The Party NEVER Stops

Well it seems that Halloween in the longest celebrated holiday with parties starting the first week of October and extending all throughout the month. We had parties earlier this month, but just this last weekend we had a great ward Halloween party on Friday night. The kids loved all the carnival games and of course all the treats and candy they came home with. Plus we got Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the doughnuts on a string game (totally high class).
Miya was excited about her snow princess costume until she tried it on and it hit her mid-shin. She kept trying to pull it down. I kept trying to tell her that someday she would love having long slender legs, but she didn't believe me Friday night. Cannon really wanted to be a ninja, but we had this costume at home so he was forced to be a Power Ranger.

Lyla didn't really want to be anything and even when I told her she would get candy she just kept saying, "I don't like Halloween" I don't think I put her down for more than 3 minutes the whole party. We had a guy in the ward dressed up as Ronald McDonald (Phil thought this was the best) Lyla however wanted nothing to do with the guy. She doesn't like getting dressed up or seeing others dressed in costume. She still asks me where the Easter Bunny is from last years Easter Egg hunt. She is just making sure he wont pop up at our house unexpected.

Once we got her in costume she did turn on the smiles for the camera though.

Everyone yelling trick-or-treat.

Then on Saturday we went up to Seattle to the old Ward's trunk-or-treat and met up with some friends for food and a movie.

The kids wrapping up to watch a movie while all the adults went outside to watch a scary movie on our friends homemade movie projector. Of course Lyla didn't last long and we only got to watch about 20 minutes of the movie before we had to head home. It was great to see friends and hang out for a few hours at least.

Frankie, Will, Sophie, Miya, Lyla all hanging out watching The Little Mermaid.

The new costumes for Saturday night trunk-or-treat.

Weather Related

Well the last of our flowers have come and gone and I have been outside on the dry days cleaning up the garden. Yesterday I was raking and couldn't help but think about our poor tenants in Seattle that have to rake millions of leaves this fall. It was nice to just be out for a few hours and have all the yard raked off. In Seattle it took weeks and over 200 bags to get all the leaves off that yard. Everything always looks so beautiful in the Fall until all the leaves are gone. We had a big wind storm last week so most of the leaves have come down.

We have a really pretty tree in the front that looked like it was the "burning bush" for a few weeks.

On Friday during the wind storm Lyla and I were in the kitchen and heard a crash and looked down by the water to see one of the giant willow trees laying in the water. The tree was actually our neighbor's but it fell on our side. Plus the neighbor is like 90 years old so we will have to eventually get out there with the chainsaw and take care of this mess.

Can you see Phil in the tree? Seriously this tree is going to be a beast to get out of the water.

I heard the 8-10 year old scouts needed a service project...do you think this is what they had in mind?

Pumpkin Patch

The kids didn't have school on Friday so we went with some friends to the pumpkin patch. The day was cool and beautiful and the kids had a wonderful time. They loved the pig races and the vortex room and it was fun hanging out with friends. We took the traditional pumpkin patch photo...only wish Phil could make it in to one of these.

I got to be surrounded by all the kids.

Cannon on the cow train ride. They didn't look like they were having fun, but they all wanted to go again when it was over.

Miya and Lyla playing in the corn room. It was super dusty in there and the kids were covered when we came out.

On the bridge in the middle of the corn maze. We loved the maze until we hit clue number 8 and couldn't find our way out. Jennifer had Sara on her shoulders and she fell asleep and then Jen had to carry her the whole time we were lost. Luckily we survived.

Monkey Boy

Lyla has a new favorite book. We read this book about 5 million times a day. I finally said, "why don't you read it." It was so cute I had to record it for grandma and grandpa. Of course you get to hear her sassy attitude when she doesn't want to read it anymore, but that is just more of the fun of a two year old little girl :)

Volunteer

Yesterday was my first day helping in Miya's classroom and I had to laugh when I got home about how much movement there was during the short hour I was there. Kids where all over the place. They were working on their science journal and kids were EVERYWHERE. They had to get a different crayon from a different basket, they had to go to the board to look at the sentences, they had to talk to their teacher, they had to... It was 1:00 in the afternoon and by the time the assembly started somehow all but two of the kids had finished. Thank Heavens for 1st grade teachers. I don't know how they do it, continually bringing the kids back to the task at hand.
I am excited to spend more time in there this year.