Trick or Treat!

My adorable Trick or Treaters!!!  Caleb was in LOVE with his Batman costume.  Taylor & Rylee loved to twirl in their tutu's.  Luke & Alexa were comfy as ever in their Halloween pajamas.  Successful costume year!  GO ME!

We packed up good ol' Blue Steel and headed to Tremonton this year.  We stopped by Grandma Mona's first.  She had some fabulous treats for the kids and they love playing in her leaf pile!  Alexa's hair looked pretty cute but she kept tearing apart her bow ribbon by ribbon and sucking on them!  BABIES & BOWS!  Just leave them alone!  While we were out & about trick or treating this year we saw the Headless Horseman!  Caleb was so nervous to get his picture taken with him and was also a little bit confused as to where his horse was. 

We went to my grandparents house to meet my mom, dad, Jordon, Dylan, Ashley & Eva.  My parents and grandparents watched Luke & Lexi while Ashley & I and the older kids went strolling through the town.  My parents gave Caleb some silly string for his 'Treat" and he loved it.  I've always wondered why they don't make JUMBO cans of that stuff.  Eva was the cutest Tinkerbell ever!

I am bummed that I don't have pictures of my grandparents with my kids.  But holy crap.  Even though it was a really fun night...it was a lot of work for mom.  Casey needs to stop working on Halloween!!  Next year it is on a Saturday...so he gets to join in on the memories come 2015.

The Plague of November

At the beginning of October all of my kids were so freaking sick.  Puke EVERYWHERE.  Peeing their pants.  Crapping their pants.  I had to work all week because my co-worker had a death in the family.  I got sick too!  It was a really rough week.  I'm happy that Luke & Casey steered clear of the nastiness.  Lucky boys!!  It's crazy how one person can do so much freaking laundry, yet still remain behind in it!  The weird thing about this situation - is at the beginning of that week my mom sent me a blog she had read with this quote in it -

(in a book called “Life as a Daymaker”)
“We convince ourselves that life will get better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and think we will be more content when they are. After that we are frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his act together, when we get a nice car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire…the truth is, there is no better time to be happy than right now, if not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.”

I want to live in the now more.  I want to be happier.  A new leaf is going to turn people.  Watch out!

Deer Hunt

I actually accompanied Casey this year, along with the three older kids, and we went deer hunting with him!  His family has a tradition and every year they go to Elk Valley for opening weekend.  There was quite a crew there!!  Shelby even managed to get a gigantic canvas tent that we all fit in....and I even managed to get a bit of sleeping with all of the snoring that was going on. :)  Casey's Grandma Sorensen is amazing.  She is in her late 70's and she hauls her camp trailer up every year.  I was a nervous nelly just driving a truck up there!!  Lack of experience I guess. 

Most of the boys that can grow facial hair gave it a try.  Casey wimped out about a week before the hunt & trimmed it up.  He was looking like a creeper with his thin, scraggly beard so I wasn't sad to see it go.  Taylor, Rylee and McKenna are thick as thieves.  I am so glad that the time has came that they all like each other!!  Caleb got to help carve his name in Casey's tree this year!!

I think that Caleb had the time of his life.  He ate a ton of nacho cheese Doritos, got to go on plenty of 4-wheeler rides and got to hunt for deer and birds with his dad, uncles, Grandpa Brad and cousins.  Taylor & Rylee were freaking filthy.  That is just a sign of having the best time ever!

Casey wasn't successful this year, but that's ok.  There are plenty more years of hunting to come.  Ashley was a trooper & let Luke & Lexi stay at her house!  Here they are with Eva taking a much needed milk break one afternoon.

September!

 Want to know the coolest thing that happened in September??  DYALN CAME HOME!  He is so skinny!  Maybe I need to go on a mission ;)  He radiates happiness.  We are all so happy that he completed his mission and is home safely!  Angela made the boys shirts with some pictures of Dylan on them....they were a hit!

 Want to know the second coolest thing that happened in September?  While Caleb was at school one afternoon the other 4 chitlens napped at the exact same time.  I honestly didn't know what to do with myself.  Sadly - I did have to wake them all up after about an hour to go & pick up Caleb.  But....I did get to dry my hair while they were sleeping, so that was a bonus!

I have a lot of pictures of little Lexi this month.  She has such a sassy personality.  She loves to snuggle, loves jewelry and will rip your earrings right out, and she loves to jabber!  Pretty often I find that she has climbed into her car seat.  It's adorable.  Don't mind the mess.  It's just my life.

