Photo Shoot

Every year since Hoyt has been born we have taken family pictures, and Hoyt's birthday pictures, in August. It makes sense...kind of kill two birds with one stone. However, this year things were complicated. Nothing like packing a house and moving that puts pictures on the bottom of the "to do" list.

I decided that family photos will have to happen after the baby is born, so I took Hoyt outside one afternoon and we had our own little photo shoot. We spent a good hour and a half snapping photos and Hoyt was a trooper. I think I got a few good ones....

GQ Hoyt

I think I took about 80 shots - and only got a few where he was actually looking at the camera and smiling!

I LOVE this one!

I'm not sure what this look is all about, but he sure is cute

This was pretty much every shot....Hoyt acting like a goof, and giving me his idea of a great smile!!

Now...for a few fall colors

By this time of the photo shoot he was ready to stop taking pictures!

Another one of my favorites - where did my little 9 lb. baby go??

Picnics and Pumpkins!

We decided to have a "family day" last week, so one afternoon we took a picnic lunch down to the Snake River and afterwards headed to a pumpkin patch to pick a few pumpkins for the front porch. The weather was perfect (not too hot and not too cold), and PB&J sandwiches never tasted so good!! Hoyt and Ryon entertained themselves by throwing lots of rocks into the river and looking for fish, and I enjoyed sitting and taking pictures!

Hoyt had to carry the picnic basket by "himself"!

The only place we could find to sit was on the little boat dock. Not the most comfortable spot, but it worked!

With dad out on the rocks...

and with mom, who didn't really want to go out on the rocks!




Looking for fish




Hoyt's favorite thing to do these days is to give "baby brudder" kisses and hugs. He will do this at least five to ten times a day - I think he's getting pretty excited for the little guy to make an appearance! Today he asked me if it was Christmas and I explained that we had to have Halloween and Thanksgiving and then it would be Christmas. He then replied, "Baby brudder comes out at Christmas." He's definitely thinking a lot about it!

After our picnic, we headed to a little family-owned pumpkin patch about 10 minutes from our house. They have large fields filled with pumpkins, and Hoyt could have been there all day searching for just the perfect one. Luckily he had mom and dad's help in locating three prefect pumpkins...and it only took 45 minutes!

Hoyt thought he was a pretty good pumpkin picker when he found this one!

This one was more his size

Hoyt asked if we could carve them into jack-o-lanterns as soon as we got home. I had to break the news that we had to wait until it got closer to Halloween

With mom and all the pumpkins!




This is the only pumpkin patch I have ever been to where you are "on your honor" to pay. Only in Idaho!!



Hoyt thought the money box was great and had to help put in our "dollars" to pay for the pumpkins!

Double Trouble...

Aunt Noelle, cousin Landon and new baby Ava came to visit for a few days this week. Hoyt couldn't wait until they got here and promised me that he was going to be a "good sharer" with Landon. While the sharing wasn't exactly what Hoyt had promised (he was sent to time out a few times for his inability to let Landon play with his toys!), we had lots of fun playing outside on the cars and swing set and inside running around the house.

When Ryon returned home from a trip he asked Hoyt if had shared with Landon and Hoyt's response was, "not quite dad...not quite!" We still have some work to do in that area! Perhaps a new little brother in the house will help with that.

Hoyt loved to drive Landon around in the jeep - when Landon wanted to drive it himself...well that's where we had some "sharing" issues!

The boys after nap time - in my bed watching a show

Baby Ava was an angel...of course!

Hoyt was very interested in Ava and wanted to give her lots of kisses. It was a good opportunity for me to prep. him for baby brother's arrival.

Now, this looks like double trouble to me. What are those boys up to??

What I Did Today

Found a farm stand that has the best peaches, bought a 25 pound box, and made 25 jars of peach jam....Ryon's favorite. I think we have our year's supply of freezer jam!!

Future Fertilizer Salesman?

