Fall Fun

So, it has been a little while since I blogged. I have taken a little break from the computer the last week or two. It has been nice. I loved conference weekend. After it was over we were sitting around talking about our favorite talks and everyone seemed to like something different. I love how there always seems to be something for everyone...a talk that everyone feels is for them. I especially enjoyed President Monson's talk about change on Sunday morning. It was such a good reminder to me of what is important and how fast time goes. So if you ever come over just try and enjoy the fingerprints all over everything with me : )

We have a pumpkin patch near our house that we pass several times a week. The boys have been begging to go there so this week we went. Tim was busy with a football game so Jenna was nice enough to come along and help. : ) (Sorry the pictures are all a little fuzzy. About 3/4 of the way through I realized there were several fingerprints on the camera lens. I have two suspects.)

Aunt Jenna and Ashlyn. The boys picked a tiny pumpkin for our little punkin.

They had a bunch of tractors there for the kids to climb up and pretend to drive. This was Braxton's favorite, he loves tractors and always points them out to me while we drive, even if it only remotely resembles a tractor.

This was Jace's favorite. A nice Ford with a huge steering wheel. He was very possessive of it once he decided he liked it and gave some kid who was thinking about climbing on too the evil eye. So we had another talk about sharing. : )

Jenna was in charge of the wheel barrow and we had a little spill. The boys had about 25 "favorite" pumpkins and finally the wheel barrow just fell over. It was a good chance for Jenna and I to weed out the not-so-nice ones.

Braxton did not see a pumpkin he didn't like. Here he is adding yet another one.

Here is Braxton's best attempt at a posed picture. Two is not really the age to get great posed smiles. : )

Here is Jace with his eyes closed. I don't take great pictures, what can I say...good thing we still had fun anyway.

We don't have a lot of Halloween decorations and I didn't really want to go buy more so this was the result. For FHE this week we had a lesson about our family and made this lovely family of spiders. Everyone made their own and it was lots of messy fun. They are (from L to R) Daddy, Mommy, Jace, Braxton, and Ashlyn. They learned lots of important things like, who is in our family, what color their eyes are so they could put the right color on their spider, and the "We are A Happy Family" song. They are now hanging in our kitchen.

A Halloween preview of Jace in his costume. He is excited to be Spiderman. Picking out the costume was a perfect example in the difference between Jace and Brax. Jace spots this fantastic Spiderman costume within 30 seconds. Sees it, loves it, grabs it, and is done. I show him a couple others but his mind is made up. We head over to the next aisle to find something for Braxton. Twenty minutes later we have looked at every option in his size multiple times, he is in tears because nothing is the "right one" and he can't decide and we are leaving without a costume for Braxton. A couple of hours later at home (after Jace has tried his costume on and tried out his Spiderman moves) Brax comes up and informs me he decided he wants to be Spiderman too.

We had a picnic outside a couple days ago for dinner when Tim had a meeting after work and it was an especially nice night. Ashlyn joined us in her Bumbo chair (which I highly recommend) and was trying to find a way to get herself some Chex mix. She loves grabbing for things right now and gets so excited when she sees something near enough to grab at. She is getting better and better at controlling her hands and as soon as she gets it, it goes right in her mouth.

Today at church the Primary was practicing for their program next week. They were in the chapel on the stand and there was an older man watching them practice sitting in the last row. He had white hair, was a little bald on top, and wore glasses. All of a sudden I hear Jace excitedly saying "Look mommy, look! Look at this, it is President Hinckley!" That was my laugh for the day. I am glad something is sinking in, though obviously he doesn't quite understand that he has passed away.

Okay, so since I take such long breaks between blogging I have to cram everything into one post. I have had four or five people ask me for this recipe this week so I decided I would just post it. It is the most delicious apple dip you will ever have. We love it and it is addicting. Since apples are a yummy fall fruit this is the perfect time for it.

Toffee Apple Dip

-8 oz. cream cheese, soft

-7 oz. marshmallow cream

-1/2 c. packed brown sugar

-1/4 c. powdered sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1 pkg. of toffee bits (by the choc. chips in the store)

Mix everything except the toffee bits together with electric mixer. Fold in toffee bits with spoon. Chill and eat later or enjoy right away!

Hope everyone is doing great!