Halloween

The night before was our ward’s Trunk or Treat chili dinner.  It was SOOO cold outside!  Kaylee helped with friends inside the building do a little haunted house, and shoot the zombies activity.  The boys both had soccer and swim practices this night, they came for the dinner.

Ashley’s face cracks me up!  I had tights and boots for Jerrica on this night, BUT she insisted on her flip flops, which she soon regretted.

The next night I started feeling like all of my kids were getting older.  They were adamant about being with friends for Halloween.  I tried my hardest to make them bring their friends with us, yet in the end they went with friends.  We always do pizza with the Mumma’s and then walk around their neighborhood.  How does that look having FOUR adults walking around with just Jerrica?!?!?  I don’t want my kids to grow up.  :(

This year Ashley was a Zombie.  She went with her friend to the thrift store weeks before Halloween to find matching zombie clothes.  They both got pink shirts and these little half jackets, that were “way to cool to tear up”, according to Ash.  I really wanted her to be something cute like a princess or superhero, but she was going for scary.  We got zombie tattoos and latex peeling skin.  She wore different tattoos for the Trunk or Treat and Halloween.

 

I told her that she HAD to take one picture without a mean face, and look like a sweet zombie in it.  This is what I got….

  Here she is with her friend Gabby, but Gabby doesn’t have her face make up on yet.

Jerrica was Little Red Riding Hood.  She wore her costume most of the month.  One day she called my mom to warn her that she was Little Red Riding Hood and that a wolf might be coming to her door. 

I really couldn’t believe how she wore that costume every day!

Kaylee was a zombie for the Trunk or Treat night and then a Disco Diva for Halloween.  She went around with friends from soccer.  This girl could break it down with the moves she had going on.

Rebecca was Katniss.  We found the perfect jacket at the thrift store, combined with her new black boots, she had her an outfit!  The little girls helped her make arrows, and I made an arrow sling out of felt and a Pringle can.

   

On Halloween, Nathan helped friends with a haunted house and Jacob had a Halloween swim thing.  The problem with the night was that everyone had to be at all of these different places at the same time.  :(  One quick pick of the girls costumes before they all departed.

One more Halloween down and in the books!

State Championship

Nathan just texted me to bring his water bottle after school for soccer practice.  Part of me wants all of this soccer to be over, BUT the other part is excited for Nathan to have this experience.

Last night they beat the only team that gave them a loss this year.  Saturday they play at Dick’s Sporting Goods Field for the championship.

AND then it’s all over until indoor soccer starts.  :/

Marriage Isn’t for Me

This is SO true!  Most of you have probably read this little article, but if you haven’t here it is - "Marriage isn't For ME"

I’m SO lucky to be married to you Stephen!

The Quilt

Kaylee spent hours this summer on her jean quilt.  As YW in Excellence approached we decided that we needed to finish it up.  I was ready to send it off to my mom’s quilter friend because I know how time consuming quilting can be.  Kaylee on the other hand was hesitant to send it off.  She had invested so much time into it.

A grey flannel back was chosen with the intent of having the quilter quilt around each block.  Very simple and easy I thought as we sent it down.

Then the phone call came.  Mom had picked up the quilt and the quilter had decided on a whim to quilt flowers and cherries on the blocks, not really Kaylee’s style.  I kept asking my mother why she would do this without asking.  Supposedly she had always done whatever my mom requested for the designs on the quilts, until Kaylee’s.

I was quite upset at the quilter and didn’t know how I was going to break the news to Kaylee.  In the end I was crying to my mom and Kaylee was crying to me.  I wanted so bad to call this quilter and give her a piece of my mind.  BUT my mom is good friends with her and kept telling me, “the relationship is worth more than this”.

In the end my mom spent an afternoon at her sister’s house “fixing” the quilt.  They sewed around the blocks and then painstakingly picked out ALL of the quilter’s work.  This obviously took HOURS.  The next day mom again spent ALL day picking out.

Then mom brought the quilt up and came to Kaylee’s Evening in Excellence.

As I think about all that time, and all of those hundreds of stitches that were picked out, I’m in awe.  Mom can be shaky and I know that those little stitches are hard to see.  Yet, what an example of service and what a great teaching moment about the importance of relationships.  They are worth more than thread.

Oh how I love my mother and am so grateful for her always “fixing” the problem!  I’m so glad she was able to share in the evening with Kaylee.

Carving Pumpkins

Dave, Lindsey, and their cute boys came and stayed with us last weekend.  We couldn’t resist doing pumpkins while they were here.  Lindsey taught us to use a canning lid to scrape the insides out of the pumpkin.  Oh my goodness, that worked perfectly!  Here she is doing it, with Gid posing like HE is doing it.  :)

My girls LOVE these little boy cousins.  It’s fun to see their interactions with them.  Gid is obsessed with Kaylee and Rebecca is trying to get Oliver to be obsessed with her.

