Momma's Little Helpers

Today I made some apple crisp and decided to let Riley help me measure out all the ingredients.  He's a great helper in the kitchen...well guess who decided to be a jelly belly and want to help as well?

Finally got the stool to herself and is chewing on my tsp.

Wondering how she's going to get down...

In case you were curious, she did discover how to get down all by herself and has found herself a new climbing toy!  I also need to learn how to adjust my baked goods to the elevation out here...The apple crisp was tasty, but not as good as when I make it at sea level...

Week Two of Construction

We've got basement walls!  Woo hoo!  Before you know it, there will be more walls, a roof and windows...Can't wait!  Riley LOVES to go over there and play in the dirt.  He's curious of the process of home building...might there be another builder in the family some day?

The End of An Era...

For those of you who don't know, my Pappy (Carl Stauffer) passed away late Saturday night.  He was not doing well for awhile now, and was living at Willow Valley under nurse and hospice care.  My mom got a call Saturday morning (in North Carolina) that he said he was ready to go and that his breathing was shallow and lungs were congested.  Mom and Dad packed their bags and drove the 8 hrs. to Lancaster, PA to get there before he passed away.

Mom and Dad suggested that I stay put with the kids because of the flu bug going around.  We got a chance to see Pap in August when I was in PA before moving out west.  It was nice because my brother had come into town as well.  We all got to spend some time together as a family and had a chance to say our goodbyes.

My Pappy loved to tell jokes.  Every time I would talk to him, he'd have at least one or two ready for me.  I think our favorite is the one about the monkey cutting off his tail in the lawn mower...then the monkey says "It won't be long now!'  When he'd be over at my house in PA to visit, he would always let you know he was going to leave by telling you he was "going to head up the road."

He loved to go out to eat and would often treat Riley and me to lunch in the summers at Willow Valley or Country Table.  He would enjoy watching Riley play at his house.  He use to get out some of his really old cars and trucks that he played with as a child.  Riley was talking about Pappy's lifesaver truck just last night.

My grandfather was also a HUGE Phillies fan.  How fitting is it that the Phil are in the NLCS against the Dodgers right now?  Every time I see or hear something about the Phils, I automatically think how much he'd love to see his team make it to the World Series once again.

I remember how he use to have a velcro ball dart board that he'd keep in his hall closet so my brother and I could play when we stayed at his house.  He also took Matt and I on numerous fishing trips.  I remember he was the first one to ever teach me how to fish.  We went to a hatchery so I'd have a decent chance of catching something.  We also use to pretend we knew how to play the piano by pounding on the keys of the old piano in the basement...thank goodness it was kept downstairs, because we made an awful lot of noise! (notice I didn't say "music")

Riley prayed for Pappy Stauffer faithfully up until I told him that he passed away and was up in Heaven with Jesus.  After that, the prayers for Pappy ceased...as if he understood that when you get to Heaven, you no longer need anyone praying for you and that someone else down here on earth can use your prayers...

Holidays and family celebrations are going to be different, but that's how life goes, you bring new members into your family and loved ones leave.  NOTHING is ever the same.  I am grateful that at least one of my grandparents got to meet and love on my kids...Now mom and dad are the older generation (sorry guys!) and they will need to start telling the stories of walking 5 miles to school uphill, in the snow, with no shoes to make this younger generation appreciate how good they have it.

We love and miss you Pappy.  You will always have a place in our hearts.

She's Talking!

We've been a little curious if our darling daughter was ever going to say anything other than "da da da da!"  Yesterday she while driving in the car, she pointed out the front window and said "whas dat?"  So cute, but makes you wonder if it was used in context or just coincidence.  Well, today she and I were playing with her Fisher Price farm and she'd pick up an animal and look at me and say "whas dat?"

Yay!  We might get her talk yet!  She's been signing with us so she can express herself.  She signs for milk, eat, more (which is her favorite) and please.  She's a stubborn little thing.  I've already had to practice some tough love with her.  In the tub, when it's time to put the toys away, she refuses to put hers away.  So I get Riley out and dry him off while she stands there (and freezes because we let the water out) and screams until she finally gives in and puts her toy away.  She knows exactly what I'm asking her to do, but thinks that her cute little smile will get her out of EVERYTHING and now that it's not, she's having a fit!  She'll yell "owww!" which is her version of "no!"

