I forgot about this stage of life and how brutal it is. Four bruises in a week. :( This one came during a prayer and the night before pictures. Great.

This one came a few days later...a matching bruise for the other side of his head.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling it's only the beginning.

Case in point...

Minutes after I posted this we had another one.



So it all started with a few boys in a tree that toppled the rest of our upright willow in the front yard. Then there was no choice...it had to come out. Then since the tree was gone and the rocks were moved we thought we should probably put in grass and since we're putting in grass we should probably move the little Alberta Spruces. So our front yard transformation began.

I was never a fan of the rock islands and it has been a plan from the get go to get rid of them. We'd been hoping to get them out last summer but it didn't happen, but this summer we were determined ( and had some help and a really good jump start ). This is how it looked when we bought it...or when the snow melted.

We did make an attempt last year to get started but we got started too late in the season for sod and decided to try seed the near small rock island. The next spring we just got tufts here and there. Not ideal. We did consider trying to fill in with seed but ultimately began to look into sod.

(Don't be fooled the grass didn't look nearly that good closer up)

But first we needed to move the little Alberta Spruces that looked oh so conspicuous in the lawn now.



Then we were off to find the most perfect tree for our front yard. We researched on the internet, my plant identification book and the local nurseries. We ultimately decided on a Pacific Senset Maple ( a cross between a Norway Maple and a Shantung Maple ). It had a great green summer color and didn't get chlorosis ( the yellowy leaves you see on so many maple trees in Utah because of the lovely alkaline soil) and best of all had a great redish orangy fall color. We went to a nursery about a half an hour away and found one that was perfect except that it was probably 12 feet tall and we had no way to get it to our house with our two compact cars and it was going to cost 70 bucks to deliver it. We considered getting a smaller tree that we could fit into our car but with how slow trees grow we wanted to get the biggest one we could. We finally got ahold of someone in our ward who graciously agreed to pick it up for us and bring it home to us. We went back to the nursery and paid for our tree ( and it was 20% off because it was fall!! ). I can't tell you how excited I was to see it arrive.


There is just something about planting a tree. Something of hope. Of confidence in the future. In our future. I was so excited. Knowing our boys may grow up in it's shadow. Watching them grow together. Watching our family grow with it.



Then it was time for sod. When it got here we were a little nervous that we'd gotten too much but in the end we could have used one more to fill in gaps here and there. So here's the final product...so far. We still want to do some landscaping up around the house and the roses and the rocks to the right will be gone eventually as well. It's a work in progress I guess but we've finally started!


We were really excited to see the tree change colors in the fall. One day I looked out and thought the leaves were getting some leaf scorch on them.


I was worried it was dieing but upon closer inspection I saw this.


We can't wait till it gets bigger and we can jump in it's leaves!


"Ka BOOM! Ka BOOM!! I'm fireworks"

"What are you Momma?"

"Well, Hyrum, I think I'm a stream." I say as I'm doing the dishes

"No Momma! What are you?"

I decide to go see what he's talking about. They're talking about light energy sources on the cartoon he's watching...CARTOONS people...wow.

"Ka BOOM! Ka BOOM! I'm fireworks!" He explodes "Momma what are you"

"Humm I think I'm the sun. ( by virtue of my name) And I think you are the PERFECT fireworks" ( constant little explosions of light demanding your attention)

"What's baby Noah, Momma?"

I think for awhile "Noah is a night light!" ( he was up every hour from 2-6 last night)

"What is daddy, Momma?"

"Well sometimes Daddy is a candle...being burned at both ends. And alot of the time Daddy is a lighthouse"

Then I began to think more about my answer. Am I really the sun or am I more like fire or a flashlight or a computer screen?

So... What light are you?




October was a busy month with Halloween festivities. Especially the week of Halloween.

Festivities started in the middle of the month when we went to South Ridge Farms in Santiquin ( also known as the Red Barn). Derek's parents were down and we made it an event.

The red barn reminded me of Robinette's, an apple orchard very close to my house in Michigan.


After a quick look in the barn we got in line to go out to the pumpkin patch on the hayride. Don't know why I though it would be free but it was fun and worth it. Here are some pictures.

Hay ride to the pumpkin patch

Five little grandparent pumpkins

Five little Tangren pumpkins




Totally staged picture...can you tell? :) He picked his pumpkin so fast we missed the photo op. That's grandpa behind us with his actual pumpkin.


Hyrum was going to be a ghost for Halloween so he had to pose here.

Running through the crate maze

I did it!!

