Evans Family Farm

We are just so excited for fall over here, it's crazy.

From all the smells to all the colors, we love it.

One of the things on our bucket list for fall, was to visit a pumpkin patch and pick pumpkins.

We choose local and go to Evans Family Farm every year.

In fact, we stumbled upon this place on accident, when Jovi was only 6 months old and we lived in our first home in City Center.

Now that we live in Silver Lake, we're a lot closer to this pumpkin patch, as it's only on Lehi Main.

We love it and already can't wait to go again next year!

Having that been said, we found a little secret and a way to save you some dollars! Can I get an amen!?!?!

You don't need a coupon code, nor do you have to dress up and do anything silly... So don't worry.

BUT... You will have to make some sacrifices.

Like... Not going to this pumpkin patch at night.

Normally, for some, that wouldn't be a big deal.

EXCEPT... This place is so cute at night.

(I think most are)

Their edison bulbs are out and their drink stand is open.

What's not to love?!?!?

I was okay w/that though, because we usually go to Cornbelly's for all that anyway (more to come on future blog post).

Secret***

So normally you have to pay like $3.50/person for this pumpkin patch, I believe.

I don't know, don't quote me on that

BUT IF YOU GO EARLY ENOUGH IN THE SEASON, IT'S FREE!

That's right, you heard me. FREE!

They don't charge you admission and you still get to do all the things... YOU GUYS!

I was amazed. And this is why we support/love local. 

Everyone in our group got to go into the pumpkin patch, pet all their animals in their little petting zoo, pick out pumpkins, and ride the tractor train. ALL FOR FREE!

They were still moving hay belles when we were there during the day, otherwise the corn pit wold've been fun to jump in, and the metal tunnel would've been more than enjoyable for the kids;

However, we usually go to Cornbelly's for all that, as mentioned above, so this wasn't as big of a deal for us.

We were literally just coming to pick pumpkins and take some cute photos. Every blogger mom's dream, right?!?!

They did say they'd have everything up & running later that night though, so the key is to go during the day if you can.

We went the beginning of October, just for future reference.

Locals...

I sincerely hope you check this place out.

The owners are so so nice and it's such a quaint, intimate little pumpkin patch.

See ya next year, Evans Family Farm!!!

Autumn Bucket List (2018)

I'm baaaaaack!

Did you miss me?

I think the last time I blogged was when my youngest was still a baby and now she's 3yo

(WHAT?!?!?!!)

So.... Clearly it's been awhile.

I'm still trying to figure out this whole thing.

Like, if I'm going to change "my name"

Remember when AIM was a thing and you had to choose a "screen name"

Also, I may change things up a bit and pick a different layout

I don't know. Decisions. Decisions.

But, for now, since we're coming into fall

I THOUGHT I'D LIST OUR AUTUMN FAMILY BUCKET LIST FOR THIS YEAR

So here it goes:

1. Take family pictures

2. Pick apples

3. Visit a pumpkin patch

4. Pick pumpkins

5. Go to Cornbelly's

6. Make apple pie

7. Decorate carameled apples

8. Make apple cider

9. Decorate for Halloween

10. Do a family costume

11. Take a fall foliage drive

12. Carve pumpkins & roast seeds

13. Trick-or-Treat

14. Make Boo bags & doorbell ditch them

15. Celebrate Anniversary #7

16. Watch Hocus Pocus

17. Rake leaves & jump in pile

18. Bake pumpkin bread & cookies

19. Have Nana visit

20. Attend Pinners Conf.

And to specify:

1. Possible by the lake, I'm looking to have family portraits done. I don't want fall pictures, per say. I want them pretty neutral & to match with the rest of my house.

2. I hear there's a decent apple orchard by our Costco in Lehi (for those of you who are local and in Utah County). A friend told me about it and said it's like a dollar per pound? Yeah, I'm all about it and will report back. 

3. We usually go to this little family pumpkin patch off Lehi Main Street close to Saratoga Springs (Evans Family Farm). We love supporting local!