Andy and I are fearful that she's going to be a drama queen and throw the type of tantrums I've dreaded.  She doesn't like being told what to do nor does she want anyone to help her do much of anything.  Will she throw herself on the ground flailing her arms and legs while screaming?  Only time will tell.  I'm already praying for those years to go by smoothly!

The Haunted Dinosaur Park

We headed north to Ogden to the Dinosaur Park tonight.  They had it decorated for halloween with lights, noises, pumpkins, etc.  Riley was decked out in his costume, but K was bundled up in her snow suit in the wagon with a blanket.  We walked through the park and Riley trick or treated at different stations they had set up along the way.  Local businesses also handed out lots of goodies such as free kids meals to Applebee's, free passes to the Gateway Children's Museum in SLC, free milk, cider, loaf of bread, you name it!

Riley and K had so much fun.  We were worried that Kendall would be a mess since she didn't nap well, but once we got there, the fresh air and entertainment did her good.  There was a costume contest near the end of the night.  Riley entered it and ended up as a finalist.  We were disappointed he didn't win...the winners were all toddlers!  Oh well, he's OUR winner and that's all that matters!

I think the Dinosaur Park will make the list for next fall as well.  We're hoping they decorate for Christmas because we had so much fun.  Riley is excited to go back during the day sometime when he can explore and really get a better look at all the dinosaurs in the park.  We also passed Hill AF Base on the way there...They have a museum which might have to be a part of that next trip...It's no wonder my kids love living here!  It's a kid's dream come true!

One of the dinosaurs there to greet us!

Argh Matey!

My little burrito baby

Mommy being kept safe by her pirate boy while riding on a dinosaur...

Best friends

What a Great Day!

Well, we originally thought about going to Syracuse or Antelope Island today to do some exploring, but a morning phone call from Cara changed that.  She called to tell us about the Farmer's Market in downtown Salt Lake this morning.  She and her sister Heather were working at the MS tent selling knitted scarves and hats with the proceeds going to MS research.  So we got ready and head out this morning and LOVED it!  They had stands of produce - lots of apples, peaches, etc. as well as your other typical market type items.  They also had coffee, baked goods, and LOTS of hand crafted items.

I found myself in love with some new headbands so of course I had to splurge!  But I was good and made sure that the ones I got would also look good on K whenever she decides to grow some hair.  (Poor girl is working the mullet!  At least she looks good in a mullet!)  I snapped a few shots of them...took them on my iphone so the quality isn't the greatest, but I'm so excited about them!

These are reversible and fit over top of a plastic headband (which was included but didn't feel the need to photograph).  You can quess who's going to be sewing up some of these in her free time!  Got to pick up some cute fat quarters at that fabric shop I found at Gardner Village on Thursday!

I picked up three like this - poor photo, I know, but I really liked the idea.  It has small velcro circles the underside so it doesn't slip out - not a problem for my head of hair, but nice for K's.  You then take one piece of ribbon and pull it through the loop on the other side and then tie a bow with both pieces.  Cute idea!

I also snapped a few photos of some other projects I may attempt for Christmas presents for the munchkins in the family.  I love pretending that I'm looking at my phone while secretively snapping a picture of someone else's item that I intend to copy!  I'm not creative, but I am clever!

After we strolled around the Farmer's Market, we played on the playground with the kiddos for awhile and then decided to go out for lunch.  Kevin called to remind us that Moochies is nearby - Philly styled cheese steaks, but Andy was in the mood for bbq.  So we headed to Pat's BBQ which was featured on Diners, Drive In's and Dives on the Food Network.  I have to say that the pulled pork and ribs were good, but the sauce was so-so and NO SWEET TEA!  I'm sorry, after living in the south for the past two years, I can't eat bbq without sweet tea!  Pat's didn't even come close to Mojo's sauce...Didn't even have the same smell as Mojo's.  When you are driving down Beach Blvd, you can start to smell the pit as you cross over the ditch...I'd often enter Angies already salivating because we'd park in the Mojo's parking lot across the street.

