11.19.2008

twilight


Call me crazy, but I haven't read any of the Twilight series. Even still, I am vaguely aware of what it's about. So in my attempt to capture Drake kissing Avery, coupled with the delay on my camera, this is what I got:



...and these are just two of the most beautiful people I can imagine...

11.14.2008

Hilda

I found out yesterday that my friend Hilda passed away this week. She was our next door neighbor for the first year and a half that we lived in this town. I still kept in touch with her on occasion after we moved, and it was always fun to talk with her. Drake really liked Hilda. She knew him from when he was just 2 months old! Hilda would have turned 92 years old this February. These pictures are from the last time I saw her, just a few months ago, when she drove out to our house so she could meet Avers.





She was a wonderful neighbor and friend, and will be missed by many.

11.06.2008

bakery fieldtrip


Last week, our preschool group went to a local bakery for a fieldtrip. I love bakeries. I think the kids had a good time too.


Entering the bakery.



We were led into the back room to see how they did things.



The kids got to see the big oven, the fridge, and the small work space. The mixers: one KitchenAid, and one Bosch--no big mixer! That's insane, considering that they put out around 600 rolls a day during the holidays!



Each kid (and parent if they wanted) got a free cookie of their choice at the end. Me and a couple other moms stayed after the field trip was over and ate lunch there.



Fresh-baked goods can't be beat. I do enjoy baking at home with my kiddos, but it's nice sometimes when the "work" is already done.






11.04.2008

our little cowfolk


I decided to take some pics of the kids before we took them trick-or-treating.






















lotsa halloween... lotsa candy


The first time Drake got candy (and got to wear his cowboy costume) was to a birthday party for his friend Parker. He was thrilled! In the picture below, you can kinda see a piece of string in his left hand--he found it somewhere in the house and insisted on taking it with him, saying that "cowboys have ropes, so I have to bring a rope with me."



Last Tuesday night, our ward had their Trunk or Treat. We dressed up as cowboys (or cowgirls) and had a good time. It didn't take Graham long to catch on to the candy collecting!



An added bonus to this year was no casualties! Last year, at Trunk or Treat, Drake fell on the asphalt and got a huge goose-egg on his forefead (picture below left). At the ward Christmas party, he fell and hit the metal part on a stacking chair, 'causing two perfectly placed holes on his forehead (picture below right), but he wouldn't let us put band-aids on them, and he insisted we not go home until he had seen Santa Claus....



So back to this year. The day before Halloween (Graham's birthday), Drake had a little party at preschool. He had a great time being in costume with his preschool buddies.



This is the preschool group and some siblings. One of Drake's favorite things at the party was dancing to music. He does it all the time at home, so he was more than happy to do it with his friends.



They read Halloween stories.



They made t.p. mummies (Natalie was the example).



Drake was more than happy to wrap other people up in toilet paper, but he wouldn't let anyone touch him!



At the end of the preschool party, we headed over to the library for a special storytime. He made this spider hat at another storytime.


They had guest readers, and one of them actually dressed up.



They made "ghost" windsocks with white paper and white streamers.



Graham (cute cowboy on the right) probably thought this was all part of his birthday celebration.



They got to eat a cookie at the end of it. Happy day!



And Happy Birthday again!



On Halloween night, we took the kids to the mall for an indoor "Trunk or Treat" put on by the police officers and the stores throughout the mall. Drake didn't know where to start!



He always likes to see the police cars.



Here they're waiting in line for the police officers who were giving out candy. We didn't go to all the stores, maybe not even half of them, but the kids still got plenty of candy.



Avery was a gem, as always, even though she didn't get any candy.



We stopped by just a few homes before returning to our own home. Saturday they wouldn't let up on wanting candy. With all the candy and the time change, come Sunday morning they woke up at 5:00 a.m.! The kids are still wired. Below, Graham is proudly displaying some candy he "found" (without asking of course). That seems to be happening a lot lately.


Happy Halloween!!

11.03.2008

a pumpkin night

The Monday night before Halloween, we had a pumpkin theme going.

For dinner, we made pumpkin pizzas. They're obviously excited about it.



Drake was particular about where the pepperonis were placed.



The end result!



After dinner we (well, Shad) carved a pumpkin from our garden!

The boys and their pumpkin.



Shad and his carving skills.



The boys were quite intrigued (with Shad's carving skills, I'm sure).



Check out the concentration...



The lighting of the pumpkin.



Oooooh.... Ahhhhh...



We still have more pumpkins. Maybe we'll carve another one for Thanksgiving...