Happy Halloween!

It's just one more pumpkin, so why....

I don't know why I am so hung up on this.... so I'll vent on my blog.
Yesterday, Hannah came home with a pumpkin & note from her teacher.
The note read that it was such a wonderful time of year & just a great opportunity to have fun with our kids. So here is a pumpkin. We needed to decorate it with our child & return it on Friday. It encouraged us to have fun & be creative.
The first thing I thought, and this may be my bad attitude coming out, is haven't I've been fun & creative enough? I mean I have:
1. Took the kids to Gardner village over fall break.
2. Made caramel apples with them
3. Carved pumpkins, and only grumbled a tiny bit to myself as it took 2 hours to clean up after (ok, I grumbled alot, but really, I kept it to myself.)
4. I am helping with Kaitlyn's class spook alley by setting up after school today.
5. I shopped for all the costumes.
6. I am making pumpkin shaped pancakes & homemade eggnog for breakfast tomorrow.
7. I am going to the school's Halloween costume parade tomorrow.
8. I am making spaghetti & breadstick bones for dinner tomorrow & kitty litter cake for dessert.
9. The girls are having a Harry Potter movie marathon with their friends after trick or treating tomorrow.
Isn't that fun & creative? Hannah followed me around all day yesterday.... whining about how we needed to decorate her pumpkin..... and I had to help.... because her teacher said so. So, I told her after homework, chores, & dinner were over. Hannah thought I meant her chores & homework. So she hurried & cleaned her room, did her spelling page, & read her book. She was absolutely crushed when she asked me if we could decorate her pumpkin, & I had to tell her not right now because I had to run Jonathan to the store to buy a compass so he could do his Geometry homework. Guess who was waiting at the door, pumpkin in hand, when I got back? She was just plain ticked when I said we had to eat dinner & on the verge of a meltdown when I told her I still had to help Emily study her spelling & do her math page...... I was feeling more & more resentful that the teacher put one more thing on my overflowing plate.....
Then, all became right in Hannah's world .... Kaitlyn finished her homework & chores, & was willing to help Hannah with the pumpkin. At first Hannah wasn't so sure, after all, teacher said Mom was supposed to help. But then decided Kaitlyn would do. So, as I sat & worked with a crying Emily who was overwhelmed by 30 3- digit subtraction problems, Kaitlyn & Hannah decorated the cutest pumpkin.
I appreciate the teacher's intention to make a fun & creative Halloween experience for the kids. But please, send the pumpkin home earlier next time!

ok, I feel better. Now I'm off to type a 15 page paper for Stephen that's due tomorrow.

8 Things

8 Favorite TV shows
1. Good Things Utah
2. KSL Studio 5
3. Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader- the kids & I play along. They usually win.
4. Nova- depending on what's on
5. Frontline
6. hmmmm, I just don't watch a lot of TV.
7. ?
8. I seriously don't think there is 8 shows I watch

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Los Hermanos
2. Red Lantern
3. In-N-Out Burger
4. Cheesecake Factory
5. Red Lobster
6. Fat Jacks Pizza
7. Quiznos
8. Cold Stone Creamery

8 Things that Happened Today
Considering it's only 9:45am, I haven't done anything exciting or interesting yet.
1. I had a hard time getting out of bed. Last weekend, I bought new pillows & sheets. My bed is so comfortable now! Makes it hard to want to get up.
2. I made french toast for breakfast.
3. I woke the girls up early because Jonathan had a court of honor last night & they needed to finish homework that didn't get completed last night.
4. I admired the bright yellow & orange leaves that have fallen recently all over town as I drove the kids to school.
5. I thought about a wedding present I need to get for a reception I am going to on Saturday.
6. I started a load of laundry, made my bed & loaded the dishwasher before I allowed myself to get on the computer.
7. I spent 30 minutes on the computer, then wiped up the kitchen counters & straightened up the sitting room.
8. I am working on this post

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. Stephen graduating from nursing school in May.
2. Kaitlyn's Christmas Concerts
3. Emily's gymnastic practices
4. Jonathan recieving his Eagle
5. Reading with Hannah
6. Lunch with old room mates
7. Family Reunions
8. Bedtime

8 Things On My Wish List
1. Stephen gets Thanksgiving & Christmas off
2. The house stays clean
3. No one gets sick this winter
4. Stephen & I get to on a trip for our 15th anniversary next year
5. I get all the Christmas prep done before Dec. 1st.
6. Stephen gets good grades on his last two care plans so I don't have to type Care Plan #10
7. There is snow for Christmas
8. That the Election will really be over on Nov. 5th! I am soooo sick of it!

