Family Pictures 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!

 This morning we decided to go play in the leaves at Grandma Jakes house.  While I was dressing the girls I thought about the pictures I had taken yesterday and one spot in particular where I wanted a picture of our family to be taken.

 Thats when I decided we were going to take our family pictures today.  I knew I had to be stealthily. If I mentioned my desire out loud, it was inevitable that every imaginable thing would go wrong and we probably wouldn't even make it out of the house. 

 Knowing full well that the universe had probably sensed my intentions and was already setting out to ruin my plans, I spent about 4 seconds getting everyone dressed and hair done.  

 As we were heading out the door I casually mentioned to Tyler "By the way we are going to have our family pictures taken."  I thought I had been so sneaky until he said "Oh, I know."

 Until this point I hadn't dared to hope I might pull it off and so it was only as we were getting into the car that I called a friend to drive over, meet us and take our pictures.

 I had prepared myself for utter failure, and so when I saw that the end product was fantastic, I was over the moon. 

 Turns out my friend is a really good photographer.

 And with the right background, even we can look good.

 It helped that Alex had squirreled away some tootsie rolls for the ordeal.

 And Heidi was fairly entertained by a lollypop stollen from Grandma's house.

 We even got 3 genuine smiles out of Alex.

  I don't think Tyler will ever understand my hoarder mentality when it comes to pictures, but I will forever be grateful for the angles who are sent to make sure Family Photo's happen.

Halloween part 1

Since I spent so much time making costumes this year, the girls have worn them just about everywhere the last week.  

 Now that I've recovered from so much sewing, I've started enjoying crafting again and begun accessorizing the outfits. (flowers, I've made like 20.)

 Last night we went to Provo's city Halloween party which was really cool, but they did far to good a job of advertising because it was packed.  I was super glad Danielle came along with me because I would have lost the kids 10 times over if it had just been me.

 Last week we gave up on getting everyone together for our annual pumpkin carving contest, and Tyler, Alex, Uncle Devin and I did our own.

 I got the honor of carving the giant one.  Devin helped Alex carve the smaller one, she loved it.  We had about 25 pumpkins this year in the garden, every single one was big and beautiful.

 I've been slowly cutting them up and cooking them down into pumpkin puree and then cooking all sorts of pumpkin treats.  But we still have a ton.

I voted Tyler's as the best.  You can't really see, but the the teeth are amazing.

Family Pictures, but unfortunately not ours.

Last Fall I got to take pictures for this cute family.

 This year, I got to do it again!

These guys are so photogenic, they make it easy.

I had such a great time running around taking pictures of them.

I guess it's probably a lot easier when they are your good friends.

I can't believe how fast this little doll is growing up!

We took pictures at Grandma Jakes house again.  It's such a great place and has everything a person could want or need. 

I don't think I've ever seen a 2 year old so happy to have her picture taken.  She smiled the ENTIRE time!

Isn't Renee gorgeous?! (she's the mom)

I was almost sad when it was over.  Walking around outside with good friends, taking pictures, and not chasing around my own kids- it was like a vacation. 

Man, what a beautiful family!

My favorite part of the job, catching the precious, unscripted moments.

The end of summer hike

A few weeks ago we went to a friends house to carve pumpkins.  With 4 girls between the 2 families ranging from 2 months to 3 years old, there was plenty of excitement.

 Alex turned down every pumpkin face I suggested and insisted on drawing her own because mine weren't scary enough.  So the two of us did a pumpkin together, she drew the face and I did the cutting.

A couple weeks later we got a few families together from our ward and roasted marshmallows at Grandma Jakes house.  The kids ran around like crazy, ate plenty of sweets and exhausted themselves, while the parents talked.  It was wonderful.

 But, the greatest activity we pulled off this summer was a hike to stewart falls!  I was afraid we wouldn't make it before the weather changed but heaven smiled down on us this weekend and we were able to go!

 Alex and Ashes actually walked most of the way there, leading the group and keeping up a pretty good clip.

 We invited Michael and Danielle for the company, but they turned out to be a lifesavers.  Having 2 extra adults around to pack in, run after and pack out the kids was great.

 Heidi loved pestering Michael and enjoyed the views on the way to the falls, although not so much on the way back.

 The fall colors were amazing!  I'm so glad we were able to make it when most of the stinging nettle was dead, and the leaves were so bright and beautiful.

 Here is our little group.  I have to give major points to Danielle for coming along while 6 1/2 months pregnant!

 It was really a perfect day.

 Except for the huge rock that someone knocked off the falls while Michael and Heidi were standing next to them, it was pretty uneventful.  Watching the rock fall and smash within feet of my brother and baby, stopped my heart for a minute.

 We even got a decent family picture!!!!  You may or may not be seeing this one on our Christmas cards depending on if I am successful at getting real ones taken before January.

 I'm pretty darn excited to meet this little Asay.

 I don't know if Tyler would have been as enthusiastic to run uphill carrying both children if he wasn't missing a BYU football game at the time.

 About halfway back Heidi wanted to walk and Alex wanted to ride.  Unfortunately Heidi isn't the greatest hiker yet.

 I don't think either of these two have ever been happier.

 Michael and Heidi racing downhill.

 Fruit snack break.

 

By the time we reached the cars I was exhausted, Alex was asleep in the backpack and Heidi wanted to collect every pinecone she saw that last 15 feet.  Tyler was dying to hear the game and Michael and Danielle looked as though they had taken a brisk walk, not dragged two kids on a 3 hour hike.  We got some great mexican food, went home and spent the rest of the day watching football, playing with kids and relaxing.
 It was a great day.