Hiking in "The City" and Other October Highlights

Hiking in "The City" and Other October Highlights

• 10.30.2016

This Fall has been a little different for me.  I just haven't seemed to have the energy to get out and go and do {and photograph!} all of the fun seasonal stuff that I love.  But that's understandable.  I'm very pregnant for the third time.  So I'm cutting myself some slack.  But we have managed to squeeze in some fun and beautiful colors.  And I don't want to forget it.

On Saturday October 22nd, we joined our friends at the City of Rocks.  We meant to help the kids do a little rock climbing but the place was crawling with people.  Imagine that.  A super nice day in October brings people out.  :)  So we wound up hiking and exploring.  It might have been even more fun!  (Side Note: Let me just insert here that hiking up and down rocks at 36 weeks pregnant is no easy task because I can't raise my legs more than 90 degrees; there's a baby in the way!)  The views from within "the city" are just incredible.  Such a unique place out in the desert.  I feel lucky we get to visit so often.

^^Kisses for the baby at 36 weeks pregnant.  I think my belly overwhelms Levi's view of me these days.  Haha.^^

^^Funny photobomb by Aaron.  Hahaha.^^

Just chillin' on the rocks.  These two brothers gravitate towards one another.  When they're not in school, they seem to be in each other's space. Sometimes they fight, but most of the time they get along and it's so fun to watch and overhear.  (Okay, hilarious. "Well, your mom exploded!" one taunts.)  I'm glad they have each other.

^^The Horsley Family.^^

^^The kids found an ugly giant cricket!^^

^^She loves Uncle Bron.  That girl, so full of friendly personality.  Bron eats it up!^^

^^I found a quote that explains exactly how I feel about these folks we're lucky enough to call friends: "There are some people in life that make you laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger, and live just a little bit better."^^

Other October Highlights:

1.  The Saturday just prior to Halloween, we took the boys to Tubbs Berry Farm for some classic fall-time agricultural tourism fun.  They got to pet some farm animals, race on some silly inflatable bouncy horses, and careen down a couple of giant slides set up on ton hay bales.  Then our whole little family of four took on the straw maze.  This year it took on the shape of a giant tractor.  We let Jed lead the way until we found ourselves doing circles inside the tractor's wheel.  Then it was time for Bron and I to take over.  It took us 31 minutes and just over a mile of walking to get out!  Fun times.

2.  That evening we gathered with our friends again for some pumpkin carving.  They happened to have those patterns and cheap tools--which worked miraculously well.  The guys sat on the kitchen floor and did most of the work, but what they created was pretty impressive!  Bron made a scary face and a bat for Jed and Levi's pumpkins and the coolest cat on Addy's pumpkin.  Aaron carved a very realistic Venom on one of the boy's pumpkins.  We're totally doing that again next year.  I think the guys got a bigger kick out of it than the kids did!

3.  Levi walked out of his bathroom the other morning claiming that something had come out of the sink.  My first reaction was, "Is it alive?"  Well, I was right!  Upon further inspection, Bron found BEANS growing inside the sink drain.  Beans?!?  I couldn't help laughing out loud.  It was just so random.  Levi had dumped the beans from his musical shaker made in primary down the sink and they actually grew.  Who knew?  I can't keep up with this kid and his antics.  Apparently we're destined to have children, not things.