4. We'll most likely pick pumpkins from said pumpkin patch mentioned above. Again, we're all about local. 

5. Cornbelly's is a family-oriented fall festival at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi and we've taken the girls the last few years & they've loved it. It gets more and more fun as they get older and older, so I look forward to it more and more each year. There's mazes, food, shows, picture opps, giant trampolines for the kids, hay rides, hot cocoa, and more. 

6. I have a really great apple pie recipe and haven't made it since hosting Thanksgiving a few years ago, so I'm excited to get my Betty Crocker on. 

7. The key to decorating a good apple is (first) your apple and (second) your caramel. I get my GREEN apples from Costco (they come in a 12 pack and are generally cheaper than most produce stores). And I get my caramel from Orson Gygi in Salt Lake City.

8. I've never made home-made apple cider before, so I'm excited to try this one. I usually just do the little packets that are pre-made, but this year I plan on going all out from the freshly picked apples from the apple orchard.

9. I don't like to go scary for Halloween. Generally, I take out my fall decor right around the end of August (Labor Day weekend) and keep it up until Thanksgiving night. I usually just have pumpkins everywhere and add some spiders & witch hats for the 31st. I'm more so a cute Halloween decorator, rather than scary.

10. We've been dressing up (as a family) for Halloween, since Jovi was first born. Jovi's our oldest and is 4yo so we've been kinda doing this for awhile. I actually dressed up when I was pregnant w/her and had so much fun, so I knew I wanted to carry on the tradition once she was actually born. We have a great family costume planned and I can't wait to share it w/you all. (Usually I like to try to keep this one a secret. Only a few close friends know).

11. Taking a scenic route is pretty easy to do in Utah, as we are surrounded by mountains. I typically drive Alpine Loop in the fall, but haven't done it w/my kids so I'm excited to show them all the bright, pretty colors. (For those of you who may not be familiar with Utah County, Alpine Loop starts in one canyon {American Fork Canyon} and ends in another canyon {Provo Canyon} hence it's name "Alpine Loop." You can start at whichever canyon you'd like. It's all the same and just as beautiful. Just know it's pretty windy, so if you're one to get car sick, be sure to suck on some mints, keep your window rolled down, and pull over often for pictures and or breaks.

12. Carving pumpkins is something we've actually never done w/our girls. Are we just pathetic parents, or what?!?! No, I guess I was just never really comfortable w/the mess (???) and wanted to wait until my girls were old enough to play with the guts. Also, I can't even remember the last time I roasted pumpkin seeds, but I know they're delicious sooooo HELLO NEW TRADITIONS!

13. Trick-or-Treating is a must and we go every year. It's a big thing in Utah (families start between 4:30 and 5 since it gets so cold and so dark so early in the fall/winter time). We are always sure to make it out to the frontyard in plenty of time for group/individual photos and always try to allow ourselves plenty of daylight so our pictures don't turn out grainy. Look, I even added a photo tip in there for ya.

14. Boo bags are another big thing in Utah and we always enjoy making them. If you've never been "Boo-ed" before, you're missing out. But basically you just get a bag full of Halloween goodies (you can put whatever you want in there, really), and you doorbell ditch them. Normally I know ahead of time which family I want to "Boo" so I put things in the bags according to that family's likes. ie- glow sticks, Halloween coloring books/stickers, suckers, cider, etc. It can be as simple as you'd like (a loaf of bread, plate of cookies), or as detailed as you'd like. It's just super fun to doorbell ditch a goodie bag, keep it a secret, and see who leaves something on your porch. OH! And there's usually a little sign that you put in your window, so others know you've been Boo-ed so you don't end up with something every night. Or I mean, you can just NOT put up the sign and act like you've never had anything left on your porch and just have ALL the neighbors come give you ALL the things. (Not saying I've done that before, but it could happen).

15. Jake and I will be married 7 years the end of October and I just cannot even believe it! Time sure does fly. We are planning a little weekend get-away and if it all works out, we'll be going to Antelope Canyon (which is down by the Lake Powell area). I'm super excited, as I've never been before, but have always wanted to photograph it and hey- kid free trips are always nice. 

