Corn Belly's

As much as I "hate" crowds and people, every year, we HAVE to make a trip down to Cornbelly's. 

It's a local festival (including a corn maze) that is pretty much just an adventure in TOUCHING and CLIMBING on every exhibit and activity.

 

 

After our "Evan's Day", Evan had a friend stay the night, and we got up early the next morning to get there just as they opened and stayed until dinner time! 

 

 

Seriously, there are about 2 "Do Not Climb" signs in the acres and acres of fun.

 

 

 

 

 

The corn maze itself is aways worth the trip... It's one of the largest in the US, and the company the designs is actually holds world records for their designs.   This year, they had QR codes on signs throughout the maze, and when you scanned them you got a "You are here" map.  The boys had a blast mapping out our route using the signs! 

 

Evan declared the maze his favorite activity of the day. 

 

Evan's Day, Part 2

Our last stop on the Day of Adventure was the Capitol. 

 

Evan had a blast exploring the grounds.

 

Just below the Capitol, there is a beautiful park, Memorial Grove.

 

The leaves are all just beginning to turn, so we walked down the path into the grove.

 



Okay, I walked, Evan ran. 

 

By the time we made the trek around park and back up the hill, we were both exhausted.  But it was so very worth it when he turned to me and said, "Mom, this was the best day EVER.  Thanks!"



Evan's Day, Part 1

 

Evan was out of school on Thursday and Friday for Fall break... and so the two of us planned a day that was JUST for him. 

 

Basically, my goal was to NOT say no.

 

Our first stop was rather boring... my office.  What better excuse to play with hole punches, staple pullers and paperclips??

 

We were only there for a few hours, and then the REAL adventure began. 

 

Just a few blocks from my office is a new mall called City Creek. 

 

It's massive.  With a retractable roof, water and FIRE fountains...

 

Massive.

 



 

There is also a cross walk that goes right over the top of the trax line. 

 

For lunch, I told him we could go ANYWHERE... and the mall just so happens to have a Cheesecake Factory, which he decided would be the best place.

 

AND to his delight, he found something on the menu that combined his two favorite foods... Shrimp and Bacon!

 

 

Why, yes, it WAS bigger than his head!

 

After lunch and wandering AND stopping by a toy store to explore, we rode the train the few blocks back to my office and hit the grocery store to purchase his favorites for dinner (which, by the way, we ended up saving for another day because he decided to eat the other half of his massive sandwich instead!)

 

And then we thought the day was over and started driving back to the daycare to get little brother.   That's when he saw the capital Rotunda peaking out between the trees up on the hill and asked if we could PRETTY PLEASE drive by it.

 

And of course, because it was the day of not saying no, we did!

 

Pictures to come soon!



Truth.

 

 

I'm not really "into" these ecards... but this one, well...

 

When Evan asked what I was laughing at, and I read it out loud to him... he paused, pursed his lips, thought intently and said, "Yeah.  I agree."



Witches!

Ryan LOVES Gardner Village... a little shopping area here in West Jordan.

 

On a normal day, there are paths to run around on, bridges to cross, ducks to feed, cows in the petting zoo and a bakery to buy cookies at.

 

In September and October, add in the WITCHES, and it's one of his favorite places to visit!

 

 

In November, the Elves come to play... and while they are cool, the witches are by FAR his favorite!

Our Growing Neighborhood

While INCREDIBLY disappointed that the fields around our house are turning quickly into homes... One great thing has come out of it.

Of the 4 new houses in our neighborhood... ONE of them has a 9 year old boy.  And that 9 year old boy is in Evan's class.

AND they get along!!!!!!!

One of the other houses is full of girls... to quote Evan, "Yuck."  (And just our luck, it's the one RIGHT next door.)
One is a young couple with no children.... "Boring"
And the other has young children... none Evan's age, but a boy a few years younger that he walks with to school and says, "Is pretty cool."  They also have a boy about 6 months older than Ryan.

It's so nice to have kids in the neighborhood... even if it was at the expense of our big wide open spaces.  I would trade an empty wheat field for the site of my son playing touch football in the backyard with his best friend ANY DAY!

Space Derby

This year, instead of a Pinewood Derby, the boys in Evan's troop made Balsa Rockets with rubber band engines to race.

Evan worked on his rocket all month long... perfecting it... sanding it... painting it... 

Last night... Eclipse (as he named it), was put to the test... 

I think Ryan was just as excited as Evan was!!   He followed Evan around the entire night, "Helping" but being really good about keeping his hands to himself!

 

In the first heat... Evan tied for the farthest... 35 feet.

The second, third and fourth heats, he smoked them all..

Well, there were a couple of kids who figured out if they gave their rocket a push, it went farther, but Evan was very proud of the fact that his scores were honest "rubber band powered" distances.

Total, his rocket flew 143 feet, farther than ANYONE else (EVEN the boys who pushed!)!!  And his was also "the fastest".

As we were walking back to the car that evening, he informed me "Mom, you were the BEST pit crew tonight!" 

Oh, how I love that kid!!!!!

Stranger to Favorite

My dear childhood friend came to visit this weekend... Okay, actually, she came to work... but stayed at our house to increase the amount of visiting we could do!

 

She brought each of the boys a special prize... their favorites... BOOKS.

 

Evan received a new Gary Paulsen... Ryan Ferdinand the Bull and The Little House. 

 

Soon after opening them, Ryan was asking for someone to read them to him...

 

 

And it didn't take long for him to warm up to one of the most beautiful women that has ever graced my life! 

 





It just melts your heart...

Funny, how such a simple thing can make you fall in love over and over and over again. 

I'm pretty lucky I think.