What A Week!!

It has been nonstop here for almost an entire week! It started last Wednesday with my birthday. I turned 37 on the 14th. 37....3.....7....thirty-seven...hmmmmm...how is it that I can possibly be that old? There must be a mistake somewhere...I can't possibly be that old. I remember when my mom was this age and she was OOOOLD! Well, I am going to have to talk to someone about getting that corrected. Anyway, when I returned from the land of denial, Wednesday night my parents and my sister Lori flew in from Colorado. My sister's birthday was the 12th so it was a nice birthday treat for both of us.

We spent the day Thursday just hanging out and enjoying each others company. Our favorite thing to do when we are all together is play cards. Lori taught us another new game called Loser that was a bunch of fun. Playing cards with my family is always fun and always competitive. Competitive is the nice word....JC prefers the term "cut-throat". Let's just say, one must watch their back at all times and there are no freebies. Thursday evening my sister Ayrian and her family got here from Oklahoma. She just had baby Evan in October so we all go to snuggle on him all weekend.

Friday we drove north and went to Blanchard Springs Cave. It is the coolest thing...if you have never been, GO! We have been 3 times now. We went one day this summer when we went for a drive to look around Arkansas, then when my parents came earlier this year we took them, and then my parents told my sister's about it so they wanted to go on their trip here. No one is ever disappointed. In anticipation of more of our friends and families wanting to visit, we purchased season passes for 2009. I'm sure we will be there enough to pay for the pass.

Saturday Joshua's dad, Brandon, and his wife Christi got here. I have a very unique relationship with my ex and his new wife. I was sorry that I missed introductions in Relief Society on Sunday because I was going to introduce Christi as my new wife. It is our little joke. She calls me her ex-wife and I call her my new-wife. We have become very good friends over the years, which wasn't easy at first, but once hatchets were buried, we have become best buds. Some people think it is crazy and don't understand it, but I think the relationship I have with Brandon and Christi has a lot to do with the great kid we all have in Joshua. I know being there for him as a united group of parents has made it much easier on Joshua to have divorced parents.

Joshua had a basketball game in Rosebud on Saturday afternoon so we all packed up and went to that. Saturday night we went with some more friends to Gaucho's Grill. We had never been but our friends love it so we all went. Yes...a party of 22 to Gaucho's. It was a good time once we finally got served. Our reservation was for 7:00 but we didn't eat until almost 8:30 so we were starving!! My dad has no patience for stuff like that, so dinner was a little tense but once everyone started eating and getting full bellies things got much better.

Sunday was the real reason all of these people had converged and created an air mattress city in my house. Joshua had asked my dad to ordain him to the Aaronic Priesthood. It was truly touching that all of these people had put their lives on hold and had come to spend Joshua's special day with him. Joshua should never doubt that there are lots of people who love him and are excited about the choices he is making. I had a house full of people who loved him enough to travel many miles to be with him for his special event. I am so proud of him and the young man he has grown into. I can't wait to see him pass the sacrament at church next week. I want to take pictures....you think that would be OK? Just kidding...kinda. LOL.

Sunday afternoon Brandon and Christi and Ayrian and her family headed back to Oklahoma. The rest of us enjoyed one more evening together playing cards with our neighbors who are a hoot and a new found source of great friendship. Monday afternoon I took everyone to the airport. I love it when my family visits and hate to see them go. Dropping them off is always tough. Joshua and I lived with my sister Lori for a couple of years after my divorce so her and I have a very close relationship. I miss her very much.

So all in all it was a great weekend. Lots of good times, lots of cards, and especially a great event for Joshua. Thanks to all of you who made it so special for him. I love you and miss you already!
Neely at Gaucho's being a good girlMy mom and dad My sister Ayrian and her husband MichaelBrandon and Christi...and the dazed guy on the left is our friend Jeff

New Video of Bodhi

I know this is all I have been talking about but I am so excited! I promise to post something else this weekend! :)

The Puppy's New Name Is.....

Bodhi...and here is why. First of all here is how you say it. B--Long O like goat---D---IE. Like Brodie without the R. We decided on that first of all because JC and I both liked it. Second...it implies nothing about his personality, since we don't know it yet. And third...I can shorten it to Bo or Bo-Bo if I want. We tried to shorten Titan and only came up with something that sounded a lot like another word for breast...:) Anyway...that is his name and I love it. I should have some more video tomorrow. His eyes aren't open yet...the breeder said maybe next week. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

Puppy Names

Here are some of my favorites...help me pick!
Baron
Roscoe
Samson
Titan
Bodhi
and just to be funny....Midget

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam!

