Here are some pictures from previous years for memories.....

It wouldn't let me put the pictures at the end, urrrrggg.

2007: Brynn loved this little pumpkin, it was like a little friend. I remember putting it in the cart at the grocery store and Brynn just kept smiling at it, and she played with it all the time at home. While carving the other side, she kept trying to eat all the seeds. This was her very first pumpkin.

This is the most awesome pumpkin, carved by Margaret-Ann Wright! It took hours, but it was fun because I carved it while hanging with the Gillenwaters. Ahhhh, memories. 2003, our 2nd Halloween married.

This is little Porter, what a sweet pea. This was in 2005 when my sister lived above us in Boise. That was a lot of fun. I can't remember if Cooper didn't want to be in the picture or what was going on. Also, I can't remember why there are only 3 pumpkins. If I remember, maybe Cambell was about to be born, so the baby penguin is hers, the star wars one is Coopers, and the skeleton is Porters. Those were some fun times.

Family Halloween Party

10/28/09

Tonight we had our first family Halloween Party. I got the idea from my neighbor, and thought it sounded like a fun tradition to begin. I realized I should start our simple, and get more complex as the years go by and the kids get older. It all started with the mummy hot dogs, and it grew from there since I knew Brynn would actually eat the hot dogs.

During the day we decorated sugar cookies that I had previously frozen (worked out great), and we made the witch hat cookies. Brynn loved eating all the toppings along the way.

For dinner I made mummy hot dogs, try to pick out the one Brynn made :) I also made 'moldy bones' out of bread stick dough and seasonings, eaten with pizza sauce. We had sparkling apple cider with spiders floating, and for dessert the cookies. Lots of carbs, but fun.

After dinner we carved pumpkins. Shane made a simple face with his, but then took over Brynn's to make a more complicated kitty cat. I had to laugh because Brynn kept trying to help and I asked him why didn't he make his more complicated and Brynn's simple. He said he didn't think about it, but then realized he wanted to make one better, and Brynn's was left. Brynn didn't want to touch the insides, but had fun helping carving. For my masterpiece I made a haunted house. I was inspired to make one similar to one I made years ago with the Goldwater's. It took me hours! This time it only took me about 45 minutes.

We lit up the pumpkins, cleaned up, then watched the Monster vs Aliens special on TV about alien pumpkins. It was perfect that is was on tonight to add the perfect touch to our Halloween night.

I haven't been huge into traditions, even thought I think we have more than I realize, I just don't call them traditions. But this will for sure be a tradition for our family. It was a lot of fun, and I think Brynn really enjoyed it. Austin loved watching us, and fell asleep in his jumperoo, what a cutie.

Brynn picked out the decor.

This is the first year Brynn has been old enough to realize what was going one while carving the pumpkins. Last year we skipped it while in Portland, and the year before she was too young. I remember she ate the seeds.

BYU Homecoming Parade

10/24/09

I took the kids to the homecoming parade, Shane was on his way but I told him to go help our friends move instead thinking we wouldn't be long. We ended up getting a perfect parking spot and loving the parade, got there right when it started and stayed the whole time. For the first 1/3 of the parade Brynn was a little disappointed in getting only a couple pieces of candy, but by the end she got handfuls. Mainly starburst, people gave her handfuls, I think we were towards the end of the route. Austin got a balloon and loved it. I think I will go to this parade every year. It was a lot of fun, seeing all that BYU has to offer, without all the local companies advertising (annoying).

Shane and I had tickets for the game, but Shane ended up selling them that morning. We were too sad, when BYU got kicked and BAD. Instead we went out to eat (we haven't been on a date for a long time) and got home to watch the game on TV just in time. It was a good day.

Carmel Apples

Brynn and I made some carmel apples. The carmel was harder than I like it, so next year (I'm not a big fan) we won't cook the carmel as long. Brynn loved decorating her stick, and helping dip the apples. We used crushed butterfinger, pecans, walnuts, and skor bits. I of course forgot to take a finished product picture, although I swear I did. I think I'm going crazy. Brynn loved it so much, we may have to do this every year. I LOVE AUTUMN

While playing in Brynns room we figured out she can fit into her dress up box. It was so funny.

Hogle Zoo

9/22/09

We went to the Hogle Zoo with Brynn's cousins Anndi and Collin. It was a really fun day, Austin did awesome, and Brynn was really good for the most part. There were a lot of baby animals, which just melts a mothers heart. Especially the baby elephant, so adorable! There were also a baby giraffe and monkey and lots of others I can't remember. At one point the giraffe got really close, also we were watching the tiger and it turned around and put its behind next to the window, right at Anndi's face, and I kid you not, let 'something' fly, and it was liquid and hit the window. It was really gross, and you may be wondering why I am sharing this...because I swear the tiger did it on purpose, to let us know in a nasty way he is annoyed of all the people staring.

We also went to an animal hospital before the zoo, and we got to see them cut open a dog and do a hysterectomy. Brynn can't stop talking about the sick dogs and the hospital, although she doesn't say hospital, but I can't figure out how to type what she does say.

