October 25th has always marked the end of the nice weather in my book. And today proved me right by dumping a little snow on us. The kids all decided that 6:30 was the time to get up today, and my darling hubby who had been fighting with Leah to keep her asleep so I wouldn't have to get up, ran outside and scooped up some bowls full of snow for Addison and Bryn to eat/melt everywhere so I could stay in my nice warm bed just a little longer. What a guy. Add and Bryn got ready lightning quick and got all bundled up and headed outside. We may never see them again (until it melts or they lose their mittens). And what better way to celebrate the first snowfall of the year than with soup for dinner. What kind? Well let  me just tell you: Yeah. Chances the kids will eat it? Pretty much zero. Chances that they're cute while talking about it? 100%.

Several weeks ago, Nate woke up feeling gung-ho on a Saturday morning and decided we were going on a family sledding trip. I was a grump, but went along with it anyway. By the time we found a decent place and got a good trail worn down the kids got snow in their drawers and it was time to go. We had a great time, obviously. Poor Nate! .

We wish you were here to play with us in the snow. Come home soon. Love, Mommy, Addison, and Bryn

Addison has been DYING to build a snowman, and we finally got our chance on Saturday. The snow was perfect - not too powdery like the last big snowfall. Addison was thrilled and gave me pointers the whole time. Bryn chilled in her swing while we constructed it and was mad in the picture because I made her get out. (And as I later discovered she somehow was soaking wet under her snow clothes). It was all I could do to keep Addison from eating the baby carrot nose before the picture. I actually had to remove it from his mouth and stick it back on the snowman. The second the flash went off, it was gone.

Saturday morning we got about two inches of snow in two hours. After Add's nap we spent about 20 minutes searching for and donning snow gear to go play outside. We ended up playing for about three minutes at which point Addison's mittens came off and his hands turned bright red. But it was fun, if cold, while it lasted.

It was between 60 and 70 degrees for most of last week, but winter decided to give us another poke in the eye today before it gives up. Our little Addison has become quite the outdoorsman over the past couple weeks. He'd stay outside all day and night if we'd let him. So he and I decided that snow or no snow, it's officially spring, and we're going outside. Add loves to eat snow. (The camera battery was dying, so you have to look at these two as if they were one.)

First, you need to understand that fall hasn't even really hit yet. I mowed the lawn yesterday. The leaves on our trees are still green. Now, behold what we woke up to this morning: (The photographer is safely behind the screen door) Then it snowed all through church, and our friendly neighborhood ward members had to push us out of the parking lot. Then it snowed all afternoon. If this keeps up, we're putting the house up for sale and going to find work at the University of Hawaii. Final damage? Over 12 inches of snow, and Nate breaking down and deciding Athena could be an inside cat for the winter. Any advice on where to put the cat box? And here's the obligatory picture of Add, all duded up in his vest from great-great aunt Beverly.

This past Saturday we had an adventure called Addison's first football game. Micah (Lindsey's boyfriend) and his family offered us some free tickets to the BYU game, which we obviously could not pass up, despite the forecast of snow. We rushed around getting things done around the house that morning, and then ran out the door around 11:00, only to find (when we were already halfway to Provo) that the game was at 4:00, not noon like we thought. But it was a welcome surprise, because it gave us an excuse to hang out with Uncle Doug and Aunt Shauna and Aunt Beck before the game. Addison loves Shauna and Doug's kitten, Molly. Addison did great at the game. The weather was really cold, but we bundled him up like a little Eskimo. He was in a shock-like state for most of the game because of the noise, all the people, and Mommy and Daddy's constant (and no doubt annoying) adjustment of all his winter gear, but I think we made a BYU fan out of him for sure. Bundling up The trek ...