Hmmmm....

So some of you might have noticed I haven't updated my blog say, since November. And it is almost February. Well I am in the anti-blogger world mode. I am trying to decide if this is really a keeper. Or if maybe I want to go private - well I know I want to go private, it's just that I have other things to consider. So there you have it - this blog is temporarily closed for repairs, remodeling or who knows, maybe forever. I know this will make so many of you so, so sad...ha, ha. But in the meantime, I will throw in a picture just for fun.


There, isn't that cute? Let's see fall background on the blog, Morgan on Santa's lap, February 3 days away...and you wonder why I'm thinking of quitting the blog business???

"I got a rock" or Our Halloween fun!

Okay so I totally blew it when I posted Marcus on the day he got home. Now it's not good enough to just post things a couple of months after the fact. I ruined it all and I have no one to blame but myself. So I guess I will go ahead and blog about Halloween even before Thanksgiving and Christmas! Wow, this is alot of pressure! If I didn't have the pressure of 2 fabulous nieces (you know who you are Michele & Jackie)always outblogging me, I'd probably just quit, but I am so trying to be like them!
Okay so first off we picked the absolutely worst weather day to go to the pumpkin patch...nice. It was so windy which in a field of dirt and pumpkins doesn't make for a nice day. The Sat. before and the Sat. after were both be-ooo-tee-ful, only too bad for us. So we didn't stay as long as normal, but we still had a fun time. At least we still got kettle corn!!:) We had grandma (my mom) and my niece Audrey, her husband Jaron and their cute little boy Luke come with us. Poor Luke was having a hard time with all the blowing dust - really we all were - but he was a little more miserable then the rest. Of course I took a gazillion pictures, but I will just try to post a few of the better ones.:)
Funny thing the difference between boys and girls...Morgan wants her pumpkin carved with a BIG smiley face and Kolten wants a skull and crossbones. Hmmm...totally reflects their personalities right now!:) Kolten's had to be improvised a little, but it turned out pretty cool - he really liked it!
The night before Halloween we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" which of course is almost the best thing about Halloween and I can't believe I am admitting this, but Kolten & Morgan had never seen it. I know I couldn't believe it either. What was I thinking? They loved it of course - I mean, who doesn't?
Halloween was well you know - Halloween. The only difference this year was that I spent all day baking - at least it seemed that way. I made caramel apples and homemade oreos (with orange frosting of course) and Monster cookies for the school carnival. I just did those because of the name - even though they aren't monsters. Oh well, whatever, I put the Halloween M&Ms in them and they looked cute. They tasted good so really that's what matters. Okay so there were 2 differences this year...Kolten had decided not to dress up. It was bitter-sweet for me, because on the one hand it was like "cool, I don't have to make him a costume" and then the other feeling was sad that he is getting too old to want to dress up.:( Well the irony of all of this is that about 15 minutes (literally) before we are leaving to go to the carnival he decides that yes, in fact, he would like to dress up. Hmmmm.... didn't I ask him every day for 2 weeks if he was sure he didn't want to dress up? Yes I did, and he didn't. So this is where the dad takes over because the mom is thinking "are you kidding me?" So I finished working on Morgan who wanted to be a "black cat with pink ears" and who I think looked very cute! I made her costume oh like the night before...but it turned out cute, I think. She was definitely the cutest cat I saw!:) But seriously it's hard not to be cute when you're Morgan - sorry but it's true!:) So I really don't know what Kolten was. He cut an old shirt to look like a wild animal (maybe a black cat with pink ears):) had "clawed him" and wore some pants that were too small and ripped. And then he topped it off with some red paint (blood, I assume?) and messy hair. Yes it was stellar. But you know what, I really didn't care. He was happy with it and so I guess that is all that mattered. Morgan loved her costume, too, and both of them had a great time at the carnival. Yes, glad that's over for another year! Let's hear it for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!
Okay, so maybe I took a few too many pictures...yes, it's time for another slideshow.:)

Marcus is back!!!

