2+2+2=our cute halloween family

This year I decided to once again make some of our families Halloween costumes. I didn't do it last year and so I felt the need to start again. What a chore! For the last 3 weeks nothing has gotten done except for sewing these costumes. There has been many unwiped noses, unswept floors, and unmade dinners. Now they are done and it is over. Am I glad I did it? I am not sure, but it is done and we are all happy.
Here are the two dragons. They were so cute and the bonus is that the costume was warm. Don't be suprised if you see Devon as a dragon for the next few years.

Spiderman (no I did not make it, do you think I am superwoman?) and his amazing pal Firestar. Thank you to the amazingly talented, Bronwyn for the flames at the boot and sleeve tops. Nobody really knew who McKena was however, one of my friends said that she did look like speed. Perfect compliment for a superhero.

Zorro and his Latin Lady. For those of you that knew I was making myself a red cape all I have to say is that by the time I was done my brain could no longer comprehend what to do with the red cape. Maybe next year.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

PS our kids wore their costumes 4-5 times between all of the different events so I figure all of my work may have paid off.

America's birthday

We had a very fun Fourth of July this year. I am crazy about the 4th. I love everything about it, the parade, BBQ, red white and blue outfits, celebrating the freedom of living here, and the fireworks (I would actually call myself obsessed when it comes to fireworks). When we moved out here last year Ryan promised that he would take me to one of the big cities for the fourth while we are here. So this year I decided to take him up on it and we traveled to Philadelphia. What better place to celebrate America's birthday than in America's birth place.
They had a fun all you can eat ice cream fundraiser down on the Pier. It was only $5 for all you can eat ice cream from all of the favs. It was packed so I am not sure if we got all we could eat, but we definitely got all you can 'wear'.
They also had a naval ship at the Pier that you could tour. The kids really enjoyed that .

We ended the night with a great parade and fun fireworks. The only problem was that it rained from about 8pm on. Luckily not a down pour but enough to be wet and a little uncomfortable. The kids actually were still really good and just continued to play and run around with their friends.

Camping

Last month we had a super fun camping weekend with our friends the Acors, Williams, and Darren Groberg (a student visiting Ryan's residency). I have really learned to love camping. As a child we went camping often or so I remember, however I prefer my adult style of camping. My new camping includes toilets (preferably flushable), showers, and running water. If I have these things some bug spray and my dutch oven I am pretty happy. I can even deal without the showers (which were lacking this particular weekend). We were able to go for two nights which in my opinion is the only way to go. There was a decent lake and decent weather. The other families had brought along their bikes which was not much fun for my kids (they still need training wheels) but was nice for Ryan and I to go on a bike ride around the lake. At one point during the weekend I was thinking that I had not had to reprimand my kids much at all. I realized it is because they just get to play all day. They also just loved being outside. It was so nice to see them playing together without fighting it probably also helped that they had other kids to play with besides themselves. It doesn't matter what the reason was I just loved the peace. My one mistake was that I did not bring anything for Devon to sit in or on. The only chance I had to set him down was in the tent.
Mason with Lauryn and Sean Williams.

Our little family on our first and hopefully not last camping trip of summer 2008.

Family Night

On Monday night we had a fun Family Home Evening. I have been trying to get our food storage and last time I wasn't able to can with our ward so we decided to do it at home. I was excited however I was not expecting that the kids would be very helpful. They did really well. First I had to tell Ryan to look the other way as they were filling the cans so that he would not see the mess. After we got over that it was all fun. Spencer even helped by giving daddy the oxygen packets. At one time Ryan even declared that they were running a pretty smooth assembly line. I was so proud!
All done! So if there is ever a major emergency I have my cans. Hopefully I will know what to do with the stuff inside.

Palmyra/Niagra Falls

While my parents were here we took a weekend getaway to Palmyra, New York and Niagra Falls. It was so wonderful to visit the church history sights in Palmyra. I was especially happy to go at a time of year when it wasn't very crowded. While living in Iowa we visited Nauvoo, IL a few times and I have to say there is something a little more special about Palmyra. To see the humble surroundings that Joseph Smith was in makes the events come alive. I am so grateful to be a member of this church and grateful to Joseph Smith the first prophet of this dispensation.
Our little family in front of the temple. Sadly we were not able to make a session due to the winter hours. Having a temple in the area really added so much to the experience for me. I think I may have to go back to do a session.

