Travis & Stephanie Evans Family: November

Sometimes I stop and am just amazed at her hair! Look at all those colors and highlights and its completely natural!

The day we got back into town from Buffalo I spent my morning making signs and staking them around the neighborhood.

This is the coveted land! 300 acres. It's quite enormous and been so nice to live next to empty fields with views of the Superstition Mountains. We knew it wouldn't always stay this way but man it's been emotional fighting these crap developments trying to come in.

Camilla's texts are always hysterical. I should save every one of them. Her writing is so funny I can't even wrap my head around how one person could be so witty.

It's really hard to see what's going on in this picture but Tanner had been riding a skitter and fell over. He was perfectly fine but he wanted me to rescue him. He flat out refused to get up. And I flat out refused to walk all the way down there to pick him up when he was fine and could do it himself. He is definitely the baby and I know I've done too much for him but I am make a concerted effort to undo my coddling. He will request water when his cup is just out of his reach but I have raw chicken on my hands across the room from him. Nope. He wants me to brush his teeth, put his homework away and clean up his messes. Sorry, bud. I am trying my darndest to retrain this kid to be more independent. And this particular incident turned into quite the standoff. I'm sure the neighbors were peeking out their windows wondering why the terrible mother wasn't coming to help her kid. It reminded me of the Christmas Story line, "He just laid there like a slug." He stayed in that position for honestly, probably 10 minutes. Boy was he ornery when he realized I wasn't coming. No future wife is going to come to me complaining this kid doesn't know how to wipe his own nose!

My sweet friend down the street, Hillary Meacham, is getting married to her boyfriend, Scott! They have lived a couple doors down from us the past two years. So happy for her! Her sisters threw her a gorgeous bridal shower at the Olive Mill.

Winnie turned 2!! Hooray! I think this means we're officially out of the puppy stage. Last year I baked her a doggie cupcake. This year she got a paper plate with bacon, cheese and peanut butter smeared on it.

Our fall was filled with flag football games! Funny coincidence... they were in different leagues, but both the Chiefs this season!

Weston's team had lots of older boys so he didn't really play. It was frustrating. They won the championship but I don't know if they felt like they really earned the rings! He enjoyed being on Liam and Graham's team though.

Once a year, our stake does a day of service. I enjoyed going and working on food kits and seeing some sisters in the stake.

Olive is a Ginger kid in the Nutcracker this year! I had to leave the service day to take her for pictures.

Our ward had a fall party at the north park that turned out really fun. The youth head up games and booths and we eat a potluck with the ward providing hot dogs. The cotton candy machine and sno cone maker are always a hit!

We went to dinner at Buca di Pepo for Abbey and Camille's birthdays!

Had another "007 Night" for the boys' friends! Burgers and hot dogs were on the menu this time.

It was Josie's birthday! She hates gifts. She doesn't like going out to eat or doing any of the typical girl/birthday things. But I remembered she loves to drive to Globe and visit her relatives. She grew up doing that and still has an aunt she adores who lives there. So I told her I'd be picking her up for a little day trip to Globe. Liv wanted to go too which made the outing extra fun!

Wayne gave me this book for my birthday and it was amazing! So many faith promoting stories. I gobbled it up in a few days.

Making pine wood derby cars for mutual! They must have just raced them just for fun because I don't remember being invited to an event!

Sometimes I am a fun mom. Tanner saw this idea on Ryan's World. Nothing like making me feel like a crappy mom than my kid watching another kid play with his parents on TV! Dropping food coloring into milk and watching swirly patterns by driving cars around.

I go in once a week to help in Tanner's classroom. Today was turkey making day! My cutest, little pilgrim!

Maren invited all of the Spark girls to a show at Gammage. I knew Olive would want me to come so I volunteered to go as well and drive. Emerson and her mom, Millie, along with a few other girls, rode with us. It was an incredible show, but my eyes have a hard time staying awake at night!