7 Months Old
Austin

Austin is sitting up really well now, and moving around. He can get to whatever toy or object he wants, with rolling and pivoting, and scooting (just a little). He is the happiest baby, and gives lots of smiles and giggles. He loves to give hugs and kisses (to us they are hugs and kisses), and his sister can do him no wrong. He is starting to give a little grunt or whine when she takes away a toy he is playing with, but for the most part, he is just so happy to be her brother. I think he is around 19.5 lbs, and growing every day. He really likes his food now, and I'm giving him breakfast and dinner every day now. His sleeping schedule is more routine, with more regular naps, at least when we are home. The newest thing: Austin's two front, top teeth are coming in. Within a week they have come out of the gum so i can feel them. He may look a little goofy when they come in all the way, I'm a little sad. Some mothers feel that their babies aren't babies when they get bigger, or sleep through the night, I'm sad when my babies get their teeth. I think he may be getting some side teeth along with the bottom teeth in at the same time. I feel for Austin.

We LOVE our Austin!

Baby Quilt

First Ever

10/17/09

I have just starting learning the basics of sewing, and actually have a desire to sew. There is a cute little quilt shop in Highland, Just Sew, that inspired me to make this baby quilt. I thought the quilt they had was the cutest ever, and it made me want to make one too. I went in thinking I would just pick the cutest fabrics in the store, but it was very hard to choose and coordinate, so I chose a line I liked and stuck with the fabrics within that line.

I started, thinking this shouldn't be too hard, but I spent so many hours sewing, only to rip out what I did over and over. I wasted so much time. The problem was I cut the front and back layers to the size I wanted in the end, and the bottom layer kept getting shorter and shorter creating a problem when I went to bind it. At one point I got so sick up sewing and ripping out thread that I considered cutting one of the rows off, but realized that wouldn't look good since it is so small already.

I learned my lesson, sew in one direct all the way across, then turn it and do the opposite rows all in one direction. Spray glue all the layers together, and pin really well.

The final product looked awesome and super cute, I am a proud maker of this quilt. Shane kept teasing me it was a "thousand dollar quilt" since I spent so much time on it. Towards the middle I realized it would be a perfect gift for my good friend Ashleigh whom I've known for most of my life. She is having a baby girl in December, I thought the colors would be perfect for her.

While finishing I was so excited to give it to her, she always makes you feel good and she appreciates everything anyone gives her, so I knew I would get a good reaction :) I finished it an hour before her baby shower, then I had to quickly wash and dry it to make it soft, help the edges on the little squares fray (it will get more and more with washing), and help it get the "quilted" look.

Ashleigh loved it I am happy to report, and I can't wait to see her baby girl in the blanket.

I think in the future I will make more of these, and now that I know how to make it, the process should be much quicker.

I considered making a twin size for Brynn's bed, but I don't think I could pull it off. Maybe.....I'm still considering.

Hiking the "Y"

10/17/09

Keegan slept over for his birthday, along with Tadj. The next day was a beautiful day and thought this may be the last chance we get to do a hike. We picked up Haley and drove to the Y mountain. It started out slow, again with me carrying Austin and Shane with Brynn in the backpack. We wondered what we were thinking, and didn't we learn our lesson when we hiked to the Timp Caves. It started going better, and it took only about 1 hour to get to the top, which it felt much longer. Along the way Keegan and Tadj took their turns carrying Brynn in the backpack, they did surprisingly well. At the top Shane told the story of how students from the U of U painted the Y red one year before a game and got in big trouble. Haley looked down and found a big red paint chip, it was perfect.

We got down much faster, and much hotter with the sun high above us at 2:30 pm. There was a gun shot while at the top which scared us, and apparently people can hunt just across the range.

We ended the fun with cherry limeades and fries. Yum, and put those calories that we burned and more back on our 'fit' bodies (can you sense my sarcasm :)

Brynn's Drawings

There are many artistic females on Shane's side of the family, and I was hopeful Brynn would get that gene. As her mom, I think she has it. Her work is still amateur of course, but these will be priceless someday, or today for me.

Brynn has always liked to draw, and goes through phases of obsession. This was the longest phase, after her Auntie Ellen brought her a little school kit with crayons, markers, glue, scissors, and a notebook. She colored on every page within a day, and I had to buy more. I think she went through about 8 notebooks within a couple weeks, maybe shorter. She would draw all day every day. There were papers everywhere. At first I kept them all, but then started to get annoyed. Slowly and secretively I threw them away, Brynn got upset when she would see me. Shane started hanging some up in her room, and they are still there. Its fun to see how she has already progressed in her coloring. She now tries hard to stay within the lines, even though the coloring gets out of the borders often. And she can draw rainbows well now. She loves it when others color with her. Too bad I don't love to color as much as she does. Oh, and she loves to draw circles since she has figured that out on her own.

I had to get a close up of the toy chest. She has started to use her tea set more and has parties. She invites anyone who is around. I love her imagination and hope I can help keep it going.

Its hard to tell just how thick this pile is, but this is just a sample of her piles of papers. She draws on a sheet and rips it out. She doesn't fill up the page too much, and refuses to draw on the other side.....which leads to lots and lots of paper.