Black Island Farms and UEA Weekend

For UEA weekend we had a few family member come to visit and play. We had enough that we could get the group rate to go to black island farms and had a GREAT time. Abbie and Isaac absolutely loved the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch. 

This is their silly faces as we rode the wagon. You guys crack me up. 

It was beautiful as we rode out to the pumpkin patch. The sun had just set and created this beautiful orange horizon above the corn stocks. 

Kaden found his perfect pumpkin. 

Abbie found her perfect pumpkin and even had it carried back by the tractor driver (it was his job to cut the pumpkins from their vine and he helped the little ones with their HUGE pumpkins back to the wagon). 

Everyone loading up once they had found their pumpkin. 

Abbie showing me her pumpkin! 

Grandpa and Kaden enjoying the wagon ride. 

Here's our family with our pumpkins. Everyone was loading their pumpkins once they got back from the pumpkin patch so we got a nice set of head lights in our family picture. 

Jordan, Dad and Mom with their BIG pumpkins. Didn't get a picture of my sister and her family. They were already off to take their pumpkins to the car by the time we got off the wagon.

The kids REALLY enjoyed the animals. 

Abbie even petted a donkey with no fear. She loved it...and apparently it's VERY SOFT! 

We did the kids maze with hay bails. The rules were to only make left turns. That sorta worked but, everyone made it out okay. 

The kids favorite part about the yard is the enormous slides! 

As soon as they got to the bottom of the slide they were off to climb up the back side and do it again. 

Jordan doing the grain chute! 

Reed and Kaden doing the grain chute! 

Isaac kept throwing his coat down first and then would slide down after it. 

The men took their aim and shot at some birds(aka metal shapes to look like birds) on top of some bails of hay with corn cobs for ammunition. It was really fun to watch! 

You always have to do the train ride....it's a classic.  Every car is a different animal and you get to ride through the corn stalks. The kids LOVED doing this! 

There is even a sandbox full of corn kernels. The kids all ganged up on dad while he was making a snow angel in the kernels. It was pretty funny! 

Of course you can't go to black island farms and not do the corn maze. We were wiser this year and did phase 1 (last year we did the last phase and were lost for an hour and a half) and had a great time getting lost. 

Then Reed, Jordan, John and some friends decided to do the second phase by RUNNING through it. They were trying to see who could do it the fastest. The rest of us stayed back and enjoyed the pig races. 

Isaac, Abbie and cousin Rian were able to be chosen as volunteers to help their pig win the race. Isaac's came in second and he won a spider ring. 

Abbie's pig won and she won a pig nose. This is her showing me her best silly piggy face. Too cute! 

Black Island Farm was a blast and it was the start to our UEA(fall break) weekend. 

The next day the men went pheasant hunting somewhere north of here. They shot 5 birds and we ended up making it into really tasty jerky. They said the brush was really tall but they had a good time. 

The next afternoon we went and harvested the rest of our pumpkins in our garden. 

Each of the children picked which one they liked best. This was Isaac's pick. 

Kaden chose this one.

Abbie's Pick.  

That afternoon after Reed was awake from working all night. We headed up Farmington Canyon to see the fall colors and have a picnic. 

We took some family pictures and some senior pictures of Jordan but, I will post those later OR you might just get one in your christmas card. Hee Hee

We had such a fun time having grandma and grandpa and Jordan for the weekend. It was great to see so much of my sister and her family that lives pretty close. Thanks for coming. We loved that we got to spend so much time with all of you...it was a real treat. It's always fun to stay up late playing games and watching movies. Making some yummy treats and just enjoying being together as a family. Love you all and thanks for all the fun new memories.

Park Flyin'

This is the first time all season that we've gone as a family to watch Reed fly his model airplanes. It was great weather and the kids had a great time chasing the parachutes that Reed dropped from his yellow gas powered plane. 

The kids had to run to catch the parachutes that were dropped. We weren't lucky enough to grab them straight from the sky but, we did find them and the kids had a great time running after the parachutes. 

Reed's gas powered plane doing a fly-by (at least twenty feet above us) to get the kids to duck. Too funny!

Reed's park flyer. Thanks Reed for taking us flying. We love hanging out as a family.

The Duck Swamp

When I've heard Reed talk about the duck swamps and all his adventures there......well, I've never had a desire to go. Isaac has gone and has thoroughly enjoyed himself but, Reed has been asking for YEARS if I would go with him to the duck swamps. Something about a smelly swamp, sitting in the tall grasses, sitting in less than favorable weather conditions and waiting for ducks to fly directly over top wasn't my idea of fun. Well, he finally talked me into going and the whole family went to the duck swamps. The weather was perfect and the landscape was beautiful.

