October 2024

Oh, October, how could you be here already?!  October slowed us down a little bit, but we still had places to be and things to do. 

October 5th:  Today, you could find us in Toole for another soccer game.

This was her last fall season game so Papa, Grandma Terry, and Neena all made the trip to Tooele.

Afterwards, the team met at A&W Rootbeer.  (I think this was Abby's first rootbeer float.)

October 6th:  We had some girls from the bike team over to make some GRiT (Girls Riding Together) awards for the end-of-season banquet.  

October 12th:  This was the first year Andy and I could participate in the world record shot ski on Main Street.  Breckenridge, CO and Park City go back and forth on who holds the world record for the longest shot ski.  It was nice they had an option for apple juice.

While 99% of the participants had whiskey in their shot glasses, I had apple juice.

October 17th: It's Fall Break!  Andy, Emma, and I headed down to Cedar City for the State Mountain Biking Races.  (Abigail stayed with Neena.)  Even though Emma didn't qualify this year, she still wanted to support the team.  On the way down, we drove through a small town--Parowan.  They had the cutest Halloween decorations all along the roads.

Then we made our way to the Parowan Gap.  Originally formed by a rising block of sedimentary rock and a stream cutting through, the stream eventually dried out.  Through continued erosion, this is what the gap looks like today.

It is also home to an impressive number of petroglyph panels.

We also stopped to see some dinosaur tracks.  Can you see it?  It's right at Emma's knee level.

In Cedar City, after we checked into our VRBO,  Andy and I took advantage of the weather and took a little walk on the trail. 

October 18th:  Not exactly what we wanted to wake up to...

Even though the races for the day were cancelled, we still headed to the course for a bonfire and to mingle with friends.  Emma and the girls also got to chat with Haley Batten again.  She was there to watch the races and talk with everybody.

Brrrr...with the windchill, it felt like 17 degrees.

When you have a bonfire, you roast marshmallows...

October 19th:  This morning, we headed about 20 miles south of Cedar City to the northern part of Zion National Park to do a 5-mile hike.  It was gorgeous!

Then we headed back to Cedar City to watch the mountain bike races.  The races were on for the day and the trails looked fantastic.  Haley Batten spoke to some of the racers at the start line.

October 22nd:  Today was Abigail's first middle school choir concert.  They did so well.  Emma even helped straighten her hair.

For the last song, the middle school choir joined the junior high and high school choir.

October 26th:  It's time for our annual pumpkin carving party!  This year, the kids made all of the food.  They did such an amazing job.  Emma made the main meal---3 different types of sliders. 

Abigail made a pumpkin-shaped fruit pizza.

It's always fun to catch up with friends and watch all of the pumpkin carving.

October 30th:  The mountain biking season has officially come to an end.  Tonight was the end-of-season banquet.

GRiT awards--the girls did such a great job of making these.

October 31st:  Happy Halloween!  This year, our Sp. Ed. team joined our office's theme (Despicable Me 2) and dressed as the purple evil minions.  

After school, we took the bus to Main Street so the girls could do some trick-or-treating with friends.