Apple Picking at 65th Street Apples and Cider Pressing...

The kids were able to go pick many boxes of apples and have some fresh pressed cider at a local Apple Field near our house. They had so much fun and Grandma Wendy was able to make lots of jars of apple pie filling for us to use. This was actually in early October before Halloween when the weather was just barely starting to turn cold. The cider press was very messy and sticky but it was neat to see how many apples it took to make a small glass of juice. All the kids got to turn the cider press and catch the juice coming out the bottom.

My Favorite Monkeys...

Happy Halloween 2011

Cooper was a penguin this year...shh..don't tell him Parker wore it last year. He still thinks it's cool to wear Parker's hand me downs. I hope he continues to think that because he has another few years ahead to get those.

The gang: Scotlyn (the fairy/gogo dancer/ballerina), Parker (the dalmation), and Cooper (the penguin)

Scottie and Parker outside

Here is Parker at school in his Fall Parade. He was a little embarrassed, but gave me a big smile anyway. He had to walk past my classroom and all my students were saying hi Parker to him.

Outside with our pumpkins the kids carved.

Nana and Cooper hard at work picking out all those pumpkin seeds that Nana ending up burning in the oven.

Miss Scotlyn

Daddy helping the boys.

Auntie Sarah looks thrilled to be carving pumpkins this evening.

This was taken on the first day of school. Scotlyn is in 3rd grade and Parker is in preschool still.

Labor Day Weekend 2011

Over Labor Day weekend we went to the Idaho Falls Airport for some old World War II airplanes that had flown in for the weekend. I think they were B-15 or B-17's. The kids enjoyed taking a tour of them and being out at the airport. Above is a picture of Parker looking down below from the airplane.

Here is Scotlyn looking down below at me so I could take her picture.

Cooper wasn't much into climbing through the airplane but he sure enjoyed walking around it.

Parker and Scotlyn posing nicely for me. Cooper wanted nothing to do with this picture.

He did pose for this picture though.

The next day, we decided to take the kids to the Eastern Idaho State Fair. Scotlyn wanted to do this water bubble thing where they run inside a plastic bubble on water. She had a great time and it tired her out. We had a lot of fun watching her make her way across the water.

While Auntie Sarah and Scotlyn went on the rides, the boys were content with riding in these free cars provided by a local hospital.

Here is Auntie Sarah asking about owning a bunny. She is thinking that since she isn't going to be getting a dog...a bunny would be the next best thing. Will someone talk some sense into this girl?

Scotlyn Turns 8 !!! August 27, 2011

For Scotlyn's 8th birthday, we went to Salt Lake City and stayed in a hotel. For her special day, we went to Build A Bear, played at the Discovery Children's Museum, and played in the water fountain at the mall. In the picture above, Cooper and Scotlyn are playing at the museum.

Here is daddy and the birthday girl.

Mommy and the birthday girl.

Cooper gassing up his ride at the museum.

Kitura and Scotlyn at the museum sitting in the helicopter.

Daddy and Cooper in the helicopter.

Build A Bear Workshop is always a must when it's your birthday.

Auntie Sarah and Scotlyn

Aunt Jennifer and Scotlyn

For dinner, we went to eat at "The Mayan Adventure." The food wasn't that great, but the atmosphere was wonderful. It was decorated to look like a jungle inside, had cliff divers into water, fire dancers, and rope swingers from the roof. We had a total of 20 people in our dinner party. It was a fun adventure.

Jen, Rod, Josh, and Scotlyn

At the table was: Mommy, Daddy, Parker, Cooper, Auntie Sarah, Jason, Grandma Wendy, Grandpa Russ, Jennifer, Rodney, Josh, David, Cortney, Deann, Jeff, Kitura, Kambria, their two foster sons and Scotlyn.