The Corn Maze

Every year we try and take the kids out to a corn field were they have fun activities for the kids in the month of October. This year we took them to The Corn Maze. We had a lot of fun this year. The Corn Maze had two new things for the kids! They had a Giant Spring Pillow and a pig race. McCall really got a kick out of the pig race. She also LOVED the little animal zoo.

Dustin and I are just the cutiest farmers ever!
Jackson

McCall and Andrew

McCall at the petty zoo. She was so excited!

The boys take a ride in the cow train.

The three of them make a mess in the corn!

McCall hung out in the corn while the boys were on the gaint spring pillow

GAINT SPRING PILLOW

FLY HIGH

Andrew and Jackson both got some pretty good air.

This slide was aweful. I don't recommend for adults!!

Jackson thought this was pretty cool. Last time we were here he was McCall's age hanging out in the corn box!

Andrew remembered the Go-Carts form two years ago.

McCall's Adventures

McCall loves to go through our food storage and stack cans, fill the diaper bag with cans, or just rearrange things

McCall building a tower

We share toys with the neighbor. McCall loves their car!

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS AND FUN

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY ANDREWNASCAR THEME PARTY

Grandma and Grandpa came and stayed with us the night before Andrew's birthday. Grandma helped with the ice cream cake and took Andrew and Austin out for ice cream, after Andrew arrived home from school. They were going to pick him up from school but Andrew decided he wanted to ride the bus home! We decorated for the birthday party the night before.

Andrew was so excited about his remote control NASCAR until he opened his last present form mom and dad. Then he decided that Jackson could control the mini NASCAR while he rode the real thing!

He was very extactic to walk outside and see this sitting in the driveway! A race car GO-CART. He is in heaven. He has been riding it in the blasted cold weather (45) for the last two days. He just goes in a circle in the driveway.

Andrew has been asking for a Go-cart for two years. He would ask if we could move on a farm so that we could build a go-cart track. I told him that dad is not a farmer! Grandma was on the look out for a scooter for me at the McCall thrift store to give to Andrew for his birthday when she ran into this race car! The store was not opended and the car had just arrived. She new he loved race cars and called me to see if we had already got his birthday present. I said no. So she went back to the thrift store when they opened and was able to get the race car before maintinance inspection. The car, with working 12 volt battery and everything, was only $15!!

When all the 8 boys arrived we played a maze race game. Each winner took home a toy car. They played in two's so there were several winner.

We also played pin the tire on a race cars ear. I found a poster of Jeff Gordon at the dollar store! I made 9 tires out of black construction paper. It was really fun. The kids had a blast and they all waited patiently in a line for their turn.

Andrew's NASCAR ice cream cake turned out fabulous! The checkered ice cream stayed checkered as grandma pressed it into the cake I had previously made and froze the night before. It looked amazing and also tasted amazing. We offered the boys oil slick to drizzle over the top of their cake and no one refused.

I heard comments from kids that this was the best party! That made me feel good. Andrew had a great time and had looked forward to this day for weeks.

Austin's birthday is just one week before Andrew's. They had a great time at Chucky Cheese. Austin had 6 of his buddy's there and each kid was given 10 tokens and two slices of pizza. Two weeks before that Andrew was invited to Scott's (Andrew's neighbor and classmate) party at the same place. So by this time he was ready for it to be his party and not someone elses.


McCall had fun in this car and wouldn't leave it.

We opened up the Halloween box Oct. 3rd before going to Austin's party and we decorated the whole house. Andrew went around setting things on tables while McCall tried on funny glasses.

Fun in September

My 32nd Birthday was fun. We first played a hour of tennis, then picked up the kids at the neighbors (thank you Rawling's) and went to Red Robin for my free birthday burger. Dustin had the burger and I had a salad. Jackson shared my salad and McCall and Andrew shared a kids meal, spaghetti. Next to Red Robin is Krispy Kremes which we stopped by for a free glazed donut (that is why I had the salad). Afterwards, we went to the Eagle River and let the kids throw rocks then had a short family night lesson on nature, which Dustin gave. He talked about things in the boyscout handbook.


When I was out for the night daddy had a little awards ceremony with the boys. They set up an obstacle course which included a slide, a chair, a stool, and a baseball bat. They had to slide down the side, go under the chair, hop over the stool, and then spin their body around in a circle with their forehead touching the baseball bat. They were so excited about their awards! Andrew is really big on winning and getting trophy's. He asked me once if we could make him a trophy and give it to him. Dustin brought home some old trophy's he had won when he was young and Andrew drug those around the house for days and put one by his bed when he slept.

