Pumpkins!

I did a little research and found out that Riverton has a pumpkin patch. It's awesome! I have been to other pumpkin patches that have lots of pre-picked pumpkins, but at this pumpkin patch we had to tromp through the field and pick out our perfect pumpkins. There were tons to pick from since there were multiple fields of pumpkins. I loved driving by and being surprised by all of the beautiful orange!

After many struggles in the thick mud Loreli found her pumpkin and then lost her shoe. Hence the tears.

"Show me what a happy girl looks like!" Yeah, that's it.

Doesn't that field of pumpkins just make your heart sing? Just me? Okay. I guess that's what comes from living here in sage brush city.

They had regular orange pumpkins of all sizes, cinderella pumpkins, white pumpkins, wonky bumpy pumpkins, blue pumpkins, gray pumpkins, and lots of different gourds. Ever seen a gray pumpkin? Weird, right?

I love how knobbly these things are.

Check out those lumpy things.

"Get this thing off of me!"

Just a little taste.

Hooray for fall! Stay away winter. You're not welcome until December.

Snow in September

Yeah, I know it's October now and that we currently have snow now too. But a week ago and just yesterday we got nailed with snow and Star Valley didn't!  Creepy for sure. Since it was September and I was unprepared the kids weren't outfitted for snow. No snow bibs or boots. They were in much better shape than Loreli was Thanksgiving 2011 when we refashioned gloves into boots. Oh what terrible, terrible parents.

Christmas tree pickin' November 2011

The kids loved the snow/slush/mud

I love that Loreli's pants are falling down here.

While Shea was killing himself on Gannett...

We went to Bear Lake! It was so nice to get away to a place that had sand and sun and not all this dang wind we have here in Rivertonia. Here are some pictures of our day we spent at the lake.

Building sand castles!

Ahhh. I love this picture. Bridger and Trinity made a sand castle together and at the moment I snapped a picture he smashed it. Bridger is lucky he's not dead. 

After a few nights at Bear Lake we ventured back to Star Valley for a few days.

Jack's first time on the four-wheeler! He wasn't a fan.

Making cookies with Auntie Trin!

Super Awesome Loreli

For your entertainment and delight, here are some recent Loreli-isms.

Mom: "Loreli, Sing Follow the Prophet  for Dad"

Loreli: "Follow the Prophet, don't be scared. Follow the Prophet, don't run away. Follow the Prophet, don't go that way. Follow the leader, follow the prophet".

Dad: "Loreli, How old are you?"

Loreli: "Two" 

Dad: "How old will you be on your birthday?"

Loreli: "Um...Waffle"

Loreli to Dad: "Whats you mom's name"

Dad: "Gena"

Loreli: "NO! Gramaw"

Dad:"Right, Grandma.  Loreli, what's your Dad's name?"

Loreli: "Um, I don't know"

Dad: "Am I your dad?"

Loreli: "No.

Dad: "Who am I?"

Loreli: "You're my Shea".

I can't want to = I don't want to

The Down That Never Ends

The next morning started very early because it had the potential to be a very, very long day.  We were scheduled to summit which could have taken up to 7 hours, then we had to make it back down to where we camped the first night, which should also take 7ish hours, but of some pretty nasty terrain. 

 Jack standing where the rocks meet the glacier, which is also where we determined that we took the wrong direction and weren't going to be able to summit. 

 That is looking down what we had to come up, just to get to the glacier. 

 We took a little break there at the glacier. 

 The glacier is significantly smaller than it was the first time I saw it, but it is still pretty huge.

 Base camp is next to that lake you see, way, way down there. 

Gannett Peak is right above Kyle's head in this shot. 

 Since we didn't make it to the top, we got headed down early-ish

 Kade and Jason were already way ahead because their girly-parts were hurting the day before. 

 River crossing #1 for the day

 This is at the top of what we are about to go down.  Insanity!

 River crossing #2

 Crossing #3 and the doozy of them all.  Just off the picture to the right there is a  waterfall onto sharp, jagged, wet rocks and the river is really moving right there.  The first time this was accomplished we fashioned a zip line across after Big Jack attempted suicide by jumping off the waterfall with the rope tied around his waste.  

 This time it was half jump half pole-vault

 Some attempts were more successful than others, but no one was washed over the waterfall.

 Although Jack's Ipod was in his pocket and as you can see by his pants, he went in a little higher than he had planned. 

 And then back across the river

 This is at the bottom of the rock/river adventure but as you can see, it is still a long way to the bottom of this canyon. 

 Kades's boots were another casualty of the trip.  They ended that day by being loaded down with rocks and tossed into the river. 

My right foot was another casualty.  Don't worry it was only swollen and painful for a week or so after the trip. The next time I say I am going to climb Gannett, I want one of you to shoot me.