16. Hocus Pocus is a must must must for me! I've watched it every year since I was a little girl and I introduced it to our oldest last year so it's kinda fun seeing her get into all the witch stuff.

17. Jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves is a super dee duper hard thing for this OCD momma to do. I really really try to let my kids make messes, get dirty and just be a kid, but it's really really hard since I'm by myself 80% of the time. Knowing I have to bathe my kids alone every night, gets really old really fast. So this one will be a big thing for me this year, but boy am I excited for it. Mainly because I know my kids will enjoy it, but also.... Pictures. The pictures will be amazing. 

18. I can honestly say I've never made home-made pumpkin bread, but I have made a pumpkin roll. Maybe I'll have to do that instead. Nah, that's usually saved for Thanksgiving. If you have any good pumpkin bread recipes, send them my way please. Same with pumpkin cookies. Can't say I've made them, but I've tried them & they're delicious.

19. My mom is planning a trip up here to visit us for about two weeks, and I could not be more excited. For those of you who don't know, my parents are in Southern California, and we live in Utah, so as you can imagine, we don't really get to see them too often. My mom has been coming up to Utah (during Halloween) for the last 2 years though. This will be the 3rd year and we're so excited. We usually incorporate her costume w/ours and Jovi (our oldest) always has so much fun picking it out. (sorry mom)

20. Pinners Conference is held in Salt Lake City, Utah every year during the fall season and my sisters and I have gone together, the last 2 years, so this will be our third together. Our mom went with us the first year, but wasn't able to attend last year; however, this year she WILL be able to go with us and we are so so excited. In case you're not familiar with Pinners, it's a big craft fair, basically. It's like Pinterest, but in real life. It's amazing, and you get to meet all these amazing bloggers you've been following for years. (If you're anything like me, you find out who's going to be there ahead of time & find their map online so you know where their booth is and you plan a schedule according to theirs so you can meet up w/them for photos or chats. I know it sounds a bit stalker-ish but hey- Ya do whatcha gotta do, amiright).

That's it for this year's fall bucket list.

Maybe next year's will be different. Maybe it'll be the same.

Who knows

But I enjoy making new traditions with my family and seeing what others enjoy as well. 

What's on YOUR fall bucket list?!?!

4th of July 2016

We had so much fun for the 4th of July this year!

We started out by picking up my brother (Austin) and his girlfriend (Brenna) in Salt Lake Sunday afternoon.

Monday morning we headed to downtown Lehi where we played and swam.

I loved that place. It was both indoor AND outdoor.

As you can see, Jovi had so much fun, and so did Presley.

Both my girls are little water babies.

We kinda skipped naps, and just went straight home to play some more.

My sister (Kelsey) met us at our house afterwards, and that's when the real party began!

We love Auntie Kelsey!

Jovi loves being outside & riding her bike!

Presley really enjoys being outside, as well, and waves to EVERYONE.

What social butterflies I have!

We BBQed hotdogs and had some delicious corn on the cob, watermelon, sweet potato fries & chips.

Costco made a yummy berry pie, and we enjoyed every bit of it w/vanilla ice cream.

I couldn't stop eating! It was such good food!

Happy Birthday, America. 

We realize this land isn't free, and we are so so thankful for all those who have sacrificed, continue to do so, and who will in the future.

Thank you to all the men, women, and families who make so many scarifies for our freedom.

God Bless America. Land that I love

  

Nine month stats (P)

Presley is nine months old!

Our little Sweet P turned nine months old yesterday (Tuesday, February 15th). I can't believe how fast time has flown!!!! Slow down, baby girl. Slow down! 

Here is what she's been up to:

- She has two teeth & both are dead center, bottom. They are so so cute and you can really see them when she opens her mouth to CRY!

- Still takes 2 naps, but the morning one has become significantly shorter. Instead of sleeping from 9/9:30-12/12:30, she now will sleep from 9/9:30 until about 10/10:30

- Can pull herself up when laying down on your chest.

- Is talking (babbling) a ton a ton a ton a ton. 

- Sits in the high chair when eating, because let's face it- She can't sit in the bumbo forever. And she kinda outgrew it and could almost pop herself out of it.

