BYU Homecoming 2016

Our new tradition of attending BYU Homecoming over Fall Break has cemented itself as one of my kids' most favorite weekends to look forward to. They all ask about it weeks and weeks in advance-- and even Leah gets excited about going to "EYU" (BYU). We left late Thursday night. I picked Jon up in Castle Rock (he was working until 8 p.m.) and we figured we'd drive until we hit Grand Junction, arriving around 1 a.m. The kids did really well-- they all fell asleep around 9 p.m. in the car, and then fell back asleep pretty quickly once we got to our hotel.

From Grand Junction it's only about 3 hours to Provo, so we stopped at Cubby's in Spanish Fork just in time for lunch. We'd heard so many good things about this new fast-casual chain that we wanted to try it for ourselves! Hopefully it makes its way to Colorado soon!

We always have to swing by our old house on 500 N. 800 E. And there she is! Still standing, but looking a bit worse for wear. Can you believe we paid $545/month in rent for this little one-room, 400 sq. foot, spider-infested, basement apartment, with no dishwasher or washer and dryer??? I guess that's why I love vacations-- a) it gets you out of your routine and refreshes your perspective, and b) when you head back to your "roots," it shows you just how far you've come.

First stop was the BYU Bookstore which is like heaven to my kids. We've really started the brainwashing early with them-- and they all want as much BYU merchandise as we can afford! Zach had saved up his money and bought a little tiny lego BYU football player, and it is his most prized possession.

Posing with Cosmo!

We had to get our newest little Cougar a BYU shirt to match her siblings. Loyal, strong, and true!

We had to get some Creamery chocolate milk and BYU mint brownies at the Cougareat inside the Wilkinson Center before meeting Taylor at the library.

I just love Y mountain. It's such a beautiful backdrop to campus. Here the kids are making a (backwards) BYU with their arms. Rise and shout!

Uncle Taylor was probably a little embarrassed he was clobbered by my kids as he exited the library, but they were just SO excited to see him! We hadn't seen him since we visited Washington this summer. I think he's a pretty handsome single guy.

Here we are reppin' the Y! It was so fun to be back in Provo, back on campus, and remembering our fun college days....

That night we met up with Whitney and her friend Aubrey for dinner at Gurus. The Homecoming game didn't even start until 8:15 p.m., so I knew there was no way I'd be going with the two littlest. They would have been a hot, tired, mess! We figured Jon could just scalp tickets for him and Lucy and Zach-- but after dinner even Zach was looking totally exhausted so I convinced him to come back to my Aunt Patty's house (where we were staying) and watch the game on TV with me. Jon and Lucy headed to the game, and the kids and I headed in for the night. I got this beautiful picture of the new Provo temple on the way home!

Jon had no problem finding last minute tickets, and they got great seats! How cute are they on their little football date?? I don't think Lucy really knows a thing about football, but she just loved the "game day" atmosphere and all the fun things that are going on during the breaks.

And look who they found! Whitney and Aubrey scalped tickets too, and they happened to be in the same section! The game was a nail biter, in true BYU fashion-- going into DOUBLE overtime, with the Cougs finally beating the Mississippi Bulldogs 21-28. They didn't get back home until almost 1:30 a.m. I was sure glad Zach stayed home with me and got to bed early!

The Homecoming parade was the next morning at 10 a.m., so everyone had to be up and at 'em and out the door by 9:30 a.m. There's Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Tom Tom marching with the Alumni float!

There was TONS of candy, lots of fun floats, and even a little Pikachu in the parade this year. The kids had a blast.

Everybody met back up on campus at the Bookstore again, since Zach wanted to get his "hipster" haircut down at the BYU Barbershop like last year. I love all these BYU traditions!

We met Taylor for lunch at the Brick Oven for pizza. I hadn't eaten there in years! It's definitely a BYU tradition through and through though. It's one of the first places I can ever remember going on a date to my freshman year of college.

Taylor got the unlimited pizza buffet and homemade root beer, and we're not sure how many pieces he actually ate. We lost count. In fact, he may still be sitting there, eating pizza, and filling up on root beer as we speak.

Grandma Joanie got tickets for Lucy and I to attend the Homecoming Spectacular which is always awesome entertainment! BYU sure knows how to put on a "spectacular" show, that's for sure. They feature all their dancing and singing groups as well as some special guests.

This year's special guest was THE Gladys Knight-- as well as Lexi Walker and Peter Holland (both LDS artists). She was FANTASTIC!! Her "Midnight Train to Georgia" was my favorite of the concert.

Gladys also did some "gospel" arrangements of "Love One Another" and "I Am A Child of God" which were really unique. All the groups joined her and Lexi for the finale.

Right after the concert we swung by "Swig," which is a (Utah famous) little drive thru with homemade cookies and soda. It's home of the original "Dirty Dr. Pepper" which is what I have here, wink, wink. 

We met back up with Jon and the kids, Whitney, and Taylor for dinner at J-Dawgs. Basically we just ate and ate all the BYU things all weekend long. Jon and I shared one, and then on our way back to Patty's we also got an order of chicken tikka masala from Bombay House for old times. 

These Provo leaves were representin'! The weather was gorgeous.

Taylor had a date that night, so we had to bid him and Whitney goodbye. As you can see, Zach was devastated. He was so sad to say goodbye again. He is Taylor's best and most loyal little minion, and wants to do everything just like him. We woke up early Sunday morning and hit the road for the 8 hour drive back to Colorado. The kids actually did amazingly well, all things considered, and even though we were just gone 3 nights, it was still great to be back home. School started back up yesterday, and we are all so thankful we had a safe, wonderful Fall Break!

Fall Break Fabulosity!