The other day Ryon went to go visit a farm that was close to home. He told Hoyt that he could go along, and it was all Hoyt could talk about the 24 hours before they went. He got to wear his "farm clothes" and his rubber boots, and he even got to pull a few soil samples for dad while he was there.

After working hard, he took a ride on a chopper tractor that was chopping corn - let's just say all I have heard for the last week is how he is a farmer chopping his corn. Every toy tractor in the house is set up to chop corn with trucks following alongside to catch it! He also asks me every morning to put his cell phone in his pocket for when he needs to talk to his farmers. Do you think he idolizes his dad just a little? Um...yep I think so!

Getting a soil sample for dad....

It looks like he's having a pretty good time!

Conference Weekend

Grandma and grandpa Murray came for a visit over conference weekend. They babysat on Friday night so Ryon and I could actually go out on a date, which is something we haven't done in a long time, and they took Hoyt on a "date" to Arctic Circle. The rest of the weekend we enjoyed watching conference - sounds like a couple of great days to me!

After date night - this is the baby bump at 27 weeks.

Hanging out with grandma and grandpa.

Firefighter Day in Buhl

A friend from church took Hoyt and I to the Buhl Library last week for story time. Hoyt was really excited when we got there and learned it was "Firefighter"day at the library. We read a few stories about firefighters, sang a song about fire trucks, and then got to go and tour the fire station.

Hoyt loved the fire station and was the first to volunteer for everything. He tried on an oxygen mask, got to wear a real fire jacket and helmet, got up close and personal with the "fire fighter dummy", and was one of the first to get inside the ambulance. He raised his hand to do everything, and could have spent the entire day with the fire fighters if I would have let him. I didn't think to bring my camera to story time (I wish I would have known what we were going to do) but I did snap a few shots of him having fun with his fire hat and coloring book when we got home. I think the Buhl Library story time will be a weekly outing!!

All of the kids got a fire hat and goody bag with a coloring book, sucker, stickers and a pencil. Pretty cool!!

He colored every page, and was so excited to show Ryon when he got home from work.

Home Sweet Home....For Now

This is where we will call home for the next year. When we moved into the house it needed a lot of outside work; trimming trees and bushes, pulling weeds, getting the dandelions and clover out of the lawn, etc....etc. We've worked pretty hard and it's now looking and feeling more like home. (Our neighbors must think the pregnant lady down the road never gets dressed up, or does her hair, or wears any make-up; they see me in my grubbies pulling weeds most days!!)

The planter in front of the house needed a lot of work. Hoyt and I spent days pulling weeds - he thought it was great fun! Every morning he would ask me if we were going outside to do "yard work"!

The front entry with a little Halloween decor. Hoyt is taking a picture with his cell phone!

A view of the back of the house - we have enjoyed the covered patio now that we've gotten rid of hornets nests and spiders!!

AND...our favorite view out back. You can't see the horses in this picture, but they are just beyond the white fence. Ryon loves being able to look out back and see his horses grazing - he is truly in his "Promised Land"!

Eastern Idaho State Fair

While the Biglers were in town we headed to Blackfoot for the Eastern Idaho State Fair. Ryon has RAVED about this fair for as long as I have known him, so one of the first things we had to do once we moved to Idaho was take a trip to the fair. (Both Ryon and Noelle told me that the food was great....so to be totally honest I went for the food!!)

We saw all of the animals; went to the petting zoo where Hoyt, Ashlan and Malorie got to hold lots of puppies; watched horse racing; rode the merry-go-round and ferris-wheel; ATE some fair food (the tiger paw was a hit!); and Dallin even rode a mechanical bull. What a fun Labor Day!

Hoyt was a big fan of the tractor exhibits....

he made sure he sat on every single one!

Lunchtime with the three amigos

Hoyt cracks himself up!

The kids watching the horse races




Getting some dad-time



The whole group after a long day!



Getting ready to leave for home - Hoyt fell asleep after being in the car for two minutes and slept the entire two hours home. I think he had a pretty fun day!