conference weekend.

We spent conference weekend up at the cabin, like we do every October. It was Franz's first time, so this trip was extra special. Franz loved playing outside, picking up rocks and leaves, and pushing his cousin Kaleb's toy car all around the cabin floor. We had to move the coffee table in front of the old wood fireplace because Franz was so enthralled by it. That boy likes fire, I tell you.

We enjoyed our time shooting bows and guns, listening to 8 hours of conference (more like... oh, I dunno... 2 hours for me, because Franz is a wild boy), eating pizza from a restaurant down the mountain and donuts that Whit and JT brought up, and playing Farkle--just me and Zac. 

During the last stretch of one of the Sunday sessions, JoJo and I took turns taking pictures of the other one sleeping through it. There's just something about being cozy on the couch next to your husband with the fire burning in the fireplace while your baby is napping that makes you so relaxed and so tired. It was bound to happen, really.

Before leaving on Sunday, Zac, Franz, and I found the tree where we carved my name next to Zac's back in 2011 (when we were newlyweds!) and carved Franz's name underneath (leaving room for a few more babies!). I can't wait for him to grow up and come up to the cabin and see his name carved there by his mama's and papa's. 

a day at the cabin.

When we pulled up to the cabin yesterday morning, the first session of General Conference was just ending. We walked in, and I headed straight for the back door to stand in the warm sunlight while my father-in-law got the fire started. 

I made homemade cinnamon caramel that we brought up with the apples we got at the Farmer's Market, and we all dug in while my mother-in-law put the chili on the stove. 

After lunch, the second session of General Conference was starting, so we all gathered around the TV (I got the best spot in the house--right by the old fire place) and listened to the prophet's voice! It was so, so good.

We spent the rest of the afternoon riding the Polaris down to the stream, where we took lots of pretty pictures of the mountains, and roasting marshmallows over the smoky fire with the rest of the family. Zac made me a s'more (probably the last one of the year), and I was in heaven.

A couple of hours before it started to get dark, we packed everything up and started the long drive home. This was my first time up at the cabin in the fall time, and it was stunning. What a way to spend Conference weekend! I'm already looking forward to going back with my sweetie. :)

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we smelt like camp fire.

We just arrived back from visiting the Swensons' cabin for the day, watching General Conference, eating way too much white bean chili and caramel apples, and going for a ride through the mountains.

And we smelt like a camp fire when we came home, so we had an early shower and washed all of our clothes.

More pictures to follow.

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we bought lots of apples.

Whenever General Conference weekend rolls around, I get pretty excited, because that means homemade apple dumplings with my whole family. But since I spend this Conference weekend with the Swensons, we didn't make any. I still wanted to make a treat that included apples, so yesterday afternoon, Zac and I headed over to the Farmer's Market to buy lots of apples.

While walking through the aisles of booths, we saw so much fall produce, including bell peppers, the biggest onions we've ever seen, gourds, and pumpkins! And let me tell you, I wanted to buy about ten pumpkins right then and there, but held myself back, so we could pick out our pumpkins in a pumpkin patch the next week.

We bought a whole back full of Eliot apples, which apparently only grow in a Utah, from a lady from Springville.

Oh, and the best part about that whole trip is that it smelt like a pumpkin with a candle inside--you know, the way it smells on Halloween night. It put a smile right on my face in a second.

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