Trick or Treat!!!!!

Light rain for the evening...but stopped as the evening got going.

Video of Connor and Clover trick or treating. As you can see Clover loved it until she got cold and tired.

Trunk or Treat

Even tho I got released from my big calling as Activities Director- I am still on the committee until we move. This activity and the Christmas activity are still the activities that I planned for this year. It was a huge turn out. LOTS of people passed out candy and all the kids had tons in their bags. We had a ice cream social in the gym after and it was loads of fun. Clover was getting used to the whole getting candy thing. By the end- she was getting very brave and knew what to do.

Shelby helping pass out candy at our car.

There was even a ride for the kids. We had a train station set up with crossing lights and the railroad arms that go down. We had tickets, and the kids got a ticket and waited in line at the railroad crossing to board the ride.

Snow Baby

Today Clover got to go outside and play in the snow for the first time. Last year she was too small to go out and play in the snow. She hated it and didn't understand it. But this year she was so excited with it. I bought her some cute boots, hat, mittens and coat and she was ready to go out and play in the snow. SHE LOVED IT!!!!!! She didn't want to come in.

Cute little boots

Here she is eating it.

Dinner with Great Grandparents

My grandparents drove from Michigan to Utah last week. We had a big family dinner. As you can see we are missing in this photo all the husbands. Camilla's was taking the photo, Mason was on his way home from the airport, and Charlotte's had to work. Everyone else is there.

My kids with their great grandparents LUTZ.

I love my grandma and grandpa Lutz. We lived next to them when I grew up as a child in MI. I have special memories of them. My grandparents were there in my day to day life. That is something most kids do get to have. It was wonderful. Memories of my grandpa working in his cherry orchard. Or my grandma, pulling weeds in her garden in her swimsuit. Walking next door to get popsicles on a hot summer day, hearing my grandpa whistle as he walked, or hopping on the back of my grandpa's red truck as he was driving up the long dirt driveway. I have a thousand wonderful little bits of memory like that of them.

All the cousins.

Haunted Ships and House Hunting

Clover and I got on a plane and flew to San Diego for a Thursday night and came back Saturday night. We left the big kids with Grandma. The whole time there was grey, overcast, rainy, and chilly. I didn't pack any jackets and also forgot Clover's jammies (she had to sleep in her clothes the whole time). So anyway we went down to look at homes. We didn't know what the area was like, so it was good that we got to see what areas we liked best. We decided NO for Escondido and yes for San Marcos. We found a house that we love and will put a offer on if our house sells. Right now we don't know if the offer will go through. We are praying and hoping. Clover was excellent the whole trip. On Friday night we went out to eat with co-workers and Clover threw-up in the restaurant. NICE. Good thing we had extra clothes in the car. She looked at me and said "home". On both plane trips Clover sat next to little old ladies that just adored Clover. On the trip home Mason gave me his first class seat and he took the coach seat with Clover. (so nice of him). On Saturday we had time before we caught our flight to tour some old ships from the 1500's. This is the Star Of India (which was shown on an episode of Ghost Hunters...and proved to have ghost activity). We saw none of that, but it was fun to tour it.

This is another ship docked next to the Star of India...this ship was used in the film Master and Commander. In the ship they had Master and Commander playing and you could see in the background of some scenes in the movie that you were standing in the exact spot as in some of the scenes. This was a real ship that sailed in the 1600's, 1700's, 1800;s.

Clover on the cannon. She loved to poke her head out the hole and see down into the water. When we took her off the cannon she freaked out and had to carry her out.

Sing'n In The Shower

THIRTEEN

Our Shelby has turned 13. It makes my heart ache a bit to look back over old photos of her growing up. The time really has raced by. It makes me sad. Her childhood is over, and now she starts her new chapter as a teenager. This also makes me sad, because I have heard those go even faster than the small childhood years. We have a tradition in our family, we talk about the day that person was born. Today we had grandparents over for a birthday lunch (before Mason had to leave again). We talked about her birth day. It was a day I will never forget. Our first child...so scary and exciting. I thought no other baby can be as beautiful has Shelby (I have since changed my mind... having 2 more really cute ones). She was the first baby on the Lutz side of the family for a very long time, and one of the first on the Coltrin side also. She got so much love and attention. I was so excited to be a mother. Shelby had a lot of colic when she was an infant, but after that she was so very mild mannered and always very mature for her age. She went into kindergarten at age 4 and has always done super well. Shelby has always played sports, soccer, skiing, softball. One of Shelby's talents and blessings that God has given her, is the blessing of a strong body. I noticed how unusually strong her body was at an early age of 4 months. She was sitting unattended without pillows, at 4 months old. Usually the normal time frame for that is 6 months. She has always excelled in sports, no matter what it is. We have discussed with Shelby we are all given talents in this life- yours is a blessing of a strong body. She knows that this is a talent she must use and be grateful for. 4 months old - she had sooooo much hair that it always made her look so much older when she was a infant.

17 months old

17 month old

22 months old

2 years old

3 years old

5 years old

8 years old- baptized

13 years old

Happy Birthday my Shelby Laura...you are always my Laura Belle (my nickname for her)

Frolicing In The Fall Foliage

Heading up the canyon on a Saturday afternoon.

It has been a VERY warm fall. Today is October 2nd and it is the mid- 80's. Tee-shirts and shorts in October is rare rare RARE!

Me with my cutie pies.