Private

After much contemplation I have decided to make our blog private. I've gone back and forth on this issue for a few months now...when I have time I enjoy "blog browsing" and am somewhat frustrated when a blog is private so I really didn't want to do this. But I think it's time. Two things are causing me to make this decision:
1. A very disturbing message left on Justin's phone at work a few months ago. (He's a loan/mortgage officer and some people are not very happy when he denies their loan!)
2. Checking this website and finding 45 offenders within 2 miles of our home. I live in a nice, family-friendly neighborhood, so I was shocked!

So if you'd like to continue reading, please leave your email! Thanks!

Stillwater River Trip

Justin packed up and left for a whole week...okay, it wasn't quite a full week, but it was long! Monday night through Saturday night. He and his brothers and his dad went south for a river trip. If he was writing this post there would be a lot more information, but he's not, so this is the shortened version of his week spent, quite literally, on the river. (Sad, I'm not even sure which river it was!)

They started early Tuesday morning, October 13th. They canoed all day, found a sandbar at night, set up camp, slept, got up in the morning, packed up camp, canoed some more...they did this until Saturday morning when the shuttle boat picked them up and took them back to the starting point. Justin tells me it wasn't all paddling (oh, sorry, they refer to it as "rowing"), but some hiking and relaxing around the fire as well. Only 3-4 hours in the canoe each day. They chose the best week to go; we were having good weather up here in Northern Utah, they were having beautiful weather down south. They saw scenery like this:Each night they would just find a sandbar and campout. I think this was their second night.They did some exploring...Justin called me on Friday night. I had not talked to him since Tuesday morning, really early so I was happy! They had cell-phone reception because they had hiked to the very top. You can see the river in the bottom right corner.Well, that's it in a nutshell. Matt also took some great pictures, a few that actually have people in them. Go here to see them.

Provo Temple and Hogle Zoo

This post may have given the impression that the only time we get out and do something fun is when we meet my mom somewhere. Here is proof that our family of four does get out occasionally...

Molly is always asking to drive by the temple...any temple...I think she must think they are castles. So one Monday night we took her to the Provo Temple and walked around the grounds. The mountains behind the temple are gorgeous and we were also able to watch the sun set on the valley...it was very pretty.We also went on an outing to the Zoo. We had planned to take Molly for her birthday back in September but Justin was sick...we finally made it a couple of weeks ago. I think it was the best time to go! It was a little bit chilly but the weather didn't seem to bother the animals-most of the animals were out and active, something you don't usually see in the heat of the summer. Molly's favorite were the bears.Justin and I liked the baby giraffe.And who doesn't love the baby elephant, she was so cute!Stockton was a trooper at the Zoo. We bundled him up in the stroller when we got there and he instantly fell asleep. He woke up only when we made it back to the car and got him out of the stroller! Yup, he slept through his first trip to the zoo. Sweet baby...

School Days

A couple weeks after Stockton was born, Molly looked at Justin and said, "Daddy, I want some friends." This made me feel so sad; of course, I wasn't spending as much time with her because I was trying to keep up with taking care of a newborn, keeping a clean house, making dinner, and all those other things we have on our "to do" list everyday. She was feeling a little neglected. We had just moved into a new ward and I didn't know anyone and since the birth of Stockton, our church attendance was not where it normally is, so I wasn't meeting anyone either. I felt sad that Molly wanted friends and had none.

Well, now she has friends! I am happy and she is happy! A neighbor had pity on us and invited Molly and me to be part of their "school." They meet twice a week for two hours and learn about letters, shapes, colors, numbers, the weather, and a variety of other topics. They have snack time and music time and usually make a craft. We moms trade off having it at our house and it's so fun! I'm so happy that Molly is involved in this and is practicing her social skills!

Here's Molly on her first day.I had it at my house a couple of weeks ago. We learned about doctor's visits one day and water animals the next. Here's the whole gang at snack time...Emma, Jade, Matthew, and Molly

Emma and Molly working on their fish craft.I look forward to hosting them again.

This website has so many fun ideas-I've used many for school and a few just at home with Molly. (Thanks for the tip, Karla!)

Farm Country, Gardner's Village, and Punkinaze

We've been trying to be outside as much as we can before the winter season sets in and we can't go anywhere. (Is anyone else worried about this swine flu going around? I know I can't be a complete hermit all winter, but I'm thinking of trying.) The last month has been full of fun activities; here's a short (or maybe it'll end up being long) recap...

Farm Country

The highlight was the pigs and the "billy goat gruff." All the girls rode the ponies-of course Molly chose the biggest! She was pretty nervous and wanted to get off when it started, but she made it and even went a second time! She was much more comfortable taking a ride on this guy...This is the billy goat gruff...
Just proof that Stockton was there too...
Gardner's Village
Our fall is not complete if we don't make it out to see the witches. Molly wasn't a fan last year, but had fun this year. She told me when we got there that she would choose her favorite witch and I could take a picture of her at the end. "Will Cast Spells for Chocolate"-a girl after my own heart. Stockton slept most of the day, but I was able to snap a picture while he was awake. Cute kids.
Punkinaze
This was fun! Molly got to dig for candy in a bin full of corn, run around the maze with her cousins (we parents had a hard time keeping up!) and then slide over and over-first with Grandpa's help and then by herself.Charlie's Angels?That's Molly on her belly. She found that going down backwards was much more exhilarating that going the "normal" way! Stockton, as always, was an angel. If we didn't have pictures of him at all these activities, you'd think he was never there!

Cousins

Molly and Stockton have two new cousins...

Samuel Gene was born September 4th.Cameron Matthew was born September 18th.(Can I just say, I love that their names rhyme: "Sam" and "Cam")

I imagine in a few years these three boys will be creating some trouble.By the way, the above picture was taken during the following photo shoot:All 8 Goodrich grandkids, oldest to youngest. Not bad.

A Mouse in the House

September 19
A few weeks ago we went to Eric and Heidi's to watch the BYU football game and eat pizza. When we got home about 5 hours later our front door was wide open! How in the world did that happen? We sort of laughed it off (after making sure nothing was taken or no one was still in the house) and then went about doing our normal nightly activities-getting the kids in bed, eating ice cream, cleaning up, etc. A couple hours later, Molly was in bed, I was feeding Stockton on the LazyBoy, and Justin was vacuuming. Well, out of the corner of my eye I saw something run behind one of the end tables in the corner. I told Justin to hurry and check but he just rolled his eyes and told me I was seeing things. Fast forward half an hour: Stockton's in bed, I'm upstairs getting ready for bed, Justin's downstairs watching TV and I hear him yell "Oh my gosh, there's a mouse in our house!" Eww! Luckily, it was not yet midnight (on a Saturday) so Justin had time to run to the store and buy some mouse traps. He quickly set up three in various places downstairs. I stayed upstairs the whole time, I really didn't want to run into the creature! It was getting late and knowing I was going to be up once in the night I went to bed while Justin waited around to see if the mouse would take the bait. It eventually did and I slept a little better. Thanks to Justin who kept the mouse in the garage so that Molly and I could see it in the morning. So thoughtful of him.

Molly thought it was great that a mouse was in our house (we told her about it when she woke up) and made up a story for the occasion. I've forgotten most of the details but it involved a mouse running up her pants and hiding there...silly girl.

**Wonder why the door was wide open? I promise we didn't leave our house with it like that. Molly had been playing early that afternoon, going in and out. I think she must have not shut the door tight and in the rush to leave, I forgot to lock it and the wind blew it open. Good thing we live in a nice neighborhood!!