- Has started eating those puffy little starts (snacks that dissolve in her mouth), and does GREAT w/them. We bring them to church on Sundays and they keep her VERY entertained. She's good at eating them in her high chair too. You can put a few on her tray and she'll play w/them and grab them, or you can put one in her mouth (or hand), and she does really well w/that too. It's so cute to see her play w/it in her mouth.

- Has recently discovered other babies and thinks they are the COOLEST. I'm not sure if she thinks they're her or what, but either way, it's just the CUTEST!

- She scoots in the bathtub! I usually sit her up, to bathe her, and she'll scoot all the way down to the other end. It is so funny to watch… I even got it on video.

- Even though she's still not mobile, her head is a perfectly round shape and just beautiful. We love her cute little head & her little ears. (She definitely takes after me on that one).

- She's getting more hair on top of her head! It's so so so so cute and it hangs over her ears a bit.

- Has begun picking at her headbands and doesn't really keep them on anymore. Sad day for SURE! I'm at least glad it's taken her THIS long to get to this point; However, I'm still sad because she looks oh so cute and that gold, leather bow, and all the other ones I've made to match all her outfits. (Yes, I still do that). She'll even take off her hoodie! That girl…

- Has become a little more sassy and has that little personality of hers coming out more & more every day.

- Will yell at me if I take too long putting another spoonful in her mouth. No seriously, if I put her food down for a minute (to do something for Jovi, or flip a quesadilla, or get a drink, etc.) she YELLS at me! Ha

- Loves her dadda and gets so so excited to see him.

- Has tried eating & drinking sissy's snacks. Grrrr gotta keep an eye out on those two! (Jovi will sometimes try to sneak goldfish snacks to her sister, and bless her heart for sharing I'll have to fish them out of Presley's mouth. Literally!)

- Will kick and scoot (in the middle of the night, while sleeping), so that when I go into their room in the morning, she'll be clear on the other side of her crib! So now I put some padding at the top, so when she DOES do that, she won't bump her head so much. 

- And weighs 21 pounds (87th percentile), is 29 inches long (92nd percentile), and has a head that's in the 55th percentile (44 cm). Her doctor said her head is just perfect the way it is (which is something we were really worried about since she's not mobile). We just love every ounce and roll of our little Sweet P! She is just the perfect addition to our family and we love love love seeing her interact w/her big sister. They are just SO fun together. 

Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1 tube Pillsbury pizza crust
• 40 pepperoni slices
• 10 mozzarella cheese sticks
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• Optional: marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spread pizza dough out on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut the dough into 10 equal size rectangles.
3. Arrange 4 pepperoni slices on each rectangle and top with a mozzarella cheese stick.
4. Roll up the pizza dough, enclosing the cheese stick, pinching the seams closed.
5. Melt the butter and add the garlic powder and dried parsley. Brush the pizza sticks with the butter.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Enjoy warm with a side of marinara sauce for dipping if desired.

Eight month stats (P)

Presley is eight months old!

Our Sweet P turned 8 months old last Friday (01/15). I think to myself, far too often, that it feels LITERALLY like yesterday that we brought her home. She's just growing so much & so fast. Here's the latest & greatest:

- I've come to terms to just accept and move on w/the fact that she can roll (and will, when she wants to), but that it's just not in her personality to constantly be moving, unless she wants to or has to. 

- Has a tooth (bottom left), but it's just kind of there.

- Loves to kicks humans. Ha!

- Takes about 2 naps during the day (one in the morning around 9:30 for about an hour to two hours), and one in the afternoon when her sister goes down @ 1pm (and that nap's usually around 3 hours). She's pretty much dropped her pre-sleep nap, but sometimes she does like to take a little nap before bed time. It's the Papa Joe in her. 

- Really likes chewing on momma and dada's phone cases. I've decided it has nothing to do w/the phone itself. It's the actual case and rubber on the sides. It's almost like her own little teething ring.

- Has really picked up the whole baby food thing. In fact, she still loves squash & sweet potatoes, but has really gotten the hang of the fruits now. She digs apples, pears, and peaches, but struggles w/bananas. Girl, I don't blame you. 