8 People to Tag
1. Rachel
2. Malissa
3. Heidi
4. Lara
5. Michelle
6. Anne (is this your 4th tag? Sorry!)
7. Terri
8. Constance

Fall Fun

I am glad I blog.
If I didn't, I don't think I would notice all the fun we have, or the cute things the kids say because I am just so busy right now. Sometimes, as I am waking up, all I can think about is the long list of to do's for the day. When I go to bed, I think of what I didn't get done, and need to do the next day.
It was a busy week. Stephen had midterms and it was a stressful week trying to study, do homework, work, Young Mens, and family. But as usual, he got the job done. He did really well on one midterm, not so well on the other. But well enough to maintain his grade point average.
The kids finished the first term of school this week. They all did very well & we are pleased with them. Emily has mostly A's & B's. But the real success story is that she had C's in Math Facts and Spelling. Emily has a learning disability. Math facts & spelling are really hard for her. She works so so so hard in these two subjects. Both C's were high C's, so we are really pleased. Kaitlyn had straight A's. Her lowest grade was a 97%. We are very pleased. Jonathan had all A & B's. Hannah had good grades too, though her teacher would like her to cut down on her talking in class!
I have been working on cleaning & organizing closets, drawers, & cupboards all month. I finally finished last week. Yay! It is nice to know where everything is. I took out bags & bags of junk. I am trying to stay on top of it better so it never gets that bad again. Now, I am starting on the deep cleaning....
Now, for the fun stuff....
Last Monday, we made caramel fudge apples. It was fun!






On Thursday, Stephen worked on his costume. He has to dress up for work on Thursday. Rather than tell you what he is dressing up as, let's see if you can guess. Leave your guess in the comments.



I think it's pretty obvious.

Yesterday, after Church, we carved pumpkins. I have to ask....



Does anyone else carve pumpkins with a power drill? Carving pumpkins is not on Stephen's list of favorite family activities. But when I mentioned that I saw a segment on TV about using a power drill, his eyes lit up, & he got out his power drill!

Hannah was very excited to carve pumpkins. We didn't carve pumpkins last year, in fact none of us could remember the last time we carved pumpkins. So, we think this is the first time Hannah has been old enough to do her very own pumpkin.



She thought pumpkin "guts" were gross!



We used patterns. Hannah poked holes into the pumpkin to "trace" a scarecrow. Stephen carved it out for her.

Jonathan carved his into a pumpkin maniac, with pumpkin guts and seeds oozing out of it's mouth.



Emily gutted her pumpkin, poked out the pattern, & carved most of it all by herself. Stephen did help her a little.



Kaitlyn worked really hard on hers too. She wanted it to be perfect,



I started working on mine......



I thought it looked like a dog. Jonathan & Stephen thought it looked like a rabbit. Between taking pictures and cleaning up, I didn't get very far, so Stephen finished it up for me.

To everyone's disappointment, I forgot to buy candles. The kids insisted we wait to take pictures of the finished pumpkins when they are lit up. So I will post pictures of them next week.

The kids are excited for Halloween. We finished shopping for costumes on Saturday. It is supposed to be the warmest Halloween on record, so this is the first year the kids will have ever gone trick or treating without coats. They are so excited!

Anyone guess what Steve is?

