Happy Halloween

We enjoyed our Halloween week filled with parades, parties, and trick or treating. Thanks to everyone for their packages, spooky Halloween photos, phone calls, and visits. We did the Harry Potter theme going as Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Mad Eye Moody, Harry Potter, and the littlest wizard. Later on Halloween the littlest wizard wanted to be a pirate with a wand. Sure, why not.

Happy Birthday/Halloween again to Julie, Andrew, and Bishop Pearson.

Leslie & Neil and family

Another weekend packed with family fun. Leslie & Neil and Sarah, Zach, Natalie, and Elsie came to our home on Thursday night. I actually am not sure what the cousins were doing. There was costumes, running, and noise. Since they were happy noises it must have been fun. We basically tried to catch up on all that is going on with them. If there was more time and we weren't so sleepy I woul know even more. Friday we were able to go to the Pearson Wedding in Salt Lake thanks to our visiting babysitters. Friday afternoon the boys got to get out of school and be with cousins. Leslie and I went shopping and weren't gone longer than the guys thought. Hahaha...that's because they already knew we would be really enjoying ourselves. THANKS. Cousins night at home and adults night out. It was a wonderful night! Sadly, we said farewell Saturday morning. Thanks for coming. It is always good to be with you!

Visiting Witches

We finally did it. Years of hoping to make it to the witches festival and we did it! Totally worth it. In fact, the only sad part about it was that I didn't take more pictures. At Gardner Village, all the trees, gardens, walkways, and shops are decorated to the hilt. AND all along the way there are themed witches. You are given a witches search sheet. You find witches dressed as firefighters, using cell phones, mixing potions, wearing fancy hats, rowing boats etc. The boys, my mom, and I liked the baseball witches, withy poo (witch sitting in the outhouse), the flying bicycle witch (tied way up high on some zipline), and the witch getting ready to do a cannonball into the water. We had a great lunch at the restaurant there and then headed home.

We were also spoiled by new Halloween books. Oh you know how I love Halloween stories!

Family Weekend

Another wonderful family weekend! Lisa & Jeff and their three little ones Everett, Jayson, and Emma came for a visit. It was great fun! Cousins are fun to watch. Saturday they went to the Dinosaur museum and then the dads went to the BYU game. AND THEY WON! After the little people went to bed, the rest of us stayed up way too late talking. Sunday came around and Ryan & Sarali and Parker, Connor, Brody, and Brita came to our house. More fun all around. The cousins played and then went to bed. I wrote that like it went smoothly hahaha. Anyway, another late night spoiled by Eric's grilled up bananas for ice cream sundaes.

The secret is out. Eric is the best cook! I am the taster. Maybe I can get an award for being best taster. It was great to be together as family. I appreciated all the great advice about sleeping (successful one night so there is hope) and reading (started the Return book by Elder Hales) and all the other great ideas relating to many other topics too numerous to mention. I don't know what the guys were talking about but Lisa & Sarali, you two are amazing!

E is for Effort

So I have been reading Bakerella and trying hard to do what she says. Hard is the word I would use to describe my experience...as well as... Exciting? Yes. Frustrating? Absolutely. The end results? Fun. However, do not think I have given up on cupcakes. I recently made carrot cupcakes and pink lemonade. Upcoming...pumpking cupcakes, rootbeer cupcakes, and caramel apple cupcakes. Recipes from meals and cupcakes coming soon.

Fun Friday

It was Apple Day at school. We sang the red song, the green song, and we would of sung the yellow song but I couldn't find it. We talked about the different colors of apples. We talked about what harvest means and sang the Harvest Song. This song is taken from the Piggyback Songs to Sign. Excellent book!! I read "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall and illustrated by Shari Halpern. I also read "Apple Trouble" by Ragnhild Scamell and Michael Terry. Then I taught them that funny song about worms...you may remember it...Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms. We talked about how no one would want to eat an apple with a worm in it. Fridays are such good days.

October Birthdays

This month has us celebrating the birthdays of Quentin, my cousins Jon, Joel, & Andrew, plus my friend Julie. Birthday wishes to you!

Pic of Q when everyone lived closer and came for an Easter egg hunt, pic of Joel on wedding day, Jon at brother's wedding, pic of Andrew at the Hawkins house for Presidents Day Breakfast, and Julie from trip to St. George. Lots of good times.

Weekend

Guess where Trevor and I were? Yes, we went to Conference and it was wonderful!