After we stuffed ourselves silly, we drove down to our building lot to check on the progress of the house...Boy is it a BIG hole!  I tried to take a picture of it, and wasn't able to fit the whole thing in it!  Here is Riley and Andy exploring what will soon be our basement.

Andy and Riley are standing against what will be our back wall.  Our backyard will be small, but we are willing to sacrifice for this big, beautiful house.  There will be room for the kids to play, it won't be very deep, but is very wide.

Here they are walking under where our foyer will be...I am facing the side load garage.  The 3rd garage would be facing the street to my right.  It is called a courtyard driveway.  We're hoping they put the forms in on Monday and then start pouring the concrete...

If you are interested, you can check out the Ivory model home of the same plan.  This model is not in our neighborhood, but about a 15 min. drive away.  I should note, we are not finishing the basement in this home...we don't need the extra square footage, but if we were able to stay here long term and we did eventually finish it, this place would ROCK!  Andy has taken the kids to see the model and Riley's favorite part is that the stairway goes to the foyer and/or the kitchen as well as upstairs!  And here I thought he'd be excited to have a playroom again!  We will be using the first floor office/den space as a playroom for the kids.

Tonight our plan is to head north to Ogden.  There is a dinosaur park there and they do a haunted theme for Halloween.  Our original plan was to ride the Haunted Canyon Ride on the Heber Valley R.R., but they were booked for tonight, so we're going to try that next weekend.  Riley can't wait to see the dinosaurs and do some trick or treating!  Hope the kids enjoy it and don't freeze!  We're taking the wagon and a blanket or to to bundle them up with!

Cornbelly's - Take 2

Today was a short day for Riley (like every Friday here in Utah) so with the extra time, we decided to use our pass to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point.  What a great way to wear the kids out!  We had beautiful sunshine - to the point where I was hot even in short sleeves!  We pretty much had the place to ourselves, which was wonderful!  K and R had a blast jumping on the big "pillows" together.  They are like big uncovered moonwalks.  We also tried the cow train and the grain train...We stayed out of the BIG corn maze because Momma's afraid of getting lost in the corn fields w/ two kids by herself!  We stick to the kiddie (short version) corn maze.  K loves the straw bale mazes as well as the pumpkin mazes.

Hoping to do more "Utah" exploring this weekend.  Maybe a trip to Syracuse (Ut, not NY) and Antelope Island.  AI is on the Great Salt Lake and supposed to have lots of trails for hiking and biking.  There is a Black Island Farms Harvest Festival in Syracuse that looks fun...similar to Cornbellies.

We love all the fall activities out here.  Now that the sun is shining again, we're enjoying ourselves.  The mornings are still a little on the cold side, but by lunchtime, it's gorgeous!  Nights are chilly - wish we had a fire pit...once we move, that will be one of the first purchases we make!  Nothing like homemade smores and mt. pies in your own backyard!

Noticing a trend here?  This is her newest favorite thing to do...pick up rocks and then carry them around or hand them to you!

Check out the Michael Jordan tongue!

Both kids enjoyed the Rubber Duckie Races!

My favorite kids in the pumpkin maze.

Wild Animals are Released at the Hogle Zoo!

Today was Riley's first school field trip.  All of the kindergarteners (am & pm classes) loaded up on the buses and headed out to the zoo.  Surprisingly the bus ride was fairly tame with the little ones.  For some of them it was their first time on a bus and I think they were in awe of it.  I had 4 kids to be responsible for on the bus, but once we got there, I had 3 kids between me and another mom!  That's the way to chaperone a field trip!  I am fortunate that Andy could take the day off to watch Kendall so I could go with Riley.  I never get to volunteer in his classroom because I have no one to watch her, so this was a real treat for both of us!  Now I can put names and faces together and watch him interact with his peers.  It's amazing how much he's changed since our last move.  He's so much more outgoing than ever before.  He will go and play with anyone and isn't afraid to go talk to someone he doesn't know.  Thank goodness or this move could have been miserable for everyone!