Little sneak peak at our Christmas card! We took the pictures in Aunt Tava's backyard and Rusty was our photographer, haha! I set it on a tripod but he pushed the buttons. My fake lips were quite the debacle. I tried to get my eyebrows REALLY fluffy and ridiculous but it was hard to tell in the final picture. We're just so cool.

Tanner had a great season playing t-ball! It was really helpful having practices at the park in our neighborhood. Falling over while chasing the ball was their favorite thing to do.

Ever wonder what the prophet has asked us to do?! I loved this slide from Sunday School.

I taught a FHE lesson about the plan of salvation. I thought the kids' drawings were so interesting.

It's finally time to put the trampoline in the ground! Tanner was VERY excited to watch.

I was looking for a card for Jeni's 40th birthday and I about spit out my gum when I saw this one hahaha. It's really how I feel.

Time to get ready for Thanksgiving!!!

Opening my fridge to this, just felt indecent somehow. Getting ready to smoke the turkey!

I introduced my kids to egg nog, donuts and FRIENDS Thanksgiving episodes. They were not amused. Guess it's just not funny to kids. Sad. 😜

So much prep the day before. My favorite cranberry relish done!

Pies abakin'!

Maybe some "pie cookies" to hold us off until tomorrow.

I LOVE the Turkey Trot!! Collin pulled ahead. I stuck with Olive and Travis stuck with Weston. Both thought they might die. I can't even remember who kept Tanner and the stroller but probably Travis. I was so proud of these kids! Olive ran just about the whole time. Just a few walks. We do it for the donuts haha.

Finished up the corn casserole and sweet potatoes, did some turkey leg hair and we were off to Grandmas!

Us wives, pulled a little prank on the husbands. We all bought them the same shirt without them knowing, and got them to wear it to Thanksgiving. It was harder than I thought it would be with Travis! He was not on board. Somehow, we all pulled it off though! So funny watching each of them walk in.

Travis smokes a mighty fine turkey!

The Goodmans were at the dunes. Bummer pants. At least theres always football to watch. I think they ran over to the Evans once their cousins started showing up over there. Pretty nice having both grandparents live a quarter mile apart.

These kids make me smile! Demitri has fit right in too.

I had been mad cleaning to prepare for Sawyer's bridal shower at our house. The workers were supposed to be done. I had made it very clear, everything needed to be cleared out by this morning. Travis was assembling the new trampoline and it was all supposed to be done in time for the shower. I was feeling so on top of things that I even went to the gym in the morning. And returned to find a tractor in the trampoline hole!! I couldn't even believe my eyes. What in the actual H. I guess Travis was outside when it happened. He heard a Mexican exclamation, "AyEEE!" and he looked over to find said Mexican in the hole. I am SO grateful he wasn't hurt. But this was not an easy fix. I had to leave to run an errand and saw a car driving into my backyard to try and pull it out. This is not how things were supposed to go. Suddenly, I was way behind schedule and Karen and her girls had showed up to start setting up. I was trying really hard not to snap but I called up Dallyn, the subcontractor, and was very short with him. Apparently he didn't even know the tractor had gotten stuck. UGH. My backyard was a disaster and I was planning to open up the sliding glass doors and have tables on the patio. But it was covered in dirt and debri. I hadn't even showered!! Travis was calm and steady and did everything I needed. Are we surprised?! Somehow it all got done.

I made the invitation and did my best with the welcome board and some other decorations. I'd love to work on learning calligraphy. I think it just shows how old I'm getting that Sawyer seems so young to be getting married! We hope her and Demitri are happy together!

It seems jean dresses was the unspoken dress code!

Got to babysit Mr. Stetson!

We went to the Mesa temple lights with the Evans one Sunday night. It's so fun to have the temple lights back!! I think it's been 4 years since we've gotten to do this, because of the remodel. It's a different layout now, and more displays, but a lot is similar.