Halloween 2013

Chim chiminy chim chiminy chim chim cheroo...We were Burt and Mary this year! Also worth mentioning is that Danny's Yoda pumpkin won the carving contest at the ward party :-)

Other fun festivities included the Bluebell Corn Maze and "Creep Farm" as well as the Jensen Pumpkin Festival! It was too dark to take good photos at either event, but we had a great time! Eastern Utah really comes alive in the fall and around Halloween. There were several other "haunted" corn mazes that we didn't have time to hit up, but we were impressed with the one that we went to! Rednecks  really know how to put on a good scare...

All of the Halloween festivities earned spots on our list of "Things we like about living in the Basin" board...which is a board that really exists, and is hanging on our wall at home. We've added things here and there throughout the year as a way of adjusting to Vernal and efforts to make it feel more like "home." :-)

The award-winning pumpkin is on the right :-)

Just some silly pics...

Lagoon

We scored some free Lagoon tickets earlier this summer from Big-O-Tires, so we went and started our Halloween festivities with rollar-coasters and Frightmares. My first rollar-coaster ride was at Lagoon last year (which I realize is pretty sad!) and so it was fun to go get in the groove again. This is all in preparation for an anticipated trip to Disneyland and Six Flags, which will likely be a 2015 adventure. Anyway, Danny was relieved to discover that he married someone who became immediately obsessed with rollar coasters, as this was not something that was tested prior to putting a ring on my finger! I'm glad it all worked out too :-) 

TWO PHOTO-BOMBS IN ONE PICTURE!! When we saw this we died. So hilarious!

The train ride :-) The train takes you past all of the zoo animals, which is really neat.

Visit with the Bronson Clan!

The same weekend of Bekki's wedding, we hopped in the car and trekked down to Albuquerque, New Mexico, so that we could enjoy our annual get together with Maura and her brood. This was in INCREDIBLY long over-due visit!!! Maura and I have been best friends since college, and have consistently found ways to visit each other every year since that time (with the exception of our missions.) Our last visit was in Spanish Fork, UT, just prior to Danny and I getting engaged. Since that last visit, Danny and I have gotten married, and Maura and Derek have become proud parents to two BEAUTIFUL little darlings, Gracie and Lizzie. So, I was really longing for Maura-time.

We had a fantastic weekend with them. Maura and I got to go have a girls' night out (which definitely hasn't happened since we got back from our missions) and the boys stayed home and watched the terrible, but manly thriller flick "Sharknado." Good times :-)

On Sunday, Maura's parents came over from Rio Rancho to go to church with us and have Sunday dinner. Having treats and chats altogether and visiting like old times was one of the highlights of my year :-) I wish we could live closer to each other, but alas, life is as it is! The annual get-togethers will never cease to bring tremendous joy. We are so grateful for Maura and Derek!

Feedin' time...

Playing with the girls was so  much fun. We ate at our fave place "Sweet Tomatoes" and played a somewhat practical joke on them by feeding them tiny lemon bites. Absolutely the most adorable faces came as they tried to process the sourness in their mouths!!! Here are some of the funniest ones:

On the way back to Utah we stopped off at the Monticello temple.

Toone Wedding

The last wedding we attended this year was for my dear friend and former mission companion Bekkilyn Pead, to David Toone. I had heard quite a bit about David when he started coming into the picture, and was very impressed with him when I met him on their wedding day! Bekki has become one my most loyal friends, and so I was thrilled to be a part of her day and watch her be sealed to the man she loves. It was also wonderful to meet up with other sorelle italiane, and some of these pictures capture PERFECTLY our little group :-) It was a blessed weekend.

Congrats to David and Bekki!

This is by far the best candid photo of all time...