H-A-double L-O-W-double E- N

There are plenty of traditions that the kids look forward to.  Christensen's pumpkin patch is an event that they have grown to love.  April goes into so much work.  I love all the detail like the pumpkin lampposts and the photo opps.

More than just looking at pumpkins, the kids love to take something to share.  I had almost talked them out of doing pumpkins since we had barely gotten home from the hills an hour before the entries had to be checked in, but we pulled something together.

Ruby drew some adorable Halloween cartoons thanks to artsforkidshub.com

You must make sugar cookies for this candy laden holiday.

We had two cupcakes; a big and a little one, and two bakers; a big and a little one.

The traditional Halloween parade down at the elementary school.  It's a lot of fun to watch the kids in all their different costumes.

We spent a good part of the day up in Rigby chopping Foster's corn.  We made it home in time to get dressed up and make a few visits to our older friends before Trunk or Treat started.

The following day was spent sorting their candy.  They love to organize it and put it in baggies.  I always look at the amount we have amassed and start thinking of ways to get rid of it.  This year, we donated a brown bag full to the bishop.  The kids never knew. . . after it spent long enough time in the cupboard I loaded it up and dropped it off at his door with a note.

Playing Cowboy

It was a beautiful fall day, so Brent successfully talked the girls and me into coming up to help wean off the calves.  They took the horses and we tagged along in the RZR.

Howells were up at the ranch so they helped get the cattle into the corral before we started sorting the calves off.

There was a pair of bulls that kept fighting.  Here is Ruby and Dalanie's best impression, sparring sisters.

The highlight of the day was when the guys were off their horses and the girls could take rides.  

Dalanie loved being able to trot on Shorty.  She was all smiles as the wind blew through her hair.

Grandpa always makes sure the kids have plenty to eat by sharing his entire lunch with them.

Farm Family

We, country folk, march to the beat of our own drum.  We do things a bit differently than most.  Child labor- yes, please!  Our kids are taught the importance of hard work and encouraged (if not mandated) to pitch in to do their share.  Country kids make the best drivers because they've had the most experience.    

Their clothes are sturdy and their boots are more than the latest fashion trend.  A ball cap and a pair of gloves are always close by.

Pipe moving is a rite of passage.  It's physically exhausting.  The early mornings and heat of the day test your character.  So do blow outs and plugged nozzles.  Muscles strain to at first move one pipe, and then to move one line.  Kids grow and mature with the grounding of an aluminum pipe.  But when the season is over, they walk a little taller realizing that they are not quitters.  No!  They are pipe movers!  And pipe movers can do just about anything.

And if someone helps you move pipe, you are a team.  One that watches out for you and has got your back.

What a blessing to have this team of pipe movers!

And, well, country kids are different because they're mowing the lawn with a zero turn mower at eight years old.  But not just mowing the lawn, they go out of their way to mow around a corn plant that has taken root in the lawn.  They're used to being different and empathize with things that are different.

Sunsets, sunrises, and singing birds are your pay.  It's enough to fill your whole soul with appreciation for where you live and how you live.

You can look out and count the bales of hay and thank God for the weather to make green hay.

You watch a tiny little seed grow into a 10 foot tall plant.  Along with it's associates, an immense jungle forms.  It all started with the faith to put the little seed in the ground, do your part, and turn the rest over to God.

You learn to push start 4 wheelers, jump batteries, change tires, and face problems.

No, farm life isn't perfect.  It isn't the only way.  But thank God we're a farming family!  We can nurture our kids as well as our crops.  

For The Love of Leaves

The Telford girls came over to play.  It's fun when it is no longer babysitting, but playdates with the kids.  It's fun to have girls the same ages, kind of like 3 sets of twins.  While Dalanie and Linlee were at a halloween party, the others girls made a big leaf pile to play in.

Ruby is still trying to get the hang of driving the 4-wheeler, but she winds it up in first gear since she doesn't shift yet.  Her and Sadie made quite the team gathering up leaves with the sweeper and dumping them next to our pile.

We ended up moving the trampoline next to the pile, so they could jump into the leaves a little easier. If I had a quarter for every time they jumped in...

Although leaves seem pretty innocent, I'm always surprised how dirty they get kids.  Off to our big tub for a bath.

Mighty Marathon

This year the elementary did something new, thanks to the PE teacher Lisa Jolley.  She challenged the kids to run or walk a marathon, 26.2 miles, over a month and a half.  Dalliance was pretty consistent and liked to walk with the family.  Over the course of time, her miles added up and she completed the Mighty Marathon. 

They ran the first and last miles together at school.  It was a pretty big deal.  Finishers got shirts (which Progressive Crop Systems was a proud sponsor.)  

It surprised Dalanie at how fast just a mile a day added up.  It's quite a powerful lesson.  Sometimes we get really excited about something and go all out, only to realize that it's not very sustainable.  It's amazing where you can go and what you can do when you just keep moving.

Each grade came out together.  Here is the entire third grade class!

Sundays Are Our Favorite Day

During harvest, Sundays are the only day that we are together as a family.  That means we look forward to them and try to spend some good quality time together.  Sundays are usually a day where the kids will take turns making treats.  Hudson chose to make homemade oreos (something that I just don't ever make.)

When the weather is nice, we will ride bikes or go for walks.  In order to motivate the kids, there usually has to be some sort of incentive and nothing works better than to promise a stop at Grandma and Grandpa Hillman's.  On this particular night, we talked Grandma into getting out her accordion.  She got it while she was a girl.  Apparently back then, people would come around selling them and provide lessons as well.  The kids recognized the keyboard, but it was quite large for them to muscle around and it's tricky to pump it as well.  Definitely something that would require a decent amount of practice.

The kids offer to assist Grandpa with popcorn popping.  It's special popcorn from their Stir Crazy popper and has it's own distinct taste with lots of butter.  They pass out the bowls and keep them refilled.  We love popcorn.