Pumpkin Carving Fun

We had a big crew over to carve pumpkins. The kids had soo much fun. Danni came over with her girls and also brought Shelby (who had a friend with her).This picture was after all the pumpkin carving was done. Tyler and Philip didn't want to be in the picture. They didn't want to be mixed in with all the girls.

This picture, in my opinion, speaks for itself. Yes, Lucy was spiderman for Halloween and wore the costume for about three days before halloween and slept in it every night.Philip does love carving pumpkins. He usually does a scary face every year. He said he wanted something different this year.
Magge was her usual happy self the whole night long. She was also very proud of her pumpkin.

Ellie wanted her pumpkin to have spaces between its teeth just like her!

Danni was very proud of her pumpkin. Can't you see it in her face?

OHHH sisterly love. I must really love Danni to pose for a camera with her. I hate my picture taken.

Shelby is all smiles.


Whether Tyler will admit it or not, I know he thoroughly enjoyed the night.

Lauren was sooo excited to carve pumpkins. Her drawing was a little too technical to cut out all the lines, but it still turned out GREAT!

I don't have a pictue of Kyla's "finished product." She wanted her pumpkin to look perfect. So she had to take hers home to finish. 8:30, which is bedtime at our house, came around very quickly.

October fun

Just to warn everyone, this is a very long post. I just have lots of things that I need to record for this month, so feel free to skip because of length, or Enjoy!

So much has been happening this month. My life is usually pretty boring with not much action other than usual every day "mom" stuff. This month has been quite different. I think that this is the first week that I don't have ANYTHING planned. I was laying in bed this morning thinking about all that has gone on this month and couldn't help but feel greatful and happy for my life. I have been able to do a lot of fun outings with just grownups, but also my kids. I absolutely love Halloween. I love everything about it. I love dressing my kids up. I love all scary shows, even the ones for kids on the disney channel. I love staying up late with tyler once the kids have gone to bed to watch "our shows." Who doesnt love Candy? Tyler and I love to take our kids trick-or- treating to all the family members, but we have to return home early cause we also love to hand out candy. Which I do love trunk-or-treats, but it does take away the good "old" fun out of trick-or-treating.

Earlier this month my sisters and I, along with our husbands, went to a haunted house. I haven't been to one of those since high school. It was soooo much fun!! I do have to say that I think I laughed more at my sister Darci and her laughing followed by snorting more than any of the scary stuff we walked through. I fell twice going through the mazes. Who wouldn't fall when it is pitch black and stairs come out of no where? It was nice to have a nice strong husband that would guard me and I could push him into anybody that came up to or near me. This haunted house had a zip line, live bands, ghost stories for kids, and fortune tellers. The music was pretty fun. People were dancing and I almost felt like tyler and I were in back in high school on a date. It is always nice to feel young again. It was way fun. IT's called the Dreaded Grove in American Fork if anyone one of you dare to go. (sorry no pics. I took the camera, I just never got it out.)

My friends from high school usually have a girls trip every year. This year we decided to stay around here because of all the babies that have been born. I , unfortunately, was unable to go but I have gone to previous trips in the past and I am soo greatful for the friends I have and that we are just as close now as we were in high school. Maybe even more. OH and I can't forget the evening I was able to sneak away to Lesa's house and watch The Strangers with her after the kids were put to bed. Thanks Steve for letting me steal your wife in your own house for a few hours. Yes, Lesa walked me to my car and made sure all was safe before I got in to drive home. I mean, what are friends for. Right!

Tyler and I had some friends over for a dinner and games. I don't think I have laughed so hard in all my life. My stomach was seriously hurting. Tyler was the man of the hour with all the great food him and his mom came up with to serve. OK , I know you are all thinking, why didn't I cook. Right? Well, I cleaned the house, made all the phone calls, and gave assignments to other couples as to what to bring. I think it was definitely a 50/50 effort. AND I did this with a major head ache. I really am not trying to take the lime light away from Tyler. He did do the work that made the night a hit. Thanks hon. You are the best. OH and for those of you who were there, I took the mirror down. Just couldn't go into my girls's bathroom and have a certain vision in my mind. Thanks Danny for that one! I really did like that mirror. Rachel, you will be getting chocolate for Christmas, and every other holiday after that! Mark, all I can say is, You Are Funny! We really do all love you. Josh and Tiffany, I didn't know you had so many hidden secrets. to Kam, all I can say is "Oh Mannn!!" Jenny, I am soo sorry. I don't know how you handle that husband of yours. I know I am looking forward to our next get-together.

