Things of Note

Glasses, reflections, snow and Thanksgiving.  What do they have in common?  

All occurred in November.

We have entered the realm of poor eyesight. I was hoping that none of my kids would inherit this particular degenerate gene from the Taggart side but alas it has happened. My handsome little devil, Ethan is the proud new owner of pair of designer eyewear.

 Okay, they aren't actually designer but they sure are cute! 

And the trophy you ask?  Well that is the trophy Ethan won for his reflections
entry in photography.

Here's the winning shot.

 The reflections theme for this year was "Together We Can. . ."

His interpretation was "Together was can explore" and he took this picture of some of his friends digging up treasure in our backyard. Is the picture a little blurry?  Yes. Was it taken in full sun? Yes, but it was definitely the most creative of the other 3 entries that moved up to the next round with him.

The first big snowstorms of the season have blown in and my kids couldn't be happier.  The first one came in on a Sunday and although we do not encourage playing on Sundays we just couldn't keep the kids inside with all that glorious white stuff outside.  They suited up and played for hours, no friends just each other.  I love days like that.  They are few and far between these days.  Friends are pretty important to my kids right now so to have them play together for an extended period of time was a good mommy moment.  JayDee and I couldn't just stand and observe and let all that great packing snow go to waste so we may have started a snowball fight.  I couldn't be happier for snow on Sundays now!

First snow

And since this first snow we've had a couple more good storms roll in.  After each storm the kids check the status of our growing "mountain" in the front yard.  We live in a kind of sued o-cul-de-sac, the road goes through but causes a pretty deep bend in the road.  Our house sits in that deep bend and every year as the snow accumulates on the road the plows will push it to the same spot right in front of our house and by mid-winter we have a mountain of snow in our front yard that kids dig forts into and sled down.  Although the kids absolutely love the snow, JayDee does not.  Every year it gets worse.  As the snow increases, JayDee's good mood decreases. :)  One of the things he does that does not help his mood is putting the Christmas lights on the house.  It's a testament to how much he really loves me because it's just not Christmas for me without lights.  So every year he trudges up on the rooftop and puts them up for me.  Most years he doesn't get around to it until after those first few storms hit so his life is in peril (as he says) but this year he was thinking and got the lights hung before any snow!  He even made it a family affair and took Ethan and Hannah up to help. That was a first!  And you know that may have been just the way to do it, he's been in good spirits ever since!

 

And you can't note November without noting Thanksgiving.  I've already noted some of the things I'm thankful for but the list really is endless.  I'll just end with a couple of blessings that I need recorded.

In 2010 I'm thankful for (not in any particular order):

*My family

*Health

*A worthy priesthood holder for a husband

*A warm house to come home to

*The gospel of Jesus Christ

*2 counselors and 1 secretary that ease my burdens and make serving a joy

*Smiles and laughter

*Great friends who chase away the mundane

*A computer that runs properly

*Kisses, hugs and snuggles

*A good book

*And wonderful extended family that enrich my life and my children's lives

Jackson Hole

Well, I guess I'm never going to get the pictures I want from JayDee so I shall post without them. 

Picture mid-October, the 12-15th to be precise, it's lovely weather, the kids are in school and the husband has a presentation to give at a national conference in Jackson Hole.  With a little finagling, I was able to secure the help of two lovely aunts so I could go to the conference with JayDee. It was like a free trip. How could I not try to go when the university is paying for almost everything?  He goes to at least one national conference a year, usually they are farther from home and in the summer.  This one landed close to home (which was good) but was also scheduled during school (which was bad).  It's always harder to leave kids when they have school to attend.  But fortunately it all worked out and JayDee and I were off to what we hoped would be restful little getaway, and it turned out to be just that.  JayDee really only had to attend one full day of conference meetings so the rest of the time we just enjoyed each others company.  We bummed around Jackson, and for all of you wondering what there is to do in Jackson during the off season the answer is . . .nothing!  Really this town makes a name for itself during the summer and is close enough to the Grand Tetons to be reputable during the winter, but during the fall they've got nothing.  So we walked the streets, browsed the shops and ate.  