Yesterday was Neely's first day of Sunbeams. She was a little apprehensive and made it all but the last 10 minutes or so and they had to bring her to me. She has been sooooo different than Josh was. I remember when Josh was little he would head off into a new situation and never look back. It used to make me sad as a young mom that he never did the "clingy" thing. Now I have Neely and she is "clingy" enough for both of them. Reflecting on having one of each kind I would definately take the way Josh acted any day....even if it was a little hard on my ego :) Neely's way is very taxing on my patience level. When we finally get her convinced to stay somewhere (which is usually a lenthy process), it is usually followed by a 2 or 3 minute fit when I leave, and then she is fine and has a ball. Couldn't we just skip the first two steps and enjoy it from the beginning? SHEESH! Anyway...she was very excited yesterday, and wanted to wear her Christmas dress one more week. She is so sweet when it suits her. I find it very ironic that as parents we spend so much time when they are little wishing they would get to the next stage...eating solids, sitting up, crawling, walking, and everyone prays for the day their kids start nursery. Then somewhere along the way, the scale tips and we can't believe how big they are getting and wish they could stay little forever. I can't believe my little baby is getting so big....sniff, sniff, dab my tears...sniff, sniff. I am so thankful for my children. They are the light of my life. I am a very lucky woman.

Saturdays at the Gym

No, not me....Joshua. Silly readers :) Since Josh is not in 7th grade yet, all of his sports are recreation league which means all of his games are on Saturdays. Football earlier in the year and now basketball. We are about 1/3 of the way through the season, and I can safely say my extreme case of bleacher butt is in full flare-up! We entertain Neely by buying popcorn and ring pops and make a day out of it. Josh is definitely enjoying basketball, but his medicine has made him lose about 20 lbs over the last year and he is actually kind of small compared to a lot of the other kids his age. Hopefully we will hit a growth spurt here pretty soon and get caught up. Until then he can just use it to his advantage by being more quick and agile. His team has struggled and the boys have not won a game yet this season, but hopefully soon! They need it...it's no fun to lose all the time. Josh made 1 basket and 2 free throws for a total of 4 points. I'm very proud of all he does! Good job Josh! PS..You may have to click on the pics in order to see them better...they're a little small!
Josh with his coach...makin' a secret plan!

Our Newest Addition

I have always loved BIG dogs...but was never brave enough to get one. Then this fall I was at Joshua's football game and one of the other football mom's on Joshua's team was there and she had a BEAUTIFUL Great Dane with her. I started talking to her and she started telling me that she breeds them and all about what a great dog they are. This got me thinking about it. She breeds "European" Great Danes...which translates into $2000-$3000 a piece in my language...so I knew I wouldn't be able to afford one of hers, so I started looking. THEN...I saw on Jen's blog about their new Great Dane puppy...and that sealed the deal..I had to have one. I have done lots of research and looked at LOTS of breeders and decided on a woman in Dexter, MO. Her website impressed me right away because even though she is a breeder, she is extra good with her dogs as well as her puppies. She had a female bred that was due on New Year's Eve, so we put a deposit down on a puppy at the beginning of November. She called on Tuesday morning and told me the puppies had been born. We were the second deposit, so we had second choice of the litter. As I looked through the puppies...I knew right away which one I wanted...and luckily it wasn't the same one as the first pick people. Here he is...our new little boy....now we just have to think of a name...if you have suggiestions I'm all ears! He will be ready for us to pick up around the end of February.

Many Updates

OK...the holidays have passed and JC has had a ton of time off during the last two weeks and life almost feels normal again. But alas, my blog has been the one to suffer the most from the busy holiday season. In my defense, in the month before Christmas JC was home about 40 hours total and of those he slept 95% of them which meant that mom had to do all the shopping and preparing for Christmas by herself...and I must say that I did a good job...all except the blog....but my New Year's Resolution is to do a blog this year that I can print off into a book (it is so cool! I'll tell you more later) and have as a very special keepsake. So in the spirit of keeping everyone informed I am going to make several quick posts about the recent events of December. So keep reading!!

