October 29, 2014

October

October is probably one of my favorite months of the year and not just because it hosts my favorite holiday. I am so in love with the slightly cooler weather, all the Halloween decorations, the pretty colors, the crunchy leaves and everything pumpkin flavored. I also love how many days off of school we had. Last month we had one Thursday and 3 Fridays off. It was lovely. It's so fun to feel like you are starting the weekend a day early and stay up late then sleep in the next day. I am such a HUGE fan of sleeping in these days. On the weekends I tend to sleep like I'm about to be expected to stay awake for a week straight. I'm what you could call a sleep hoarder. It is so nice that my kids are old enough to get up, get a snack, open a book, or find a show and leave me alone until I decide to wake up. When I had 4 young kids that woke up at 7 or earlier after not always sleeping through the night and then wanted breakfast or bottles or needed diaper changes right away, I used to dream of what sleeping in would feel like...it's better than I imagined.

Last month was so stinking busy and we did so many fun things-it was awesome! I finally get to be the crazy busy "soccer mom" who sometimes spends her whole evening in the car and I love it! I love having my van back.

For UEA we went to Gardener Village with Tiffany and Makelle and the entire rest of the state and pushed through crazy crowds trying to complete the witch scavenger hunt. Honestly, I love the idea of taking my kids to Gardener Village to see the witches but it hasn't been as much fun for them the past few years. It's just too chaotic there. I think this was our last year doing this tradition. On to something new...







One Friday afternoon Miss Tay went to a movie with a friend so my mom and I took all the boys out to lunch and to the pumpkin patch. I was trying to mix things up so we went to a different pumpkin patch this year. It was not as big and elaborate as the one we normally go to but the boys still made it a lot of fun.












The twins started scouts and LOVE it! They had their first pack meeting and they both earned their Bobcat badges.







They also joined an indoor soccer league and so far they love it!


Kendrick and I were able to have a Utah football date. It was so fun! We attended the Utah vs USC game together and the weather was so amazingly warm that I couldn't even keep my black sweatshirt on for the entire blackout game because I was getting too hot. I am so grateful we were able to get season tickets this year. It has been awesome to get back into football.






Easton graduated out of lunch bunch! His teacher said, and I quote, "he is a poster child for what that intervention program is supposed to do and he has grown leaps and bounds in just the first month and a half of school."



I was able to go on the twins' field trip to Wheeler Farm. As far as field trips go, it was pretty darn boring. But it was nice to spend the whole day with my boys and I did get a picture of a baby cow...baby farm animals make things better.




We carved pumpkins. It was a lot of fun and the first time we've done it in a few years. The last two years we painted them. The big kids all attempted to cut their own until the stencils got too difficult. I took DARLING pictures of all of us behind our pumpkins and even got a close up of just the pumpkins and then I accidentally deleted them that night while we were at our neighbors watching Walking Dead. I was so bummed. I might have let it ruin my whole night. I'm a baby like that. So here's all I have left from carving pumpkins...









I LOVE where we live! It is gorgeous in this part of the valley and I am so enjoying watching all these beautiful colors change right before my eyes...





We celebrated Tiana's Birthday at Texas Roadhouse with her family and ours. It was the first time I had been there in years. And it tasted so good that we went back two weeks in a row following her Birthday. Last time we went there I made myself sick so I'm good now. I think now I'm going to make myself on Buffalo Wild Wings black bean burgers. I LOVE their chipotle seasoning and fries.





Crazy hair day at school!






Taylor had a little hip hop Halloween party for students and parents at her dance studio. She looked so cute! I'm not super impressed with the dance studio she is at though. Her teacher seems pretty cranky every week. So I think I'm going to be shopping around for somewhere new to send her after Christmas...



Kendrick has been playing on a Salt Lake County men's soccer league since August and they were challenged to a play off game by the top Utah County team. Kendrick's team won!! It was a pretty exciting night for them. Unfortunately, Jack slept through most of it...




Halloween weekend was ridiculously busy and stressful for me. On Halloween I had to get ready for the twins' baptism the next day but I also had 4 vampires to dress up and a Halloween parade to attend and a class party to help host. That night we went trick or treating in my parent's, Tiana's parent's and our friend, James' parent's neighborhoods and by the time we got home that night we were spent. Unfortunately I have never been so excited to see a weekend be over.

Halloween morning...






The Halloween Parade...



Tay's last class Halloween party. I've helped in every Halloween party she has had since Kindergarten. Next year she will be in Junior High and probably won't have a Halloween party where parents are encouraged to dress up and come to the school to take selfies with their favorite student.











Here are the Halloween night pictures. Poor Tiffany couldn't figure out my phone so her pictures of us turned out...special. I had to play with them a lot. Actually, considering what we were dressed up as, I guess the best word to describe this particular photo is authentic...


The rest of Halloween night...

My cute friend, Holly and her son, Harrison.

The Espinozas and Dansies
T took these pictures at her mom's house
Tiana's cute nephew, Z wanted to join our family. Kendrick and I would totally let him! He is probably the world's cutest toddler.

My kids weren't really feeling the trick or treating this year. Trick or treating is becoming more and more lame with every passing year. It's like no one really does it anymore. And I can't complain because it's been years since I've stayed home and passed out candy, so I guess I can't expect others to do it for my kids. But I was shocked that with as little luck as we had catching people at home, look how much candy Jack still managed to score! 

 Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween and a memorable October!