Pumpkins

Our pumpkin patch didn't produce as many pumpkins this year, but we did get some! I learned near the end of the growing season that we had snails eating the pumpkins and we lost a bunch that way. I swear, between squash bugs and snails, it's a miracle we got any. I keep growing them because despite all the set backs, they still make me so happy. We did successfully grow a pink pumpkin this year for the first time!

What is hilarious to me is that mid summer I noticed a plant growing in our front planter box and realized it was a pumpkin! We didn't plant any pumpkins up there, but this plant got HUGE and took over everything. It got started pretty late in the season, so there wasn't a lot of time for pumpkins to grow, but we did get one huge green one we picked just before Halloween. It's so funny to me that the pumpkin we didn't plant ended up being the healthiest plant. I think what might have happened is a seed blew into the planter bed from Bode's carved pumpkin at Halloween. His pumpkin looked like it was throwing up seeds, and the plant started right near where his pumpkin was on the steps. Wherever it came from, we loved having one big green pumpkin to carve into a Frankenstein at Halloween!

Jackson Mountain biking team second season

Jackson woke up early all summer long to go to Jr. Devo practice (mountain biking). I was so impressed with him getting up without complaint and he really enjoyed his second season on the team. We got him a new bike this year, which he was really excited about. At the end of the season there were three races and he was able to compete in all of them. He had a fantastic racing season this year!

Manti

Manti was Jackson's favorite race this year and he did so well! He ended up getting 13th place, which is huge considering there are hundreds of kids competing. We had a good laugh at the hotel we stayed at. Homemade decorations all around and definitely not "plush" in any sense of the word! 

Snow Basin

Snow Basin was next in the race line up. I was really impressed with all of the kids competing because this is not an easy course. The beginning is a super steep incline up the mountain. Jackson had another great race and took 20th place.

Price 

The last race of the season was in Price. Jackson also really loved this course and it was his second favorite. He finished 19th, which means he had top 20 finishes in all three races this year. I was really proud of him and all of his hard work! These races are not easy by any means and these kids ought to be super proud!

Loved having these weekends with Jackson and the extra one-on-one time together. He's such a great kid!

First day of school 2022

After a summer of fun, it was time to head back to school! Molly was very excited that this year she would be in first grade and at school all day (and able to eat lunch at school!). I was excited and sad at the same time. Excited to have the extra, uninterrupted time to get things done, but sad knowing this is another milestone met, meaning I would no longer have a little side kick with me anymore. Moving on to a different stage! It's exciting and a little bittersweet for sure.

First day!

8th grade

6th grade

3rd grade

1st grade

Bode is on student council this year and got to help guide people on the first day.

One Republic concert with Jackson

A week after Sean and I got back from Las Vegas, I took Jackson to the One Republic concert here at home. It was his first real concert (he went to an Imagine Dragons one when he was pretty little with Sean for a work party, but I don't think that counts). Emily and Adam came with us too and we had a great night. It threatened to rain on us, but we got lucky with the weather!

 

It was really fun being there with Jackson. He's a big fan of One Republic also and we knew every song they sang!

Red Hot Chili Peppers

I gave Sean tickets to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert for Christmas last year. The date finally arrived, so Sean and I headed to Vegas! We went to the concert with our friends Michelle and Joey and it was awesome! 

It was an amazing show and a ton of fun taking a quick trip with just Sean and I. We stayed at a nice new hotel on the strip called the Conrad. Sean and I ate at an amazing steak house before the concert he had been telling me about for years called "Joe's," and I ate the best steak I've ever eaten in my life!

Another trip to Island Park

We take whatever time we can get in Island Park in the summer. A few weeks after celebrating the Fourth of July up there, we headed back. One of the first things Davis did when we got there was look for his missing shoes. He miraculously found them under the big bean bag upstairs and he was very relieved because they were brand new and he had been in trouble for losing quite a few things lately.

We took a sunset ride down the river on the kayaks, which has become my favorite time to go.

We rode the fourwheelers up to the top of Mt. Sawtelle. The wildflowers were amazing!

We also spent a day in Yellowstone and hiked to Morning Glory Pool. 

On our way back home, we stopped in Idaho Falls and met up with Sylvia and headed huckleberry picking. This yearly tradition has become something we all really love and look forward to.

We also got a chance to play with Rachel and Jeremy's cute new bunnies before heading for home!