Giddy Up!

For months, Halle has been obsessed with horses, boots and all things "cowgirl," so her costume choice was pretty easy this year. When I found a cowboy outfit for Chase to match, we were thrilled. I'm pretty biased, but I must say they are the cutest little "pardners" around!

Halle got her hat and boots from Burns Saddlery. (Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa!) Even after growing up in Salina, I think that was our family's first purchase from Burns. After I saw her boots, though, I think I want some for myself!

Chase hated this hat! I have about twenty wasted pictures trying to get one with his hat on. We were finally successful!

They had so much fun trick-or-treating. Chase had a hard time keeping up with the other kids, but he totally lived it up.

Happy Halloween to all!

Playing Catch-Up

Over UEA weekend, my parents treated Halle and I on a trip to Seattle. We had a blast! Since Chase takes up so much of my time on a regular basis, it was so nice to spend 3 days with my girl.

We kept busy hanging out at the zoo...

Checking out the city from the top of the Space Needle...

Checking out the fish at the Aquarium...

Taking it easy...

And being silly...

Thanks, Mom and Dad for a much needed trip! We loved it!

Perfectly Pleasurable Pumpkins

We made our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch a little early this year and we had a great time. We usually wait until the week of Halloween, and scour the place for a few round pumpkins, but this year we had plenty to choose from.

It is so much fun to watch the kids pick out a pumpkin. Halle was determined to find the biggest pumpkin she could, and Chase was thrilled to just put every pumpkin he could into the wheelbarrow. We would have spent $100 in pumpkins if we kept each one that Chase loaded.

If there is one thing that Chase loves in this world, it's a pile of dirt, so imagine his excitement when he discovered a whole field with endless opportunities to get dirty. Talk about Heaven on Earth! He found this little wheelbarrow and pushed it around the entire time. Seriously, for all the stress this child causes me, he can be pretty much adorable.

I love simple family activities. Sometimes life becomes so crazy that I forget how blessed I really am, but spending an half hour in the middle of a dirt field with my family reminded me that I really am so lucky. I have a wonderful family, and I love nothing more than to see them happy.

Just Call Me Martha Stewart

Before Sunday, my best culinary skill was ordering take-out, but now, I'm pretty sure I could host my own show on the Food Network.

Let me explain. When the Mormon Times arrived last Thursday, there was an article about how many families have the tradition of making homemade cinnamon rolls before the morning session of conference. Sam read the article and thought it was a good tradition to have, so we decided to give it a try. I was a bit apprehensive, because my only cinnamon roll experience consists of pulling Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls out of the freezer and putting them in the oven. But, I made these cinnamon rolls completely from scratch. Holy Smokes! I'm a domestic diva!

Anyway, they came out of the oven just in time for conference to start. It was so great to sit down with my family and enjoy the words of church leaders and eat cinnamon rolls. This is definitely a tradition that we will continue every conference Sunday. I can't wait until April!