Christmas 2008

We had a great Christmas! After stressing about if JC would be off, they let him off for 1/2 day Christmas Eve and all the way through the weekend. It was FABULOUS! It was the best Christmas present I could have gotten. It was also wonderful for Neely and Josh to have him around. They miss him as much as I do. Our Christmas was split this year. Brandon had Joshua for Christmas Eve so Santa came early Christmas morning for Neely and then we went and got Josh and then came home and finished. The kids get to open one present on Christmas Eve each year...new pajamas. Here is Neely with hers on, and the "magic wand of power" as she calls it, that came with them. Neely had been telling everyone she could that Santa was bringing her a new kitchen and a doctor kit this year. And sure enough....what did he bring?? Santa is just that good around here!After we went and got Josh, we came home and opened the rest of our presents. For the last couple of years, Josh has "told us" what he wants for Christmas. I don't like it, and things are going to change because he never gets any suprises...but I think we came up with a few this year despite "the list". Neely got lots of accessories for her kitchen, a new dolly and stroller and lots of girly things. Josh has been asking for an electric guitar forever. I told him that he had to learn how to read music and play and acoustic guitar first...so the dream had died with about 2 piano lessons. Then, my mom calls one day and asks if we want to go in with her to get him one because she didn't know what else to get him and she knew he was dying to have one.....so....Josh got his guitar. He also wanted a ripstik. It is a skateboard on only 2 wheels. He has a lot of fun on it, but it has given him a couple of good falls. I think he is rethinking the statement that he is too old for pads. By the way....those are Josh's pajamas on him in the pictures...glow in the dark rocket jammies with feet! Mom's can be so cruel sometimes! HEHE!

Just an Experiment

I am experimenting with uploading video clips. I can't seem to get it to work throght blogspot so I am trying a youtube upload...here goes...just a little clip of Christmas 2008. You will need to pause the music player at the bottom of the entire blog to hear the sound!

Josh's 12th Birthday

On December 20th, Joshua turned 12 years old! Can I possibly be that old already? Brandon and Christi came over from Oklahoma and we all had a party with some of the neighbors. We went out for Chinese food and had cake and ice cream back at our house. As I sat watching Joshua, I couldn't help but fill with pride and joy at the young man my little boy has become. He is such a wonderful person and a joy to our family. He has such a rough and tough boy exterior, but I love the mushy, squishy spirit inside. He is so kind-hearted and loving. If I can get him to start picking up after himself he will become quite the catch as he gets older! They sustained Joshua as a Decon in sacrament on Sunday, December 28, 2008 and my dad will be here to ordain him in during January. Joshua asked that grandpa ordain him and grandpa was happy to do it. My little boy is growing up! Happy Birthday Buddy!

Josh with his dad, Brandon

His new WIRELESS guitar

His ONLY present for his Birthday AND Christmas from Dad and Christi...a new laptop!At the Chinese place with his girlfriend Michela

Our E X T E N D E D Christmas Break

Joshua was supposed to be out of school December 20th - January 4th. His school has a attendance policy that if the kids miss less than 3 days during the semester than they do not have to take the semester finals. Those were to take place on December 18th and 19th. When Joshua heard about this, he was determined not to have to take the tests and he only missed one full day and then a couple individual classes here and there for appointments and such. So his break was to start on the 18th. That was before the storm. We had some weather move in on the 15th. There was some freezing rain mixed with some sleet. For those of you who don't live in Arkansas, let me explain the conditions. You know how when it snows and then you have a warm day and the snow melts a lot, and then the sun goes down and everything refreezes at night...and yah, it's slick, but definately not the end of the world? That is what we had. It started on Monday morning. By noon they had cancelled the rest of the day of school and sent the kids home. Josh came home already watching the news to see if they would cancel school the next day. I thought that there was no way it would happen. It truely wasn't that bad! Nothing even close to justify cancelling school in Colorado. But sure enough, by about 4 o'clock the whole state was shut down including all the schools. I couldn't believe it! And to boot...all the stores were closed! The grocery stores...even the gas stations! The kids and I went with the neighbors to go out for pizza that night and the pizza parlor was closed! By this time all the major roads were clear...maybe a little wet still but not icy. That night Josh was praying for one more day off because it was his last day before break. I thought no way. And sure enough...about 7 o'clock that night word went out that school was cancelled once again! NO WAY! The kids and I went shopping all day. That sounds like weather worth cancelling school for. They did hold school Thursday and Friday for the kids who had to take finals, but Josh has been out of school since the 15th of December. I took some pictures of the kids playing in it on the morning of the 16th. This was the worst of the storm. I can only draw one conclusion from our first Arkansas snow storm....Arkansans are snow pansies!

Holy Cow!