Here are some monkeys enjoying their cousins at the gorilla exhibit!

Riley and his shipmates, I mean classmates...

A Witch Scavenger Hunt...

Today we went to Gardner Village, which is a little shopping area that decorates for Halloween with witches.  We went on a Witch Scavenger Hunt while we were there.  We saw all types of witches and here are just a few:

Other witches were suspended in the air on bikes and brooms, some were floating on boats, others were dancing with friends, playing baseball, etc.  Once you find all the witches on the scavenger hunt, you turn in your paper at the Naborhood Bakery and for a quarter, you can get a chocolate chip cookie.  So after our hard work, we enjoyed a little snack.

I must admit that some of the stores they have at Gardner Village are incredible.  I found a fabric store that I could spend a whole afternoon in alone...Oh the possibilities that came to mind as I perused the aisles...They had some adorable little girl shops and baby shops as well...Good thing Andy was with us or I may have been tempted to do more than window shop!

This little kitty was super friendly and was following us around all afternoon.

One of the stores (which I will be returning to once the house is completed because it has lots of primitive country decorations) is located in an old mill.  This picture was taken outside of the mill.

They also have a hay maze, petting zoo, and pony rides available for the little ones.  Riley enjoyed running laps around the maze while Kendall spent most of her time picking out rocks on the ground to carry around.  Over the weekends, they have more "Witch" type events that we may have to venture back to check out...No wonder Riley loves Utah!

Construction: Day One

October 7, 2009 is the day construction started on our new home in Utah...Riley and I were looking for something to do yesterday after school and nap time so we decided to drive over to the lot to see what was going on...Low and behold there was a tractor digging our foundation!  Pure excitement from both of us poured out!  He was excited to see the tractor in action and I was thrilled to get one day closer to moving out of our tiny apt. and into our new place.

When we went over to check on the progress, we got lucky enough to meet our new neighbors who's house you can see in the background.  Sweet people.  They have 3 kids.  A 6 yr. old girl, 4 yr. old boy, and a 6 month old boy...She said there are TONS of kids to play with as well.  Can't wait!!!

Day Two:  Same as day one...must be a pretty big hole if they are still digging!

Uncle Kevin...

We are so blessed to live near Kevin again.  For those of you who don't know, Kevin and I grew up in the same hometown, went to the same high school and even had mutual friends, but didn't become friends until my freshman year in college.  We both attended West Chester University and happened to live in the same dorm...good old Ramsey Hall.  Kevin took care of me for the next 4 years...always made sure I had something to do on the weekends, drove me to where ever I needed a ride, made sure I never walked home alone, didn't hang out with the "wrong" boys, etc.  If I were less traditional, I would have asked Kevin to be my "Man of Honor" at my wedding, since that's really what he was to me (and still is).

Well, after college, we went our separate ways...doing our best pre-internet and pre-cell phones to keep in touch.  I got married right away & moved to Albany, NY and he eventually moved to Salt Lake City, Ut.  We'd try to see each other when we could, but it's never the same as living close by.  Well, as God would have it, we're living in the same town again and spending as much time together as possible.  My kids call him Uncle Kevin (and his wife is Aunt Cara).  Kendall adores him and knows she has him wrapped around her little finger.  She reaches for him and smiles with her dimples and he's hooked...It's incredibly sweet.  Riley on the other hand looks up to Kevin as a second father figure.  He loves spending time with Kevin.  Kev teaches Riley things about Utah and life in general, takes us hiking, meets for lunches, plays soccer and football with him, etc.  It warmed my heart (and you know it must have been good since it's been so bloody cold out here already! ) when yesterday Riley told Kevin that he likes that Kev's not so busy with work right now because he gets to spend a lot of extra time with him!

When I mentioned to Riley that we aren't going to be living in Utah forever and that in a few years we may have to move somewhere else, he got rather upset.  He loves living here and I know a good part of why he feels that way has to do with Kevin, Cara and their family.  We are so blessed to have them in our lives once again and I can't imagine how much more difficult this transition would have been without the Wiegands.

We love you Uncle Kevin and Aunt Cara!

