On the last day of Fall Break, I took my kids to the "wooden" playground in Pleasant Grove. We've driven by it for years en route to other places and they have always begged to go. Well, a beautiful mild autumn day and nothing else to do --perfect opportunity!

Later, we met up with our dad for lunch. (Got to love cashing in Chick-Fil-A gift cards!) And then we had a quick ice cream at Macey's while I got some groceries. We also hit the party supply store to buy some things for Quincy's birthday and strolled around looking at (and trying on) Halloween costumes. We topped off the day with soccer practices for Taylor and Loryn. And then cuddling up on the couch to watch The Amazing Race.

 For Fall Break, we decided to head to Idaho! Taylor had a soccer game in North Ogden on Wednesday night, so we figured we were already half way there. And with no school Thursday and Friday, why not? The bad news is we lost the soccer game. The good news is that Taylor scored her team's only goal. And the best news is that we got to reunite with our Auntie Tiffy and have fun on the farm.

We were there at the height of sugar beet harvest. There were literally rows of semis filled with sugar beets everywhere we went. And our Uncle Taylor and Uncle Clint were super busy. But Clint was nice enough to take a break and let the kids ride on his tractor with him for a little bit.

 Even Fisher declared that Loryn "would be a great mom someday" after she doted on Ollie for most of the vacation. She is so sweet and patient with babies.

 Seriously, this baby is gorgeous. 

Naked scootering into the sunset. Can't beat it. (She has a swimsuit under there.)

 Tiffany called out "Grant, Fisher!" to these boys and immediately thought how proud Grant Fisher would be of these two little boys. 

 Naturally, we spent a huge chunk of our visit in the pool. And who wouldn't? A heated, indoor pool surrounded by open corn fields and big, blue sky!

 Climbing the mountain of potatoes in the cellars is always a hoot!

Colonial Days

Loryn had Colonial Days in Fifth Grade on October 10. All the 5th graders dressed up in Colonial garb and participate in Colonial activities. They carve soap, play marbles and cats cradle, quilt, make butter, etc. Grandma Donnette made this dress when Taylor had Colonial Days a couple years ago, and I'm so glad that Loryn and Quincy will be able to use it too!

Lake Powell 2014

Ok. Prepare yourself for picture overload. But Lake Powell simply just offers too many opportunities for great photos. And we were there for six days and did a lot of really great things that had to be documented! Lake Powell has been a tradition in the family since before we were married. In fact, Dan and I each grew up going to Lake Powell with our own families and friends. 

We've been taking our kids there since they were babies. No, really, I have gone to Lake Powell extremely pregnant and with extremely young babies. It's way more fun now, trust me. Either way, Lake Powell is part of our collective Ross history. The birthplace of so many fond memories. We used to go every year, sometimes twice. Most recently, we've been going every other year, making it an even more anticipated event.

Photo shoots atop the houseboat with beautiful young ladies are a new addition to our repertoire. Gone are the days of kiddie pools and sand toys for these teens. They are so beautiful!

The young crew still has fun playing in the sand and tubing together. Such cute kids.

These two are in the same grade at the same school. During the summer, they see each other almost every day. When they're at school, they barely acknowledge each other. I take that back--they sit next to each other in math class. 

Beautiful Taylor. 

I have finally accepted my fate as a pasty white, freckly, skin cancer prone albino. I am wiser now than I was as a teenager when I would completely fry and blister myself while my friends tanned.

Quincy spent every free moment she had in pursuit of geckos. She would comb the cliffs for them. Or beg someone to paddle along the rocks with her in a kayak. This is one of her trophies.

What would a Ross vacation be without crazy competitions, relays, and Olympic events? Nothing, I say. Above and below were a sampling of my little ones swimming their hearts out for a team event. Loryn is wearing a towel on her head that she subsequently had to wring out into a bucket waiting on the other side. 

And these are just shameless shots of my kiddos.

I think my kids are gorgeous and the light was perfect. What can I say?

Dan proving that he can still slalom on the week of his 36th birthday.

Could you ask for a more magnificent backdrop?

Lake Powell is one of the most breathtaking places in the world, as far as I'm concerned, particularly at dusk. But I'm not going to lie, when you combine 26 strong personalities, uber hot temperatures, and a week's worth of raw sewage into a very small space; things can get edgy. You forget all that, though, as you look at these pictures and remember the fun and the beauty and the memories made.

October Conference 2014

In keeping with tradition, we had a big breakfast on Sunday morning. This year, it was from-scratch buttermilk pancakes and Magleby's buttermilk syrup, plus cinnamon rolls from the neighbors. Once we got that all cleaned up, we packed in the car to drive through the canyon and look at the leaves.

Sadly, three of our four children inherited my motion sickness. It wasn't long before Fisher was crying and the two girls were complaining. They indulged me in some pictures before we threw in the towel and headed home. We finished off the day with lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Fisher's and evening games at Grandma and Grandpa Ross's.

Fun Run

This year the Fun Run was in the fall. For that reason, it seemed to really sneak up on us. Because the kids didn't train at all, we really tried hard to down-play it. We didn't run with the kids or invite grandparents. We just let them run and told them to do their best. It was so fun to watch them cross the finish line! My total and thorough hatred for running really endears their efforts to me. Seeing their little faces flushed with exertion makes we want to burst into tears. I am so proud to see them trying so hard! Fisher took third among the boys in his grade, and Loryn took fourth among the girls in her grade. They both ran so fast and so hard!

 I was pretty proud of this shot. Doesn't she look like she's glowing! Like the heavens have parted and are shining down on her! I love this little girl so much. She is all heart and soul, this one.

Doesn't your heart just burst open when you see this? Ok, so it's just mine. But honestly, look at how hard he's running. This is right at the finish line when he's fighting for third place. The fourth place little boy was literally right behind him.

These girls are darling. I am so glad they have each other. They both have spitfire personalities that sometimes only they can truly understand. They love and fight like sisters. They challenge each other and stand up for each other. And the second they are in the same house together, they disappear and we don't see them for hours. They still love to pretend, play, and imagine.

This is the third year in a row that Loryn has come in fourth place, just off the podium. Most girls would give up and stop trying. But not my Lo Lo! She never goes down without a fight.

These were the top four finishers in second grade. And they're all best buddies. Such a cute group of little boys.

Here is Katie with her friends. Meg (middle) won in her age group and plays soccer with Katie and Loryn. She is wicked fast!