Halloween Fun

October was a busy month for us. While shopping for Halloween costumes, we found these animal heads. Ashley and Camden tried them on just for fun.

Ashley decided on a dino costume this year. She has always wanted to be one of these blow up dinos and this year she figured out a way to make it work with Lula. Have you ever had the internet go out on you and entertained yourself with that dinosaur jumping over cacti game? Ashley was the dinosaur from that game. 

And Lula was the cactus. As you can see, she was super happy with her costume. She sure puts up with a lot to please Ashley.

We were not going to go to Cornbelly's this year. And then the YSA ward had FHE there one night. We decided last minute to join them. We learned quickly that it was probably a mistake. The traffic into the parking lot was insane. And then we had to stand around in the cold waiting for everyone to get there and for someone to pick up all of the wristbands. Ashley made a friend while we were waiting and then after we had the wristbands, her friend asked if she wanted to hang out with her. We were proud of her for saying yes. The boys had a lot of fun, even with the short amount of time we were there and the crowds.

The boys chose a couple of characters from their favorite Roblox game for their Halloween costumes this year. They showed me a picture and I did my best to create them from the picture. They were pretty happy with the result. Garama and Mundungo. Partially finished.

Our Pumpkins this year. We even grew most of them in our garden.

Halloween night pictures. 

The kids wore themselves out trick or treating. Ashley quickly learned that the blow-up costume is not very fun to walk the neighborhood in, especially while holding on to Lula's leash. And she wasn't able to eat any of the handouts, like popcorn and donuts that our neighbors hand out.

YSA Campout

The YSA Ward had a campout up at the Heber Valley Campground. We joined them for the Friday afternoon and evening activities. We got up there as soon as we could after Ashley finished her Improv rehearsal. We barely made it in time to participate with them on the ropes course. Danny and I just watched from the ground, but the kids had a lot of fun.

After the ropes course, we headed back to the campsite to have a dinner of hot dogs and chips. And then we played a lot of nine square until it was too dark to see the ball. We headed home around 9pm.

It's Time to Catch Up, so Here is What Happened in September 2025

 I got invited to a dinner that was hosted by the wives of our Stake Presidency. They invited all of the wives of Bishops serving from the Stake and since Danny was the YSA Bishop, they invited me to join with them. The food was good and it was a nice opportunity to get to know some of the sisters in our Stake. It was nice of them to include me. And they gave us these beautiful bouquets after the dinner. 

I went to a puzzle night with a few of my friends that I have met from the group that I play volleyball with. It was fun to have a night of fun conversation and puzzling.

Ashely and I went to a play at the new Theater they opened recently in Pleasant Grove. I knew nothing about this play, except that I had heard it was pretty funny. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a musical after it started. And it was indeed very funny. I think that I took Ashley with me because Danny was at Tyler's football game with him at the same time. But Ashley probably enjoys musicals more than Danny anyways, so it worked out.

Ashley and I love to go to sushi places together. She gets extended lunch every Wednesday, so we usually go to lunch together that day. But we can only do sushi when her friends don't tag along with us. We must have snuck away this day without telling them. Our go-to sushi restaurant closed down, so we tried this place for the first time. It was pretty good. We were eating lunch here at the very same moment that Charlie Kirk was assassinated. We didn't hear about it until later, but this picture reminds me of the heavy feelings of that day.

Tyler and Camden got to go swim with their cousins at the pool in their condo complex. They had a lot of fun.

Danny's parents got a lot of peaches on their tree this summer. They didn't know what to do with them, so they shared a bunch of them with us. And then they shared even more after the first few bags. We ate a lot of them, and we froze the rest. The skins came off of them so easily. We have been using them in smoothies all winter long.

Camden had a Stake primary activity where they went over the 4 categories for the children and youth goal setting program. We had to go late because he had a flag football game at the same time. But I think he had fun for the time that he was there.

It's Football Season!!!

