Wicked Awesome

It was AWESOME!!!  Stephen and I went up to Denver last night and saw Wicked.  I was in love with the costumes, amazed by the sets, blown away by the music, and just LOVED the story line!

I also LOVED all the messages that were in the story line.  Wicked talks about the difference between surface appearances and what’s really going on underneath.  In the program it states that “There’s a green girl in all of us …Everyone has felt like the outcast at one time or another.  It’s how we handle being green.”

Another part with a little message is when the wizard came on stage hiding behind his loud scary chair face.  He then came around the side of it, and was so nice and soft spoken to the witches.  They questioned him why he appeared that way at first to which he responded, “Well that’s how the public wants to see me”  Don’t we sometimes do things because we think that’s what is expected of us to be like.

My favorite song was “Defying Gravity”.  I love a part in the lyrics that state:

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

I'm through accepting limits
'cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

That is what I’m taking away from Wicked!  I am going “to try and defy gravity” and not let things pull me down! 

Thanksgiving Turkey

I found these cute gratitude idea cards here  http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5177 and knew that I needed something fun to keep them in.  That’s when I found this metal turkey with a place to hold all of his cards behind his head.  He was at Hobby Lobby and HAD to come home with me.

We draw out a card a day.  We talk about all the reasons we should be grateful for whatever it is.  It is interesting to hear the reasons why people are grateful for something.  We try to mention it in our prayers for the day and then do the activity that is stated on the card.  The cards are so cute and so well thought out.  Go check them out if you haven’t seen them yet!

The Blessing Boys

Here is the last and final post of our Utah trip.  Like I said we went for the blessings of our two new nephews AND they have to be included!  Without further adieu here are Giddeon and Austin.

Aren’t they SOOO cute!?!  Here are two more from the Halloween party.

OK now that I am all caught up, I have some fun Thanksgiving traditions to share with you.  I LOVE Thanksgiving and feel like it gets neglected “during” the month.  Yes we all remember the feast at the end of the month.  But we should really be learning about gratitude throughout the month of November.  I feel that gratitude is such an important character trait to develop.  Anyway, I will post a few of our traditions and what I am trying to do with my kids during this special month.  Please share any ideas that YOU have!

Trunk and Trick

I promise that I’m at the end of Halloween.  Finally!!! 

Here are just a few favorites from the Trunk or Treat and then Halloween night Trick or Treating.

Thompson Halloween Party

We went to Utah because TWO of Stephen’s sisters had babies and were blessing them.  A LOT of his siblings came for the weekend.  I say a lot because there are a total of eight brothers and sisters, and SIX of them were there.

Anyway, Saturday afternoon they had a lunch and halloween party.  There were yummy soups and rolls.  I will post my favorite soup recipe later on this week.  It was sooo yummy!  Here is a little recap of the party events…

Carmel Apples

Halloween Bingo

The Cupcake Walk

A Pumpkin Ring Toss

Donuts on a String

Of course the soccer ball and running around the gym were both in full motion.  It was fun to visit and eat such yummy food.

Witch’s Soiree

Two of my girls decided to be witches this year.  Probably because their mother is one!  Friday afternoon we had a little witch’s soiree, and yes I know that a soiree is an evening party but for little girls it’s actually an afternoon party.

The Gardener’s Village was decked out with witches, including a witch scavenger hunt.  They had witches on bikes, in trees, with hula hoops, on boats, concocting potions, you name it!  See what you think…

Inside the outhouse is a witch with a sign above her that says, “Witchy POO”

Before the little witch trip, our very own Witch Aunt Alesha shared a favorite witch story and had a witch craft.  It was making little witch brooms out of thick pretzel sticks and string licorice for the bottom straws.  We had a little malfunction with it, but any food craft problem can easily be solved by eating the craft!

I do believe that a witch laugh is going on in the above picture!

Hayley’s Swim Meet

Hayley is 10 and yes you would consider her a “little” girl, BUT she is 5’3”.  She has ALWAYS been a tall girl.  She is taller than her older brother AND taller than both of my boys.  She is almost taller than me!  And do you know what that means, it means she has the perfect body to beat anyone in her age group or just above it, in the swimming pool.  We got to watch her on Friday.

 

I better NOT forget to add Dalton.  We went to his football game Saturday morning.  He had some awesome carries!

Quick Trip

We left on a quick trip last week.  The first morning we spent here.  See if you can guess, from a few clues in the pictures where we were.

You are right!  We went to Utah and spent a morning at BYU.  Why BYU?  Because that’s where Stephen and I went to college and where I would LOVE my kids to go.  They have an incredible animation program.  Pixar hires a majority of their graduates.  Stephen took Jacob to the office to check it out and see what they expect.

Of course with little kids you HAVE to go to the Bean Museum

We also ate ice cream at the Creamery, played in the leaves and walked by the bell tower stream.

Someone got VERY  tired because she had to carry her baby around.

It was a fun day to go to BYU because it was the day before Halloween and there were SO MANY people dressed up.  It’s weird that I feel like I’m still that college age, yet I look around and they all looked soooo young.  I don’t think that I got older since I went to BYU, but maybe I did!!!  We had fun and I hope sparked excitement for our kids to go there someday.

Halloween Lunch

The kids LOVE holiday lunches!

As can be seen here http://mymixofsix.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-fools-day.html 

or

 http://mymixofsix.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-st-patricks-day.html

They have been asking for days when they were going to take their Halloween lunch.  Kaylee helped me with the jello worms.  Ashley helped with the chocolate witch’s finger.  We threw in a mummy pizza, bone breadsticks, and a Frankenstien pop from Target.  I LOVE making these!  They change there ordinary day into something to be excited about!

Ash

Ash’s birthday is just days a way, which means it’s birthday photo shoot time.  She is so fun to shoot! 

And let me tell you all the stars were in line to do her shoot.    The sky was perfectly cloudy … The jacket matched her blue eyes … The oriental grass was beautiful … The park behind her was the perfect reward…

 

 

And Yes, this last look was “PLEEEEASE mom can we be done and just go to the park!!!”

Carving Pumpkins

Tonight for FHE we carved pumpkins.  Some of which were grown from our own garden!!!  I LOVE that the kids are older and can do their own.  We only had to help the two little ones.  We listened to a scary stories CD as we carved, and of course ate pumpkin seeds as our treat.

I am sitting here thinking, ‘why didn’t I take pictures of their finished masterpieces’?!?  Then I remembered the huge mess that I was busy cleaning up.  By the way, do you like the Warm Fall colored overlays on the pictures?  I couldn’t have bright white pictures for such a Fall activity!