Fall Break

I started my new job last week.  Thats right...a J O B - job, something I haven't had for 12 almost 13 years.  Not to be confused with the "gigs" I have had over the years - story time lady gig, Lego camp teacher gig, make sure Robin Thick has a humidifier in his green room gig - but this is an every day (school day) set hours bonafied  job. 

I am now a TA in the functional skills classroom at my kids school for half the day. The whole thing just kind of fell into my lap and happened so fast! From the time I inquired about the job, to the time the job was offered was about a day and a half. I just kind of went with my gut and said yes. Thats par for the course for me, go with the gut, say yes, and then figure it all out later.
My first full week starts the Monday after Fall Break, I guess thats when I will really know what I have gotten myself into.

As for Fall Break we stuck around here. Thursday the kids and I went to piano but stopped to pick out Halloween pumpkins before hand. Of course Soren wanted to come, so he and I hung out at the library during the lesson...luckily the Marmalade Coffee and Chocolate Society was holding a FREE coffee and chocolate lesson and tasting.  Soren and I had a full plate of cheese and crackers as well as award winning chocolates to ourselves! We brought the left overs home and gave Miriam, Byron and Darin a lesson in the nuance and delicacy of fine chocolate.

Friday Darin and I re-stained the front doors.  We used the stain left from the former owners, I do have dreams of painting the doors, shutters, pillars and flower basket but haven't finalized a color scheme.  Until then, we needed to protect the wood from sun damage. I love to get things like that off my to do list. The doors are so beautiful I don't want them to get ruined during my indecision.

The kids took some friends on an exploration in the hills for the afternoon.  They had so much fun I felt bad breaking up the party, but this was one of our last chances to hit Lagoon during Frightmares. My kids lessons were still on that evening, so we only had 2 hours, but luckily it was before the scary people came out and during the trick or treating.

Saturday we totally slept in and lounged around! We had to rush to get the boys ready for a 10 am birthday party...how is that for a lazy morning? Miriam and I picked the boys up and then went to "Farnival" which is a carnival put on by the family of one of my cute students.  Their whole neighborhood gets together to put on this amazing carnival and all proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital.

Can you tell we were scrambling for costumes....haven't quite got that far yet.
Soren is a pirate, but totally un-costumed because of the heat, Byron has a stormtrooper on his shirt, and M is Minnie Mouse....in a clogging skirt.

The whole rest of the afternoon and most of Sunday was apple-palooza! Our neighbor had given us 3 bushels of apples (actually 5, but I gave 2 to Mirissa).  I got about 7 ziplock quarts in the freezer and a whole bowl of applesauce in the fridge.  The boys and I have been loving applesauce on toast.

That evening my niece Madison was crowned Miss Carbon County!! So we celebrated before bed! It will be fun to watch her compete in Miss Utah this summer.

Sunday was Sunday....church, finished up the applesauce mess. Around 3 I decided to take the kids for a hike up to Mecca. We got brave and climbed up high to get great views.

Soren found his "thoughtful spot" where he could bash rocks.

I had to tear the boys away from the stream to go back home but Monday morning just comes too early.  Sunday evenings are hard, thats why we have deemed them Ray Family Survivor Night.  A little dose of reality tv helps with the weekend let down.

Family Exploration

Alpine Loop...a first for us.  

Deer Creek Overlook and...

homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, really can you get more "Fall" about things?

Then Cascade Springs, which was a last minute decision we are so glad we made.

Easy, not at all strenuous but lovely and interesting. 

We hit the tail end of the foliage change, when there are patches of bright yellow aspens on the mountain side.  It would be fun to go back in the Spring and earlier in the Fall.

We stopped by Bridal Veil on the home stretch of the loop.

Kind people gave the kids fish food for the impressive trout.

A little mini-adventure pre-fall break weekend. Nice to beat the crowds.

Great Salt Lake

Well...it's not a Pacific Island, but we quite enjoy trips to the Salt Lake.  

You just have to know how to do it, and this being our 3rd time, we now know the tricks.  Bring bug spray, and at least a $1 worth of quarters per person for a warm cleansing shower, wear shoes to walk out to the water even though it's hard to wear shoes in the sandy part...you will want shoes! Also, it smells bad...but you get use to that.

The super, extra salty water has it's perks.  The floating is effortless and fun, and there is no better place to skip rocks. The shore has fun foam bubbles, the sand is sandy and the mud is delightfully squishy.  We didn't see the brine shrimp this time, we must be too late in the season.

We did see lots a buffalo and antelope right up close as we drove home.

This is turning into one of our Fall traditions!

Sarah's Wedding

Second wedding party of the month! 

Mike and Sarah's party was held at the Carbon County Country Club and the decorations were beautiful!! That was all thanks to Kelly my SIL, she took Sarah's pinterest board and made it all happen. I was no help whatsoever with the planning.

Sisters. I love these ladies with all my heart.  They drive me crazy but it's only because I care about them so much.

The boys looking dapper.

The kids eating and dancing the night away...I don't know how many cupcakes they consumed... don't want to know.

My favorite moments where when my dad made his toast, when Julia and I danced the "African Anteater Dance", and watching my parents dance together.

And then my mom and Soren cut a rug.

Just one regret...didn't snap a photo of the wedding party. 

Moving On!

We got home late Wednesday...Thursday we were back to work/school, except Soren who just couldn't handle it.  He had a field trip that day he was devastated to miss, but I couldn't send him into Salt Lake on a bus to exhaustedly cry the whole day. I have been the mom on those field trips...you don't need a sad kid when you are trying to keep track of 6 others (and there is always a wanderer/runner in the group).

We made it through the week to Saturday.  In celebration of Sarah's wedding party scheduled the following week, I wanted to have a sisters spa day. Things didn't quite go as planned, Julia and Madison were flying in from Hawaii that day (a red-eye flight), Madison had dance stuff, they both had pageant stuff that evening, Marcus needed to get measured for his suit...just a hard weekend to coordinate, but our only option before the wedding.  So on with the show.

M and I met Sarah at the salon, got her settled in and then I took Marcus and Miriam to The Mighty Baker for treats. 

Right away we noticed their display of Hawaiian North Shore butters.  

I was oddly sentimental about it.  But seriously, they don't see anything except their own baked goods...and random Hawaii butters, kind of like a sign that I need to get back to the North Shore.

Then I told M & M to entertain themselves with their phones while Sarah's nails dried so we could chat for a bit. We ate lunch together and then split ways since Sarah had a zillion other wedding errands.

Since it was conference weekend there was lots of sitting around the house. 

Also some super cute creativity, and a bunch of make-up homework.

I can not stay indoors for an entire day unless I am sick to the bone or there is a natural disaster going on outside, so I took the boys on the hike I discovered.

I am sure it has an official name but I call it "Mecca" which I hope is not offensive, I certainly don't mean to be...its just because this old T-shirt is always up there in the same spot. Since Mecca is a place of "peace and power" I thought it was fitting. It brings me peace to be there. If someone found a youth conference t-shirt and decided to call that spot "Mormon Temple" I wouldn't mind.

On Sunday we met Mike and Alicia for a walk on the Ogden Trail.

Soren's turn at Centerpoint.

This was his reward for having a good attitude about school. When we first arrived it was more like torture than a reward, the decorations and music were seriously freaking him out! As soon as it started he realized it was funny more than scary. Except for Lurch, I saw Soren tense up every time he walked on stage...thank heavens he had that funny solo at the very end or I think there would have been nightmares for days.