Today's Project...

...was a camera strap cover.  I've been wanting to make one for awhile now and finally got myself motivated to drag out my sewing machine.  I had some scrap material and bought some fusible batting and created a wonderful padded cover for the strap of my DSLR camera.  When I hike with K in the back pack and I want to take pics, I have to play tourist and carry my camera around my neck.  The generic Canon strap that the camera comes with is rather uncomfortable so as I was searching ETSY one day, I came across these cute strap covers.  I then decided there's no point in spending $12 - $25 on something I can make for pennies.  I found a few blogs with directions to make it, and here's my finished product...I had to take the picture with my iphone since the cover is on my camera, so it's not the best quality photo, but it will do.

Wild Hair Day!

After being awake at 4 am with a teething toddler, I feel like I'm sleepwalking through the day.  But after Kendall awoke from her 3 1/2 hour mid day nap, she gave me something to laugh at...Check out her wild hair...Guess she had a good nap, huh?

Yes, those ARE curls back there...maybe she did inherit something from me...

My little "Wild" child...

Still looks a little sleepy...could I be lucky enough to get her to go to bed early tonight?

A Family Trip To Cornbellies!

Riley is in the middle of Fall Break which equates to 5 days off from school.  Short day on Wed, off Thurs, Fri, and Mon!  What a lucky kid.  So, we convinced Daddy to take the day off to spend with us today.  We had a very busy day.  At 8:30am we met with the construction supervisor about our new home.  Digging should happen in the early to middle of next week.  After that, we headed to the Acura dealer to pick up my new set of wheels.  By that time is was Sissy's nap time so after a nap and a hearty lunch, we headed south to Thanksgiving Point to go to "Cornbellies."  They have a fall/halloween area set up where you can get lost in a corn maze, go for hay rides, shoot pumpkins out of a canon, watch pig races, play in the corn, race cars, take a ride on a cow train, etc.  Both kids had a blast today and the best part was that Daddy was with us!  We will be going back a few times this month since Daddy bought us season passes!  This will be a great way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon once R gets home from school!  They have some scary things going on at night that I might try to get R to attend...He's such a scaredy cat though...                                        

Riley riding a dinosaur swing

The kiddos lost in the corn maze

K in the pumpkin patch

K and Mommy in the patch!

K and Daddy going down the very slippy slide!

Riley jumping on the "pillows"

Loading the canon with a pumpkin

They were able to hit the cow and then hit the roof on the white car

Sissy lost in the straw bale maze - check out the background...isn't it beautiful?

Riding the hay wagon - notice K sneaking some of R's popcorn!

He's so sweet to share with her!

The Girls Get New Wheels!

Andy was taking the kids and the dog for a walk one evening and arrived home with a broken stroller.  He snapped the handle clean off of the stroller.  This was right after the jogger and the bike trailer/jogger both ended up with flat tires which required new tubes.  So, needless to say, I had to go stroller shopping.  After much research, we settled on the Joovy Kooper.  It doesn't have a tray like I originallly wanted, but she's getting old enough that we can survive without.  The best part is Riley actually fits in it so she'll be rolling in this sweet ride for years to come!

After 13 years and 178,800+ miles, it was time to say goodbye to the 4Runner.  She was a fantastic car and served us well.  She was the first vehicle that I bought on my own...I got her while we lived in Albany, NY and she made the moves to PA, Fl, and now Ut.  I did get a little sad this morning when I emptied her out...

But that quickly changed when they gave me the keys to this beauty!  Isn't she pretty?  I'm so happy to have a new vehicle that doesn't announce itself everywhere we go - the 4Runner had a broken power steering fluid pump and no longer held fluid so it was obnoxiously loud whenever you would turn the wheel.  My MDX is loaded and ready to go for the next 13+ years!  I am so thankful to have such a wonderful new vehicle.  I kept telling Andy that I was fine if he just fixed my old one, but he was having no such thing.  He kept telling me it was time to let her go.  Riley wanted to ask the dealer what they were going to do with the 4Runner.  I told him it was most likely going to Toyota heaven...He laughed and said "Mom, cars don't go to heaven!"