The Village

The Playgroup hit Gardner Village long ago and far away. 

It was really fun and well-worth documenting. 

The kids all loved the scavenger hunt and finding all the witches. 

The moms loved eating the cookies and chatting it up at McDonald's afterward. 

I have the best friends. 

Alex, Jakey, Josie, Tessa, and Lily

Lily, Jake, Carley, Tessa, and Josie.

Proof that Sarah really was there, too.

Karley was too. That's her little hand reaching through.

Royal Twins

It turns out I did take a few pictures at Ben and Scarlett's birthday party. Four--actually.
Here are some snapshots outside Laurel's house of the disastrous pinata. It was so awesomely funny.

The theme of "the twins'" party was princes and princesses. I loved little Sarah in her too big Sleeping Beauty dress. And I loved squeezing Jake into last year's Halloween pirate costume and calling him Flynn Rider.

Hood Halloween Party

Right before we moved, our neighborhood had an HOA Halloween party that was the bomb. It was the perfect last hurrah for us. We loved it.

Sarah, trying so hard to be a big kid.

Super-hero princesses, Lily and Tessa.

How amazing are these costumes?

Jake, the little vampire.
We were going for more Damon Salvatore, than Edward Cullen.

Cutest little bumblebee ever.

My mom was snapping her fingers and telling Jake to look up at her.
He decided to copy her and looks like he is a Latin dancer.

Karley the owl and Sarah. BFFs :)

Jake really took the pumpkin bowling seriously. He loved knocking all the ghost pins over.

These cute girls are my friend, Melanie's girls, Carley and Josie.

Aren't they pretty? Carley's cheeser kills me.

Rachael taking charge of the hula-hoop toss.

Everyone gathered up for the guessing game prizes and getting ready for the movie.

Alex and Jakey.

Charlie Brown's "The Great Pumpkin".

Kimmy and Tandy made all this happen. It was epic.

Touch-A-Truck

My parents were able to come in town for a work thing my dad was involved in. Every year, Altec does this event called "Touch-a-Truck". It's up at Rice Eccles Stadium and it's kind-of amazing. And even though Jake was too afraid to go for a ride with PopPop in the bucket truck, he was in heaven with all the trucks and big-rigs he got to climb in and play on.

 Sarah was a little nervous, but braved the bucket-truck anyway.

There we are.

Waaaaaaayyyy up there.

Smokey the Bear!

Driving the tractor.

Running back and forth in the refrigerated truck.

 

Playing on the school bus.

Silver Lake

The playgroup hit Silver Lake a while back and it was killer.

Seriously, does it get better than this? Perfect weather, perfect colors, and perfect friends.

Could next fall come a little sooner so I can do this again? It was awesome.

Kimmy, Haley and kids.

Katie, Tessa, Lily, and Jake.

 Rachael.

 Jake loooovvved the water. He thought that walkways (or tracks, as he called them) were pretty cool.

I love these kids of mine.

Rachael with her girls and Jakey.

Mindy and Alex.

Kimmy with Karley and Haley's girls, Katie and Annie.

And Haley with little Carter in tow.

Just taking a little break.

Sarah girl.

Beautiful.