{Life Lately}

Nothing super spectacular has been happening lately - we've just been soaking up the fall weather and enjoying the happy little moments of life!  

Last week we kept it pretty low key (Wes had a case of pink eye and hand foot and mouth... although he didn't seem terribly sick we stayed inside for most of the week to limit exposure).  

Calvin celebrated turning three in his preschool class.  He has been receiving gifts from cousins in the mail over a period of a few weeks and so I think he is getting accustomed to finding toys and special mementos just for him in the mail - he will be sad when he starts to realize that not everyday is his birthday! 

He's really enjoyed his little preschool group so far - I tried to snap a few pictures of some of their activities - below they are looking for ants outside

He felt pretty happy to share cupcakes with his friends and blow out the candle on his birthday cupcake!

Turning the big "3" meant it was time for another trip to the dentist.  Calvin let him peek inside his mouth but beyond that they didn't get much else done

Can't believe my boy is three already!  Here is a birth picture, a two year pic, and his third birthday picture altogether.  The time has flown by! 

In other news Calvin and Wesley really enjoy making music and being obnoxiously loud together!  It's simultaneously annoying and endearing :)  They play fairly well together (for brothers) with the occasional feud.  Calvin is quite protective of Wesley though and underneath all the older brother bossiness he loves him a lot.  

Wesley has started saying a few words - his favorites are "Cake" and "Car"  He also thinks he can jump and does a little bounce upon request that will melt your heart.  I'll have to capture it on video.  The dimpled grin he gives when he finishes a "jump" is one of my favorites.

These boys keep me on my toes and I am loving every minute!

{Country Apple Orchard}

Country Apple Orchard is as charming as it sounds!  This past Saturday we went with some friends to visit the orchard, took a hayride and picked some apples.  It was overcast and we got a tiny bit of rain while we were out picking apples, but the boys loved every second of it.  

The hayride was part of the adventure for the crew!

Wesley was in heaven running around picking up apples off the ground.  Most of the time he had two in his hands - he'd take a bite, throw it to the ground, pick up another apple, repeat...  He was in awe that a place existed where unlimited supply of food was just available at will.  

Here are some of the kids that were with us - Pinedos and Jeppsons :)  Ethan (BYU shirt) is in Calvin's pre-school class.

Two little buddies picking apples together

It was the sweetest to see how much the kids loved it. 

That evening we had a celebration at our house - a red and blue party for the Holy War rivalry taking place that evening.  Kick off was at 9:15 so by halftime all the families were gone (having kids with bedtimes - geez)  By the end of the 3rd quarter my own husband had abandoned me to go to bed.  I got Wesley up and snuggled him to comfort me :)  It was a sad game (once again) for the Cougs.  Maybe next year.

In other news this week - Calvin started his preschool class!  A few people in the ward got together to do a co-op type pre-school.  We will take turns hosting the twice weekly sessions (there are 5 kids total) and hopefully it will be a positive learning experience for Calvin.  Here is his picture from the first day -

He was very excited to have his own "pack pack" to carry.  Admittedly, his excitement was contagious!

Our awesome nursery leaders also made Calvin feel like a million bucks by celebrating his birthday this Sunday.  He will be three (WHAT?) this Saturday - so he was honored in church by wearing the birthday hat and receiving a little bag of treats.  He felt like all that and a bag of chips.

These two boys - they are pretty amazing! <3

{Fall is in the air!}

My favorite time of year is upon us!  Our family is especially excited to celebrate the fall this year.  Since our marriage in 2011, we have not lived in an area that has the typical activities/weather you associate with autumn.  Hawaii and Las Vegas were AMAZING places to live for sure (especially loved the mild winters - better brace ourselves here) but they definitely are lacking in traditional fall activities. 

I have been enjoying trying out a fall section of my "Six Sisters Stuff" cookbook (they are my all time favorite - almost every recipe is a win!)  We've enjoyed -

-Autumn party mix (popcorn/candy corn/m&ms)

-apple cider floats

-caramel apples 

-chili

-apple cinnamon cream cheese bites

-apple butter pork chops 

-MOUNTAINS of candy corn.  Lord have mercy on Michael for his next PT test... :S

Aside from the food I am planning on fully observing all things fall this year - hopefully including some fun family photos somewhere with beautiful scenery that involves the breathtaking leaves changing color.  I've heard the colors are vibrant and amazing during the fall transition in the Midwest.  

Also, COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK!  This is big news for the Reynolds clan.  Mike and his Alabama Crimson Tide have already enjoyed a victory in true Saban fashion.  My Cougars played a snoozer against Portland State (a victory, nonetheless) and suffered a beatdown from SEC powerhouse LSU.  Next week is our big rivalry against the Utah Utes - may the famine of losing to the Utes for the past 7 years finally be broken! 

Favorite fall moments so far - 

#1 Taking the kids to the "Bring the Zoo to You" activity at the amphitheater.  The Great Plains Zoo brought out a skunk, an owl, a chinchilla and a ferret for the kids to meet and pet.  We went with the Pinedos and the Fergusons and the kids enjoyed meeting the critters!

#2 Fantasy Football Draft Night!  Our family has a league and Mike and I called upon our NFL oracle Mario to help us in our draft.  He had to sit between us so he could help us with questions as our turns came around to draft different players for our respective fantasy teams.  We are excited to enjoy this year of football!

#3 The LSU beatdown had me in the dumps but at least I saw this cool photo of an LSU player losing his pants during the game - If only I got to see more BYU touchdowns then LSU players behinds during the game.  Next time.  

That's a wrap for the week!  We also survived some pretty nasty flus - lots of netflix and lounging around the past couple of days but now we seem to be on the mend.  

Stay tuned for more fall adventures to come around these parts :)