Rome

Jeremy and I went to Rome for ten days in October!!! We have tons of pictures, and some I posted on Facebook. I can't get any of them to upload properly on the blog. I just wanted to make a quick note about our trip so that I can move on to blogging about other things. I will be making a book of our trip that posterity can look at later.
Highlights of our trip included seeing all the typical sights like the Colleseum, Pantheon, the Vatican, etc. We also enjoyed an Italian Opera, a real Italian soccer game, Pompei, Naples Museum, and seeing things off the beaten path through staying at AirB&B apartments and taking public transportation. We were completely blown away by all the history and art and learned more than we ever thought we could in such a short amount of time. The boys went to Grandma Nana and Grandpa Papa's house in Colorado and had a blast!!

Homecoming and other September highlights

September is one of the most beautiful months in Minnesota!

We enjoyed a BBQ at Kristen's house.

High school homecoming parade with friends.

Yummy meals

Making a for the football game

At the game! The boys learned a lot about football that you can't really notice on TV.

Jeremy was called to be the 2nd counselor to our bishop at church. He was ordained to the office of High Priest in the preisthood and set apart in this responisbility right before Labor Day. So now he attends lots of meetings to help lead and guide our congregation. Just like most positions at our church, this is a volunteer assignment. We were really surprised by the invitation for him to serve in this capacity, but felt strongly that this is the Lord's will for our family. So that's why Jeremy was pretty tired in September.

Dallin made a hand with bones at school.

Waking us up on Saturday morning.

Tanner figured out how to make this line of legos stick together side by side...

by using some thin legos to overlap and hook them together.

We watched our church leaders in the General Conference broadcast from Salt Lake City.

Playin' around.

Lunch date with Dallin.

Lunch date with Tanner.

  We got our house painted. Virtually the same color.

I was pretty happy with the new door color that Jeremy chose!

The kindergarteners went on a field trip to the Spam Museum, and I got to join them for a bit!

Kids Music in Motion at the HHH went super! A bluegrass band came, and I led the children in a bunch of activities while the band played. Then the kids got to be up close and personal with the instruments.

Date night at our local theater was fun. We took a group of 10 friends to see Comedy Sportz. No one would volunteer to go up on stage so I broke the ice for the audience.

The boys have been learning to keep busy while their mom and dad get church work done. Depending on the Sunday, we are at church anywhere from our normal 3 hours up to 6 hours because of responsibilities I need to fulfill as primary president and things Jeremy needs to do as a member of the bishopric. Sometimes, we've been fortunate to have friends watch the boys while we are both in meetings at the same time.

About once or twice a week, Dallin sleeps in, so he doesn't have time to get dressed. Luckily, after we drop off Tanner, there is time for Dallin to eat breakfast in the car and change his clothes before his school starts and before I have to be at work. He looked especially adorable to me this day in his footsie jammies. 

The painting job is done!

Now if only we could afford a new roof. Funny how the hail damage that we filed with our insurance would only cover a paint job and not a new roof.

Tanner was proud of his crayon rainbow.

Banfield elementary school playground, early release day maybe?

Nature walk in the neighborhood.

What a beautiful boy I have!

Apples to Apples

We met up with the Gabrielsons on a September Sunday afternoon to pick apples and enjoy the gorgeous countryside!!  We wanted to continue our family tradition of picking apples, but didn't want to drive far to do it. Luckily, we found Cedar Grove orchard within 20 minutes of our home. I'm not sure how we missed this place in past years. The orchard was huge and beautiful! 

Our group of Apple Experts. 

The Dads snuck off for a secret apple meeting. 

Dallin said that yellow apples are his favorite. He did apple taste tests in school.

My friend Lacey and her three musketeers. 

My bucket is almost full!!

She is becoming such a young lady!

Enjoying our apples in the shade.

One of my Gabrielson buddies.

Buckets all full! (Dallin was all done with pictures)