more often, one of the boys has my camera in hand taking pictures as fast as possible to document every possible second of fun. :) Here are a few of my top faves from this past Utah trip. It was really fun to look through and see what (and who) captured their interest over and over again.

So, enjoy the pictures! I think all three boys had an opportunity to capture some of these fun moments:

My brother Mike.

My uncle Pat or as my boys affectionately call him, "Uncle Hat."

David's wife and son~Heather will love this one.

My Mom and Julianne

Denise and Tristin

Jennifer

Kayla

My Dad and Josh and Logan.

Why is being a mother to boys so fun? Let me show you!

You just never know what to expect next with little boys. There are times when you are scared to see what they have been up too, but the majority of the time it is sweetness and laughter. I wouldn't change a thing, I love it just the way it is.

So, one day I can't find Josh for a few minutes. Now, this is rare, because the child is glued to my side most of the time (as all my boys have been). I am calling him and looking around the house and can't find him. We had recently purchased a DS and the child has staked his claim on this toy...it is HIS or you will pay (death by whining). Games are under strict control and time allowances. Anyway after a frantic few minutes and thinking Josh was either a professional "hide and seeker" or had been lost for good...I found him. Sitting in the bathroom with the lights off having a little personal time. I laughed hard and then reminded him about the game rules. :)

Josh also thinks it is SOOO funny to try and find some, umm...under clothing of mine...and put it on. He can also be found harassing his kind mother (ME!) in the lingere department of a store telling me which bra he wants and "can I please put it on?!" (NOOOO!) I don't know if I should be more disturbed at Josh's love affair with womens' underwear or the fact that one of the cup sizes of my bra is half the size of my son's torso. Yikes. Double Yikes.

Oh, and apparently, these guys are "watching me" to make sure I don't have to go into "time-out." Don't mess with the squishy reptiles.

Sacramento Air Show

After working a 24 hour shift a month or so ago, Dana indulged us by taking us all to an airshow in Sacramento...we loved it!

You would think that after leaving our last residence we would never want to hear another loud jet again, but we are glutons for (audible) punishment, I guess!

Our ferry ride.

Dana jamming to tunes on the boat (just kidding, it was an audio tour). He looks great though, doesn't he? Love him.

Josh being adorable. Don't grow up, k?

Alcatraz! I am really looking forward to touring this place; I bet it had a thousand stories to tell.

Downtown San Fran. Did I tell you that my van became wedged in Ghiradelli's parking garage? Yeah, it took a beating. Tiny passage way + van= scraped paint. The upside is that it is on the passenger side of the van so I don't ever see it, out of sight out of mind right?!

A few fun things we have done...

We played in the Air Museum on the base...

We visited the Oakland Zoo, but someone forgot to put any animals there. Seriously. We saw two lions and only because we rode the sky tram right over the top of them. We did pet a nice little sheep. I think we caught a glimpse of some elephant poop. Fun times. :)

We enjoyed the visitors center at the Oakland Temple. It is so nice to go and visit a temple again with the family.

We took a slightly breezy (the wind could have blown Josh off the bow of the boat) and mildly chilly (FREEZING!) ferry under the Golden Gate Bridge. Loved it!

More to come...