Can it seriously have been almost a month since I made my last post??? What is wrong with me? I am a blog drop-out! It's not as if we have had nothing going on. We made a fun trip to Denver in the middle of November. My little sister Lori, who has never been married, has reached the age of almost 33, and decided to take out her own endowment. She is my only sibling who is still active in the church, and her and I have always been closer than I am to my other siblings, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be with her for this special event. It was an amazing experience. I am so proud of her. It is not easy for her to be where she is in life. She has an extremely sucessful career. She owns a beautiful, but very empty, 4 bdrm home, and has lots of great friends. She does very well, but as much as she says she doesn't need one of those husbands and especially any of those kids, I know her true heart's desire is to have all of it. The whole package. I pray that making this additional commitment to her Heavenly Father brings her closer to the things she truly wants, and that He will help and guide her in those things.
From left to right - my cousin Scott, my sister Lori, my dad Don, my mom Liz and then me and JC...it was a good day.

As we were going into the temple for my sister's endowment, my cousin Scott was coming out. Scott and his younger sister Cara were the only cousins I had a relationship with growing up. Cara and I had a paper route together and we were good friends. Scott's mom, my aunt, died several years ago from cancer. His dad remarried and basically checked out of the family, devoting all his time and energy to his "new family" leaving my cousins basically without any family. My mom has stepped in and been a parent to them when they need it, and a grandparent to their children. I know that I have said before that my mom is great, but as I tell this story, you will be able to truly appreciate the wonderful woman she is. Cara lives in Missouri with her great hubby, Boyd, and their 4 kids. Scott was married and had 6 kids. About a year ago, he went through a VERY nasty divorce. Scott is a very quiet, mild mannered person. He works 3 jobs to make sure he can provide for his family. His ex-wife was not a very nice person and had been EXTREMELY nasty and unkind since the divorce. Things like not letting the kids call Scott dad anymore...they were instructed to call him Scott and their new step-dad was dad, taking them and moving to Atlanta, not letting Scott ordain his oldest son to the preisthood, financially devastating Scott, not letting the kids talk to him on the phone....the list goes on and on. You get the picture. The situation was taking such a toll on Scott. Everyone who cared about him was praying for some kind of resolution to the situation. That he could find some sort of happiness in a very bad situation. So as we were buying Lori's new "undies", my dad came in and said my mom needed to come outside right away. I could tell by my dad's face that something was really wrong. We paid for our stuff and went outside. Scott was there with my dad and he was crying. He hugged my mom and told her that his ex-wife had died the night before. She had gone in earlier in the week for exploratory surgery, and died of a blood clot while recovering. We were all floored. It was such a shock. We didn't have time to talk very long, but Scott came with us to Lori's session. As I sat there in Lori's session a million things ran through my mind. Of coarse you worry about the kids. What would happen? They were all the way out in Atlanta. But the longer I sat thinking about it, the more I realized that this was what all of us had been praying for. No, we weren't praying that she would die...but that there would be some kind of resolution to this horrible situation. That her heart would be softened and let Scott have the relationship with his kids that any father should be given. Her motives were so selfish, and it was the children that were suffering because of it. I truly believe that this was Heavenly Father's way of making it right. Maybe he knew her heart to so hard it could not be changed and this was the only way to make the situation right. I don't know...but it makes me think. Scott was living in a one bedroom apartment and was NOT set up to take in six kids ranging in age from 13 to 3. So my mom and dad opened up their home to Scott and all of his children. When the children arrived they had the Sunday clothes they wore to the funeral and one pair of pajamas. The ex's parents refused to give Scott the rest of their belongings. So my mom would wash their clothes at night, and their pajamas by day until the situation was resolved...which was over a week! Since Scott works 3 jobs, my mom has had to be their mom. The children did not start school right away because they had to find a house to live in first. So she had all of them, all day, every day for a while. Once they found a house, my mom took them all and got them registered for school. She went shopping for supplies and clothes. All this while caring for them (they are emotionally devistated), cooking, and cleaning. They all moved into their new home over this last weekend, but my mom is still caring all day for the youngest who is 3. She has to pick one up from half day kindergarten and has all of them in the evenings when Scott goes to his night job. My mom also helps out one of my other sisters with her two boys. She has truly been amazing during this time. Some days she is stretched to her limit, and wishes she could just go back to her empty nest status, but knows what has to be done in this time of need. I am very proud of her and think of her every day and for the sacrifices she makes. She has more kids at 60+ years old than she did when she was young, but she is using her love and kindness to make a lasting impression on a group of children that have seen enough sadness and pain in their short lives to last them the rest of their life. I know they will look back as they get older on this time with my mom and remember it was with her that they began to heal and mend and get back to normal, and for that my mom should be the proudest woman on earth. I love you mom!