My favorite thing that was accomplished this month was the planting of all our 20 trees. Yes, I said 20!!! So we have trees now. We may be doing our yard backwards in the planting area but we have had these trees for two winters now and just had to get them into the ground. We originally had 22 trees, but two died. I was upset about that until we started planting and I was sooo greatful for the two dead ones. I loved seeing all my kids working together so hard, and so anxious to work! I have to admit. I am pretty good with a shovel. I think I even surprised Tyler.

Last saturday, Karol had a halloween party for all the grandkids. They loved it! They got to go trick-or-treating to grandma's house, have food, and lots and lots of candy. They also played games. She also gave them fun prizes. Whistles!! um, not so fun for the parents. Especially me.

Last but certainly not least, Tyler surprised the kids last night and came home at 2:30 to take them to a matine to see High School Musical 3. Cause you know it is like half the price if you go before 5pm. The girls were so excited. On the way to Provo every five minutes Maggee would ask, "Are we there yet?" When we got into the theater and the movie started, Lucy (I will remind you she is 3) turned to Tyler and said, "Dad, Troy likes, me and I like him." She was soo good through the whole movie. So I will admit, Tyler and I also enjoyed it.

I could go on and on about other stuff that has also happened this month but this post is long enough, and probably boring to most of you. I do have pictures of a few things but haven't downloaded them yet. I will add them later. Wow ,we still haven't hit Halloween yet, so I still have pumpkin carving, and trunck-or-treating left to make more memories.

It's growing!!!

You all remember Lucy's famous haircut that she gave herself. I thought I would post a quick progress report on the length of her hair..............

This is before the hair cut

THE hair cut!!!

Starting to fill in. I thought I had a more recent picture than this one, but this is only a month old and with how slow her hair grows it still looks pretty much the same. Although her bangs are more even across the front now. Thankfuly.
A nice back view.

Not such a great closeup picture but good enough to see the length.
Everyday I ask Lucy if she is ever going to cut her hair again and she says "No, just grandma cuts my hair!" Good job Lucy, you better never forget that.

I do have to look at a more positive side of this experience. Before this dramatic scissor episode, Lucy's hair was quite stringy and thin. It is coming in a lot thicker and much more course. It actually looks really nice when I blowdry it with a round brush and it has body to it. Unfortunately, I don't take too much time on her hair right now, so she only gets the cute round brush hairdue on sundays.

Family Fun

I really should have done this post a few weeks ago, but I just kept forgetting. Tyler, the kids and I went to my parent's house for conference weekend. It was a lot of fun. My sister, Danni, and her two girls were there along with my other sister, Darci, and her two boys. Danni also brought DJ, Shelby, and Riley with her. So, of course, Philip was in boy heaven.

We bought the boys these glow in the dark shirts. They loved them. One moring, early in the morning, I woke up to these three trouble makers dancing around my bed. They thought I was asleep. I, of course, pretended to be asleep. After my bed, they continued on to all the other beds where people were still asleep. Of course, DJ and Shelby were still asleep cause isn't that all teenagers do is sleep? When I went down for breakfast they were whispering to each other and laughing. When I asked them what they were talking about they kept saying, "nothing!" So I asked them if it had anything to do with them dancing aroun my bed. All three gave looks of shock. I reminded them that moms know all. You can never trick us. They wore these shirts the full three days we were there and never took them off. I told Philip that he needed to take his off so I could wash it and Tyler informed me that I needed to let him be a boy.

During the two sessions on saturday, me, Danni, Darci, my mom, DJ, and Shelby all went out to lunch. These have to be the biggest brownie sundays I have ever seen! And, of course, every bit of them were eaten.

You gotta love confrence packets. Nothing keeps the kids more into watching confrence.

