Halloween 2014

Halloween was fun this year! We didn't really have any parties or plans, so we just did whatever we wanted! A couple nights before Halloween we carved our pumpkins. Instead of doing two separate ones, we joined forces and made this little skeleton man! He turned out pretty good! And good thing we carved him only a couple days before Halloween because he literally fell apart the morning after Halloween. He was nice and soft...

This was our first year with a house on Halloween. Matson was very excited to answer the door for trick or treaters. We weren't home very long before we left to visit our family, but he still had fun answering the door. We were home less than an hour and had a good amount of trick or treaters! When we left, Matson thought it would be hilarious to leave candy on the porch. I thought it was dumb because one teenage kid would just take it all anyway, but Matson did it anyway. I was nice and left a sign on the door that said "Sorry we are out at a Halloween party!", so that a kid wouldn't just sit and ring the doorbell forever.

Matson and I get very into our costumes every year...well at least for a couple with no children and no big party to go to. This year was no exception. I started thinking about Halloween back in August and Matson told me that he wanted to choose what we were gonna be. He told me what he wanted and I started getting to work. After trying for some time to find what he wanted and to try and make my outfit that goes along with what he wanted to work...PLUS, I am prego. I don't think there will be that many Halloween's when I am 7 months pregnant.

So after my sister gave me a good prego costume idea, I gave up. It was so hard and I literally need like a whole year to prep for Matson's epic costume idea (look to next year's Halloween blog post to see what we end up being...I might give again but I think Matson would kill me so we will probably end up being what he wants). Anyway, we were Chuck Noland and Wilson the Volleyball from the movie Cast Away.

It was fun to make the costumes and then on Halloween we spent time with our little nephew trick or treating and then also eating my mama's homemade chili and watching Forensic Files with my sister, her husband, and my parents. My cute little niece was the most adorable scuba diver. It was the perfect costume for her because she loooooves her pacifier and so her pacifier was part of her costume as the thing scuba people breathe through (I have no idea what they are called...probably something as simple as a "mouth piece"). Our nephew was Thor and was the cutest little trick or treater. He would just drop his bucket on the porch, step back, and say thank you as he walked away.

Baby A* wouldn't look at the camera, so Matson mimicked her in this pick. All dress up in her cute scuba costume!

My Pathway to Becoming a Golfer

Since Matson works for a golf company (ForeUp) we figured that he should strengthen his golf skills. He has golfed since being in my family but he wouldn't consider himself a good golfer. In addition to him strengthening his golf skills, he thought I should strengthen mine. I have golfed maybe once in my life. And since he works for a golf company...I wouldn't wanna embarrass him or nothin' so I agreed to go golfing. Therefore we went golfing with some friends of ours! Good thing is that E* and K* are pro golfers and literally helped me get so much better (not like I was even good to begin with). It was a lot of fun and I think there will be more golfing for us in the future! Especially with our little boy.

Don't I look like such a happy golfer? Psshhhh...

Downhill Backwards

A couple weekends ago we went sledding with some friends of ours. We love sledding and get rather into it. We got all our snow gear on and headed to Rock Canyon bowl, which is THE place to sled. I am talking groups and groups of college/high school kids sledding on whatever they find...cardboard, ice coolers, mattresses, and couches. We were unoriginal and just brought sleds.

Sledding brings out Matson's daredevil side (along with any other physical activity or motorized vehicle). We all had our own sled and went down a few times individually. Matson lost his hat and boot. Then Matson wanted us to all get in a chain and go down backwards. The whole rest of our sledding time we could only go backwards. It made it more exciting, I guess.

Every run ended with us tangled up or pig piled on top of each other and laughing hysterically, which made for a good time. 

We ended our night with hot cocoa and Matson forcing our friends to watch his favorite movie Uncle Buck. If you haven't seen it, you should go rent it uh..I don't think there is any place to do the verb of "renting a movie"...So I mean, buy it or TiVo it.  

Ice Skating Tradition

We went ice skating again this year. It was such a blast. And I definitely made a fool of myself again. I always start out ice skating like a little weenie holding onto the side and inching my way around. There's just nothing that looks good about falling on our bum on hard, cold ice. Slowly though, I realized I could do it. I wasn't the best ice skater on the rink, but I did it. Pat on the back.

Read about our Last Year's Ice Skating Tradition

Haunting Dance Moves

We went to our annual Thriller Dance Show put on by Odyssey Dance Company, with Matson's sister and her hubby along with some of their fun friends. I love Thriller and it really brings out the halloween spirit in me. We really enjoy it. Definitely take advantage of the buy one ticket, get one free (for all students--don't forget your ID cards).

Dinner at the Pie

Read about our Thriller date last year here.

