Happy Halloween

This year, both of the girls wanted to be Cinderella. Karmin was Cinderella a few years ago, but they had used that costume so much that it was barely held together by threads. So they were in need of a new costume. (Sometimes I wish I had a desire and the time to learn to sew so that I wouldn't have to buy expensive costumes that are cheaply made.) Trevor was the Bounty Hunter from Star Wars. And Ben didn't like any of the costumes that were out there this year, so he made a costume out of bits and pieces of other costumes we had. Piper was a tennis player, and Grant was a tourist. I guess I was the party pooper because I didn't dress up.

In case you didn't get frightened enough tonight, here is Karmin giving me her best scary face: And here is her best silly face:
And since she was a princess, here is her sweet face:
And here she is as beautiful as ever:
Every princess needs her tennis shoes (on backwards of course):
Sweet and pretty:
Tennis Star Piper:
The gang:
Hanging out at Jim & Theresia's after trunk or treat:

Night and Day

Oh these two...

This picture shows just how different they are...Ben is in shorts and no coat, and Trevor barely has any skin showing (pants, gloves, hat, coat). Ben loves to play outside, and Trev likes to stay where it is not too warm and not too cold. Ben likes to be constantly moving, and Trev could sit and read books all day long. Ben has a sweet tooth, but Trevor would rather eat fruit. But yet they are the best of friends. Their relationship reminds me a lot of my sister, Gretchen, and my relationship. They don't fight too often...but they could because they know exactly what pushes the other person's buttons. They respect each other's stuff. Ben always makes sure that Trevor is included whether at home or at school. I think a lot of siblings would just go and play with their own friends, but Ben talks to Trevor before school about what they are going to play at recess with Ben's friends when they get there. Ben had his best friend, Dallin, invite Trevor to his Birthday party last year. Those 3 are like peas in a pod. Dallin is a good sport about it--he is a sweet boy, so it is no surprise that he is so nice to Trevor.

Gretch always toted me along with her. Some of my favorite memories with my sister, are of Friday and Saturday nights she would go hang out with her friends. But, she had a car, so she would often go pick up friends and take them to wherever they were going. She would let me come pick up her friends with her and then she would drop me off after she got everybody. The first time I T.P.ed was with Gretch. I can't count how many dates she let me tag along on. When she would go over to her boy friend's houses--not saying they were her boyfriends--I would come...and sometimes I think I was the chaperon. She even let me come down and stay with her her first year at college in the dorms. (She let me come down other years too, but it was a big deal for me to stay in the dorm with her.) Gretchen had a best friend, Christy, who, just like Dallin, was a good sport about me always hanging around. I love my sister. I still look up to her so much. I am so glad that these 2 boys are such good friends.

Pickin' Pumpkins

One of my favorite things to do is to go to the pumpkin patch. This year with hunting season and kids being sick, we couldn't go to our favorite one. We decided to go to one that was a bit closer to home, and it was still fun. We walked in all the mud to the pumpkin patch and told the kids that they could pick any pumpkin they wanted--as long as they could carry it back to the car. They all picked their pumpkins and in the end, everybody helped each other carry the other person's pumpkin. It was so sweet to watch the kids help each other willingly without any complaints. We also got to go through a corn maze while we ate popcorn. I love going to farms. I think if I ever chose a career, I would want to be a fruit or vegetable picker. I don't know what it is about it, but I could pick fruit and vegetables all day long.

The Mighty Hunters

A family friend had asked Grant all year when he was going to take Ben hunting this year. So in the end, Ben was so excited to finally get to go. Grant wanted Ben to be able to have the experience, so he obliged and they were able to go out several times.

Okay, lets back up about 8 years. (Can my son really be that old that I can actually do that??) Back in the day, I had a special place in my heart for animals. It wasn't until about 5 years ago that my feelings about creatures changed. So this happened before I decided certain animals were pesky. Grant, Ben, and I were eating dinner at our very little island. There had been some

flies in our house and one in particular kept bothering us while we were eating. I finally had had enough, and for the first time in my life I decided enough was enough and started to go after the fly. I grabbed something and started whacking at the fly when it passed by. Ben started screaming. He was so upset that I was trying to hurt the fly. I think that it was even worse for him that *his mom* was the bad guy. I really think that was the day that he realized that I wasn't perfect. I felt SO much guilt. Never in my life had I wanted to hurt anything, and the first time I did, I scared my son. It's a bitter-sweet memory for me.

