Gardens

While my parents were here in September we went to the Portland Rose Gardens. We found this poem and loved it. It makes me think of all the hours my parents made us work in the garden at home. And look how it has turned out, most of us love our gardens and want to grow one!!! Thanks Mom and Dad for the inspiration.

The Dark Church

Brayden wrote and illustrated his own book for Halloween. He even took it to Kindergarten and shared it with his class. His teacher was so excited she put it on the ELMO (projection screen) and read it to both her morning and afternoon classes. I did help him write the words on the pages, they would have never fit if he had to write them all. I am so proud of his accomplishment and his desire to write his own book. Turn up the sound he reads it in his quiet scary voice!!!

Halloween

We had a lot of fun this Halloween. Since the boys were little we have had a family theme. Parker was against being a character like his brother. Brayden is obsessed with Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story. So I finally convinced them to be different toys from Andy's Room. I was able to convince Parker he could be one of the army men he agreed if he could carry his Uncle Mark's National Guard back pack. He loved being an army man, I almost couldn't get him out of the costume.

Brayden loved being Buzz Lightyear and thanks to a freind I didn't have to make this costume.

Elise was Little Bo Peep or what she calls Princess Peep. She loves her dress and I even made it so we can use it for church now that Halloween is over. She was able to go our ward's Trunk or Treat but she got sick for Halloween. So poor little Elise didn't get to go trick or treating this year and I didn't get to hear the ooooh's and ahhhhh's about the costume I made. Oh well there is always next year.

I hope everyone had a happy and safe halloween.

Caught the bug!!!

Yes I caught the cleaning bug!!! Or maybe I should call it the organizing bug. I am finally getting rid of the piles of paper that I never know what to do with. In the process of removing all the paper I have filled 4 paper sacks with all the shreddings and 2 other paper sacks of just paper. That is just wrong that I would have that much paper in my house in piles. Yikes I have a paper problem!!! I wish i could say the piles are gone but they are a lot smaller and you can see the top of my desk. Paul made the comment that he hadn't seen it in months. But he had made one of the big piles so he can't complain too badly!!! I am still at a loss for words about 6 bags of paper out of my house this week alone. My recycling bin will be full this week!!!

Adventure Club

I LOVE OUR PE TEACHER!!!!

She has started an ADVENTURE CLUB at our school. It is a chance for the families to have an exciting adventure doing something active together.

Our first excursion we took a hike in the local arboretum. It was beautiful and fun to hike with the boys. Brayden loved this tree, it was pink! I love the changing colors.

You know now that we are from Oregon we must be a bunch of tree huggers!!!! Just kidding! We wanted to see if we could get all the kids around the tree trunk. On this side they are a little stretched but on the other they are all bunched together.

I also learned that a Ponderosa Pine smells like vanilla. Did you know that?

The boys loved to be at the front of the pack.

This was all the children that participated. It was a great adventure for an early Saturday morning. I can't wait for our next adventure. Thanks wonderful PE Teacher for all your enthusiam!!! I'm now off to fitness club to exercise with my kids!!!

1st day of Rutter Reunion

We focused this years family reunion on our family history. But in a little child's eyes looking at family trees and PAF files just isn't going to help them understand. So we focused on our own individual families and the start of them. We spent the afternoon going to a farm(somewhere in Utah). It was to celebrate that Oma had grown up on a farm. The baby ducks were just too cute!!!

The cousins all played in this fun little tree house.

Oma and Opa with Brayden and Elise. Somedays I wished we all lived a little closer so we could get together more often. It was fun to spend the afternoon learning more about the farm and how Oma grew up.

General Conference Half time

Yesterday during the afternoon session we put Brayden and Elise down for nap. It was nice to have just Parker with us to watch in peace and quiet. About 1/2 an hour into it he starts asking "so when is half time?" We kept trying to explain that there isn't half time in general conference. After the hymn in the middle he goes "was that it, half time is over?" Paul and I had fun with just him. He must of been hoping that half time lasted a little longer like the football games. Sorry kid just a small hymn in the middle!!!