Halloween horseback ride

A surprise snowstorm

in October

brought winter

before any of us were ready for it!

But that didn't keep us

from having a blast

riding horses on Halloween

at the home of some

wonderful friends.

We had the best time

and are so thankful for the Broomes

and the chance to spend time

with them at their ranch.

Evening in SLC

We had a few hours to spend

on temple square with the kids.

We had never really been to

the Conference Center,

so we started to explore outside a little.

After noticing

that tours were offered

every half-hour,

we decided to peek inside

and see what it was all about.

We were not disappointed.

A kind gentleman

took our family on

a grand tour.

We started out on the roof,

since the sun was setting.

I discovered that there was

no more perfect time to be up there.

This wall mural,

etched in stone by lasers, was

remarkable.

Our guide told us that

every equinox, the sunset aligns

directly through the

center of the spire,

and that about 600 people go up to the roof

to take pictures of it.

He then took us inside,

where we were able to see

hundreds of beautiful

works of art --

paintings, sculptures, murals.

We were amazed

by the sheer size of

the worlds' largest auditorium.

It was incredible.

He told us it seats 21,000 people.

We thoroughly enjoyed

the chance to learn more about

such a beautiful building,

and so many interesting

facts and stories about it as well.

All of us gained a greater appreciation for

the Conference Center.

After the tour, we walked across the street

to Temple Square.

It was awesome to spend some time

with the kids

in such a beautiful place.

It made us all appreciate our faith

and the faith of those who

sacrificed so much

to build those magnificent buildings.

We are so blessed!

Wheeler Farm

We made a quick trip over to Utah

for a couple of days.
While Doug and Marc held their business meetings,

Tomi and I took the kids to

Wheeler Farm

for a few hours.

We had such a great time!

We took some pizza over for a picnic lunch

and then walked around

to see what the farm had to offer.

First on the agenda

was a cute little hay and corn maze for the kids.

Next we took a wagon ride

on the dirt roads

past the animal pens

and some beautiful fall foliage along a stream.

The kids had a blast

feeding the geese and pigeons

from a loaf of bread

so kindly offered us

by a stranger.

And we couldn't help

but spend awhile

playing in all those beautiful leaves

on the ground.

Ten

Sydney wanted a

party of all parties

for her 10th birthday.

So we had some friends over

and celebrated with them

for a few hours.

A little pizza was served

to start off the night.

We played a fashion designing game

where the girls created an outfit

out of a roll of foil.

Very fun!

They did great work!

I see some real potential here. :)

We played a couple more games,

then turned on the

disco ball

and they danced the night away.

A little Cha-Cha Slide really livened things up.

After Syd opened gifts,

we topped the night off

by making s'mores and playing

Apples to Apples Jr.

A totally fun night!

We were all sad when it was

time for the girls to leave.

Happy birthday, Sydney!

Ballet and bunnies

Our budding ballerina

and her beloved "fairy"