.Mikesell Family Blog: Birthdays, Games, Pumpkin Picking and New Rooms!

Alyssa talked the family into doing a stunt...and they obeyed so I got a picture.

It was my Mom's 70th birthday. I can't believe she is that old and my Mom couldn't be any prouder to be 70. She is the greatest Mom and I'm so glad we live close. She is incredible and still does Crossfit. Her gym "box" posted a picture of her on Facebook and she got over 600 likes and a ton of comments saying how incredible it is that she is in such good shape. She makes me proud!

My Dad turned 71 this year. This picture is only a week after having open heart surgery. We feel so blessed that he has done so well after surgery. I love having him retired because we get to spend so much more time with him. My kids love having him around too. He loves meeting us for lunch or dinner at Chick-fil-a. It's one of his favorite places too:)

About a month ago Boston was running around playing with cousins and ran into the doorknob with his cheek. Since then he has a new dimple when he smiles.

We took the kids to a BYU football game. They were so excited. My friend's husband Austin Holt is on the team and was so sweet to let us on the field before the game. I think that was the highlight of the night!

We asked these cheerleaders if we could take a picture with them and Alyssa. They were all super sweet to her and even let her hold their pom poms. I swear Alyssa is almost as tall as them.

Everyone said we had to try the "Cougar Tails" it's basically a footlong maple doughnut. The kids loved it but it was so big we made them share.

It was a cold game. We couldn't believe it, a few minutes after taking this picture Shauna Moffit (Merrill) came in and sat right in front of us. We couldn't believe that we bought tickets right next to each other for the same game....what are the odds?

This year we made the kids carry all of the pumpkins they wanted to keep....thinking they might take a few less. But I forget my kids are like ants and they can carry stuff twice their body weight. Needless to say we still had a ton of pumpkins this year. Thanks to my Mom and Dad for letting us have so many too! My kids are definitely spoiled when it comes to Halloween time!

Both Buster and Maren are at BYU this year so they both came for the fun pumpkin picking!

I just like to make sure no one is getting eaten alive by slugs...(there's a slight chance I started freaking out when Brock was holding a slug...I thought it was a leech....you know the things that suck your blood?!? But everyone let me know that slugs are perfectly harmless....whatever they look gross to me.)

And it wouldn't be a pumpkin picture without Matt showing some crack in the background.

Alyssa and Maren were the only girl cousins this year.

Our cousin picture seems so much smaller without everyone who lives out of state.

A few days ago I was talking to Gentry on the phone and I noticed this towel outside. I started yelling at the kids asking who was the one that burned my towel. Gentry was still on the phone and said "Actually it was me...remember how your feet were freezing the other night? Well I decided to microwave this towel so you could put it on your feet. I had no idea it would start on fire." So I couldn't be mad. He was just trying to help me. I don't think he will be microwaving towels again anytime soon.

With all the new paint/remodeling we've been doing we decided to finally let the boys have their own rooms. They couldn't be any happier. Gentry ordered these Fat Heads for their rooms. They are so proud of them. Now if we could just get our bedding made the rooms would be complete!

General conference weekend I told the kids I wanted them to do this little General Conference art stuff. Brock said to me "Actually I would rather invent something." And this is what he came up with. He used a bunch of stuff I had in the recycle bin.