Farm Family picture

Tractor Hyrum

Tired Hayride back to the car

Gigantic pumpkin ( they were having a pumpkin weigh off that day)


Quick side track... When my Mother in Law was here she showed me the ease of using a steam juicer that was lurking in my basement. All you do is put the grapes (stems and all) in this basket with water in a container under it.


After awhile the juice pours out this spout and she put it directly into the jars. You can pour it into a pan and cool overnight and strain to remove the sediments but we were on a schedule.


Then since the juice comes out screaming hot she just turned them upside down and the sweet little suckers sealed. :)

Another hue to my canning shelf. We mixed it with some 7 up and it made a to die for sparkling grape juice.

A couple weeks later my parents came out for the weekend of Halloween. Hyrum and I went to the dentist while I had reinforcements. Hyrum was going for his first time and did FABULOUS. I listened to him chatter on about sugar monsters being the bad guys and the foam being the good guy. And I hadn't gone for almost 9 years and had NO CAVITIES! ( Thank you fluorinated water and good genes from my dad)

Friday was the Halloween Horror Hoorah at Omnidobe (It's really known as Adobe now but this event is a hold out from the Omniture years so it doesn't feel right to call it an Adobe thing) We were really surprised that they were still doing it. I have a feeling that is nearing it's death. They almost didn't have it when someone called the executives about fire hazards and they would only allow so many people in the buildings at a time. There were security guards and lines outside around the property. They are just getting too big to do much fun anymore.


I really thought that Hyrum would get more into the Mario Kart section than he did. I think it was just too overwhelming.

BITE ME!!! :)

We realized that the camera was almost out of batteries when we got there so I didn't use the LCD screen. And this is what happens when I don't use the LCD screen

My darling son loves to play with the camera and now the lens shields don't always come and go as they should. So bummed it happened when I was taking pictures of Derek and my dad's section.


They did Mousetrap and the section my Dad and Derek worked on was the slide and they'd rigged it so tennis balls would go down then be sucked back up. Sadly by the time we got through the motor had died and it wasn't working anymore.

This is the picture I'm most bummed about being ruined. At the end they had this HUGE counter weighted cage that would raise and lower over the big tub of candy. Hyrum was literally RUNNING back and forth getting candy.

The executives area has historically had little people that Josh James the former co-founder would fly in from Las Vegas to be various characters ( munchkins, oompa loompas, 7 dwarfs, etc). Josh James left Adobe this last year but sent the little people in his stead dressed as picketers. They were all dirty dressed in rags with signs saying things like "Will work for food. ( half portions will do)"This is nothing without us" and " Do I make you feel uncomfortable" It was pretty funny. Derek said that Josh James wasn't coming but we saw him later and he ended up going through one of the buildings behind us. The executives did Sesame Street for their theme.


That night was trunk or treating at the church. We took quick pictures before we headed down.


Hyrum decided that he'd be a ghost and that I'd be a witch and he wanted Noah to be a Mummy But one day Noah was standing on my knees and leaned over and bit me on the neck for no reason and combined with his former habit of sleeping good during the day and being awake all night I thought a vampire would be a more appropriate costume. I made the costumes myself and think they turned out pretty good. :)

We hadn't carved the pumpkin we'd gotten so that was on the to do list for Saturday


Hyrum picked out the face he wanted on it ( the stuffed pumpkin beside the actual pumpkin) posed for a picture and then left me to empty the stuff out of the pumpkin while he made a candy necklace with my mom. He practiced his patterns as they made it. He's got simple patterns down.


Then Dad took over to carve the face.


My parents wanted to go to Lehi Roller Mills to get some things and we went along happily or at least Derek and I did, Hyrum not so much. We were looking around but my mom couldn't find what she wanted. Hyrum kept insisting that we go. Then all of a sudden he walked up to the mixes of Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and said he wanted to take it home. That is Hyrum's way...you can't beat em...start shopping. He gets his affinity for shopping from my mom so I had to get a picture of the two of them.



Saturday was the normal trick or treating night in my town but JUST as prime trick or treating time came so did a storm. Strong wind, rain and hail kept us from venturing out

but while we waited Noah decided to work on some skills

He'd crawled a short distance during the day but couldn't figure out how to do it again consistently...he's since gotten better.


This is where the funny hat comes from. He tagged the costume but not his bib or hat so he wore the latter as his costume on Saturday night.

Hyrum and Derek went out trick or treating around 7 when the storm passed and stayed out for at least an hour. They came back with red noses and a LOT of candy


A good Halloween all around!