Tyler and Camden both played flag football this Fall. Camden was on the grey team and they won almost all of their games. They had one kid on their team that was fast and really good at avoiding flag pulls by moving his hips away. Camden had a good season. He even got a pick 6 in one of his games.

His last game was played in the rain. It was coming down pretty good and Camden was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. He was soaked and cold by the end of the game. This picture does not really show just how wet and miserable he was.

Here is his team after the final game (the one game they lost). You can see a little better how wet they all were. But they still had a lot of fun.

Tyler was the lucky one to have his dad as a coach for his team. Neither team had a coach as the first games were approaching, so Danny was fully prepared to go in and coach Camden's team. Fortunately, someone had stepped forward to coach his team earlier that day, so Danny volunteered to coach Tyler's team. I helped him with the communications at the beginning. Tyler had a good season, too. Unfortunately there was one boy on the team that decided he didn't want to play after signing up and getting assigned to a team. And there was another boy that was also doing mountain biking, and a lot of the events were at the same time as the flag football games. He was able to come a lot more towards the end of the season though, Because they were short one player, there were a couple of games where Camden had to step in and play so that they would have enough players.

 

Here is the team after their final game. They didn't win the whole tournament, but they did pretty well. 

We took the boys to the first home BYU football game. Ashley didn't really want to go, so she stayed with her grandma and grandpa came with us to the game, too. It was a blowout, but still a lot of fun.

This isn't from a football game, but Danny and I got invited to join one of his coworkers and a BYU women's soccer game. Her niece is on the team, so we got to be pampered, as well, with a free meal before the game, amazing seats, and a free dessert at half time. It was a lot of fun.

Danny took Tyler to the next home BYU football game. He invited Tyler's cousin, Kennedi, and her dad to come with them. They loved the tailgate party before the game.

They had a lot of fun during the game, too.

First Day of School

 The kids started school the week of August 11. Tyler got to start a day early since it is his first year at the middle school. They had a 7th graders only day. It was a really short day, just enough to give him a feel for what it is like to switch between classes and find his way around.

Ashley and Camden started school the day after Tyler. This is Ashley's senior year, and probably her last first day of school. I don't know if she will ever go to college. She will probably do some kind of online school, instead, to learn how to train dogs and get certified to do it professionally. She plans to enjoy her last year of school and not having to adult yet. Her schedule is pretty light this year, so she has been able to take first period off and sleep in a littl more each morning.

Camden is alone at the elementary school this year. He is in 5th grade and has a boy teacher for the first time, Mr. Alm. Mr. Alm also directs the school play, which Camden auditioned for again this year. He has a couple of lines in the play, which has been better than last year, I think. He has a lot of friends at school and enjoys playing football and basketball at recess. He also gets to do a lot of field trips this year which he is very excited about.

It should be a good school year.

Mission Farewells

We went to a lot of missionary farewells this summer as Alyssa's room mates and friends started to leave one by one. The first one that we attended was for Kate Glazier. She was headed off for Edmonton, Canada. We had a chance to visit with Liesel and Hallie during the luncheon.

The next one I went to with just Ashley Danny was out of town and the boys did not know her well. We didn't get any pictures with her, but here is the yard sign at her house. She is currently serving in the Mesa, Arizona mission.

We watched Robbie's farewell via zoom and then had the chance to see him the day before he went into the Provo MTC. He was headed off to the Jacksonville, Florida mission. 

The last one that we attended was for Liesel Ford. Our whole family has been close to Liesel for a few years now. She is serving in the France, Lyon mission. The picture is funny because it almost looks like a family picture, just swapping Alyssa for Leisel. 

We also went to a few different farewells and homecomings in our own ward and in the YSA ward this summer. Now we have a little bit of a break from it and will start up with all of the homecomings for Alyssa and her friends starting next summer. And then Ashley's friends will start leaving. 

I'm on quite a few missionary email lists, so my Monday evenings are filled with reading all of the emails. LOL.