Fall Funtivities

October has been such a fun month! The boys enjoyed a visit from Grandma Ellsworth who brought lots of pumpkins and yummy Honeycrisp apples.

While she was here we went to Simmon's Farm and picked out pumpkins and Indian corn, pet the animals and played on the 100 ft. sack slides with friends from the neighborhood.

Carson also had his first field trip to the environmental education center and learned all about trees there.

We had the biggest pile of leaves yet (although the backyard is still yet to be raked- so stay tuned) and the boys were big helpers. In fact, our home teachers asked us to pick one Christ-like quality to improve on as a family and we picked service. Carson decided that since we were raking our leaves, it would be so nice if we did the neighbor's leaves too. So even though my hands were already blistered, we surprised the next door neighbors and raked their leaves too. I think initially the motive wasn't really to help, but to get a bigger pile of leaves... but in the end he decided it was nice to serve too!

We had "Stravaganza" night at Carson's school- which is like a fall carnival. It is the biggest fundraiser of the year, and so it was a big deal and we had a blast with the boys. Carson even won the game tower in the raffle drawing (when Mommy buys enough tickets, you inevitably will win something... but shhh, don't tell Carson) :0)

Today the family got a fun delivery: a popcorn and goody can! Of course the boys had torn into it before I was even done taking pictures, but it was a hit! Thanks Grandpa & Grandma!

Tonight for FHE we carved pumpkins and the boys had a great time getting gooey and making the jack-o-lanterns. Carson wanted some help with the ghost template, so we did that together and then Connor and Mommy made the face and Carson did his jack-o-lantern all by himself! I was so proud of his effort in cutting the stem, removing the goo and creating his face. It was fantastic! The for dessert, we made a graveyard cake and the boys would say "oooh, scary" each time they took a bite. Fun times!

Philadelphia Fun

We had a great time at Aunt Heather and Uncle Jayson's house last weekend. Grandma Kuzdas and Aunt Kristy were also able to be there, so it was extra fun! The boys had a blast with their cousins and doing crafts with Grandma and all of the big girls had an uplifting time at "Time Out for Women." Although the word of the day was "ah-tu-gon," (the answer to "what shape is a stop sign?"-- and every other question) we had a great time and can't wait to go there again soon! Also, here's a shout-out to Jayson for supplying the fantastic pictures. Thanks again, everyone!

The cute boys at the nearby farm/orchard:


Carson's new favorite game:


Picking apples:


Hiding from unsuspecting victims:


No post is complete without a picture of Connor eating...although these apple cider doughnuts were pretty tasty!


Crafts with Grandma:


The finished product:


Connor's new favorite friends: Madyson...


and Mackenzy:

Our first fall

It is officially fall when the boys can jump into a pile of leaves taller than they are! We are loving the beautiful sights that come with the cooler weather and although we are freezing at 70 degrees, it is a fun change!

Before the big jump- don't be fooled; the pile was really HUGE! It is just at a bad angle in this shot.


Connor's Action shot:


Carson's action shot:


It must be exhausting jumping in the leaves all day (way more tired than mommy, who raked all of the leaves each time)

Finally!

I know, I know. Keep the rants in the posts to a minimum. We have been a little busy out here and between unpacking, painting, wedding vacationing, bus stopping, teaching, mommying, internet/phone correcting (again, and again, and again...) we haven't had a spare minute to post. :0) But, I have managed a few quiet moments with an interruption-free internet connection, and so I am updating a BRIEF post so you can see what we have been up to. I preface by saying brief because it won't have many pictures of the house other than the first day we got here (it is still a work in progress). But take a look at the plethora of pictures below to see what you have missed in the past month (from Connor's tooth episode to Marc's wedding). Enjoy!

After the incident and pre-surgery:

We still went to Disneyland the day after Connor's surgery (he didn't mind, I assure you):

Dumbo was a "must ride"

Connor's favorite: Monsters Inc. We rode this at least 10 times.

Sully said "hi" just before the earthquake hit (it was awesome)!

Wall-E!


Just before we head out of AZ!


We're here!


Exploring the back yard:


The house:


The kitchen (and Kevin):


On the deck steps:


At the white coat ceremony. "What do you think I liked best?"


Connor always has food in his hand:


Modeling the new coat:


Uncle Matt drove down to visit!


Going to church:


Marc's Wedding:


the Reception:


All the nieces and nephews


My toothless sweetheart:


My silly sweetheart:

We're Here!

Okay, so it has been a very busy couple of months so I have been a slacker when it comes to keeping up on the blog. We finally made it to Pittsburgh and absolutely love it here! It is beautiful and green and we can't get enough of the sights to see here.
Kevin started his schooling this week and comes home amazed at all that is happening at UPMC and the University.
Our home is perfect and as soon as we get a little more unpacked I'll post some pictures for everyone to see. We love it!
Thanks for being patient and keep checking back to see how we are doing!