FeStiVaL of TrEeS!!!!!

We took the kids to FeStiVaL of TrEeS last weekend. Brad and I took Halle a couple of years ago and have started making this a tradition in our little family. I enjoy looking at all trees and all the wonderful talent that comes out at this time of year. It is amazing to me how generous people are with their time and money:)

I'm so sad that we didn't get a picture of the Wilde's that came with us. Brad and Justin work together and we have hung out with them quite a bit lately. I am surprised that they keep hangin' with us since whenever we go out are kids are CRAZY!!

Haisley was getting a cold that night. It was so sad. She was not her usual happy self:(

I loved this tree- it was decorated in a Peacock theme. People are so creative, it kills me.

Halle wanted this wand the whole time we were there. I thought I could bribe her into being good while we looked at the trees, but I should I gotten the wand first thing (my night would have been A LOT better).

Our cute lil fam:) I don't know what I was thinking not wearing some kind of red that night. I totally don't match my family:) Haha.

What we've been up to lately:)

We had a great time at Tepanyaki's for Brad's birthday dinner. Both of the girls were freaked out cuz of the fire. Their fear is not going to stop me from eating there:)

Haisley LOVED her cupcake for Daddy's Birthday!!

ADVENTS: Every year my family does a weekly countdown to Christmas. We get together on Sundays and read a Christmas book, have hot chocolate and yummy cookies made by my awesome Mom. Each year we get our FIRST GIFT OF CHRISTMAS on our first Advent Sunday. The gift is usually an ornament for the kids (something to do with what has happened during the year) and a Christmas book for the adults. This year my parents switched things up a bit- the adults got a candle wreath so we can start doing our own ADVENTS:) Thanks Mom and Dad- we love it and are so excited to continue the tradition in our own little family!!

Haisley's ornament was a telephone. She loves to talk on the phone even if she isn't really saying anything:)
Halle got a Cinderella one. She loved it, so much that the following morning she broke it:)

We got to babysit Brad's niece the other day and my girls had a blast. They loved playing with baby Ellie:)

Gettysburg...

While in VIRGINIA we had the opportunity to go to GETTYSBURG!! It was so awesome. Going there reaffirmed to me how wonderful our country's history is. We are so blessed to live in a country where we are FREE!! While there I became so overwhelmed with how much stuff I don't know. I really want to learn more about our country:) I want to be able to go back there when my kids are older and be able to teach them all the things that I didn't know when I was just there. This life is really about learning and I have A LOT to learn about. I better be around for many more years so that I can learn more. Here's a shout out to my brother for having the idea to go there. I really appreciated the journey with you guys:)

Happy Birthday...

To One AMAZING Man!!

HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY BRAD.

We LOVE You!!

Halloween!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Great Country Farms!!

While in VA we went to this AWESOME place- Great Country Farms!! The kids LOVED it!!
This is Will on a huge blow up jumpy thing. The sign said that adults couldn't jump on it, but I just ignored it- we had so much fun:)
Haisley was in the middle of all these chess pieces and was in heaven- something just her size!!
Instead of a bunch of gross sand, the farm has a place full of corn kernels. The kids enjoyed playing in here and we found pieces of corn "everywhere" after we were done:)
My cute nephews- Will and Tate.
Halle figured out to do this awesome little toy- she was pretty proud of herself!!
Haisley was trying to be like her big sister, but couldn't quite get it.
Cute kidlets:)
We didn't go anywhere without giving the kids tons of candy and goodies to keep them from falling apart. Thanks Em for the suckers!!
Halle LOVED this area of the farm- she was pretending this was a grocery store and the boys would come around on their trackers and get the food. SO CUTE!!
One day WHEN we get a house we would like to have a little backyard so we can have a playhouse for the girls to pretend with. I love watching them and seeing how their minds work- I think they watch their mom a little too much. I guess I had better start watching everything I do so they don't pick up on the bad things I do.

Washington Nationals

Here we are at the SECOND baseball game of the trip- Washington Nationals!! It was such a beautiful stadium and we had a blast because these guys (picture below) were with us:)
My brother, Bill, and his WONDERFUL family: Emilee, Will and Tate. Thanks for coming with us and helping Brad get two more stadiums on his list:)
We bought the really cheap tickets, but since it was such "packed house" we got to sit really close:) All the kids even made it onto T.V:)
Of course you can't go to a game without eating tons of treats:) The girlies LOVED the COTTON CANDY!!
By the end of the night the girls had had it.

While walking out of the stadium (early I might add) we saw Tommy Lasorda walking out. Brad was excited to get a picture with him that he totally spaced the fact that he was carrying my purse- so here you have it- how manly!!

Boston Red Sox!!

A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to go out to Virginia and visit my brother and his family.  One of the main reasons Brad agreed to take this much needed "vaca" was that he would be able to visit 2 more baseball stadiums.  So here we are in Baltimore!!
Notice the shirts: I guess you know who played against the Orioles- GO RED SOX!!
Oh, how would it be to have everyone fighting over you.  
Here are the BOYS: Bill, Brad and Justin Whiting.  Brad and Justin have been friends since elementary school and he is attending dental school in Baltimore.  Brad called him up while we were driving to the stadium and told him that we were going to be in town.  He was so nice to drop whatever he was doing to come and see us (well mainly Brad), but we had a great time as well!!
Halle REALLY enjoying the game: this was post NAP (thank heavens she took one for our sanity:))  She was probably chanting "Red Sox UP, Yankees DOWN!!"  The Red Sox WON, but unfortunately have disappointed us in the post season.
Our cute family minus Halle in front of the Baltimore Harbor.

'lil Cheerleader!!

So- our little Halle bug wanted to do the Orem High Cheer Clinic a couple of weeks ago. Since my sister is on the cheer squad, she was able to do it even though she was under age.
Halle would NOT do any of the cheers by herself, so THANKS to Aunt Lexi she was able to "look" somewhat like a CHEERLEADER!!
She didn't just put her finger in her mouth while posing for the camera- she was like this THE WHOLE TIME!!
See- NOT LYING!!
But oh how cute she looked:) Maybe next time she will actually perform the dance and cheer that she knew. We really do love our sweet, stubborn Halle Girl:)

DiScoVerY GaTewaY!!

While my brother and his family were here this summer we decided to take the kiddos to the Children's Museum, Discovery Gateway.  They had a BLAST!!  It was a lot of fun to watch them "discover" new things and how they work.
The HELICOPTER was probably the highlight of the museum, the kids loved it!!
The future news anchors for KSL- aren't they CUTE!!
Haisley had so much fun at every station.  Here she is driving the car that Halle was putting gas in.
Will- boy at the FOUNTAIN.  No, we didn't bring swimming suits so we just let them get soaked in their clothes and they LOVED it.  Go figure.
Halle enjoyed getting close to the fountain and then running away, she wanted to be brave but was still a little bit chicken!!