Trick Or Treat

Halloween is a favorite holiday at our house. The kids start planning their costumes months prior so we can have everything ready in time. Since Maddie got a costume for the 50's daddy daughter dance last April, we decided it would be great for her to wear it again for Halloween. Twice the bang for our buck!! Well, a few weeks before that daddy dentist Jeff decided that it would be great to make her some "custom fangs". He took impressions of her teeth and made some totally wicked fangs for her. Thus we have a "50's Vampire". Maddie loves her fangs so much that she wears them everywhere she goes. I don't care because she is so used to them that she doesn't play with them and not many people notice. She even wears them to school and her teacher hasn't even noticed yet.......I think it's great!!

Don't the teeth look great??

The next "Twilight" star

Love the green eyes!!

This is so totally Maddie......in a dress

but definitely not girly!!

Lauren chose to be a black cat

Love this face!!

I don't think Lauren can take a

picture without posing!!

Her two favorite parts.....

moms necklace and bright red lips!!

oh, and a lot of glitter

Parker didn't really choose his costume.

Mom did. I figured speedos and tights

were still cute when you're only

2 1/2. I had to do it while I could

Parker LOVED his costume and he

still asks to wear it everyday

He does a great Superman pose!!

Thanks mom for making the

cape and shorts. They

were perfect!!

....and finally, no photo shoot would be

complete with out tears.

Our ward had a trunk or treat and

this is our good friend Tim dressed

as "Where the wild things are"

That costume is homemade people.

It was the most amazing costume

I have ever seen. Everyone was

asking for pictures. He should have

charged. He would have made

oodles of money!!

First Day of School

The first day of school was very exciting and very busy. Maddie is in 3rd grade this year and Lauren is in PM Kindergarten. The girls were excited to go to school so they got up extra early so they could be on time. I had camera issues so some of these pictures are terrible quality but at least we documented the first day of school.

Maddie showing that she is in 3rd grade

My 3 cuties - Lauren later

changed her clothes because

she didn't like her dress

We live close enough to school that we can walk.

The first days of school are wild. Masses

and masses of people.

Maddie with some of her friends

Outside Room 312

Since our last name starts with an A, Maddie

is always first. She made a wish that she wouldn't

wouldn't be first this year and it came true.

There's two other children in front of her.

It made for one happy Maddie!!

Maddie's teacher is Mrs. Mequet. She is

WONDERFUL and it made me happy.

Because of crazy circumstances, Lauren doesn't

go to the same school as her sister so she

gets to ride a bus to and from school.

I wasn't happy about it but it's turned

out to be really great.

I literally felt like Mary....I followed her to school

one day, school one day, school one day.

Ok, I really only did it twice but I had to make

sure Lauren knew what she was doing.

There's quite a few kids who ride the bus

and Miss Diane is the world's greatest

bus driver. I LOVE HER!

This is my favorite picture of Lauren-

It looks like a back to school ad

Can't you just feel the excitement?

There were no tears....yea, us!!

Lauren was both excited and nervous. She bites

her nails like crazy when she's a little unsure.

Her fingers are always in her mouth.

Lauren's teacher - Mrs. Revell. Lauren had the biggest

grin on her face when her teacher said her name

and welcomed her to Kindergarten.

Inside her Kindergarten classroom

Parker hurt his toe so he wanted to relax

out the couch. I love his hand in his pants!!

Very Al Bundy...

Since I was minus 2 kids I decided to make

it a productive day. I was very busy!!

Parker got a hair cut...

Daddy was off work but not really.

He never is. This is what he did...

This is what I did. I go 3 times a week and I am

committed for the next year. It is a huge pain and

consumes way too much time but it's supposed

to help me feel better. I really hope it works!!

I really wanted to be a good mom and have cookies

and milk waiting for the kids when they got home

from school. However, I was so busy that I didn't

have time. So I CHEATED! Thank goodness

for Toll House ready bake cookies.

They were delicious!!

Dam Fun

My favorite thing to do in Utah is go to the dam. It's my version of our "family reunion". The whole family, well almost (jake), gets together for some good old fashioned dam fun. I always have picture overload but the kids are just so darn cute I can't help myself! ENJOY...

Parker looking oh so cool

Maddie and Connor love the tube

and "hanging loose"

The other kids finally got their turn

Maddie mastered the boogie board

...and so did Connor

Parker and daddy love the view from the bow

and I love the view from the back

The "must get" picture of all the kids

Total Score -

Boys 6 + 1 coming soon (aunt gita)

Girls 3

Good thing the girls are so dang cute

to make up for the difference!!

The swing that I liked more than anyone

It was hard to use but still proved to be fun

Parker loved playing in the tube

Lauren loved the blue mat

Maddie loved just being in the water

Rachel loved the sand

and I love this picture of Tyler!!

Parker was brave and jumped to Maddie

and Maddie caught him every time

finally, Parker enjoyed biting Jeff's nose

We had a fun day with good food, good company,

great water, and lots of sun. This is what

happens when you forget to reapply sunscreen...

Super burned cheeks

Super burned back and....

a Super burned face

Thank goodness for aloe vera