I absolutely love that they do Fall Break here! We never got that living in North Carolina, nor in Idaho when I was growing up. The weather here in October (as opposed to Spring Break) is what you would call PERFECTION, and since we start school so early on in August it comes just when you need it. Thanksgiving break doesn't seem so far away now.... 

On Leah's last day of preschool before Fall Break, she received her class's "Hoot Hoot Hooray" award. She was thrilled! She earned it for "always being kind and for helping her friends finish their puzzles." Boy is it nice having all these award-winning kids! 

Jon flew to Utah Thursday night the 6th, for a 2-day CE course in Sandy. Fall Break started Friday the 7th, so I was on my own with 4 kids all day Friday and Saturday. Let's just say that single parenting isn't for the faint of heart! Both Lucy and Zach had their last soccer and football games, respectively, and both their teams won! A great high note to end a fun season on.

Jon got home super late Saturday night, and by Sunday morning I was sure glad to have reinforcements! This little beauty was also pretty excited to see her daddy. I love dressing her up for church on Sundays.

After church I hurried downtown to pick up Whitney who'd flown in to Denver on Saturday and was staying with her old college roommate Katie. She was also on Fall Break and decided to come spend part of it with us. Woohoo! I think these happy faces say it all! 

We'd bought stuff to make caramel apples so as soon as dinner was cleaned up and put away we pulled out the apples and melted the caramel and divvied out all the fixin's. The kids were on a MAJOR Dad's-home-Whitney's-here-sugar-rush-fall-break-kick-off-party high! 

Yum! As soon as the chocolate and caramel set we dug right in and my little sugar bug Zach was in heaven with our Sunday treat. Whitney and I spent Monday running errands, getting pedicures, going out to lunch, and hitting my favorite Body Step class at the gym. She made a yummy dinner that night of enchiladas and we ended with some good ol' Bohnanza. 

Tuesday was another busy day, but we managed to do some power shopping at Old Navy that afternoon, as well as a Body Pump class I was subbing in downtown Denver that night. Wednesday we woke everybody up bright and early so we could meet the Cardon cousins and hit the Nature and Science Museum right when it opened. They had a special exhibit on crazy and unique mammals, and the kids were fascinated by this life- sized (prehistoric but once real) cross between a rhino and an elephant-- the largest land mammal ever.

Lucy found some 10,000 year old wooly mammoth hair found in Denver a few years ago. Still looks pretty well preserved for being so old if you ask me!

Here's Sophie and Lucy dressing up as their own unique mammals with the props the museum provided. We got such a cool group picture on one of the free green screens, and for some reason it never sent to Whitney's phone and we were SO bummed! Oh well. Just another excuse to go back....

Right after the museum we decided to get lunch at a place Katie had recommended, called Uber Sausage. It offers homemade sausages on French baguettes, with crazy good toppings and tator tots. It's basically just a hipster dive with so much greasy goodness we were in heaven! I got the "Hatch" which had pork hatch green chile sausage, pepper jack cheese,  cilantro, cabbage, Colorado green chiles, and crema fresca. YUM. 

Whitney tried the "Vietnam" which was sort of like a bahn mi, and the kids got mac and cheese hotdogs, which were beef sausages with mac and cheese inside. They were actually awesome! We all loved this little place.

Wednesday was the coldest day of the fall so far-- it was only in the low 40's and windy! Brrrrr.

Uber Sausage was only about 1/2 a mile away from VooDoo Donuts and we simply couldn't be that far away without stopping for a box. They had some seasonal pumpkin-spiced old fashioned donuts  that I'm still dreaming about...

Whitney will just sit down at the piano, no sheet music, and just play and sing and it's wonderful. I love when our piano is utilized and the house is full of music!

Elizabeth took a monster nap when we got home, so as soon as she woke up we headed down to the trail behind our house before the sunset so Whitney could see some fall foliage. She doesn't get much fall in Arizona. We came across these two deer at the bottom of the hill.

The kids were so excited to be on a fall walk! Normally I have to beg and bribe Leah into the stroller, but I guess if you label something "fall" then suddenly it's way more fun. The colors were awesome!

We had a lovely walk checking out all the fall colors and then watching the sunset over the Rockies. Whitney wanted to make a flight to SLC super early the next morning so we left at 4:15 a.m.-- and of course I was up even earlier feeding Elizabeth at 3:30 a.m. Thankfully I was able to hop back in bed when I got home at 5 a.m. and snooze for another hour or two before it was really time to get up!

Lucy and Zach's elementary school did a fundraiser at the Corn Maze/Pumpkin Patch at the Denver Botanic Gardens in Chatfield (it's their farm location out by Littleton) that day, so since Jon had the morning off we all headed out to support their school! The weather, in true Colorado style, was completely opposite what it had been the day before. Blue skies, 80 degrees, and tons of sunshine!

It's tradition to make my kids wear their Halloween shirts whenever we go to the pumpkin patch! How adorable is this little jack o'lantern baby?!? She was for sure the cutest pumpkin there.

The gardens had a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay ride, pillow jump, barrel train, and lots of different food trucks, plus all of their normal garden walks and exhibits. We decided to do the hayride first before the lines got too long!

We love fall!!

Next was the barrel train! All the kids said it was super bumpy and dusty, so they only did it once. Glad I didn't send Lizzie on it!

It was such a beautiful fall day! It almost felt like summer it was so warm.

The kids had a blast jumping on the big pillow. There was hardly anyone there, which was great for us, but probably not so great since it was a fundraiser. 

By that point it was almost time for Jon to head in to work, so we bought the kids a funnel cake and some limemade to share and had a picnic under the trees. How fun is this picture of the kids posing like scarecrows?? I think they blend right in. I was so glad we found a way better pumpkin patch than last year's, had perfect weather, and basically had the most fabulous fall break these kids could ever ask for-- with Whitney coming to play, and so many fun things we got to do!