Little Kids Slot Machines

You know those "claw" machines in the front of every grocery store? You know, you put 50 cents in them & then you guide the claw to the stuffed animal you want, then push the red button, and the claw drops, and the claw is supposed to grab the stuffed animal?
Well, we have one at TWO of our local grocery stores (keep in mind there are only 3 grocery stores in town, and I rarely shop at the third one). So every time we go in, the kids ask for quarters to put in the machine. And me, being frugal (ok, ok, a cheapskate), usually tells the kids no. I will not waste my quarters on a "little kids slot machine."
Well, last Thursday, I had to run to the store to get milk. Hannah came with me. I have a habit of reading the bulletin board on my way out. The "slot machine" is right by the bulletin board. I was reading the board, looking through they yard sales notices, when I heard the "slot machine" turn on. I looked down & Hannah was jumping up & down excitedly, saying "I made it turn on!" Apparently, she had took two of her quarters out of her rainy day bank (we had a long talk, she gets it now.)
So, I said, "Oh honey, I wish you hadn't put your money in the slot machine. All it does is take your money. Nobody ever........

Just then, Hannah pushed the little red button, & the claw grabbed the stuffed animal she wanted & dropped it down the shoot. Hannah started jumping up & down, yelling, "YES! YES! YES! I WON!"
Ok, now some of you must think I am a bit psychotic, and I follow my kids around incessantly with a camera. Even to the grocery store! No, not the case. When we got home & Hannah showed the girl's her jackpot winnings, they were just sure they could win to & begged me to take them back to try (with their own quarters). So, yes, I admit the primary reason I said yes was so I could take my camera with us & I could snap a picture of Hannah.
The girls came home empty handed & convinced that the machine really is a slot machine & vowed "to never put their hard earned money in it again." Hannah is convinced that she is just lucky & knows a secret that will work the next time. And I am wondering if I am a tad psychotic? I mean who else would drive back to the store to just get a picture??

Fall Break

The kids had fall break from school last Thursday & Friday. The weather was beautiful, 70 degrees & sunny. We took full advantage of it!
First, I made them work.

On Thursday, we worked in the yard the entire day. We pulled out flowers, trimmed trees, did a ton of weeding, swept walkways, & mowed the lawns. Yes, there was a fair amount of mumbling, grumbling, some tears, & a few arguments. But all in all, it went pretty smoothly. The kids worked really hard & it was the first year I felt like having them help me was really help, not just a lesson in work for them & a test of patience for me.

Of course, it wasn't all work & no play. The girls took turns pushing each other in the wheelbarrow as they hauled clippings & weeds to the trash.

We started at 10:30 am & finished around 5:30. The kids came in, plopped down in front of the TV, and watched The Brady Bunch. When it was over, none of them moved. They just stared at the TV. I took a shower, with the intention of making dinner as soon as I got out. Stephen took one look at me & decided I was too tired to make dinner. He had just finished taking a very hard test, & still had a lot of homework to do, so we ordered Pizza & Rootbeer, spread out a blanket in the family room, & ate pizza & watched Little House On The Prarie.

At 8am, the kids were begging to say family prayers & go to bed. By 8:15pm, the house was silent.

I woke the kids up early on Friday morning to get ready for a day of fun. The girls & I went to Gardner Village in West Jordan. Jonathan stayed home to spend the day at a neighbor's catching frogs with four of his friend's.

Gardner Village had a TON of fun Halloween decorations. The girl's, including Megan (Kaitlyn's friend) enjoyed the dressed up witches.







I also enjoyed hanging out with three dear friends.


(Left to right: Lisa Joy & Larriann)

I had so much fun seeing Larriann Madsen McGowan, a former room mate from Ricks. By total coinidence, it was exactly 11 years ago to the day since I had seen her. The last time I saw her was her wedding day. Larriann is as sweet & patient as she was in college. It literally felt like no time had passed as we talked & just enjoyed being together again. As always, it was a treat to spend the day with Lisa Joy. My neighbor & friend Janae (Megan's mom) also went with us & it was nice to catch up with her. Although we only live 3 houses apart, we get so busy with our families that sometimes 2 or 3 weeks will pass before we find time to talk.

There were so many great places to take pictures, I just couldn't let the opportunity pass. I "only" took 50 pictures because I was trying to keep track of Hannah & talk to my friends. Here are a "few" of my favorites:


















Saturday was a fun day too..... Stephen was really busy last week (don't I say that every week?). We really hadn't had time to see much of each other during the week, so we went to lunch at a local mexican resturant. Then we came home & Stephen did homework, I did some housework, & the kids totally enjoyed an unscheduled day of playing. In the evening, I went to Lisa Joy's house to have dinner with Lisa Joy, Darla & Heidi. Good friends, good food, lots of laughs. It was an awesome weekend!

On Sunday, Stephen, who is always up by 7am to prepare his Young Men's lesson & then go to meetings, slept until 9:30! He didn't even stir when Hannah came in with a Junie B. Jones book we have been reading & snuggled up to me & asked me to read the last chapter. Poor guy, he was exhausted. When he did wake up, he said, "well, at least I won't fall asleep in Sacrament today." The girls & I had a very hard time not giggling when he DID fall asleep!

Now, we are back to real life. Stephen has midterms & is stressed. He also has to work & has an Young Men's activity. So for me it means a week of running kids to lessons, helping with homework, typing papers, going to Parent- Teacher conferences & keeping everything else in our life afloat. We'll have to celebrate surving this busy week by having more fun next weekend!

You're gonna miss this

As I drove the kids to school this morning, I heard this song:

"You're gonna miss this....
You're gonna want this back,
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast,
you may not know it now
but you're gonna miss this"

I started thinking about life & how much of it goes by without me taking note of it. So I decided to slow down a bit today & follow my family around with a camera, just taking pictures of everyday things. I was really surprised by all the little things I barely take note of:



Kaitlyn didn't have anything going on today, so she decided to follow me around as I documented every day life. We had a lot of fun.


Emily was playing with Katie. They had been jumping on the trampoline, that is why they are red in the face. Emily & I found these cups yesterday while we were shopping. We thought they would be fun to eat rootbeer floats out of. But we don't have any ice cream yet. Katie & Emily thought they were cool & were content to just drink water out of them.


Then they played with Emily's Easy Bake.


Then they ate all the purple sprinkles off what they baked.


Hannah was in her room playing dollhouse with her friend Madison.


Jonathan was where he usually is..... out with his friends playing football. But had he been home, he most likely would have been in room playing gameboy or reading.


Elder Oaks told us at a stake conference that we can see into the hearts & minds of our teens by looking at the posters on their walls. Here we see the Jazz, a NASA space shuttle, a thingy that landed on Mars, an Eagle (Grandma Ward gave it to him on his 12th birthday to remind him to get his Eagle Scout award, a picture of himself as a baby, and a picture of the Savior.





Yep, in his heart & mind, his goal is to be a good missionary & live the gospel. What is impressive about this is he hung these pictures BEFORE he had the lesson in seminary on hanging pictures that reflect your goals.


Daisy has become a huge part of our daily life, for better or worse. Better mostly, but having a rambunctous puppy underfoot makes life interesting.


Training is going well.... she has mastered sit & stay.....


And shake


And play dead. This one is too cute.

While we were in the yard, I really looked at my yard. It is so pretty. Pretty soon, we will be in winter. Everything will get brown & yucky. I know I will miss it....




The vine was much prettier a last week, ago. I wish I woulda took time to take a picture of it.


This is Pumpkin Head Harvey. The girls created him. He looks like a true Utah Boy. A sweatshirt & shorts. So cool.....


Kaitlyn thinks he is the only cool boy in Utah. Steve & I are glad.


You may all think David Cook & David Archiledta are american idols, but we know Kaitlyn is THE American Idol!


She learned about stage presence in Choir yesterday & drawing the crowd into the performance....


I think she got it! Oh, & I love my lilacs!


A few of the pumpkins we grew in our garden. We had 12 total.

Ok, so where is Steve? Any guesses?


Yep, reading a VERY thick nursing book. It is so heavy, I can barely lift it. I asked him if he was gonna miss it.... he said nope.


Jonatha just came home. See the game boy? Told ya so.

Yep, one day I'm gonna miss this......