Belated Birthday

It's been crazy busy for us over here. We have been to California, enjoyed General Conference, and been super focused on school these last two weeks. A little over two weeks ago was my birthday on the 29th of September. It was a fun one! We started my birthday out by opening the infamous Grandma Doris Package. It did not disappoint this year. Laughter arrives as soon as I rip open the box.

This red suit is a geeem.

This note was on top: "To the first girl [I was her first granddaughter] who will be giving me my first great grandchild!" I hate to disappoint you Grandma, but T* (my brother and his wife) may beat me to it. Ha ha. Read about another great Grandma Birthday gift here.

My family met up with us at Provo Beach Resort to do some indoor surfing. I hadn't done it in a while and it was so much fun! We made my dad do it by paying for him before he even arrived, so he had to it. He was worried he was going to get hurt (biggest excuse). I am happy to report he was not hurt and surfed his first try and was surprisingly good for a 50 year old. At least he came, my mom would only watch and didn't even come in a swimsuit. I conquered the barrel roll on a boogie board and after we all ended our session, my mom kept telling us that she could do it better than us. Psshhh.

Matson surfing

Dad knee boardin'

N* just boogie boarding

Having a blast boogie boarding! I really was laughing and having so much fun! 

For dinner, we all met up again at Macaroni Grill. I was seriously craving their Macaroni Cheese and so was Matson and N* too apparently.

Matson has closed eyes, of course. Read about Matson's Closed Eyes in Photographs Disorder here. 

I got spoiled on my birthday and got some great gifts! We ended the night by seeing the hilariously entertaining Pitch Perfect movie. "I sometimes have the feeling that I should do crystal meth, then I think hmm...better not."

Throughout my birthday and days after I was finding cute little notes like these all over. Thanks to sweet Matson! He was so fun and treated me like a queen...he even cleaned the whole house for me on the morning of my birthday! SAY WHAT!?

My in-laws spoiled me too with a homemade meal, my favorite eggless chocolate cake, and some special gifts! Oh and cuddle time with my little nephew was the perfect ending to my birthday.

A Piece of Chalk

This past weekend we went to the Chalk the Block event at The Shops at Riverwoods not just once, but twice. We went Friday night with Matson's sister and husband but all the drawings weren't finished so we went back Saturday night with my newly married little sister and hubby. It was quite the event full of some seriously awesome chalk art and all to raise money for Autism. I am not even an artist but every time I go to an art event like this I get so inspired and think that I could do it myself. Yet the hardest thing I can draw with chalk is my name and some doodles.

Tangled Lanterns. Love.

Jack and The Beanstalk coming out of the cement.

Aren't they all so amazing!? Some of the pieces were done by professional artists, but a lot were students from high schools or colleges and even just families entered. Which one is your favorite? Mine is probably the T-Rex and Jack & The Beanstalk. So cool.

Timp Caves First Timers

Last Friday Matson and I hiked Timpanogos Caves for the first time. It was a pretty hike and good little workout! Inside the caves you have to go through with a tour guide and that was a lot of fun and interesting!

Me hiking the trail 

us on the trail with AF canyon behind us 

Matson outside the cave entrance

Nothing was better than our tour guide. He was your typical nature/cave guide. So funny with the beard and all.

Our guide was the best. Classic caveman tour guide.

Our group inside the caves. Anders, me, Matson, Mette, and Dad

Us inside the caves

Most annoying was this dude (my dad)...just kidding love you!

My dad does thumbs up in all shots with a cheesy grin :)

But for real, the whole hike down my dad said to every person walking up, "Man...too bad we hiked that whole way and the cave was closed." I felt so bad so to every person walking by I had to apologize and explain my annoying dad is just teasing them. Such a GOOF. Sometimes he doesn't act 50. More like minus 42 years from his real age. Yeah 8. A little 8 year old.

Thanks Dad for taking us up to the caves for the first time!

Bon Voyage

Some of our friends are leaving us for medical school this month. So before they left I really wanted us all to get together one last time. SOOO I threw them a "Bon Voyage" party. The theme was just nautical red and blue. We ate, played games, swam, lit lanterns, and just truly enjoyed our last moments with our friends.

The Invite

I made a watermelon boat!

I love C* (on the left) in this. Too cute.
Plus it was cute that the two little boys were kind of matching!

Water volleyball. 

Only down part about the whole thing was mother nature and her summer storm of rain and wind. The guys of course played hours of basketball to end the night while us ladies played games. Then they had to have Beto's (yuck, not my favorite so I went along for the ride).

They almost look like they aren't enjoying their food.

We are really going to miss all our friends moving away. And obviously you can tell the little boy C* is going to be truly missed! It has been so much fun to see him grow up right by us and I will miss seeing him! Plus, we will miss our other friends who are having their baby soon and we won't be able to meet him until December. Sad day. But it's ok in 8ish years we will all have our families and children and be able to create memories then whether it be back in Utah or we meet up for little reunions!