Street Side Pumpkin Patch

Brent has a good job and it comes with the occasional perks.  One perk was admission and unlimited access to a street side pumpkin patch.  For those of you who are in the northwest you may not know what a street side pumpkin patch is, let me explain.  It is a money making endeavor that opens in a large parking lot or vacant plot of land. It is full of blow up attractions, petting zoo animals, and other little amusement attractions.  There are pumpkins but this places is really a money pit.  Each ride cost a different organ and there is nothing really authentic about it.  That being said... 

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO!  

And it was worth it!  We took our friends, Derek and Kandace Smith plus family.  Here is Derek escorting his daughter Livi and Harper down the giant blow up slid.

Easton, who is 8, is such a helper.  I know he wanted to race through this obstacle course but he was so patient in waiting to help the little girls.

Look at that face of joy!

The tickets came through Brent's work, which meant a lot of co workers attended as well.  It was great to be able to catch up and say hi before the Christmas party in December!

Harper enjoyed the swing (Layla is in the background)

Harper LOVES the animals.  I am so close to opening my own zoo just to keep her entertained.  Okay, not really.  That would be madness.  I don't even know where to get a donkey.

Harper gets her animal fill every October.

Livi got very tired about halfway through.  She took up camp in the stroller. 

We had to convince Harper to go on the spinning ride... It was a mistake on our part.  She did not enjoy it. 

This was a fun way to spend a morning and we loved that we were able to do it with good friends and NOT PAY A PENNY!!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love Las Vegas in October!

McKee Ranch

October is my favorite month in Las Vegas because the weather is outstanding and there is SO much to do!  There are pumpkin patches (although no native pumpkins) everywhere and a million farm animals to go visit.  One Saturday, our family outing was to a new ranch The McKee Ranch.  

Harper instantly fell in love when she noticed the large play yard.

We arrived fairly early so there were not many people around.  I love that her feet are only millimeters off the ground.

While Harper was playing she spotted a little bunny and FREAKED out.  I had purchased a bucket of carrots; Harper desperately tried to feed the bunny.  It went pretty well until the bunny stole the carrot and Harper was too scared to get it back.

Harper quickly made another friend.  I thought she would be more hesitant around the pig but she was just annoyed it wouldn't eat her carrot.

We also purchased a pony ride.  Harper HATED it. That was $5.00 we'll never get back.

From there we spent some time walking around feeding the various animals.

Harper became a pro.

London found a horse that was more her size.

And LOVED when her older sister rode with her. 

They had the worlds oldest merry go round.  It was so ghetto and reminded me of my childhood. Safety regulations have ruined everything.

While Harper spun, London tried feeding the horses.  She was less of a fan than her sister.

Overall, it was a nice was to spend an hour or so.  It will be better when London is a little older but to be honest I felt nickel and dimed.  It was $20 to get in which included a pumpkin, $5.00 for pony ride, $1.00 for carrots, up to $15.00 for face painting (we passed), $40 for pictures.  It just makes everything less fun when you have to dish out more and more money to do little things.  Especially when I knew there was the BEST pumpkin patch I'd ever been to only weeks away!

Harpers First Gymnastics Class

Harper has finally reached the age where she can take classes!  I decided to start her with Gymnastics.  Brent wasn't initially convinced but he quickly changed his tune. After the first lesson he was talking about practicing at home to improve her skills, I promptly reminded him that she is 2 and we are doing this for fun.

Maybe it was seeing this face once a week that made him want more.

The first week was a little rough.  Harper wasn't great at listening and kept trying to take London on the mat with her.

London would have LOVED to join the class and in one year she can!

The teacher was really good an leading a stretch and dance time and then opening the floor for the kids to decide what to do.

Brent is trying to get Harper to do donkey kicks.

This is a back somersault. I was a little less than gentle when I first tried helping... she lived but gave me a mighty glare!

One of her favorite games was racing across the balance beam.

Her favorite time was the sticker and stamp time at the end of class.  She would then spend the entire walk out to the car losing a sticker and making us retrace our steps until we found it.... At the end of the 2nd week I figured out that I took the stickers and gave them to her in the car.

This was such a cute community class.  From now on we are trying to do one class a month!

Life After Babies

You know how you dream about being a parent?  All the sweet moments you'll have reading bedtime stories, laughing at the park or cuddling on rainy days?  Well, those things happen BUT hanging out in the Nursery during Stake Conference, being twenty minutes late because a shoe was thrown out the car window and endless crying tantrums happens A LOT MORE.

We always try to make it through Stake Conference but after 30 minutes we inevitably end up in the nursery room (which has a speaker hooked up) with at least 5 other families.

