Abby's Growing up

These pictures are from October 2015.  They make me laugh.  Because Abby is growing up.  She does things all the time that I just shake my head at.

1.  Climbing up in the pantry so she can open the sugar bowl and eat fistfuls of sugar ... oh and get most of the sugar all over the pantry.

2.  (Note:  Abby is potty trained but somedays she thinks she wants to wear a pull up.... )  Abby doesn't like to wear pants.  She likes to wear skirts pretty much always. But she really likes pockets.  This was one of those...shake your head and smile moments... She wanted to carry her rocks around while I weeded.  So she put them in the only place possible.  I asked her where they were and this is what she showed me.  

3.  Abby is growing up because she has her little friends who she loves to see.  Pepper and Gwen are cute like sassy girls just like her.  Pepper is even wearing the same pink skirt as Abby does all the time in this picture.  We both showed up to a scout meeting one night with our daughters both in their pink tutus with their underwear showing through.  Oh the battles we have daily!  Notice in this picture Abby is dressed in normal clothes.  It was an all day process to talk to her about going to the party in pants, shoes and a long sleeve shirt.  But it took all day to get her ready to wear those clothes.   She tries clothes on and then immediately takes them off and says she doesn't like them.  Like a sensory issue or something.  

4.  Abby thinks she is so big.  She wants to do all the things her brother and sisters do.  It is hard when they get to go ride their bikes and scooters and she cant even reach!

But we still have melt downs.  Sometimes she just needs a little love and attention.

And she still loves her sippy cups with chocolate milk.  My mom gave me this stock pot which Abby crawled into the other day.  She couldn't get out when she was done.  

5.  October 31, 2015.  We got rid of her crib.  She is too big to sleep in a crib anymore.  I told myself I would let her sleep in it until she could crawl out of it, but that never happened.  She loves her bed.  

Halloween 2015

All three of my kids got into Halloween this year. Abby still thought it was

 Amazing that people just gave her candy.  She had to realize that the candy could stayin her bag and didn't have to be eaten immediate,y. 

Your researched his costume and found the best price and exactly what he wanted. He still loves Legos and star war clones. Ella wanted to be a vampire.  Not sure why.  But she was a cute vampire.  Abby just wanted to wear her swimsuit.  Hmmmmm.....

We trick r treated with aunt Linda and then at our house.  It was so lovely.  

October 2015 -Fall

In October we went on a few outings in the mnts as a family.  It was beautiful.  Cecret Lake at Alta is one of my favorite places.  We hiked up there one evening and had a lovely evening.  We found a little cave/mine shaft we crawled in.  

I love these quiet moments.  Those moments when kids are happy and glad to be together.  I hope I can help foster that for a long time.

We had a few fun Halloween adventures.  We still don't have any leaves to rake, so Ella raked the neighbors leaves.  We have planted trees but we have a few years until they are even big enough to bother with raking.  

I love where we live.  We have had some beautiful sunsets lately.  The mountains are amazing and the quiet area is peaceful.  I also love where we live even as we are finishing the basement.  What a project.  It is amazing to learn the ins and outs of it all.  It will take us a few years but we will get there.  

We spent another lovely evening up at Ledgemere Picnic Area in Big Cottonwood Canyon. We had a lovely dinner with s'mores.  Abby got those s'mores EVERYWHERE.  We explored a man made cave up there and found some beautiful leaves.  

Tyler and I got to go to the Cathedral of the Madeline in downtown SLC and see 5 amazing organist play.  A beautiful old church with lovely music.  

Playing the Tabernacle Organ

We came home early from our Fall Break so Tyler could play on a few pretty famous Organs.  He had practiced quite a bit for this day.  I had tried to do some here and there but nothing like him.  He played on two organs in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.  Then he also go to play on the big organ in the Old Tabernacle that is huge! 

  It was pretty impressive when he sat down to play "We Thank Thee Oh God For Our Prophet".  The instructor kept pulling out lots of stops and making it louder and grander and by the end the whole Tabernacle was booming with his playing.  

Grandma and Grandpa Balls came down and spent the day with us. Darren made it down there with the girls too.  They got to see their brother preform.  

Moab for Fall Break

We went south for fall break.  Moab was wonderful.  Our little family is growing up. We hiked and biked.  We cooked good food and enjoyed the sunshine and pool.  Tyler and Ella biked with Darren for a few miles then we stopped and saw Dead Horse Point.  Then Tyler was a champion and biked 16 miles of Gemini Bridges.  I did that when I was 20 and thought it was hard, and he did it when he was 10!  I was so proud of him.  He was done DONE DONE by the end but he did it!

We hiked to Delicate Arch one day.  My kids are troopers.  They do hard things.  Abby got carried most of the way.  But we love her.

The last day I got to bike with the two older kids.  Darren and Abby biked around the parking lot while we rode.  Then Darren went out to ride.  We played games in the back of the truck.  Staying out of the heat an enjoying some slow time!  There are so many things to do in Moab.  We will have to add on to our adventures every year.  Rock climbing, hiking to fun water places, biking to water places, and just some great mnt biking!

Moab

Arches:

Devils garden in arches

Mountain Biking:

Bar M

Dead Horse 

Klonzo

Hiking:

Corona Arch

Mill Creek

Negro Bill

Small canyon before Colorado river to hike with water. 

Climbing:

Ice cream parlor Wall Street