Here we are in the Peter Whitmer home. This is where the church was organized. It is away off from Palmyra and out in the middle of nothing. There is a beautiful visitors center/chapel and the home. I am so glad we found it. It really had me thinking about what those ten years between the first vision and the organization of the church must have been like. We know they were filled with persecution but also with so much amazement as each thing was unfolded leading up to the organization. While in Palmyra we saw the sacred grove, hill cumorah, printing shop where the book of mormon was printed, a house where Joseph lived and the beautiful visitors center.
Niagra Falls is only an hour or so from Palmyra so we made our journey there. We went over to the Canada side and the view was breathtaking. I find water to be one of nature's greatest beauties.
I am shocked to see this picture of Mason smiling. The mist from the Falls gets you quite wet and he did not seem at all impressed.
Overall great trip. Thank you to my parents for coming with us.

Christmas

Here is our Christmas. Since Ryan was working over Christmas and my parents were arriving on Dec. 26th, we made the choice to celebrate our Christmas on Friday the 28th. Most people did not think that I would be able to convince my kids that Christmas was on a different day. It turned out to be quite easy since we were homebound with sick kids all week. So they did not know any different. It has been a constant discussion between Ryan and I whether to wrap Santa gifts or not wrap Santa gifts. This year we decided to leave them unwrapped due to pure laziness. It turned out quite well who knows what we will choose next year.
Each year thanks to my grandma and mom we all get new Christmas PJs. It is so fun for the kids to open this gift the night before. My mom even brought pjs for the grandparents so that they would not feel left out.
So even though it is a little late. Merry Christmas to all of you. We had a wonderful holiday and hope that you all did as well.

PS I would not recommend celebrating on a different day. Even though my intentions were good it just wasn't the same. Due partly to the fact that we went to Walmart and a movie on our pretend Christmas Day.

Family Pictures

This past weekend we went to have our family pictures taken. Our good friend Bronwyn took them for us and did an excellent job. I wish we could have done the same for them. Of course every picture has a problem it seems. This was one of my favorites because of the great backdrop and everybody is looking and most are smiling.
Ryan never likes to do couple pictures however I reminded him that this is how it all started. Sometimes it is nice to get back to just the two of us.
Here are some of the pictures that you will not see gracing our Christmas card. Isn't it
annoying when someone is making a funny face. Even more annoying when that someone is your husband. Actually that is not the only problem with this one so he did not get into too much trouble.
This picture sums up how our family was feeling by the end of the photo shoot. Did I mention that it was about thirty degrees out. I was seriously wondering if we had frozen our poor little Devon. All for the sake of the Christmas card. As you will notice it is always the mom that is still trucking.

Pumpkin Patch

A little late in coming, but here are our pictures of the pumpkin patch experience. I think this is such a fun thing for the kids. This was very similar to the pumpkin patch in Iowa (Howells) minus the corn kernel sandbox, which I really miss and the corn maze.
Poor Devon, luckily I don't think babies feel as akward as they look.
This is the first year that we actually took pumpkins home from the pumpkin patch. It was so fun for the kids to go around and pick one out. Ryan just loved these two little ducks. . . I mean squash. I love it when Ryan gets impressed over crazy little things like this. It was so exciting that we even brought one home to sit on our precious hay bale. So exciting to have fall decor.
O.K. this picture is not so that you can see McKena busta move. I did have two problems with my local pumpkin patch. First of all there were carnival rides so it took me a whole 20 mins. to explain to my children that we were not there to ride the tea cups. My second dilemna is this DJ. Who needs to be walking around the pumpkin patch with "Red Red Wine" or "Cottoneyed Joe" playing in the background. Although Ryan and I both found this quite silly I often caught us singing along.

Halloween

Look at our little skunk. Not only do I love the costume but this is also a rare picture of him smiling. What a joy.

Here we are all ready for our neighbors Halloween Party. If you cannot tell Ryan is a mechanic (boring I know). I dream of the day when our family has themed costumes however for now we are quite the collection with our little snow white, power ranger and stinky skunk.

These are their halloween shirts. What fun. I would never buy this kind of stuff for my kids so thanks mom! They had so much fun wearing them. You cannot tell in the picture but Mason's has a skull on his and he was so excited to show it to all the different guys to see if they would think it was scary.