Happy Birthday to Dave

BIRTHDAY BOY



It's UEA time (teacher convention time) so the boys are out of school and Nicole is on Fall break so we were (are) all together this week end to celebrate.

Dave didn't put in a request for a certain type of birthday cake so I took it upon myself to decide. And since Dave often tried carrot cake when it is on the dessert table, I decided to make carrot cake. I called Mom to get her recipe because I couldn't find my copy. Mom found a copy and read it to me but mine didn't taste as good as Mom's. Chay said it was because Grandma made it with "love", I told him "I MADE IT WITH LOVE".

I threw it together the night before and the stars are tracings of Dave's actual badge from work, we like to call it the "star of David" (okay, we only called it that once).

Chay wanted to use the same type of candles that we used on his cake a couple of years ago and it was a hit with Blade!
The candles kept relighting.

Earlier in the day, we went to This is the Place Heritage Park and met a friend and her kids (her husband is in charge of the grounds there). It was the parks Halloween celebration for kids. In the evening there is a Haunted Park and from the sounds of it, it's too scary for me. I'll stick with the "little spooks".

Superman at the petting zoo.

Superman trying out different modes of transportation....

This is the view Blade saw from the saddle....

My friend Julia and her kids (Sarah, Oliver, Victoria, Julia and Joseph)

We rode the train to the other side of the park and panned for gold.



Blade and Chay could have stayed there all day but, there was a limit of two pieces per person.



Then we took the train back and went to the bank to trade in the gold for something more valuable....candy. The banker could give us 8 pieces.





Because Julia's husband Doug works there, the kids got a special ride that other park visitors missed out on... a ride on the golf cart. The driver had to speed up a bit because although the train was going the other way, when it started up, it went back alittle.
And notice how Blade has a protective arm out in front of Joseph to keep him safe.





Earlier in the month.

Blade is still going to Lowe's and making his free projects with help from Chay.

This day, there was a bonus and there was a firetruck in the parking lot and then we watched the lifeflight helicopter land in the parking lot. Don't worry, it was all for educational purposes, not because they were actually needed.

It's hard to read but Chay has a blue CANADA shirt on.

Conference week end.
What's missing? (besides Blade's shirt).
...cousins to join in with BINGO and prophet coloring.... (that almost sounds wrong)

Did you know that there are Mexican jumping beans that really jump around without heat but because there is a living moth inside? I didn't until a Kindergartener told me.

We didn't touch the bean and within seconds the bean had moved from the spot in the first picture to the spot in the second picture. I picked the number 4 and was getting excited that I might win but the bean never landed on 4. When the moth inside gets warm, it moves around inside to cool off and that causes the bean to move.

Last week end Blade's Lowe's project was a fun house mirror.

It was a hit...

Except for pictures from Nicole's birthday, you are all pretty much caught up with us. Nothing profound or enlightening but a simple picture documentation of our life.
I thought I had pictures from Nicole's birthday on my camera but I can't find them. Weird things have been happening with my card. Actually they may be on the broken card....

First Day of School and More...

Chay started 8th grade
(grade 8 for my fellow Canadians... and it still flows off my tongue more smoothly)
at the end of August.

He's the big man in Middle School (grades 7 and 8) now.

Last year to wear a school uniform. Solid white, blue or red shirts without logos are difficult for me to find...and Chay finds it quite boring.

Blade started Kindergarten after Labor Day.
He left Challenger and is now going to Uintah across the street.

He likes to come up with his own poses.

...in front of Uintah waiting for the bell to ring.

I had to post this picture of Chay, not because it was the best but because it was so Chay.

At the end of summer, my place of employment had a party and the whole family attended. Nicole's friend Kajsa works at Moran also and she was there with her new roommate.

Nicole's roommate Sarah and her Mom and brother came too so that we could mingle with them. (sorry, no picture of Sarah's Mom)

While we ate they played Bingo, which was difficult to do because I like to focus on both my food AND the bingo. Kajsa had the "lucky" bingo card and after she won with it, she passed it on. Chay won blackout bingo with it and won $5.

Blade had no interest in the regular food nor bingo but he did love and help himself to the cottoncandy and snowcones.

He also LOVED the slide and bungee run (where he is attached to a bungee cord and has to try to run as far to the end as he can without the cord pulling him back. Missed him when he was on that one)

I tried to get a picture of Blade sliding down the slide but he never did that while I was there. He would jump, land halfway down the slide and then...you can see...

After we dropped Chay off on his first day of school, Blade and I stopped at a little neighborhood playarea that we always pass and Blade asks "can we stop there sometime?" Well, on that day, we did.

This little cone shaped seat is built so that your shifted weight causes it to turn. I helped Blade spin faster and he loved it. I remember when the playground first opened I sat in the seat and as it turned I feared for my life because I truly felt like it was going to turn and I was going to fall out (apparently that sensation must only happen after a certain size is met)

Last week end we had a Nicole spotting when she stopped by with Sarah to pick up the LuvSac. Chay was nice enough to have squeezed it upstairs so that it was ready for Nicole. Next was squeezing it into the Envoy for the journey to its' new home only blocks away. I wonder if Nicole has pictures at the other end, trying to get it in her dormroom.

DE JE VU and I LOVE YOU

Boys II Men at the State Fair.

Last year Dave and I waited in line to get free tickets to the Boys II Men concert at the Utah State Fair. I love the sound of Boys II Men and last year the concert was wonderful. The music takes me back to Dave and my earlier years. Dave knew how much I wanted to go and his actions showed how much he really loves me. After he dropped Blade off at school, he took a folding chair and a book and headed over to the fair grounds and set up camp waiting for the ticket booth to open at noon.

He got tickets!

Unlike last year when Nicole and Chay had "previous" engagements, this year, we were there together.

I couldn't get the pictures to stay side by side but here they are in 2009....

...and 2010

I liked the casual look better, it had a different effect. I think more animated.

2009

2010

Another case of being unable to keep pictures side by side so here's
2010

and 2009

Nicole's roommate Sarah joined the family.

At the beginning of the concert and then when the party really got started.

It was another wonderful concert. The temperature was cooler this year and I was concerned at the beginning of the evening but after awhile, I didn't even notice it. Nicole and Chay actually knew the words to the songs and could sing along to alot more than I could. Nicole basically grew up to the sound of Boys II Men.

Boy II Men made their first record in SLC 20 years ago on Sept.19 so this trip was a milestone of sorts for them. I don't know if we can expect a repeat of this" family concert going" next year but...

Bye until next time.