Fast-forward to now. My son wants to shoot a deer? I suppose he has recovered from the fly incident--or I forever scarred him.

*And as a note they never shot anything this season. There just weren't many deer around this year. (Am I a bad mom for being thankful for that?)

Peek-A-Boo

While playing hid-and-go-seek with the girls, this is where I found Lydia. Hmmm...I wonder where she is?

3 Months...

A bit late, but life has been crazy around here. Ben brought home a cold, and then within
a few days, everyone had it. Yuck. Trev's turned into yet another ear infection. If he gets another one, he will have to get a second set of tubes. Again, yuck.

Piper had been sleeping through the night for several weeks, but then last Monday she started waking up every 15 minutes to an hour throughout the night. After

trying several different things, I finally took her to the doctor and got her on some medication yesterday for acid reflux. And last night, she slept through the night again! Yea!

So far, Piper has a very quiet reserved personality. Her smile is small and subtle (these pictures are of her "big smile"). She seems to get embarrassed, and she loves to play with her hands. She is my first baby that seems to get overwhelmed with a lot of noise. The picture of her wearing just the polka dot shirt, reminds me of Ben. That is exactly what he looked like as a baby--though dressed in blue. She has not tolerated milk or soy like Lydia, although, it is not as bad. I have never given her a bottle--never even tried. So until she is 6 months and can eat baby food, she is my shadow and always with me. And I don't mind. I love having her around.

Fidgeting

Piper loves to fidget with her hands. She is constantly playing with them. I think we should have known this when we were in the hospital and she was folding her hands. She was having a hard time going to bed last night, so I got her up and decided to take advantage of the time by taking pictures of her. She is just the cutest thing (well, 1 of 5 cutest things).

Garden "Work"

Karmin and Grant went and worked out in the garden today. They dug up all the potatoes and carrots, and we got through most of the weeds. We had a lot working against us this year in our garden...the weather was a huge factor, and "the animal." "The animal" took out the first whole box, and the weather took out the 2 other boxes. In one box we did finally get some pumpkins--they are still very green , but they are pretty big. We also got potatoes and carrots, and randomly we got a gorgeous bouquet of petunias right at the door of the garden. So this year wasn't as bad as last year, but we still have a little ways to go with our green thumbs. Karmin and Lydia tracked down a frog out there. Karmin was holding it and then it jumped out of her hands. Then she tried to talk the frog into jumping into her hands. It was kind of humorous. They had fun getting nice and dirty catching the frog and playing with worms.

We are having a sick weekend. Ben brought home a cold this last week, and then Trevor, Karmin, and Lydia all came down with colds yesterday. I am so thankful that they got it all at once so this isn't prolonged--with one getting it and then the next one getting it just as the other is getting better.

Dancing Queen

Karmin wanted to watch her ballet recital today. I was so impressed that she sat and watched the {whole} thing. (It was very long.) I think she is starting to come down with a cold, so that might be one reason she was able to sit still for so long. Lydia woke up from her nap while Karmin was watching it, so she started watching it too. I couldn't believe how interested in it Lydia was. Pretty soon she was trying to copy the dancers. She is very graceful. I had a lot of fun watching her and finally pulled out the camera to capture her.

Ye-Haw!

For Preschool this week the kids were talking about different professions. One of them was cowboys and cowgirls, so in celebration the kids could come dressed up. Karmin does not like to wear or be associated with anything that is boyish. And I only had the boys cowboy stuff that we had used for Halloween costumes or got as hand-me-downs. Everything I found I told her that it was what cowgirls wore too...even though it was very blue. I think the only blue thing she has ever worn has a pink and purple picture on it. We got her hair all done and then found a hat. In an effort to make it more girly (I think guilt was setting in for me that these were all her brother's clothes and I hadn't told her), I said that flowers always make things better. So on went a flower. She loved it and was so excited to be dressed up like a cowgirl.

Piper

I love this girl!