This weekend was a lot of fun. When my family is all together it is pretty big, but to get everyone together usually never happens. This weekend was no different. No, not everyone was there, but a lot more than usual were there. My Lucy, and Darci's Treyvon are the youngest grandkids. So many of them are getting a lot older. It was fun to have DJ and Shelby come with the women for lunch and a few more graduated to the adult dinner table and were thrilled not have to eat with the littler ones. It is also becoming a "new" fun to hang out with some of the older grandkids. Wow, I can't believe that in reality my parents could become great grandparents in the next few years. Time sure flies.

These are just some last few random pictures that were taken. I just realized that I didn't take any of tyler that weekend, or at any time. I will work on that. Sorry hon.

Purple Potatoes?

Yummmm my family eats purple potatoes!! How about your family?

Karol plants potatoes in her garden every year. One sunday afternoon she came over to our house to see if she could borrow some potatoes from us because this was what she found in her garden when she dug her potatoes up. She decided to go ahead and cook them anyway since our potatoes were all pretty old. They taste just like regular old potatoes and the kids think it's fun to eat purple potatoes.

Frozen Pumpkin Brains

We did a fun activity with the kids tonight for family night. But in all honesty, I think Tyler had the most fun. We always try to do some fun halloween treat throughout the month of October. In the eleven years that we have been married I am really surprised that Tyler hasn't shown me this one before. I will give Tyler credit for it being a good idea (even though I know the idea most likely came from Karol)

These are organges with the insides taken out and replaced with orange sherbet. The kids just wanted the corn candies on top to add some extra sugar. Be careful when removing the inside of the orange. It squirts everywhere! ok, ok, so I was the only one that got squirted by my orange. The kids are never going to let me live it down.

Now if you are counting these orange/pumpkin faces you will notice that there are only five and there are six members in our family. This is what Lucy was doing.........

She didn't get a nap today.

Autumn Time

Lucy will be four in January and we are still having an issue with her going to the nursery by herself. On sunday I went in with her. She sat as close as she could to me the whole time. She would not repond to the teacher at all during the two hour period we were there, accept for her comment to the teacher that she could not eat during snack time because her leg was hurting and she didn't want food in her leg while it was hurting. Lucy has the nicest teacher alive. If anyone of you know who Manogn Probst (sp?) is, knows you cannot ask for anyone nicer. During singing time Sister Probst asked all the kids to stand up and pretend their arms were trees and sing, It's Autumn Time. Lucy, of course, would not do it. She sat on my lap with a sour look on her face and stared down at the carpet. I just kept thinking, "this is a waste of my time." I kept trying to get Lucy to sing the song but she played the ignoring game quite well. The whole two hours were pretty much this way. When we got home from church, I came downstairs from changing my clothes and Tyler was videoing Lucy singing, It's Autumn Time. What? Was she really listening that whole entire time? I swear I don't know where she gets her stubornness from.

My memory for today

Not much has been happening around here accept for the usual every day mom stuff. I swear I am back in school again with three kids in elementary school. When 4 o'clock rolls around and I hear that bus engine outside I think, "Oh no, here comes homework time, piano lessons, homework, scouts, homework and more homework." It is sad when you have a fifth grader and I have to polish up on my math skills. Some may say "fifth grade, not so bad," but I swear it's harder now then when I was in school. oh and did I mention? I am philip's scout leader. Me, who grew up in a family with six girls. Thirteen grandchildren on my side, and only three are boys. Tyler loves that this is my calling. He says it is good for me and Philip to bond. He probably is right, but I am so clueless to the scout thing.

So my days at home with Lucy are usualy pretty quiet. That is unless Lucy is in one of her singing moods. Then the whole house is filled with "ahhhhhhhhhhahhhhhahhhhh." Lucy has had a cold lately and we had a funny conversation. One that I just needed to record for my own sake so that one day I can tell her the funny things she would say when she was little.

mom: "Lucy, are you feeling sick?"
Lucy: "No, mom, I am not sick. Just my mouth is sick and my nose is sick."
mom: "Did you sleep good last night?"
Lucy: "No mom, I had to pick my bugars all night long!"

Lucy has been very upset with her "bugars" lately. I am very pleased to say though, that even though I do catch her picking her nose, she always brings it to me to show me and then goes and gets a tissue. She is very clean about the whole situation. I mean as clean as a three year old can be.

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