Tis the season...

... for corn mazes.  We haven't been to many of these. In fact, the last time we went was when Haley was tiny and I remember we were pretty lost inside the maze for quite awhile. Wasn't all that fun with small, freezing kids. This time, though, some good times.

See the photo bomber in the distance?  Always with style, that Paige.

This creepy thing was the nicest guy ever, under that get-up.  He told Elle not to be scared and thanked the girls for coming.  His gentleman's voice had us guessing that he was an employee's dad or grandpa that got coerced into dressing up for the evening.

Christian and his friend, Spencer, didn't actually dress up for the corn maze.  But how cool are their costumes as Batman's nemesis's (nemesisees?)?  Freaks me out when I see them.  Best part is that I didn't have to make or sew anything.  Turning them loose in the Halloween store was all it took.  (And no, Christian didn't shave his head.  That's a bald cap.)

The boys took off at a run as soon as we entered the maze. After we were done, the haunted side of the corn maze had finally opened -- complete with chainsaw guys and creepiness. I asked Christian if they wanted to go through while we waited. He hesitated and finally asked, "Can dad come with us?"  Haha!  Didn't know he had a scared bone in his body. After some teasing from his friend, he finally agreed to go without parental supervision and survived just fine. ;)

LOL! Like father, like son....

Halloween dance today at the jr. high and parades tomorrow at both elementary schools.  Tis the season, indeed.

The Lodge

For UEA a couple of weeks ago, we escaped to the mountains.  The Vriens's invited us to their extended family's cabin -- ahem, lodge -- up the canyon.  See what I mean?

It's such a great place.  Sleeps multiple families, has large open play spaces and little nooks and corners for reading, playing games, whatever.  We had a great time.  I loved seeing this sign on the way up the driveway ....

The little girls made gingerbread haunted houses....

... and then we all went on a stroll around Silver Lake.  We barely missed the beautiful fall colors but it was still a spectacular day.

Haley & Sara -- friends since kindergarten. :)

The beavers had been hard at work.

And try as I might to get a good picture of the boys, this was the only scene I was able to capture -- them running far ahead of us.

Thank heavens for fun friends who have fun places to hang out! Wouldn't have been near as enjoyable a vacation without their hospitality. :)

iPhone pix

We have 3 season tickets for UofU football games.  That means that it's basically a lottery system at our house as to who gets to go with dad to each game.  He, of course, goes to every game.  That stadium is his happy place. :)  Haley is usually right by his side, being the other die-hard Utah football fan at our house.

This little girl started 1st grade ... something that we've both been dreading a bit.  ALL DAY school is a looonnng day for us both.  I've managed to keep myself pretty busy with volunteering at all 3 schools, but Elle has had a bit of a hard time adjusting to the long days.  There have been lots of tears, unfortunately.  We've talked through how to handle it when she gets sad at school (find a friend who might need her help somehow, put a picture of us in her desk, have mom include little love notes in her lunch, etc.).  Occasionally, I drop in at lunchtime and surprise her with a smoothie or something.  I get to sit at her table and chat with her and her best girlfriends. :)

And sometimes, I check her out for lunch, too.  (Yes, Dunkin' Donuts does make real food, too.) We've had a couple of little lunch dates that have helped ease her into the all-day school day.  She seems to be getting a little better with the separation, which I suppose is a good thing.  I miss her.

Elle also got glasses.  The other 2 girls were 8 before they needed them but Elle is far-sighted at 6.  Poor girl inherited her mother's bad eye genes.  Good thing there are cute glasses choices these days, though.

We didn't get near the amount of fruit this year off of our trees that we got last year, but these bees still made themselves drunk off of whatever juice they could find.  They were so consumed with this pear that they didn't even move from it when I picked it up with a shovel.

My sisters, mom and I have been getting together fairly often to shop, have lunch or (this time) to can salsa.  It has definitely helped me to adjust to day times without my Elle.  Erin's Kate is the only little one left at home from all of our families.  We had a fun, and kind of mean, moment with her the other day .... She was just getting out of preschool, so we four women stood at the end of the driveway and held our arms out to her, calling, "Kate!  Come here!" to see which auntie, mom or grandma she would choose.  So mean, but we were laughing the whole time. :)

We had dinner with this fun group of guys and their wives.  They all served their missions together in the Spain Madrid Mission almost 25 years ago.  We, of course, had to eat at Cafe Madrid and sample some legit Spanish food.

Cutie-patootie dancers in Paige's dance company.  Some of these girls have been on the same company together for the past 4 years.

Saw this wee little snowman at a restaurant recently.  Apparently he struggles with his smoking habit.

Spent some time at the LDS Humanitarian Center recently, helping to sort massive amounts of clothes being sent to Zimbabwe.  Christian helped with this charity for his Eagle project a couple of years ago, and it's always a pleasure to help the amazing women who run Eyes for Zimbabwe collect and get the donations ready for shipment to Africa.

Christian, Mike & I took a little road trip last weekend to see Nana in Red Lodge, Montana.  I haven't been there since dad's funeral 2 years ago.  It was definitely bittersweet.  It was wonderful to see Nana (my wonderful stepmom of 37 years) and it was good to be able to help her sort through some of dad's things.  She needed some manpower in moving lots and lots of boxes from one storage area to another, and we were happy to help her.  Christian said he enjoyed being an only child for a weekend.  I seriously love these teenage years so far.

What a RUSH!

This summer, Mike took Christian to his first concert.  Rush.  I have to admit that I have never been a big fan of Rush.  But for a budding guitarist like Christian, and an old rocker like Mike, the concert was right down their alley.  When I saw concert tickets were on sale--I jumped at them.  I knew my boys would love it.

Because it was Christian's first concert, Mike splurged on a concert t-shirt.  Mike also forced Christian to take a "selfie" of the two of them together.  From the look on Christian's face, it may have been the only part of the concert he didn't love.  :)

Mike said that the show was amazing.  They played nearly all of his favorite songs--Tom Sawyer, Spirit of the Radio, Subdivisions, YYZ, Temples of Syrinx. Christian said that they also played a lot of their new music, which he loved.

Alex Lifeson

Geddy Lee

Neil Peart

For the first few hours after the show, Mike displayed some of the characteristics of someone with slight hearing loss. A couple of times I had to tell him to stop yelling.  He described the show as "Epic!  The music was so loud that my ears started to bleed!"  Just what a Mom wants to hear.

The best part for Mike of course, was watching Christian totally enjoy himself.  "We sang along to the songs.  We air-drummed with Neil Pert.  We screamed our lungs out.  We bonded."

Yet another example of rock music bringing fathers and sons together. :)