Getting our Fall On

You know how in Florida it's like a million degrees, even now? Well, I was really craving me some fall weather and some Halloween festivities. Luckily, we had a little trip planned out to Utah this week... perfect timing to get our fall fill.
This weekend we were super lazy and just hung out, played trains and cars and spent some time with family.

Cars with Grandpa. Cute.

Loves his Uncle Derek

Oh and took a ride up the canyon. I couldn't wait to get up in the mountains and take a hike but... not feeling up to hiking right now (our soon to be addition really hates me to do much other than lay around and hug the toilet), we just drove up the canyon and visited some family up there. It was perfect.

Now as I've mentioned before my mom is so super into holidays. Halloween is no exception. Last night she threw a Halloween bash for the grandkids. It was fantastic. It was filled with all things Halloween.

Such as:

Halloween Sherades. Hannah being a spider

Halloween Toy Toss. The kids let Owen cross the line to toss it in. Unfair advantage.

Bobbing for worms in whipping cream (mmmm... yummy)

Pin the nose on the pumpkin

Halloween Cake Walk (for prizes, not cake)

We played all games for prizes. This was Owen's prize bucket. Don't worry, everyone's prize bucket looked like this. In my mom's world, nobody ever loses. Everyone wins and to be fair, everyone wins the same prizes.

Could this lady be any more fun? Really... such a fun grandma.

Off to such a great Halloween start. Luckily we are here for another week and a half so we'll get plenty more Halloween fun in. YAY for Utah in the Fall!

Mmmmmm... Cruisin the Ft. Lauderdale Canals

When I was little, we'd go to Lake Powell every year with my aunt and uncle. We camped out in the red sand and played in the water for a week straight. At the time we didn't have a boat but our Uncle John and Aunt Debbie did... we loved that boat. I remember sitting on it listening to Bruce Hornsby for hours on end. When I was seven years old, I got out on the waterskis for the first time. It totally clicked. I loved it from the second I got up on those things.

Right before tenth grade my parents decided to invest in their own boat. Best purchase ever! We were so excited (Except for my poor older brother Brandon who had just left on a mission, bad timing for him). Looking back it feels like we spent every weekend on that boat. We listened to mixed tapes and waterskied the days away. Since those days I always swore I would have a boat when I was older and married so that my kids could enjoy that same thing. Well, when Tyler and I were dating, I mentioned that to him and his response...  "I will never own a boat, you are always putting money into them and I would rather put my money elsewhere". So sad for me and our future children.

This past month, Tyler ate his words.

We are now the proud new owners of a little 17 footer. We have yet to name her but she is a beauty.   We took our first ride this past weekend and it was bliss...

Working on the boat... look at those sexy mechanics

Me, Mel and the kids loving it

 

Love these boys. P.S. Owen is a natural on the boat. Loves it.

Landon (The Captain)

It was windy. Oh and look how happy his little face is. See... bliss!

The Johns

Unfortunately, but for very good reason I won't be doing much skiing at least  for another seven months or so because of the little peanut growing inside my belly. Yes, that's right people, there is something else that starts with the letter B that's going to be new to the Rhode's family. It's name right now is baby, I'm sure we'll come up with something more original than that by the time he/she comes along.

Suggestions for names for both boat and baby are welcome.

Who Indeed?

A few days before Tyler's Birthday I went to get a card for him. I  love looking at cards. I could spend hours standing in the card aisle reading and reading... or wait... is it that I have such a hard time finding a good card that I end up spending hours looking for one that I could give to someone and actually feel good about it? Either way, this day, Owen and I were in Target and I had been looking for the perfect card for my perfect husband for-EVER. Owen was sitting patiently in the stroller next to me (really... shocker right?), when out of the blue I heard this. I shrug it off thinking that someone must just really love annoying early 2000 singles hits as their ringtone but then I heard it again and again... I look to see where it is coming from and lo and behold, it's coming from my child. Not that he was singing it, the card he was holding and loving was singing it every time he opened it up. I decide it's probably as good a card as any since Owen picked it out for his dad and we were on our way.

Fast forward a month... this card has been the most fantastic (or annoying?) birthday card ever. Owen walks around with it constantly, openeing and closing it, dancing to it. So cute. He totally knew what he was doing when he picked it out.

Please excuse  the messy house and the annoying voice in the background.

In other Owen news, a few new things he is doing.
1. He loves shoes. He goes in to our room, digs out my shoes and brings them to me and Tyler and wants us to put them on and walk around the house in them. He also loves wearing my shoes. He's constantly walking around in heels. (Should I not admit that my son prefers heels?)
2. He loves a clean house. Even if it's food he's dropped on the floor, he points to it and yells yuck until you wipe it up. He also loves pushing around the broom and the swiffer or bringing them to me and having me hold him while I push around the broom or the swiffer.

3. He loves kicking, throwing and catching balls. He loves running through the house kicking his soccer ball and he is just figuring out how to catch the ball when you throw it to him.
4. He loves trucks. He loves standing at the window looking out when the garbage or recycling truck come down the street. He'll also points out every truck we pass when we're driving "Mommy, truck, mommy, truck, mommy truck" until you look at what he is pointing at. So cute.

5. He loves boats, we actually purchased one (I promise to write a post about it soon) a couple weeks ago. It's parked in our front yard and every day, all day he comes to me and Tyler saying "Outside, boat, outside, boat". He likes to go sit in it and act as though he's driving it around. We can't wait to get him his own little captain's hat. 

6. He loves to read. A few times we haven't been able to hear him and we'll go look in his room and his sitting in the rocking chair by himself, reading a book. So cute.

7. Some things that he loves doing that mom and dad maybe don't love so much... putting food on his head to get a laugh, throwing food, either to get a laugh or just because he loves to throw things and taking off his pants... he hates wearing pants. Also, we've started seeing a bit of a stubborn side. This boy knows what he wants and is bound and determined to get it.

It's so fun to see all of the new things he is constantly doing. I have no idea what Tyler and I did for entertainment before he came along. He is the perfect addition to our little family. We just LOVE this little dude!