Pumpkin carving and Halloween 2010

This year we carved 3 pumpkins. The kids picked the patterns but since they don't like putting their hands inside a gooey pumpkin and don't carve well (or safely) Scott and I did the carving. Holly opted to draw a face with a Sharpee marker on a small pumpkin and was satisfied.

Emily's little pumpkin (she did the carving), Scott's spongebob, my penguin and Scott's peace sign pumpkin

Happy kids posing with their carved pumpkins.

Megan ready for trick or treating as "Super Girl"

Nathan our Spiderman.

Fairy Melissa

Checking in at Microsoft for Trick or Treating (Friday the 29th at 4:00pm). Notice the cute bags from Grandma.

Checking out Dad's office with a window.Trick or treating down the many hallways at Microsoft. People who wanted trick or treaters put a chair outside their door with candy on it. This was Nathan's first time to trick or treat and he loved collecting all the candy. But he kept trying to take more than one piece from each bowl.
I made this fishing booth for the trunk or treat. Holly and Scott painted the seaweed. The Beehives were in charge of running it.
My brother Andrew, his wife and son joined us at our ward trunk or treat.
Whack a Ghoul, fun for the wackers not so much the whackees. The Deacons ran this booth.
Emily working wonders with her cotton candy machine. Everyone was impressed that we were related to the people who did the cotton candy.

Melissa thought it was mighty tastey.

Scott and the kids in the truck awaiting trunk or treaters. Nathan wore his costume to Microsoft and wouldn't put it on again for the Sat. trunk or treat

Today I'm thankful that

*we have two working computers (can't say the same for our one finicky printer)

*we had a great Halloween even though we didn't trick or treat on the actual day

*Nathan watches TV and gives me a break which is great since he doesn't nap

Angela makes cookies and the kids help decorate them

Every October we make Halloween sugar cookies. This year I made the dough and then each of the girls took a turn cutting out the cookie shapes. After the cookies were cooked and had cooled we sat around the table and decorated them. Fortunately Holly and Emily are now old enough to spread frosting on their cookies. We gave Nathan several cookies with lots of candy toppings to eat in his high chair right at the beginning. That way when we joined us at the table he wouldn't be grabbing everything.
Here are the masterpieces

Holly with her orange and white striped pumpkin cookie

Emily with her toothy ghost cookie

Then after the kids had eaten a cookie and were busy watching TV I decorated some cookies for the RS service auction that would be happening that night.

I packaged them neatly in bags, added a few kit kats for a red accent color...

And tied up the top and attached a cute note.

Today I am thankful that:

*our garage door works after having its spring break last week. I just wish repairmen would stop ripping us off! After three days of having our cars parked on the driveway in the pouring rain it is nice to have them inside again.

*I have two really sweet daughters. Megan and Melissa worked quietly in their room for 30 minutes on a project. It was a gift for me. Here they are with the beautifully decorated gift box.

Inside was this sweet little rabbit. I am lucky to be their mom.

*Scott is getting to watch his favorite football team play a game right now (on DVR) and they are winning!

A hike and new dresses

When I was a teenager I participated in a week long hike each summer. In preparation for the big hike we would take training hikes on Saturdays. Since Tiger Mountain was close by that was often the practice hike we went on. I have fond memories of driving with my YW leader Sharon in her convertable VW bug. She would have a car full of girls with the convertable top down and lots of hair flying around. When we moved to Washington 4 years ago I told Scott that I wanted to hike Tiger Mountain with him. This weekend I got my wish. We left all five kids home (we have been waiting for this day for 12 1/2 years) and Scott and I headed over to Tiger Mountain. Three miles up and three miles down. My legs were very sore the next day (I guess I need to get in better shape). It was so fun visiting with Scott on the hike and seeing the beautiful scenery. Plus it was a beautiful day. Here Scott and I are at the top of the mountain.
The view off the edge.

I caved on my last trip to Costco and bought new dresses for the little girls. Usually I don't buy them dresses, they get beautiful hand me down dresses from their older sisters and from one of their cousins. But Costco is tricky, they make cute dresses and only charge 18.99 for them. So I caved. Plus I had Melissa with me and she is always begging for me to buy her things--Always! I'll be alot richer when she is in school and doesn't shop with me. But she does look cute in her new purple pock a dot dress.
And Megan looks so grown up in her black and silver dress.

They look so pleased. Usually Melissa refuses to smile for the camera but not with this new dress on.