 

Little Emily had to do a pumpkin.  Jerrica had gotten just the right size at a pumpkin patch on a Kindergarten field trip.  The day she came home with it, she declared it to be Emily’s.

Seed by seed the pumpkins were degunked.

   

Emily didn’t do much work on her pumpkin, instead mama Jerrica did.  She said, “Why do moms have to do all the work?”  Ya, I wonder that too sometimes.

Gideon had to have his pumpkin napkin from lunch AND toothpicks sticking out of the ghost eyes.  Probably since Kaylee was using toothpicks for her pumpkins teeth.

   

The finished masterpieces!

There is just something about that flame of fire that lures you into a trance.

Little Miss Muffet

Last week the Kindergarteners dressed up as Nursery Rhymes.  The principal dressed up as Mother Goose.  Jerrica was SO excited to be Little Miss Muffet with her puppet spider.  The day before we got her costume all ready and she sat there practicing her rhyme.  Every other word she would look up and ask what it meant. 

Mom what are “turds and whey”?  We had to make sure she was pronouncing Curds instead of Turds.

She lost a top tooth, and that tongue now resides in that spot. 

        

In the end I think it was Little Miss Muffet that frightened the spider away.

She is so fun!  LOVE spending every afternoon with her!

Random October

I did Halloween lunches again.  For the dessert I stuck some googley eyes into the middle of the donut holes.  They looked really cute, the pictures don’t do them justice.

My basketball group dressed up for Halloween ball.  I couldn’t quit laughing the entire time that I was playing.

 

The little girls and I went to a giant pumpkin contest in Old Colorado City

    

The big girls did a SOCO season on the same team.  It was wonderful having one practice and one game for two girls.

Rae Rae won a little indoor soccer round robin against 54 other girls.  It was set up Dutch style.

Jacob went on his first date.  I didn’t get a picture.  He doubled with Hampton.  Jacob was nervous, and his date sure was cute!

More than Expected

I recently was volunteering at the elementary school.  I sat in the back doing my task at hand and the teacher started asking various kids “are you doing more than what is expected of you?”   I peered up and noticed these students then start to clean up their area, or add more detail into their project that they were working on.

The phrase “are you doing more than what is expected” stuck with me for the rest of the day.  It’s usually easy to complete what is expected of you, but giving MORE is a bit harder.  It involves more time and commitment.

I went home and started laundry and my endless cleaning.  As I completed each chore I would think to myself of that phrase, “am I doing more than what’s expected”.  I was amazed at how adding just a bit more really made a difference.  Instead of just dinner, I had made a dessert.  Instead of making a bed, a kind note was left on a pillow. 

I did just a little more than what was expected of me and the day was A LOT more than what I had expected it to be!

I know that this can be applied in so many different aspects of life.  In my work outs, can I do just a little more?  My body sure would benefit if I did.  Spiritually if I gave just a little bit more than expected, I once again would benefit.  It’s not just me that benefits, it’s also all of those around me.

Grateful for that teacher’s little reminder and push!

Are you doing more than what is expected of you?  I challenge you to do more and see what happens!

Spider Magnets

The girls made the cutest magnet spiders over the weekend.  They started out using THIS tutorial for pompom spider bookmarks.  Yet somehow they morphed into cute magnets.

They were going to hang them in their lockers at school.  Key word is “were”.  They are all over my fridge, keeping my kitchen nice and Halloweeny.

My Little Angel

Jerrica and Emily in their matching PJ’s.  I have always loved how soft and angelic Jerrica’s little face is when she sleeps.  There is just such a peace about her. 

Tonight as I snapped this picture I realized that my baby is getting bigger.  She is more independent.  She mothers that doll more than she lets me mother her!  I really don’t like how quickly time flies.

Denver Date with Rebecca

We started out with Kaylee and her friend with us.  Kaylee had a really early morning game in Longmont.  Kaylee then went on home with friends.

Rebecca and I played together at halftime during Kaylee’s game.

We then went and did a little shopping together in Denver.  After which we headed to Cafe Rio for lunch together.

We then went over to the temple to walk around and see the pretty Fall leaves around it.  While we were there we saw Aunt Jodee, Uncle Jim, and Spence with his new wife.  It was fun to chat for awhile.

 

As we were leaving the parking lot, I noticed this beautiful shot out of my window, and couldn’t resist snapping one more picture…

  Then we headed over to Rebecca’s game.  She had the most incredible assist.  She was doing all these fancy moves and drawing more and more defense on her.  Then she did a step over move, chipping it to a teammate that was wide open.  It was sweet!

Look at all of the gorgeous Fall leaves in the backdrop.

We headed home laughing and Rebecca snapping pictures of any Fall color we could find.  Beautiful day with my Beautiful Becca!