A Day Together as a Family.......Priceless.

This weekend we were blessed to have JC home the whole weekend. I was supposed to go to Oklahoma to see my sister's new baby but I caught Neely's cold, so we stayed home. By Saturday afternoon I was feeling a little better, and since Joshua didn't have a football game for the first time in a long time, we found ourselves with a free afternoon. We LOVE the movie Madagascar! We have been anticipating the new one since we saw the trailer for it months ago. I tried to take Neely to see Kung Fu Panda and she made it through the trailers and about 15 minutes of the movie, so I had sworn them off till she was a little older. Since that was about 6 months ago, I thought we might be able to try it again. So Saturday afternoon we packed up and went to lunch and a movie. I love BBQ, and my favorite place is Famous Daves in Little Rock. It is the yummiest! (It probably would have tasted even better if I could breath through my nose!) After lunch we went over to the Chenal Parkway theaters. If you aren't aware, these are the new theaters that have the huge IMAX screen. We went to see the 2:30 matinee. We would go see movies in Colorado on the IMAX screen and it was always the same price as any other screen in the theater, you just had to luck out and hope they were playing the movie you wanted to see on the big screen. Well, we were standing in line and I caught a glimpse of the conversation going on in front of me and heard the teller tell the man that his total was thirty something dollars for the 3 tickets he had just purchased. I got that shocked look on my face and asked the guy if I had heard right. (It would have been too easy, and not had nearly the effect if I had just looked at the price board) Sure enough, I had heard right. Matinee price for the IMAX theater, adult or child is $11. Are you serious?!?! But there we were, in line, Neely was stoked, we were excited....what do you do?? You pay $44 to see a matinee movie...that's what you do. We had a ball, and Neely sat mesmorized through the whole thing. So Madagascar 2 is her first official movie at 3 yrs 3 months. And I now have this beautiful Mastercard commercial.

Lunch at Famous Daves $46

Movie at IMAX Theater $44

Snacks at the theater $25

Afternoon together as a family......priceless.

Ready, Set, Blog!

The house is a mess, and there is a mountain of laundry that needs done, so it seemed like a great day to spend the morning not doing that and catching up on my blog. There are several posts, so just keep on reading! Love Ya!

PS - While catching up on friends' blog I found that I had been tagged! So here goes...

Seven Things I'm Thankful for:
1. My husband and kids. They are my world. Today is Veteran's Day. I have been listening to the TV while blogging and the Today Show did a segment on mom's who had lost their sons in Iraq and Afghanistan. My heart breaks and I cry out loud for those women. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child and pray that I never do.
2. My parents and sisters. There were times in my life when I did not appreciate them, and today I am so thankful for the relationship I have with them. I am especially thankful for my mom. I grew up hoping I would never be like her (be honest, all teenage girls do it), and today I hope that I grow up to be just like her. Thanks mom!
3. The gospel. I am so thankful for the guidance it gives me in my life.
4. My husband's job. With everything going on in the world, the oil and gas industry in Arkansas might be one of few that will not suffer in these hard economic times.
5. Good friends. They are my life jacket. More days than not I feel like I could give up and drown at any moment. Thanks to them I am able to kick back to shore and head out for more. I miss friends far away...and think of you often...and am thankful for the new ones we have made here.
6. Modern conveniences. I think about those who lived without cars, running water, electricity etc, and awe at how they did it. I was definately born during this time because my Heavenly knew I could cope with all the other modern troubles in return for a flushing toilet and comfy bed.
7. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Enough said. LOL!

I tag...
Michelle Cannon since I'm sure everyone else I would tag has already done it!

This is Wrong on SOOOO Many Levels!

Joshua and his friend Tristen had a sleep over weekend before last. (Yes, I'm just now blogging it!) The weather was warm enough, and they decided to sleep outside. They quickly figured out that if they did that they would have nothing electronic to play with for the duration of their late night. This was their solution. Do you remember the days when you had a sleep over and you talked and goofed around playing dumb games like "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board?", or prank calling the boys you liked? What has the world come to??
Do you see all the extension cords??
TV, PS2/DVD player, IPOD and speakers, and a cooler for pop and snacks.

After they spent all evening hauling this stuff outside and setting it up, they retreated back into the house at about 10 pm claiming it was frostbite weather outside. I got on the internet and looked....it was 62. Yep...frostbite for sure!

Football is Over! WOO-HOO!

