Thanksgiving

Our second Ohio Thanksgiving was just as much fun as the first! We gathered at Camille and Chad's house and five of my siblings were able to be there! (Yeah, it was a houseful!) We had so much fun...Turkey Bowl, feast of all feasts, computer games (hooray for Nancy Drew!), shopping, "Mexican Train", "Beowulf", "Mad Gab", "Amazing Grace", Utah vs BYU, playing with cousins, late nights, holding babies, dishes, and yes, more shopping! Thanks Hales!

Daddy Daughter Date

Well, it wouldn't be fair for the boys to have all the fun! Michael took Sophie to the last Hawkeyes home football game...again, thanks for the free last minute tickets! They had a blast. Sophie loved eating a hotdog, watching the flame dancer at half-time, and wearing Daddy's vest to keep her warm. It was a wish come true for Michael, always wanting to go to a game, but never the time, nor the tickets! Good memories for both Daddy and daughter! (And Riley, Lucy, and I had a lot of fun getting a new car battery! Wahoo!)

Boys night out

Michael took Riley with him last night to see a University of Iowa basketball game. Michael's attending physician on his current rotation, Dr. Weinstein, gave him his tickets since he couldn't use them. Riley looked forward to the game all day long...couldn't take a nap, even in the car, he was so excited! (Yes, he comes by those genes honestly!) I waited up for them and "the guys" looked so good when they came home, all dressed in their jeans and leather jackets! (Oh, and carrying some leftover popcorn as per Sophie's request!) They had a fun time together...and I think Iowa won!

Tricks and Treats

What kid doesn't love Halloween? Even all of us big kids! Here are a few pictures of our spooks!

After getting past the "feels gross, mommy!" attitude of carving the pumpkins, our kids really had a great time. Michael is the champion carver (he's good with a knife). It's all those years of practice with a scalpel! He created a jack-o-lantern appropriately named "Retch," using the gross and slimey insides spewing out it's open mouth! Riley named his "Smiley" and Sophie named hers "Rosie" (which she picked herself on a Kindergarten field trip!) My sister Suzanne was here visiting and added her own flair..."hey, Sophie, did you know that pumpkin seeds stick to your face?" Ha! ha!

Vacation to The Falls

The first weekend in October we visited Idaho Falls for a job interview and to spend time with family. We had such a marvelous time...Here are a few of our highlights:

lots of family time, throwing our first snowballs of the season, getting haircuts (thanks Alicia), General Conference on TV and with family, hanging with the Taylor's, Powell's, Taylor's and Julie!, finding frogs, meeting Bridger, fresh salsa, caramel popcorn, cinnamon rolls, visiting Grandma Pieper and Grandma Rydalch, swimming at the hotel pool, playing with cousins, painting baby pumpkins, watching "The Office", riding with and steering Uncle Bryce's tractor, seeing/smelling the potato harvest and digging a few spuds of our own, Cafe Rio Pork Burritos, duck/pheasant hunting, sleeping-in until 9am, target shooting, coloring pictures and playing with Grandma's toys!

We did a lot of fun things, but left wishing we had done more! Hope to visit again! We love you all! Here's a slideshow of our trip:

Pumpkin Patch

We collected a few pumpkins for our annual jack-o-lantern carving! We visited the famous Wilson's Orchard and picked a few of the best looking ones we could find! It was pretty muddy this year, but that didn't stop Riley and Sophie from running around and having a great time! It has always been a favorite family event and especially when it's finished off with a fresh, hot apple turnover from Mrs. Wilson! M-M-M-M! Stay tuned for our jack-o-lantern creations!

Duck hunt

Michael here posting for the first time. This picture is from a recent duck hunt here in Iowa. It has been a good year for waterfowl (lots of rain) but a bad year for pheasants (too much rain). I guess it's all the farmers praying for moisture!