The boys occasionally want to play in the sink and today I let them do it together! Crazy! It wasn't too wet.

HOT AIR BALLOON

I came outside to get the mail at 8:45 in the morning and there was a hot air balloon directly above my head. I only saw it because the neighbor girls were staring in the air. I looked up and the basket was over my head. I ran and called the boys to come outside. Then by the time I got the camera the balloon was already past our house.
The balloon was close enough that I was having a conversation with the people in the basket!


The kids thought that was the coolest thing. McCall was most excited. Jackson was wondering why there was fire in it.

Art In The Park

We took the kids to Art in The Park downtown and spent the whole time in the kid tent. They had so many activities for the kids to get hands on.






McCall drew on some cardboard flower sunglasses and on her face and shirt. Then she was constantly trying to get into the boys paints as they were creating their masterpieces.





There were several easel stations set up were the kids could create their own masterpiece. Andrew and Jackson picked out their own paint colors and got right to work.

Their pieces started out so colorful and then in the end just ended with a big grey blob. We neglected getting them their water cups to wash out paint brushes in between strokes.

The marble art was the coolest and their artwork is still hanging in the house.

Summary of August Events

FIRST EVER HILTON FAMILY REUNION
Quaker Hills Family Camp

McCall posed for a long time on this rock that was next to the zip line. She loves to be outside and explore! I often find her flat on her stomach examining a bug crawling around. I have even caught her picking up an ant and putting it in her mouth!

ZIP LINE

Both boys tried the zip line! Of course Jackson tried it first before Andrew would have anything to do with it. Even little Raimie did it! After their first attempt we couldn't keep them off of it. Even Joel who is afraid of heights gave it a try!

The kids had a blast just hanging out on the water's edge. Andrew and Austin would pull canoes around all day. Jackson, McCall, and Rozie played in the sand. The older kids would disappear and be off across the street playing in the community game room.

The Cabin we stayed in was huge. It had endless bunk beds. We had two rooms. One we put the kids, it had two bunks, and the other was ours right next door with one bunk. All the bunks had a queen for the bottom bunk. Each level had a hers and his bathroom. We had a pegs and jokers tournament. And the kids played a new game called St. Pertersburgh. Dustin got in on that one and I had to pull him away to be my pegs partner.

THOSE WHO MEMORIZED SCRIPTURE AT SUNDAY DEVOTIONAL
The theme of the reunion was based off of a Scripture in the Book of Mormon. Mosiah 18:21

And he commanded them that there should be no acontention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

We had a challenge to memorize this scripture through out the weekend and those who did received an award. Jackson memorized "love one towards another". Andrew went a little further and memorized "having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." He was very anxious about having to say it in front of everyone. He really didn't want to do it but he really wanted the prize (sucker and funny glasses).

On a Saturday morning dad let the kids put the hose on the tramp which created a waterfall underneath. The kids could not resist playing in it. They had a blast according to Dustin, I was at our rental restoring the floorboard that the unwanted cat had peed through. But, Dustin was good enough to cover up the evidence by bathing the kids before I got home.

I took the kids to the water fountain at the base of the Lucky Peak Dam. We went with the McKalister's and everyone had a great time. They played in the sand and made a big hole with a little path that flowed into the hole. They would fill up their buckets and fill the path with water and watch it fill up the hole.

Andrew wanted to get some clothes to put McCall in so he brings this dress-up outfit down and wants me to put it on her. Andrew likes to see McCall look girly!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Andrew and his first day of school. He was really excited to wear his new shoes and he had to wear his new Speed Racer shirt.

FIRST BUS RIDE HOME

Getting off the bus after a long 30 minute ride home (the school is just across the street less than a mile away). He said I liked School but it was too long. He also had a kid that was flicking his ear on the bus ride home. Day two more flicking. Day three flicking and hitting Scott in the head with a backpack. Scott is his next door neighbor that he gets on the bus with. I finally had to talk to the boys dad. The dad was a little lame and didn't help much. He said he would talk to his son and then the next day he said that he asked the bus driver and the driver said that there wasn't a problem. The kids dad laughed at me after telling me this and walked away! Who new I would be dealing with incompetent parents this early in my experience with a child in elementary school!