The Bissett Boys Present: A Very Spooky Halloween Album

Dallin and Taylor have been learning a myriad of Halloween tunes at school lately. Preschool has been a gold mine for Dallin - he didn't know that so many great songs existed! The boys put on a concert for us and we have it reproduced here for your viewing enjoyment. At almost 5 minutes long, however, this album is recommended for serious fans only.

Adventures in Fencing, Part 45 (approximately)

So, after much work in his few hours of daylight after his real job was done (and some more work done in complete darkness), Travis succeeded in getting our new fence ready for its concrete curb to be poured. This is the final step before we can install the actual walls of the fence. Everyone was assembled and ready to work when the concrete mixer and the pumper truck pulled up at 7:30 am. The pumper truck was supposed to make the pouring much easier as the guys would not have to be running a wheelbarrow to fill the narrow forms. Anyway, the pumper truck extended its mighty arm and the truck promptly tipped, and almost fell right over, supported by only one of its "sturdy jacks" as Dallin called it. As a result, the boom arm crashed to the ground, narrowly missing Travis and his helpers on the ground, as well as our house and fence posts. 

Very fortunately, nobody was hurt and nothing was damaged, with the notable exception of the pumper truck. The situation soon attracted a sizable crowd and they were treated to full morning of entertainment as various methods were employed to hoist the truck and its arm back up. This involved about three hours, a tractor and truck or two, a chain (which subsequently broke part way through the operation, sending the arm crashing back down to earth and nearly hitting our house again), a bunch of puzzled-looking men, and an evacuation order for Mardi and the boys inside the house. All in all, it was a productive day and Travis did eventually get his curb poured...but they had to use the wheelbarrow after all.

That drain pipe on the right is on our house. The boom was literally a few feet away from it.

Dallin's Sandpile Construction "Team"

We had a great weekend on September 18 - 20 when Jeff came home from his mission in California. As many as were able came home to Raymond for the weekend and we had a good time with siblings and cousins. (We missed all of you who couldn't be there.) Our boys love playing in Grandpa and Grandma Smith's big sandpile, so they started doing some digging. Soon, Uncle Chris and Uncle Jonathan came to do some heavy-duty excavating, and construction began on a big volcano with a waterfall, river, and an island in the middle. Dallin thought this was great and immediately began taking charge of his "team", as he called it. We found he was a tough boss when he admonished Jonathan and told him to "keep working!" He could give credit where it was due when he told Chris and Jonathan, "good job, you two" as they lined the waterfall area with rocks. Dallin also has a talent for delegating tasks, but he soon found out that he isn't allowed to delegate his jobs to his mother.

L-R: Daniel, Evan, Caleb (in full leap), and Dallin. Caleb was busily parking all the diggers on the island. Uncle Jonathan built a little bridge that could withstand even Caleb stepping on it.

L-R: Evan, Daniel (sporting a stylish buzz after a run-in with his cousin of similar age and some scissors), and Dallin.

Caleb and Dallin, working to finish the wall surrounding the moat.