Today I'm thankful for

*the chance Emily has to be in a musical even if she didn't get the part she wanted (she was so sad)

*visiting teachers who came this month and saw all my Halloween decorations (it means alot to me)

*DVR players (the way we watch 90% of the shows we watch), just wish they were cheaper
* and health, my children and husband, holidays, employment, and the gospel in my life :)

Halloween is in the air

Early this month we spotted a one eyed clown in a parked car. Fun but kind of freaky.
My brother Bryce is in posters at Value Village again for Halloween. He did an intership for the company a few years ago and posed for some of their Halloween ads. That is my mom posing next to the poster.

We got our outside decorations up.

And the inside decorations

And we made a Halloween food craft. Chocolate covered oreo owls. It looked simple enough.

But of the 20 owls we made only about 5 looked like the example. Note: oreos fall off lollipop sticks and break apart when dipped in warm chocolate.

We found it was much easier to just dip one side of the oreo in chocolate and then decorate it with candy.

The good news is that the dipped cookies tasted delicious.

Today I am thankful that

*I got to have lunch at Olive Garden with a friend and no children

*I have a mother that will tend my kids so I can go out to lunch with a friend

*Emily is soooooooo very excited to find out what part she got in her school musical

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins--Yum! Yum!

I found this recipe last year and have made it about 10 times. It is yummy, it is easy, and my kids are so excited when I have some waiting for them when they get home from school. The recipe (found below) calls for 2 cake mixes and a big can of pumpkin but I prefer using one cake mix and a small can of pumpkin. I do add about 1/8 cup of water and 1/8 cup of oil to just make the mixture more smooth. Using 1 spice cake mix the recipe generally yields 16 muffins.

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 spice cake mixes (Duncan Hines, although not pictured, is the best for this recipe)
1 30-oz. can pumpkin
1 12-oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Okay, super-tricky here. Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mixes and pumpkin. Add in chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture into lined (or sprayed) muffin tins. This can make as many as 48 muffins or as few as 36, just depending on how full the tins are filled. These really don't rise very much, so you can fill the tins pretty full. If aesthetics are a concern, keep in mind that how they look going into the oven is very much what they will look like coming out of the oven. So a cookie scoop works great to keep things on the prettier side.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.Yum, right? Easy, right?

This recipe and pictures of the process and finished muffins can be found here.
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/easy-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins.html

It's always fun when Grandma comes

For 9 days in September Scott's parents visited us. It was lots of fun and we are so glad they game. Grandma came bearing candy and gifts so all our kids got comfortable with her quickly. Nathan warmed right up to Grandpa and wanted him to play cars with him. Melissa pulled out some fuzzy white yarn on Grandma's second day here and wanted a hat made out of it. Since we had a hat loom Grandma agreed and in just one day she had produced this wonderful hat, with a pink pom pom on top.
Grandma and Grandpa picked up a yummy pineapple on one of their grocery store runs (they love grocery shopping!) and Melissa thought we should plant the top of it so another pinapple would grow. Again Grandma abliged and now we have a pinapple top growing. Still no pinapple underneath but it's worth a try to make a 4 year old happy.

Grandma treated us to several home cooked dinners. I enjoyed the break from cooking and the food was mighty tasty. We're glad we have a big enough table to fit us all.

Nathan enjoyed having someone to feed popcorn to. Grandma could hardly chew the pieces he kept putting them in her mouth so quickly.
And of course no visit would be complete without some game playing. Here Grandma and Grandpa are playing Whonu with the older girls but they also played games with the little girls and a fun game of Oh Heck with Scott and I.

Scott and I are both blessed to have parents who love us and our children and have set good examples for us all. My kids get to visit with my parents several times a month since we live in the same city as them but Scott's parents just once a year. We are so glad it worked out for them to visit--Thanks for coming!

Here we go again

Having four daughters I often feel like my life is on repeat. This month Melissa started tap/ballet class just like her sisters did when they were four. We bought her a new leotard and new tap shoes (because styles do change) and she was on her way. Here she is posing for the first day of dance class. FYI the pom poms strung on a string behind her were her creative idea.
Tapping at the bar

Circle time

Ballet dancing on tip toes. Melissa is holding the hand of her good friend who is in her class with her. I've learned to always sign my kids up for things with a friend, it makes it more likelythey will be happy to attend each week.

Melissa will have one recital in December where she will tap dance to the song "sleighride". Then in June she will have another recital where she will do ballet dancing. Luckily she will where the same costume for both recitals.

Today I am thankful for

*a wonderful weekend of amazing conference talks

*fall (the falling leaves and halloween decorations I see are so fun)

*a warm house on this chilly day