Lovin' the Leaves

We don't have large, mature trees in our yard, but when all the leaves were piled-up and gathered into one location, there were enough for Ella to jump around in. 

She's cute, isn't she?

Cornbelly's - A Fall First

Our family has never had a chance to go together to the Cornbelly's attraction at Thanksgiving Point.  "What is Cornbelly's?" you might ask.  Well, it is acres of farmland converted into a ton of different (allergy inducing) activities for children to be involved in.

There are tractors to ride and play on,

 there is a pit filled with corn kernels to bury yourself (or someone else) in,

there are slides, tether balls, bounce houses, and other various playground equipment,

and there is a giant corn maze to explore.

The children had quite an enjoyable time experiencing all of the sights, smells, and sounds of fall. Ella even got a feel for the tastes when she found a dried corn cob in the maze and carried it around with her, putting it in her mouth to try and take bites of the kernels.

When it became dark and a little chilly, we took that as our cue to call it a night (not to mention, it got pretty crowded by the end of the evening).  If we happen upon discounted tickets for Cornbelly's again, I'm sure we will go.  We had a great time.  (And I was finding corn kernels for a week afterward.)

 This post authored by Amber

Seasons of Change

I'm shocked at how quickly the portraits in my front room no longer accurately represent the members of my family.  My children's pudgy, baby faces are replaced with leaner, wiser ones in a matter of months, and the old photos are only slightly reminiscent of their present day appearance.  Seasons change.  Faces change.

I guess it's as good a time as any to say, "out with the old, and in with the new," right?  Well, that is what our intentions were when we made an annual drive up Nebo Loop to look at the changing, fall leaves.  We paired that with taking family pictures to update the older photos.

I can see why we only try the family photo thing once a year.  It is exhausting, and, quite frankly, a tad bit stressful. I think it's a challenge because we shoot for optimal sunlight time (which is limited), and we work with a tripod and a timer (which is time consuming).  Not to mention, our first attempts rarely turn out, and each successive photo that is taken becomes more desperate.  It's a good thing we take a billion pictures.  Some are bound to turn out and are worthy to take their spot on the front room wall.  Here is a collection of those (and a few that didn't "make the cut"):

I'm kind of wishing Garrett and Ella would've choreographed their

nose picking, thus only ruining one picture instead of two.

At this point, we might as well wreck a photo on purpose.

 

Hmm...see if you can guess why Garrett and Spencer would be making moo-ing faces.

 (Can you also guess why my face is so tense?): 

Ta-da!  We took a decent family picture,

 

and, boy, was it exhausting!

 

Very exhausting....

 

 

....very,very exhausting!

This post authored by Amber

 

Mount Nebo Loop

SHAME ON US!  We have lived so close to the access of Payson canyon for nearly thirteen years and we've never made the drive through the Nebo Loop before now.  Honestly, I am sad to think of what we've been missing all this time. 

Usually our family heads north to Provo canyon in the fall to take pictures in a lovely little spot just beyond the Sundance ski resort.  This year, Jason was gone to Singapore during the time that I thought was peak for the most vibrant fall colors.  We kept putting off the annual drive through the canyon because of busy schedules or uncooperative weather.  Finally, on a balmy and quiet Sunday afternoon in mid-October, we thought we'd take a look at what the southern location had to offer.  I also wanted a chance to try out a family-friendly hike that I've heard about called The Grotto.

I was not sure what to expect of the fall foliage.  I really had thought the colors would have died down by this time, but was I ever wrong!  The canyon was ablaze with eye-popping reds and oranges in stark contrast to the bold evergreens.  We were most captivated, however, by the florescent yellow of the quaking aspens of the higher elevations.

Oh, and the hike!  The hike was so fabulous.  The boys loved running across the log bridges, and I enjoyed the ease of the well-groomed trails ( I was carrying Ella in the sling, after all).  The destination being a cove-like area with a splattering waterfall was like the "icing on the cake" of a very enjoyable outdoor experience.

The drive was scenic, the traffic was sparse, the road was wider, and there was easy access to pull-offs to scenic overlooks for photo taking.  I think we found a new area for enjoying the fall colors that Utah has to offer, but I won't wait until next season to get back up that way.  I would love to see The Grotto in the spring and summer.

What a memorable Sunday drive (and perhaps a wee bit of an exhausting one)!

This post authored by Amber

The First of Many 2011 Halloween Related Posts

We have a tradition of going to Jaker's Pumpkin Patch here in town to traipse through vine-covered dirt mounds in search of the perfect pumpkins to adorn our front porch.  I have found that the children settle on a pumpkin almost immediately because they would much rather roll around in the pit of corn kernels or climb on the bales of hay near the parking area.  Oh well.  I'm too busy trying to get the ideal photograph of each moment that I could care less about the pumpkins, too.

 Here is the pumpkin that everyone collectively picked out for Ella.  I think she likes it.

 I love Garrett's grin in this picture.  It is one of his more natural facial expressions I've been able to

capture in a while.  (He's going through that fake-smile-for-the-camera phase right now.)

 This is the pumpkin Spencer originally picked but you won't see it on our porch.  It was accidentally

 swapped out for a different one late one evening after we caught some pumpkin snatchers and had

the police make them return all their "loot." ( I'll have to tell that story another day.)

 What can I say?  Just a good-looking kid holding a good-looking pumpkin.

This year has been Ella's first experience with the fall season and all of its traditional amenities.  It seems as though she has taken quite a liking to all of the activities we are doing.  The colors, smells, sights, and feel of the time of year are just as exhilarating to her as they are to the rest of us.  Oh, and she enjoys the taste of fall, too, but in a different way than most do.  While pumpkin pie and apple cider will please my palette, Ella is content with straw and dusty kernels of corn.

 Just adding a little fiber to her diet.

 Mom and Dad weren't quick enough to anticipate the handfuls of corn that would go straight into

 Ella's awaiting mouth once she was set down.  (You can see some in her mouth in this picture.)

 She didn't seem to like it when we emptied her fists and face of corn kernels.

 Nope, she did not like that one bit!

This post authored by Amber