Halloween

Here are the boys dressed up for Halloween.  This year was great.  The boys all loved their costumes and I didn't have to buy one thing.  It was all arranged from what we already had.  I love iet when that happens.

Right before trick-or-treating with a friend.

Not sure what B-man is doing in these shots.

A happy fireman.

B-man vampire with his friend from the 'hood.

Carving Pumpkins

It's never too late for pictures of Halloween right?  The boys loved carving pumpkins.  For the first year ever they all helped to clean out the pumpkins.  B-man also designed and carved all of his.

The set-up.

M loves to carve pumpkins.

He was trying so hard to carve that pumpkin.

B-man very focused on his knife usage.

The finished pumpkins.

October 28th, 2012

October 28, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Here's what I remember from two weeks ago:

Monday:  B-man invited his friend Sam over at the last minute for FHE.  M and I were impressed but also thrown for a loop.  We ended up talking about Daniel in the lion's den.  I also challenged M, me, and B-man to try and get one hundred days of consecutive scripture reading.  I think I have had to start over the most...

Tuesday: Piano for B-man.

Robert enjoying an after nap snack with Dad.

Wednesday:  Watched a friend's child in the morning while she trained for a marathon.   Book Club for me that night.  We talked about "I Am Legend."  I recommend it if you haven't read it.  I was surprised by how much I liked it.

Thursday:  I did my visiting teaching while helping set up some stuff for a mutual activity.  The woman I visit teach was in charge of the activity.  Then I raced to another sister's house before she had to go to work.  M was home, so I didn't have to take the boys.  That night we got a sitter and went to the opening dinner of the "Bishop's Retreat" put on by the Stake Presidency.  They had a delicious dinner and then President Gerard and his wife spoke to us.  The night went a little longer than planned, and the poor sitter and her mother both called us on the way home to see where we were.  I felt terrible!

Before the fence.

Friday: RM turned two!!  We didn't do much to celebrate that day except sing to him lots.   M was off to the Bishop's retreat.  I joined latter in the morning after dropping off the boys with a sweet friend.  I was able to stay for several hours, and have lunch with the collective men and women, then I bowed out a little early to get home for school and things.  M got home a little after we started dinner that night.  We had pizza for our family party and then watched a show.  I can't remember which one.

After the fence.

Saturday:  M was off early.  I had it all planned to go to some of the Bishop's meetings, but I decided to cancel at the last minute.  We were having a fence put in that day, and I wanted to be sure I was available for any questions about where things should go...  I did step out briefly to take B-man to diving.  It was fun to see how quickly the fence went up.  They did our house and our neighbors in one day.  Amazing!  The weather was pretty amazing given the impending storm, and we spent a lot of the afternoon outside.  I was planting bulbs (90!) and transplanting a hydrangea.  Then M straightened a tree we put in this spring and we staked it so it would be protected during the storm.  We get a lot of wind in the area.  We were so happy to straighten the tree by ourselves.  We almost paid to have someone do it.  Hopefully we didn't hurt the tree any...  That night we got a sitter and went to a Halloween party thrown by some friends.  For the first time ever it was not a costume party.  I think we all missed it.

Sunday:  Normal day.  We had a mother and daughter over for dinner that M home teaches.  We had roasted chicken breasts, quinoa salad, and broccoli.  That night after our guests had left we let RM open the rest of his "prizes."  He was thrilled, and so were the other boys.

We love you all!

The C Crew

UPDATE

Here is a quick update on the boys...  I know I should have pictures, but I don't. 

B-man

Turned 8!  We have really been dragging out his birthday.  In fact just today he got another birthday present from a friend.  He spent all weekend learning to fly his new remote control helicopter that he bought with birthday money from friends.  I think all men and boys should have one.  They are seriously fun, and watching his face while he concentrates so hard on controlling it is priceless.  Also he is taking a diving class at our city pool.  He has perfected a front dive, and now we are bribing him with candy for every time he tries a back dive off the board.  Mostly he just wants to do a cannon ball or a pencil dive.

J

Obsessed with going on an airplane.  If I kept track of how many times he asks me to literally take him to the airport so he can catch his airplane in a day, it would be more than 30 times.  That's a lot in one day, and he likes to pack his backpack and a little lunch box full of snacks for the flight.  It is so cute, but sometimes I wish he could just pretend to catch a flight.  Also he has recently decided that he loves frogs.  There are some that live on our deck, and he likes to go catch them, and carry them around with him.  I will not let them in the house, and I also am nervous the entire time that he is going to accidentally kill them.  He is only three after all.  Usually getting him back inside the house without the frogs is a bit of a struggle.  I am starting to wonder if we can count them as pets?  Just pets that live outside all the time.  Maybe we should name them.  J is also talking up a storm.  The other day we had this conversation...
J: Me like frogs.  Me love frogs.
Mom:  Did we find some frogs?  How many did we find?
J: Ummm 2.
Mom:  What color were the frogs?
J: Green!  And ummmm camouflage.

RM

Obsessed with being one of the big kids.  Not quite two, but wants to do what they are doing.  He's also talking up a storm and added "taco" to his word list.  He is by far our earliest talker, and says three to four word sentences all the time.  Also, he is perfecting his jump.  Tonight he was practicing jumping off the stairs in my bedroom.  The first was too easy so he stepped up to the second with J.  That boy loves a little danger...