 She is also very flexible.  Try this position...I double dog dare ya. 

My little ladies started dance class at Turning Pointe.  They love to put on their leotards and skirts and twirl like ballerina's.  I am so excited for their fist recital!!  Just for my own personal reference...Rylee is in front & Taylor is in back.

 Having a night cap.

I did the craziest thing ever...I loaded up all 5 kids and met Ashley & Eva at the Children's Museum in Ogden.  It was actually quite a successful outing!  Caleb was in a sour mood, but we still managed.  Eva loved having this robe thing on her head.  The girls loved being princesses.  Lexi was funny sitting in a giant chess set. 

They had a small space of soft things Luke & Lexi could play on.  Luke sat in this circle & I thought it was freaking adorable.  Caleb's favorite thing is the train tables.  He could play with them for hours.  All of the kids enjoyed the little puppet show they could do and Ashley was a champ helping everyone with a fall tree art project!

 You eat your snacks sitting on the floor, don't you??

 Where's Lexi???

 

 This is one of my favorite things ever.  Checking on my kids and seeing their little butts in the air and their little feet crossed. 

 Here is Lexi & Caleb getting their snuggle time in while watching a movie one night.  Melt my heart!

 

An addict in the making.  I can't believe my babies are old enough to stand up!!

Caleb & Casey were so lucky!  Kevin took them and Colby and boy's out fishing on his boat.  They even got a couple of fish!!  What a handsome boy my baby is turning into.

 Taylor & Rylee love these toy animals lately.  They love to line them all up on the stairs for some reason.  I'm waiting for someone to biff it big time.  It will probably be me.  But maybe I'll break something & have to spend a couple of days in the hospital....then I could get some rest!!! 

I love this picture of Mona & MaKayla.  Shelby's family was in Brigham so we all got together for a bit.  Seeing a newborn makes my little ones seem so big!  Time sure flies.

Gardner's Village!

I had major excitement going on inside of me anticipating this day.  I had to miss it last year because of little babies, so needless to say I was ready to go!  We started with lunch/dinner at Sandra's.  YUM.  She made burrito bowls.  It was kind of like a café rio salad, but without the lettuce.  She made bean dip & cupcakes too!  I bet she was exhausted.  Everyone was pleasantly full!

 

After lunch we went outside to enjoy our cupcakes & the fabulous weather.  Angela was taking turns with Eva, Taylor & Rylee on the swing.  It was Rylee's second turn when all of the sudden they were in the air & falling to he ground!  The swing seat broke!  It was the most graceful fall I have ever seen.  Rylee didn't even make a noise.  She was in total shock. 

 

They had music playing at Gardner's village & I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed getting their groove on.  The three little girls were adorable of course.

 We took every opportunity to get a photo in.  We are fabulous - how could we not?!  My mom was laid up from having surgery so she couldn't join us this year.  Next year for sure!!

Annual Pumpkin Carving Party!

Ashley hosted the Anderson pumpkin carving party this year.  I'm not sure if she will ever do it again.  This one girl came and she had 5 freaking kids.  Needless to say - it was a smidge on the crazy side.  She made yummy chicken and sweet potato chowder for dinner.

 

Lexi loved tasting the pumpkin scraps!  It was adorable.  It was nice to have the real live Dylan there this year and not the stuffed bear Dylan.  I think that we are all happy that he is finally home!  Jordon's hair is getting super long.  It might be longer than mine by next year!  My dad was funny - he started to carve his pumpkin & got a big frown on his face and said, "I can't believe I need glasses to carve my pumpkin!!" 

 My mom was a champ.  She had just had her meniscus operated on in her left knee a week earlier & she still came to the party.  What a trooper!  We only ended up with four pumpkins this year.  My family's, Blake's, Dylan's and my dad's.  Jordon's broke.  It was sad.  I read the kids almost every night a story titled, "Twas the night before Halloween"  There is a pumpkin on one page of the book that Caleb always says he likes, so we tried our best to duplicate it.

 Earlier in the month my mom & I tried to get a good picture of Luke & Alexa in their darling Halloween pajamas.  It's a chore to get these littles to look at the camera!  At one point my mom started doing patty cake to get their attention & Lexi got so excited that she about clapped her hands raw.  (See top right picture)  It was pretty funny.

I freaking love this holiday.