November days

November was filled with date nights, a snow day, decorating the Christmas Tree a week before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving up in Idaho with the Averett cousins, and days filled with school, work, and family fun! This year we got BYU football season tickets. Ryan and Tyler had a great time going to the games together and enjoying watchings some football instead of coaching and playing it. Treven got a little jealous about not being able to go so he got a guys night out with dad and Uncle Steve and Dylan to a BYU basketball game. He had a fun time and came home with a new BYU hat. Since Treven and Tyler were getting dad time mom and Halle had a girls night out with some friends out to eat and then off to get a pedicure. It was a blast hanging out with Helen, Nan, Liz, and Ellie. The girls even got to ride a merry go round!

Since Emery was the only one left and being 3 she really didn't care, Emery got to spend many a nights sleeping with mom and dad since about 4am every night she found her way into our room and so that was counted as her mommy/daddy date! Ryan and I were lucky to go on our own special date this month to the temple and do sealings for some family names along with his parents and sisters.

I swear once that snow was on the ground and sticking I didn't see my kids all weekned long. Halle and Emery would come in looking like little cute popsicles with smile on their faces. We even found time to go sledding up by our house.

Our cute little niece Elsie had her first birthday day and the kids  loved getting to go and celebrate her day with her playing games with the cousins, cracking open a pinata, and coming home with lots and lots of candy!

It was our year to spend Thanksgiving up at in Idaho with the Averett cousins. After a long 11 hour drive up (which the kids did great both ways and earn major kudos from the parents) the kids were ready to play and play some more along with a little turkey fun on the side. We made it up to Idaho the day before Thanksgiving which meant a lot of playing around the house and waiting for the Colton cousins and Grandma and Grandpa to make it. And when the did the kids went even more crazy and spend the day just enjoying being together. The kids played the adults talked and played games, while Ryan and Ryan took off during the evening to watch a movie. Next day was Thanksgiving and boy did we eat. While the boys went shooting clay pigeons the women stayed back and made sure the feast was prepared. Finally the Turkey was done and the tables set and along with Kim's brothers and mom we ate and ate and ate some more. After the eating was done we all took off to the movies while some went to Lincoln, others to Wreck it Ralph and my brother and I along with Treven and Andrew went to The Rise of the Guardians. After the movies it was time for more game playing and the gift exchange for the cousins. Since the Averett clan wouldn't be joining us for Christmas this year we had the kids exchange gifts. Tyler got headphones, Treven got legos, Halle got a cake pop maker, and Emery got a princess playdough kit. Later that night Kim and I took off from some Black Thursday shopping. We didn't find much and you can tell how gung ho we are that when we went to Target and did find some things, but due to the check out line being about an hour wait we dropped our stuff, went home and shopped online!

The next day the boys played some basketball int he morning and then we went over to Kellogg to an indoor water park for Rachels Birthday and had a blast swimming, watching the older kids do the flow rider all day, and the little kids playing wipe out on the lily pads. Ryan and I had fun keeping Emery entertained and spent a lot of our time in the kiddie pool or going down the family raft ride. Back to the house for more playing games and fun. Josh had put together a  Turkey Derby with this pinewook Derby Track and the boys had fun racing their cars. The best car was Matthew and Tylers car that wouldn't run unless it was loaded down with butter knifes! Treven was the Turkey Derby winner and got to wear the Turkey Hat! After the Turkey Derby was the doughnut dangle and we got to see everyones mad eating skills without hands! Every night we were up along with the kids until 1am our time! It was crazyniess but a good kind of crazy. Saturday was the time to wind down clean up and watch the girls play before we left. Rachel helped the girls put on a play called, Home is where the heart is, and they all did a great job. After that is was time to head home and enjoy another 11 hour drive home. We made it home at 1am and were happy to be home but sad to say goodbye to the cousins. Thank you Ryan and Kim for a great Thanksgiving Week

Nothing like a Thanksgiving nap while watching football.

nove

Topaz Mountain

Treven has been bugging and bugging us to go rock hunting all year. It seemed like everytime we had it planned to go out to Topaz Mountian something would come up. Well finally at the end of Oct. we found a Saturday we could take the family out to Topaz and try our hand out at hammerin away and trying to find some rock. We loaded up the Truck and off we went on our 2 1/2 hour drive out to the middle of nowhere. The kids were excited and Treven couldn't wait to get a hold of a hammer and start digging. This was probably the first time in his life Treven had free rein with a hammer and a pick and he loved it! Tyler at first wasn't to excited but by the end of the day he would admit that he had fun. We weren't the best rock hunters and only came away with one tiny topaz and a piece of glass Ryan told Halle was a topaz! But it was fun to just be together as a family and watch the kids get along and not fight with each other. Emery had a blast just hiking up the rock face of a moutain with no fear! Halle could swing that hammer with the best of them, Treven loved everything from peeing out in the dirt to hammering away and even did really well on the drive out there. Again Tyler was to excited but towards the end he was hammering more than anyone else. Mom and dad fun and loved the warm weather and just being out without any disctractions! Nothing could top off the day then stopping out in Santequin for a greasy spoon hamburger!

Halloween Day

Halloween finally came and the kids were excited to go and get some candy! During school the kids both had a Halloween parade. Halle was first in the morning so Emery and I along with Grandma and Grandpa Averett went to see the cute cat walking around the school. Mrs. V was great to let all the parents come in and take pictures and Halle was very excited to see Grandpa and Grandma.

 The day was so nice that Skip spent his Halloween day relaxing in the backyard and catching some sun.

In the Afternoon it was back to the school to watch Treven do his Halloween parade. Grandma Roses came with and we had fun watching all the cute costumes. After the parade we picked up all the kids and took them down to get a treat and then off to see Great Grandpa Averett. It was hard to keep the kids entertained until the appointed Trick or Treating time but the kids held on and after visiting Grandma and Grandpa Averett it was finally time for the kids to go. Tyler went out with a group of friends for his last year Trick or Treating and had fun running around with a group of girls and boys getting as much candy as the could. Treven headed off with his friends and he came back with over 4lbs of candy. Emery aka Minnie Mouse and Halle aka the cat  and Halle's friend Kamery went with Ryan and had the joy of watching their dad walk around the neighborhood in a speedo. Ryan was aka Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation and he did a great job walking around in a speedo, wife beater shirt, and flippers! As always he is the hit of the neighborhood! I tried to be Captian America but Halle got very embarrassed when I put it on and told me that I couldn't wear that since it was pretty and, "please mom don't let anyone see you in that!". So mom tried to make Halle happy and was a hawaiian girl instead. We had a blast going around the neighboorhood and then going up to Ryan's parents. The sugar high lasted until the next day and the only child that took up selling us their candy was Treven. Tyler actually hid is candy from us so we couldn't partake. The funny thing about that was the next week Skip found it and went to town and then left a nice chocolate present on this bed!