Well, football is finally over! I seemed like a very long season of practices and Saturday games. Joshua's team finished 3rd in their conference. They concluded the season with a great game beating Greenbrier (a team who had previously beat them) at the playoffs in Heber Springs. Congratulations to Joshua! I am very proud of him and all the hard work he put in. He had quite the learning curve trying to play Arkansas football. All of his teammates have dads who eat, drink, and live football and we just don't. They have also been playing together for a couple of years in this tiny town and he was the new kid. He had lots of things to overcome, and came out of it having a great year and getting a decent amount of playing time. I am very proud of him. Next comes basketball. We have already started practice. His first game is this weekend, but he will be in Colorado for an orthodontist appointment. That means a free Saturday for mom before the basketball schedule takes over our Saturdays again. Neely also had a very successful season as the ONLY 6th grade football cheerleader. She was a hit! Joshua at his awards banquet with Coach John.

House and Minnie

November 11th seems like as good as any day to post Halloween photos. No it's not....I apologize to both the grandmas for taking so long. Neely was Minnie Mouse. I'm sure you noticed right away that she is pink and white...not red and white. Although the Minnie Mouse we know wears red and white, the Minnie Mouse Neely knows wears pink and white. For those who don't know...the Disney Channel brought Mickey Mouse Clubhouse back to life, but this time as a cartoon of Mickey and his friends paling around. Neely LOVES this show. We have all 43 of them made saved on the DVR and most days it is all we watch. When discussing what to be for Halloween, Neely announced that she wanted to be Minnie Mouse. At this point I had not even noticed that Minnie was in pink and not red. So being the good mommy I am, I got on the internet and started looking for a Minnie Mouse costume. Neely was watching over my shoulder and I was asking her is she liked this one or that one, and she quickly had a 3 year old fit and informed me that she wanted PINK! Well, I just thought she wanted pink because she always wants pink, but then noticed on the TV that Minnie had pink on. So I started looking for the elusive pink Minnie Mouse costume. I actually found one on Disney.com, and they were on sale...but they were out of the matching ears. So, I went I ebay. I found the costume...but of coarse I could not purchase just the ears, so we ended up breaking the budget for the PINK Minnie Mouse costume. Sheesh! Josh was Horacio Cane of CSI Miami for the church trunk or treat, and when no one knew who that was, switched to House for trick or treating. House was a hit, everyone knew who that was. I guess we know which show gets watched more my mainstream Arkansas. We went trick or treating with some friends from Joshua's football team and their parents. We all had a good time....although....I still think trick or treating is dumb. LOL!

Boys will be boys! (And they wouldn't hold still so I could get a good picture!)

Tristen is some guy off the Halloween movies (I have no idea), Brian was a dead football player, and Joshua was House, and Neely REALLY didn't like the masks!!

We lucked out and Daddy was home for Halloween. We are thankful for the little things! :)

Halloween....Schmalloween!!

It is pretty safe to say that Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. I don't like costumes. They are so much hassle and expense for one dumb night. Case in point. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday. I got a few groceries (like 10 small items), candy for the ward party, decorations for my trunk (for the trunk or treat), and some final small things for the kids' costumes (we had bought the costumes in a different transaction) and I spent $127!! I have determined that it would be a much better deal for me if I just take my kids to Wal-Mart and let them each spend $20 on candy and forget all of this nonsense. I would come out WAY ahead of the game! I know what you are all thinking. How much fun would that be? And your right. There is something really cute about dressing up the kids when they are little. Not so much fun when they are Josh's age. One minute it is one thing with an investment of $30, then he wants to switch to something different with an additional investment of $20. All for $5 worth of candy! OK...I think I am done now...time to put on my happy face and talk about pumpkin carving. This is one part of Halloween I do like. This year we printed some patterns off the internet. Josh did the Frankenstein face, Neely wanted the ghost (I carved it), and I did the spider. I have to say they turned out pretty good...even if most of my spider's legs are broken! We had a great time! Carving pumpkins in Arkansas is a lot more fun than Colorado. We did it outside, and it wasn't even cold! It was actually warm inside the pumpkin....that is a far cry from fingers throbbing from the cold inside a cold Colorado pumpkin! When I was a kid, most Halloween nights were spent in your coat and boots. I'm serious! My memories of trick or treating are freezing! It was always snowing, or there was snow on the ground, or it was below 30 degrees. No wonder I don't like Halloween! I've been emotionally scarred by cold weather!


Joshua had to paint his, he said it would look scarier that way.

This is me being sad because all my legs broke!