- Still growls. A lot.

- Has started saying Dada. We think. 

- Eats more baby food than formula. We're trying to ween her slowly off formula, so it's not that hard of a transition when she turns 12 months. We just try not to give her as much as often. We still give it to her though. It's good for her at this age still. 

- Sits up and plays in her Pack 'N Play. She can even sit up (on her own) on the floor too. She does so well & has so much fun! It's so cute to see her reach for all her toys. 

- Is pretty close to pulling herself up, from the laying down position. 

- Can almost pop herself out of her Bumbo. I'm thinking it's almost time for the high chair! 

- Does really really well sitting up in the bath tub. She doesn't kick & splash as much as when she's laying down, but it's still fun to see her playing w/the water. And it's easier to clean her back and back of her baby head. 

- Loves facetiming and thinks it's all about her. In fact, she will growl (or make ANY house she can), so we pay attention to her. She's starting to recognize my mom's face and voice and gets really excited when the camera's on her. 

- And got her first cold this winter, but handled it so so well. She was so close to getting RSV but luckily didn't, and only ended up w/a sinus and ear infection and a little bit of wheezing. We did breathing treatments on her every 4 hours, for 2 weeks, but other than that, she did great and didn't ONCE complain. She was just a very cuddly baby. What's new?!?! We love our Sweet P!

Seven month stats (P)

Presley is seven months old!

Our little Miss P June turned 7 months old a whole month ago (Tuesday, December 15th). We love her so much & can't believe how big she's getting.

Here's what she's been up to:

- She still has the ability to roll from front to back & back to front, but why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?!?!

- Still drooling a ton, but no teeth that we know of. 

- Kicks and kicks and kicks and kicks A TON; Especially while on her changing table.

- Loves to wake up at least 30 minutes before Jovi & is thoroughly entertained by her until we come in to get them. 

- Enjoys putting her feet in her mouth. All the time. It's like they taste like chicken or something?

- Does exceptional when it comes to baby food. Squash & sweet potato are her favorites. No fruits yet. Nope.

- Thinks it's rude for us to eat/drink in front of her and will just stare into your soul until acknowledged. 

- Has started this new thing where she smacks her lips. I can't tell if she's mimicking kisses, trying to talk, or hoping to get a tooth in, but either way, it's the cutest thing & she looks like an old lady w/that gummy little smile. 

- Still eats 6 ounces every 3 hours. But now that she's eating baby food some-what well, we try to give her less formula, if she eats an entire container of baby food. She does pretty well w/that idea too. 

- Has a little bit of trouble sitting up on her own, still, but is getting there! Baby steps people.

- Is determined to pull herself up, when being laid down on the changing table or in her car seat. It's like, if you want to move so bad, don't wait until we lay you down girlfriend. Try to move & crawl on your own when you have the chance! Right? Right? Am I right?!?!

- Totally outgrew the Mamaroo swing. That one was bitter sweet for me, but it's gone. All gone. She didn't want to have anything to do w/that anymore. Got bored after the 6 month mark, just like her big sister.

- Really enjoys bath time. And I mean REALLY. She used to SCREAM in the tub; Especially if Jake bathed her (ha!), but now it's like her favorite thing, besides kisses, snuggles, her sister, and of course FOOD. So we can consider bath time on the list of top 5 favorite things to do. You'd think all that kicking would hurt her heels! Nope. Apparently it doesn't.

- She really really (and I mean REALLY) enjoys a good game of Peek-A-Boo w/her big sissy. Peek-A-Boo is really a game for Jovi, but Presley thinks it's for her and I'm quite all right w/that, because that means BOTH girls are happy at the same time. Not that it's a hard thing to accomplish, but ya know how toddler land is- One minute they're happy & the next minute they're not, so yeah. If they both think that game is for them, then SO BE IT. We love Peek-A-Boo!

- Is a very happy, well loved, beautiful, chunky, soft, squishy baby. Really, she's just been through so much since coming into this world, and she handles it ALL like a champ. Only fusses when tired or hungry. Both my babies have been pretty chill like that. Thank goodness!

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