Happy Halloween!

It seems like Halloween snuck up on us this year but we did manage to get some fun things in. We went to Lagoon on Saturday, the 30th, which was actually Halloween out here in Utah. Lagoon always puts on Frightmares at this time of year. We had a really great time. One of those days where the kids get along and ejoy each other. We only planned on staying about an hour but ended up staying five hours. When it was time to leave, the haunted houses were just opening up. Heather really wanted to do a Haunted House because she hadn't done one before. It was starting to rain so James took the others home and Heather and I stayed. It truly was a haunting experience. The haunted house we went through was 3D. We had to wear glasses as we walked. After the first room, Heather took hers off so it wouldn't be as scary. I have to admit, I was pretty freaked out too. With the 3D glasses, the black lights, and the costuming, it really appears people are coming out of walls, etc. The actors were great at getting right up into your faces and making you feel like you couldn't get past. At one point, I literally had to push Heather forward so we could get out of this area. (I'm laughing as I type this because it was so funny, scary but funny!) We finally worked our way through all of the areas but ended up racing out at the end because we were being chased by chainsaws. It was an experience I will never forget and I'm glad I shared it with Heather. I don't know if I'll ever get to again because she may never go into another haunted house!

If you went trick or treating in our neighborhood, this is what you would have seen:


We had a big rainstorm but we also got to see one of the prettiest rainbows at sunset. The sky was orange and red and there was a rainbow in the middle of it. It was beautiful!

Most of the kids went trick or treating despite the rain. Luke didn't trick or treat this year because he had a party to go to instead. I got to help at the party, I was having withdrawals of not having our annual Halloween party so I was grateful to be a part of this one. The kids came up with great costumes this year. I had to do some rummaging at the DI to help them but they were very creative.

Luke as the Mad Hatter.

Lindsey as Frankenstein.

Heather as "Road Kill"-- very clever I thought.

Savannah as a Pumpkin Witch-- the costume I made for her birthday party.

Matthew as our fearless Knight!

Matthew is Four!

On the morning of October 28th, at 6:30 to be exact, the lights in our bedroom flipped on and Matthew proudley announced, "It's my Birthday!" I'd set out his presents in his room the night before and he woke up, saw them, then got everyone out of bed. I told him to get back in bed so I could bring him breakfast. He did, but he didn't eat much because he wanted to open presents. Matthew got race cars and a race track along with a pillow pet which seems to be the popular present with my kids this year. Matthew also got his first bike for his birthday. Unfortunately, he suffers from the Anderson disorder of not being able to pedal. We are working on it and soon he will be zipping around the house. The good part is, he gets to practice inside the house as it is still under construction and very open right now.

Matthew wanted to have a party with Luke, Lindsey, Heather, Savannah, Mom, Dad and Smudge. That made it easy for me. He is quite an animated little boy and a lot of fun to have in our family.

The Roadshow is Over!

After making my October month quite stressful, the roadshows are over. There were many frustrating moments, but with everyone's help, we pulled it together. Our title was "Once upon a Trek." We did a spoof on pioneer trek with a mix of Star Trek. We added songs that went to Addams Family and Happy Trails (new words, of course) along with some popular primary songs about pioneers. We had some actors that ad-libbed and added their own lines which is always funny. Despite never getting to practice on a stage or with a sound system, it went off fairly well. Our biggest problem was those persons controlling the lights (not anyone from our ward) turned them off a couple of times in the middle of the show-- but what do you do? I can honestly say that there were some blessings that came from this experience. The greatest blessing was working with great people in our ward and getting to know them better.

Of course, being the "executive producer," I enlisted all of my kids, minus Mattew, to be in the production. Luke was in the oleo, a short skit in front of the curtains, with three others his age. They did a spoof on "Oregon Trail"-- you know that old computer game we played as kids. Luke turned out to be quite an actor. Heather also surprised everyone as a pioneer. She had a couple of really funny lines that she pulled off. I knew Lindsey was good because she had been in her school play. She was cast as a trekkie who introduces lime jell-o (affectionately referred to as lemejello by those from outer space) to the pioneers (which they promise to cherish forever.) She did a great job too. Savannah didn't have any lines but she really got into the music and dancing. I could tell she was enjoying herself. That was another blessing from this experience, getting to work with my kids.

Savannah Turns Seven

Savannah celebrated her seventh birthday on the 22nd. I can't believe it she is that old! She finally reached the age where she was willing to have a Halloween themed birthday--my favorite.

Savannah woke up to her breakfast in bed which was once again, blueberry pancakes. She opened her presents. Her favorite presents were a pillow pet and a purse full of nail polish and beauty supplies. After school it was party time!


Due to the construction and mess taking place within the walls of our home, we converted the garage into a party room. With decorations and some black plastic, we were able to construct a fun party place. Savannah had invited her friends to join her for a witch party. All of the little girls dressed up like witches. It sure was cute to see all of those witches together. They had fun dipping carmel apples, painting their nails and faces with with glitter and polish, and playing halloween games. Of course, the most fun games are those that the kids make up while they're waiting for the parents to come.




I can't believe how fast my sweet little girl is growing up.

Luke Football Team Wins Championship

Luke tried another year of flag football. He moved up in levels and played on the junior high age team. The kids on this team were much bigger than last year and much better. We really enjoyed watching his games. Luke played offensive blocker most of the time. One of the highlights was when he scored a touchdown! His team has a trick play that they call "Luke 22". Whenever they called that play we would know they were passing it to Luke. During one game, they were somewhat close to the end zone, they called the play, Luke caught the ball and ran it in. The excited look on his face was great. His team made it to the final game and won the championship. I guess you can call that a great season!

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

At the beginning of this month, Matthew and I got to go to the pumpkin patch with his preschool class. It seemed strange to me to only have one child to keep track of. We had a lot of fun wandering through the pumpkins. Matthew finally found the one he wanted but after we picked it he wasn't too keen on carrying it because "it was dirty." After everyone had pumpkins, we met back for doughnuts and the kids got to play on the various attractions that were set up. Matthew loved the slides they had put together with hay bales and plastic sheets. He could have stayed there all day. I was surprised how daring he was jumping down the slides. My favorite part was watching his face and then getting a big bag of freshly dug carrots to take home-- ones that I didn't have to wash.

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