The 13th was JayDee's 35th birthday and unfortunately this was the day JayDee had to spend in meetings so I was on my own.  I had to eat alone, which I do not like, and I shopped alone, but I did find a cozy little bookstore that I spent a good hour or more browsing the shelves and smelling that new book smell which I love!  I would never have been able to do that with JayDee in tow. 

On the 14th we drove up to Yellowstone to relive the memories of our first wedding anniversary and to see some sites we missed the first time.  We also relived our 4th grade geography lessons about the Continental Divide. I thought is was kind of funny and a little sad that we jumped out of the car with enthusiasm to read a sign describing what the Continental Divide was.  :)

JayDee had a successful conference and I had a relaxing getaway and these are the only pictures to show for it.

 On the way to Jackson we stopped at a little service station that is famous for its square ice cream.  Well we couldn't pass that up when the world's biggest ice cream fan is in the car. Unfortunately, as cool as it was to eat an ice cream cone shaped like a stick of butter it was not very tasty.

 This is 43 N, the swanky little restaurant where we chose to eat for JayDee's birthday dinner.  How can a place called 43 N not be swanky?  The best part of the dinner was when I used the word swanky to describe this place and JayDee had no idea what the word meant.  Really.  I had to define it for him. :) It just goes to show that you are never to old to learn new things.

 This was our scenery on the way into Yellowstone.  If you were alive you will remember the fateful Yellowstone fire of 1988 which burned for months and countless acres.  When JayDee and I came to Yellowstone in 1999 for our 1st wedding anniversary those tall "sticks" high above the greenery were all that remained of the dense forestry pre-fire.  Now 11 year later these little spruce trees are everywhere and JayDee estimated they were about 10 feet tall.  Nature is an amazing thing!

 First stop actually in the park. . .Old Faithful of course!

 My not so great attempt at an arm shot with us and Old Faithful but hey, we're pretty cute!

 The only shot of either of us taken with my camera because as you can see 

JayDee has a much nicer camera. 

Pretty much the only wildlife we saw. Buffalo, buffalo and more buffalo. Both times we've been to Yellowstone all we ever see is buffalo.  Where are all the animals everyone always says they see and the park warns about?  JayDee's pictures are, as he would say "calendar quality" but remember I don't have his pictures so you get this one. . .not calendar quality.

October

I have been patiently waiting to add a new post because I needed some pictures off my dear husband's camera to document our fun little excursion to Jackson Hole mid October (it's a work camera and the pictures can only be downloaded to his work computer).  I am slightly OCD about chronological order so I waited. . .and waited. . .but blogging is not on the top of JayDee's priority list plus he's very busy so I waited some more.  Then as time passed and October ended with lots of activities I just decided to bite the bullet, swallow the nagging uneasiness that posts will be out of order and do this! I hope in the near future I will be able to expound on our Jackson Hole trip because it was over JayDee's 35th birthday and that's kind of a big one so here's to later! 

October 27th
My Ethan turned 10!  It is unreal that I have been a mother for a decade.  It's been an amazing experience and I love my Ethan so much.  He really is the greatest kid.  He is very obedient ( I wish his sisters would learn from his example) and loving.  He loves the outdoors and sports.  Recently, when asked at school what his favorite sport is he said climbing trees.  I didn't know that was an official sport but it is definitely something he loves and is very good at.  He also loves riding his bike, his ripstick and recently his new skateboard.  He loves to play football at the church with all the neighborhood boys and basketball (but only in his friend Ryan's driveway, he never plays it here - go figure).  He is also completely adorable!  I just love his crooked teeth smile and his bright blue eyes.  Unless puberty is completely ruthless to him, I'm afraid I'll have to keep an extra watchful eye on my guy so all the girls won't swoon him to death.

 No he's not 4. This is his first day of school pic (4th grade) but isn't he doll?!

October 30th

Ethan's birthday was on a Wednesday this year so he was very patient and waited until Friday to have his friend birthday party.  My kids only get friend parties every other year and this year was lucky 10!  He wanted to have a skateboarding party, so we had his party at 10 in the morning on Friday trying to beat all the teenagers to the city skate park.  This skate park idea was the only thing causing me any worry.  All the boys invited to the party, except one, are younger than Ethan.  Plus, they are very beginner skateboarders, none of them had even been to a real skate park before, and I just knew if they tried to skateboard around much more advanced teenagers they would be hopelessly unhappy and possibly injured.  So I gambled that a Friday morning, before any normal teenager would be awake on a day off of school, would be the best time to have a party and I WON!  We were the only ones there! No one else showed up until we were leaving.  It was awesome!

Here are these cute boys having the time of their lives. . .that is after they got over the initial shock of how deep a real skate park is. 

 Ollie, Ethan and Ryan

 

Logan

  

Ethan

 Tregan

 Daxton

 Ryan

 Ollie

 Tanner

 

Isaac 

 

  

 The Gang

They had so much fun and there have been a lot of "Mom, can we go to the skate park?" being asked around the neighborhood ever since.  But this was only the beginning of the party.

We went back to our house for some "manly" games ( a.k.a. - dirty games ).

First up: Tomato Bombs

  

Next: Sour Patch Kids Buried Alive

 Ethan found 5

Next: 5 o'clock Shadow

 JayDee wanted in on this action

Can't forget the presents

or the spanking machine

Ethan and Dad shared a real cake the Sunday before at their dual family birthday party so Ethan wanted another of his favorite treats, brownie sundaes.  And just as I'm dishing everyone up I remembered that I left the birthday candles at Grandma's house on Sunday, so we made do with what we had. . .that's right a princess castle candle.  Remember when I told you how great Ethan is?  Well he totally rolled with this.  I explained the situation and he was happy to have  a "girl" candle.

 Happy Birthday Ethan!

Later that day we had a neighborhood halloween party.  Same boys but this time we added girls, babies and moms.  We played games:  a relay, Halloween bingo, bobbing for apples and of course there were treats. I got lazy with the camera so these are the only pictures.

 My kids have learned the art of bobbing for apples from their Grandpa Taggart 

so that means they win every time.  Thanks Grandpa!

    

And since you cannot have too many Halloween parties the adults had a Halloween Party that night.  It was an 80s themed party, so everyone came decked in their best memories. 

 Me and our rockin' 80s host, Melissa

I know. I so do not pull off super diva but I tried!

 You can't tell from this picture but Melissa krimped her bangs 

and Morgan hand acid washed his own jeans. Classic.

 JayDee and I went for the celebrity 80s look.

Madonna and John Cusack from "Say Anything"

 It's Miami Vice and his fan club!

 Ann and Dan went with the "I knocked up my girlfriend" look.

Totally married people!

There were more people at the party but these were the people who came on time and again, I got lazy with the camera.  

October 30th

And in case this wasn't enough Halloween for you there is more.  I can't neglect the actual Halloween trick-or-treating.  Before you can trick-or-treat you've got to carve pumpkins. I love that my kids aren't afraid of pumpkin guts and love to carve their own.  It makes for super fun and super interesting pumpkins.

 

The finished products.

It was raining when I took these so they're a little on the blurry side. 

Here are the kids ready to gather their haul and face any weather that got in their way.  It was pouring rain right before we left but when we finally got out of the house it dried up and didn't start raining again until we were making it back up our street.  What good timing.  And thanks to Grandma Taggart for coming over so that Mom and Dad could both go trick-or-treating with the kids.  

Here's what we had this year:

 The darn cutest football player around.

 A pretty witch and a gypsy.

Hannah's gypsy costume is the very same one I wore when I was little.

 

And last but certainly not least, the costume that was created out of skill and creativity, mostly by Grandma Taggart but assisted by Mom. . .Prince Dastan! (Prince of Persia)  Ethan takes his costumes very serioulsy. 

If you want to be really impressed get the cover of the movie and put it up next to Ethan's picture - the likeness is uncanny. 

We had some visitors after we got home. . .visitors from WAY out of town, possibly from another planet?

 E.T. and Gerty!  

Hey Katie and Bryan, thanks for sharing your awesome costumes with us and scaring Hannah to death when she opened the door.  What's Halloween without a good scare?

 And possibly my favorite moment of all.  Isaac had snuck Emma's glow wand she got trick-or-treating and got under his bed to watch it glow then fell dead asleep.This is what Halloween is really, nothing but kids so tired they drop off to sleep anywhere!  :)

Happy Halloween!!