 This is just how my life is after kids.  I could probably threaten, bribe or distract my kids through the meeting but why?  They hate it, I hate it and the people sitting around us hate it. Life after kids means sacrificing your ego for happy kids and more snippets of the conference talks than you would have gotten otherwise.

 After kids you realize that no matter how much you hate playing pretend you'll do it.  Over and over again you pretend to be sick, or hungry, or the baby because your kid LOVES it.  After you've had a baby you can probably even manage pretending for ten whole minutes before you go insane!

 Life after baby means you watch your kid getting smarter than you ever were or will ever be.  You realize this when they trick you into doing something you had previously said no to.  You will be equal parts annoyed and impressed. They seem well aware that they are manipulating you. 

Even the way you talk to your spouse changes. You talk about poop, tantrums and snot more than you talk hobbies or intellectual debates about politics or religion.  You know you've married a winner where you cover all of those topics in one conversation.

 After babies you're so eager for time to speed up so they'll sleep through the night, eat on a schedule and be more manageable, until you looked at a picture and realize your baby isn't really a baby anymore. Then you feel like you're going to have a mental breakdown because of it.

Another aspect of your life that totally changes is your evaluation of what is fun. Eating out at restaurants, window shopping, going to the movies and anything remotely adventurous seem like punishments.  Instead, you spend all your time at parks, play places, libraries, bounce houses, splash pads and backyards. You don't really hate doing those things but you do wistfully think of those times grocery shopping did not include five very public and very loud tantrums.

 After a baby you attempt to only serve/order handheld food, because no matter how hard you try you will find cereal underneath your covers at some point.  You will also decide to clean in up in the morning rather than immediately.

 You learn to make up the silliest songs because at least two people in the world LOVE your singing.  

And you learn to negotiate with your children to try new things.  Curling her hair was a twenty minute debate but she couldn't stop look at herself afterward.  I'm convinced that toddlers should be the only ones allowed to negotiate with terrorists.  World peace would be achieved so no one had to listen to a screaming inconsolable child anymore.  

 Life sure changes after babies and although it is stressful and exhausting even the hard times are amazing in hindsight.

Pumpkin Days 2015

This was it!  The best harvest weekend of them all!  PUMPKIN DAYS!!!  I have literally been looking forward to this for a year and it was finally time.  I had told EVERYONE I knew about it and convinced the Gunns and Mareshs to join us out in Parumph.

The first place we found was the petting Zoo.  Last year they had the most exotic animals.  This year there were not quite as many exotic animals but they had the most adorable animals.  Like...

Baby Bunnies!

Harper was in HEAVEN.  There were close to 15 baby bunnies who were just so sweet.

Sometimes she needed help being sweet!

Baby Goats

Harper also held really still to get her face painted (which was included in the $15 entrance fee). 

The girl was really sweet and created the most beautiful butterfly.

Although there were fewer exotic animals, they still had a few.  This was enough to get Londons attention.

The Armadillo was really fun.  It actually rolls up into a complete ball.  The trainer said this one is way to friendly and never rolls when around people.  She likes to play!

Paisley and Scarlett enjoying the little guy.

London and Harper were both interested in petting the lizard (I can't remember which kind).  This picture is going to become more and more fun as they get older!

London loves animals already.  I see many fights over pets in my future.

They also had Minituare horses!  #lilsebastion. 

She is hugging him!  How cute is this picture!

Paisley enjoyed the bunnies as well.  She is painted as a kitty cat, although I think she got the least experienced of all the face painters.

Scarlett was REALLY looking forward to the pony ride.  She got really lucky and was the last one to ride the pony before they switched to cart rides with the miniature horses. 

Harper was happy that the horse unavailable and we got to ride in the cart together. The driver actually owned all the horses and told me they were all rescues.  I didn't realize that their were so many miniature horses that were mistreated.  I am glad there are people who care enough to rescue these little guys.  

After some horse rides it was Hay Maze Time.  Steven was good enough to take all the kids through.

Shortly after the Hay Maze Tyla, Kade and Jana Maresh Joined us.  Harper was happy to show her the animals.

Harper spent the whole morning being TERRIFIED of the Lawn Mower train.  All she had to do was stil on this while a lawn mower pulled her around. She was not happy.

She also enjoyed playing on the Haystacks.  Kade was pretty much king of the mountain after 30 seconds.

Harper rode it again, although she doesn't look very happy about it.

London explored the back of the police car.  It was not roomie.  Just one more reason to not be arrested.

These two couldn't get enough.

I LOVE this festival.  It is all included, the perfect size and a great way to spend 3 or 4 hours.  You don't think that there is a ton to do but it is just enough for the kids to do everything multiple times.   I love it and can't say enough things about it!