Pre-Halloween fun!

On Thursday night I decided that the kids and I were going to have some pre-Halloween fun! So that's what we did. Ben was at work so I set out on this adventure by my self with all 5 kiddos. It actually went really well and I think we all had a great time.
First off this is Matthews Halloween costume. Not really he was just being silly. I think he looks kinda gross

Head shot

Pulling the guts from the pumpkin.

Kaycee was all hands on. I think she really liked this part

Cole enjoyed it as well.

Maddy was a bit timid at first But then she was full speed ahead.

It took Matthew a bit to get into it. I don't thing he ever really touched the innards

The kids all had a part in carving the pumpkin. I asked them what part of the face they wanted and what shape they wanted it.

Our next event was making mummies and spiders out of pretzels, marshmallows, stacker's and chocolate chips

Maddy was just enjoying the marshmallows. I finally had to take her off the table so she would stop eating them all. :)

The kids in the making.

All done. Very cute

Cole's spiders

All the mummies and spiders completed

All the mummies, spiders and our family pumpkin

Trip to the zoo

Last week my friend Michelle and I decided to take the kids to the zoo. It was the perfect day. The weather was perfect and the animals were out to play. Because we went in October everything was decorated for Holloween. Here are all the kids by a giant candy corn.

3 of 4 of Michelle's kids. Brody, Kensie and Rylie Her other little girl Athena is in the same grade as Kaycee and one of Kaycees best friends

The kids looking at the elephants

Momma and baby elephant

The momma amd baby girafee

The baby girafee eating. Look how big that thing is. Even though its just a baby.

Michelle and Aiden. I watch Aiden for my friend Kim Mon.-Thursday

The lions den

The kids looking at the monkeys

Aiden and Rylie

The baby monkey playing with a plastic pumkin bucket. He was so cute.

We wore these poor kids out. This is Brody and Cole fast alseep. You can kinda see Aidens shoulder. He was out cold. :)

The girls Maddy, Kensie and Rylie

Maddy's 1st birthday

I cant believe my baby is 1. Maddy turned 1 on October 15th 2009. CRAZY!!! We through her a big party. Ok so I through her a big party. James and Matthew had ball games that night so Ben was the fields with them. Any way it turned out great and thank you to all who helped and all who came out to help celebrate.
Here is the birthday girl herself. Ist she just the cutiest ever?

The food table with all the food at the party

The cup cakes on the cup cake stand. I bought this stand just for this party. I couldn't resist.

Maddy in her Bumbo seat realy to go.

The present table.

The cake with a decoration in the back ground. Very simple but I like how it tuned out.

Maddy and I with her cake.

Maddy was so timid about the cake. She would just stick 1 finger in the frosting and then lick it off. Funny girl.

Until my friend Jessica made her take a bite.

I think she liked it. :)

Ok I took this picture by accident. I was trying to get a picture of the plate with the cake remains on it. Well I turned the plate some how just as I snaped the shot. I really like how it turned out.

Maddy in the middle of ALL her gifts. :)

What's inside?

Her dolly and cell phone that she wouldnt put down the day before at Target. :) She was so funny with them at the store. My friend Jamie tried to take them away from her a few times to see what she would do and she would start screaming. I HAD to get them for her after that. :)

All the birthday loot. What a spolled little girl.

James' B-day

James turned 10 on Oct 12 2009. We had his party on the 10th and it was a blast. He wanted a Halloween carnival party. So that's what I tried to do.
Here is James. Zach and David playing the donut on a string game.

Front view of the contestants. :)

We also played a game called "Tragic Sam" I put different body parts in to a bag and they had to guess what they were by the way they felt. Like peeled grapes for eyes, peeled carrots for fingers, un-popped pop corn for teeth, peeled tomato for the heart and so on. Some of the boys actually got grossed out. Hehehe

We also played "bobbing for worms". It was great. I buried 2-3 worms in whip cream and the boys had to only use there moths to get the worms out.

I love his face

So messy but so fun.

Friends are friends for ever!

I liked how my youngest sister put this on her blog and I would like to do the same. Last night Oct 10th a bus full of American Fork High School band kids were retuning home from a band competition in Pocatello Idaho. The bus driver blacked out for a second and one of the instructors got up to help out and take control of the bus. She was unable to get control and the bus crashed and rolled throwing her, Heather out of the bus and killing her. 3 others were life flighted while others were taken to local hospitals because of broken bones. Heather Christensen was a friends of mine. We both played clarinet in the band 1991-1994, she was my section leader and our senior year she was the drum major. Heather we will all miss you and this band "family" will never be the same. Thanks for all your dedication and service. "Friends" by Micheal W. Smith was sung after every band competition and still is. The "family" ties run deep in American Fork Marching Band!

"Friends"
By: Micheal W. Smith

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Chorus:
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show

But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong