cute pix from the past

My sister in law Sara just sent me these pix and I couldn't help but post them because they are so cute!

Maelie!!! - I can't believe it!!

Brooke, Maelie, and Jakob at Travis and Kristin's wedding!! - love it!!!

field trp

Today we went with Maelie on her field trip for preschool to Wasson Farm - we had a lot of fun! Notice how the girls are better prepared for the cold now! :)

our pumkin collection

we went thru a corn maze!

Maelie goes to the high school preschool so she has a lot of teachers - this is her favorite teacher - Courtney

playing on the tractor

this is the pumpkin that Kyla chose

Maelie and Kyla with their teacher friends in the corn maze

Jaxon and the bat - our friend Kari from Chandler gave us this warm suit for him and I'm so glad she did! Thanks, Kari!

the girls loved seeing all the animals - cows, pigs, goats, cats, dogs, bunnies

Maelie on the tractor ride

Jaxon slept!

parade and pumpkin patch

This weekend was brrrrr.... Friday night we went to Penn State's Homecoming parade which was a lot of fun and the kids loved! Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch and went on a tractor ride out to pick out our pumkin, had some apple dumplings, and the kids jumped on the bounce house. This morning when we went to church it was 30* and the car was icy on the windows! BRRRRR*** By the way, Penn State football is undefeated!!!

the tractor!

on the tractor ride back with our pumpkin

Jaxon loves to be standing now and is all over the place!

the pumpkin patch

the chosen pumpkin!

the parade!!!

random pix from Grandma and Shannon's week visit

Thanks for coming, it was fun having you! Grandma and Shannon were sure troopers this week when they came for a visit! We dragged them here and there and all over and made them sleep from a hotel to a bunk bed to an airless air mattress!! And all the while putting up with our cranky kids! I hope we didn't scare you off forever, haha!! And also thanks for babysitting, hehe! Jonas and I went on 3 dates while they were here, much appreciated!! :) And not to mention how they took care of them during all the driving! They probably need a vacation from that vacation!

They sure came at the perfect time because the trees are beautiful right now - we sure had some scenic drives!!

Monday night we went to pick out a pumpkin

taking a teeter totter break in Palmyra

digging out those pumpkin guts!

Jaxon getting into the crayons and markers during FHE

this is how we do Kyla's hair when she wants Daddy to do it! haha!

Amish Country

Last Wednesday night I went to pick up my Mom and sister Shannon from the airport and then we stayed overnight in Lancaster to see a bit of Amish country.

Maelie and Kyla frosted a ginerbread cookie at Kitchen Kettle Village... this was a cool place where you could sample all sorts of yummy foods, I loved all the salsa!

a cute little wooden train that Maelie and Kyla played on

the goats at Bird-in-Hand

We even stopped by an Amish Farm for some homemade root beer!

hulahoops!

We have reinvented the family tradition of blankie rides! We go from throwing the kids up in the air, then to swinging them upside down and all around (hulahoops), and finishing with swinging them onto the couch. The kids love it! And we finally had someone to take pix of it! - Thanks, Mom.

***PALMYRA, NY***

YEAH!! I finally made it to Palmyra, New York! It was beautiful! Jonas and I got to go to the temple on Friday night! We live about 3.5 hours from the closest temple so we gotta take any chance we get to go to the temple so we dragged Mom and Shannon to Palmyra over the weekend! Thanks!! Saturday we saw the sites and Sunday we went to Sacrament meeting in Palmyra, walked around the temple, went back to Hill Cumorah and then drove home!

Palmyra temple

Jaxon crawled (normally he scoots everywhere) more than a few times on top of Hill Cumorah, it musta been the grass!!

Hill Cumorah

the printing shop of the Book of Mormon

Moroni on top of Hill Cumorah - the fam and Shannon

this was so great - the Peter Whitmer home, where the church was oganized - could really feel the spirit here!!

the girls in the Sacred Grove

I have always wanted to come here and it was as awesome as I thought it would be!

this pic is on the temple ground with the sacred grove in the background

The First Vision statue at the Smith Farm

the girls at the Palmyra temple - Mom, Shannon, Mistie, Maelie, and Kyla

Hill Cumorah - incredibly beeeeeautiful!

Jaxon at the top of Hill Cumorah

Maelie and Kyla in the Smith home

Mom and Shannon are coming!

I am driving by myself with the kids to pick up Mom and Shannon from the airport today (1.5 hour drive) wish me luck!! We are then going to Lancaster to experience some amish! I'm so excited!!

time to get a gate for the stairs?!

Maelie and Kyla with their friend Abbie