At the last second before we left I grabbed suckers for the kids. I called them our "lucky duck" suckers and they worked like a charm to get the kids to sit in the weeds and quietly lick their suckers with their eyes pealed to the sky for any sign of ducks. 

Of course the kids got silly with their suckers and wanted me to take a picture of them with their "lucky duck" suckers.

The boys added their hats to Abbie and she ended up with three hats by the end of the evening. 

The kids had to wear Reed's camoflage gear and they loved that it was large and that it was dad's cool stuff. 

Isaac was playing with his sucker then asked if I would take a picture of him with his sucker. I took this photo then he said, "See Mom, that was my serious face." I see, I see. You are too funny buddy.

Abbie got my attention by saying, "mom look...I look like a puppy because I have two big ears!" I love your creative imagination! 

Reed was goofing off when I asked to take his picture and now he wished I would have taken another picture but I had to remind him that I was GOING to but then some ducks flew nearby and my picture taking was forgotten. So, sorry honey this is the best you get a cheesy hunting shot at the duck swamps. I think it's cute! I know...duck hunting isn't cute so I'll keep my other cute thoughts to myself. Thanks for taking us. It was so beautiful watching the sun set over the great salt lake with all the red, orange, yellow and purple colors. I enjoyed myself and would possibly go again but, if it's snowing, raining, hailing or any other nasty weather options....you better call one of your other hunting buddies because I am going to be busy. Love ya and thanks for showing us one of your favorite hobbies!

Fire House Open House

Families were invited to the Fire House Open House for CubScouts pack meeting. Reed was working so I took the kids with me and they LOVED IT!! I had such a good time watching the kids enjoy the event so much.

The first things the kids got in line for was to get on the police motorcycles. They let you get on and see what it would be like to ride the motorcycle. Isaac thought this was so cool. He was asking the officer where the gas pedal was...the officer showed him where it was and how to use it but, told him it wouldn't do anything because it was turned off. Isaac still thought that was cool. That's what he currently wants to be when he grows up...a policeman. Last year it was a Krispy Kreme Donut maker...becuase then you could get all the donuts you wanted!! Definetely the logic of a six year old!! Too funny! 

Kaden got shy and didn't get on the motorcycle for me to take pictures. This was the best I could get...ten feet away once I pried him off of me. He got a little scared but, wasn't scared of the other things we did. 

The kids got passports...that they had to get six stamps in, which meant they had to do six of the twelve stations. The kids learned how to crawl under the smoke, check the door if it's hot and how to crawl out of the window to safety. It was a pretty fun station!

  

Abbie jumping through the window to safety.

At one of the stations they got to use the fireman's hose. The video is of all three kids using the fireman's hose to put out a "fire". You'll see in the video it's a red painted peice of wood that is the fire! Too fun!

The kids watched a demonstration on how fast a home can burn from a candle or an electrical fire. It took just over three minutes to burn like this!

By this point...the firemen came in with their hose to douse the fire. The crowd was moving back because the heat was SO intense. 

We watched life-flight leave the park behind the fire station. 

Once the kids earned their six stamps they got to earn a goodie bag full of fire safety stuff. They loved their bags and I was proud of them for earning their six stamps in their passport. Some of the stations took a lot of waiting in line. 

After we earned out six stamps we went and got in the long line waiting for a RIDE in the firetruck. Yep, not just getting to go through the fire truck but, actually riding around the block with lights and sirens! This was the highlight of the evening!! You can see how light it was outside when we got in line and by the time it was our turn we had waited 35 minutes in line and it had gotten dark. The kids didn't care they had never ridden in a firetruck before and actually I hadn't ever either. It was a new experience for all!! 

While we were waiting in the firetruck line the life-flight helicopter came back and landed. It was cool seeing it at night with all of it's landing lights. 

The kids were next in line for their turn on the firetruck and they were REALLY excited! 

Kaden was excited and was jumping up and down when the fire truck rounded the corner and it was almost our turn. He kept saying, "This is awesome!" while he was jumping up and down! 

This is the firetruck on it's last time around the block before it was our turn. 

The kids climbing in the fire truck. 

I could hardly get Kaden to look at me because he was mesmerized watching the lights and listening to the sirens. Too cool....buddy! 

Isaac 

Abbie 

The inside of the fire truck is really big...I was surprised how much room is in these large fire trucks. 

This is the last thing we saw as we left for the evening. We even dialed dad as we were walking back to the vehicle. The kids was just SO excited to tell them what they had just got to do!! 

Ride in a Fire Truck, of course!!