And everyone is so happy! Marcus (my nephew & a favorite cousin of Kolten & Morgan) got home from his mission (Argentina) today. Morgan & Kolten have been so excited and were thrilled to be able to go to the airport today to see him come home. After Marcus' mom, then dad hugged him, Morgan ran right up and took her turn! Sorry Audrey, Jackie, Clarice, & Brady!:) I don't think she could wait any longer. We spent the whole day with a welcome home lunch party at Carrie's and Morgan was pretty attached to Marcus. It was a fun day and we are so happy to have Marcus back home. What a great example he has been to Kolten & Morgan - and we still have Brock, Cory, & Jordan out and Sarah entered the MTC today! We are so blessed to be part of such a great family!

Morgan & Marcus

Marcus can't believe how big Kolten is!

We Love Marcus!

The whole gang at the airport!

Fall Break Fun

Kolten and Morgan only got a couple of days vacation for Fall Break, so for one of those days, we met some family (Cheri's, Michele's, Leann's and Grandma & Christiane) at the fairgrounds to have a cookout, feed the ducks, ride bikes and play. It was fun to visit and of course eat! We took our handcrank ice cream freezer and made homemade ice cream to go with the apple crisp. Mmmmm! We are so lucky to have such a great family! Thanks for the fun!

Katelyn, Morgan & Beckie - posing for the picture!

Kolten, Katelyn, Morgan, Beckie & Christiane feeding the ducks.

Now that it's the second nine weeks of school...

I figured it's a good time to post the first day of school pictures. Really, I know, how annoying is this...sorry, but sometimes life just gets busy. Morgan was very excited to start the 2nd grade and so excited to be going back to school. Kolten was, well, up and dressed anyway. The older he gets, the less exciting "back to school" is. They are both doing well and enjoying it for the most part. They both still love Fridays and any breaks they get, and so do I!!!

Bummer...

for Kolten...he woke up Sunday morning while I was in the shower and Brad was well still snoozing and started making breakfast to surprise us. He has done this before, but unfortunately this time it was Fast Sunday. Bummer! He had made German Pancakes and buttermilk syrup. He was a pretty good sport about it after I told him it was Fast Sunday. He served up a plate for Morgan who was VERY excited since she was the only one eating! Thanks Kolten!
Still giving the "thumbs up" (in the potholder) even though he can't eat. What a kid!


Morgan so happy that she gets to eat! Little does she know that's going to change all too soon for her!!:)

This & That from the past....

Holy cow here it is November! Where is the time going? Here are some more little blurbs from the past couple (or more):) months! Then for sure I will be caught up! Ha, ha - of course I'm kidding. If I was caught up, what ever would I do??:)

Hmmm...I really wonder if Morgan was a dog in a former life...:) She is definitely an animal lover!! (It's not a great picture as I am taking it from inside the truck but she's right there with her tongue waggin', so excited to go for a ride!:))


We went to a D-Backs game (a long time ago):) with some family. Cheap seats with an even cheaper deal because it was a section for people involved with adoption - they were recognizing adoption. There were a few others there, but we were probably the majority. A lot of Brad's family came, too, so that was fun!
Clarice & Morgan

Kolten & Dallin (a cousin)

Little Miss Diamondback fan!


Kolten went on a Webelos 5 mile "Mormon Battalion" Hike. Brad went with him. They went through some of the actual area the Mormon Battalion went through. Kolten came home tired, but with a lot of facts/info, so I think he enjoyed it!:) The boys had to each carry a wooden "musket" that was supposed to weigh the same as the muskets that were really carried. They also only ate "hardtack" ( a hard biscuit), jerky and some jolly ranchers hard candy to suck on, I guess. They really roughed it!:)
Before

During:)


Morgan got to ride the horse by herself and she was EXCITED!!!!!