Pictures from Bradley's Friend Party

Shooting down the ghosts

"Mummy Wrap"

Pictures from Bradley's Birthday

HALLOWEEN 2013!!!

We had a great Halloween!  The whole day was FULL of craziness, but I was so grateful for a year when we only had to do the costumes ONCE!  This is different from years past.  So it all started really late, the night before :).  The last minute of course.  When I finally sat down and started on the costumes we'd been planning all month.  Not sure why I do that, but oh well.  It works.  I sewed the eyes, feathers, and belly onto a red sweatshirt hoodie for Luke's Angry bird costume.  Nate helped me decide to put off Noah's ninja costume even longer since we kind of needed it on him to complete it.  But I did manage to round up all the accessories and parts for each of the kids' costumes.  I like it when I'm organized.
I got to go help out in Noah's class with his party (I got to plan it!), we played the eyeball ping pong ball game.  The kids seemed to like it okay.  No one was overly thrilled with it :), but we had fun.  Nate helped out in Bradley's class with the game we had to do there.  We ended up doing the ping pong ball game there too :).  They drew their own eyeballs on.  Then, in Kelly's class, the party I planned went well, I sent a hallowed out pumpkin filled with spaghetti noodles and pumpkin guts mixed with candy for the kids to fish candy out of.  I was happy with how well everything fell together in the end for all three parties :). 
Then the evening got underway.  I couldn't believe how fast it went though!  All of a sudden it was time to go trick-or-treating!  I didn't mind that most of them were already in their costumes, but we had to put on all the finishing touches!  We raced outside, hurriedly took some pictures (much to my dismay, they're not very good) and then headed off through the neighborhood for free candy!!  Nate and I both went with the kids.  Neither one of us wants to miss out.  We just leave a bowl of candy out on the porch for everyone to have :).  Probably not the nicest way to do it, but I don't really care.  I like being with them.  The kids made out like bandits with their loot!  LOTS of candy!!  And we were feeling it all weekend, wrapper-wise, and sugar-high-wise!!  Everyone was zombies for a couple days.  Kinda nice, but made for a really messy house :).  We all survived :).  HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO US! :) I will post pictures as soon as I can

Erika went through many choices this year, ending with a ducky like her friend Kate.  That would have been perfect because we have a little ducky costume.... problem is, our costume is size 18 mos!!  Crazy girl's been playing in it and wearing it when it's WAY too small.  Talk about a wedgy!!  The feet and hands were up to her knees and elbows.  Anyway- I vetoed it.  I know, I'm horrible.  The great news is we found this fantastic Princess dress at the DI, like two days before Halloween and it made the perfect costume for Erika :).  When I asked her if she would like to be a Princess, she said, "Sure."  With a smile, but seriously with almost no feeling whatsoever :).  Just pleased with the option :).  She looked beautiful in her sparkly hair and makeup too :).  Which I'm pretty sure MADE the outfit for the night :).  She liked Trick-or Treating.  I carried her bag most of the way, but she trucked along with the big kids the WHOLE TIME!  I was impressed!  In her sunday shoes and everything!  She really got into it.

Kelly had chosen to be a cheerleader a while ago.  Several people stole her idea got the same idea.  She decided that the way to be different would be to dress as a DEAD cheerleader instead :).  So she did.  Heidi let her borrow her old Viewmont uniform, but wouldn't let us cut it up.  So we decided to cut up the old leggings instead.  Nate did her scary make-up, she looked GREAT!!  She even added some skeleton bones to her hair :).  Very creative.  Kelly was the boss during the Trick-or-Treating.  She made sure everyone was on the porch before they said anything or rang the doorbell (At least for the first few houses :), before her system got rejected).  She was so sweet and polite though, complimenting people on their decorations and such.  She really gets into Halloween.

Lukey finally got to be an Angry Bird.  He had wanted to last year when the stores were full of costumes, but being the cheapskate that I am made him wait til I could get one for cheap.  Unfortunately that day never came.  So we resorted to making one ourselves.  Well, clarification, I made one myself!!!  I was so proud of myself!  Sewing and all!  And if I do say so myself, it turned out great!  I even washed it (darn art project got chalk all over it at school!) and put it away in the costume box for another use!  This was one of the projects I saved for the last minute, the night before when I was writhing in pain.  We just used the red hoodie that we used for his Alvin costume a few years ago, and some old scraps I had in my fabric!  Luke approved of it though and that was more than enough for me.  If it's good enough for Luke, then it's pretty darn good!!  If only we'd remembered to stuff it on Halloween night.  I didn't hear much from Luke during Trick-0r-Treating.  He was off to the next house before he could :).  He was so happy through it all though!  I loved it!

Jack's costume was certainly not what I had hoped for, but turned out to be SO ADORABLE!!!  I had all these dreams of a JACK in the Box costume, or a JACK-o-lantern costume, or a JACK jack from Incredibles costume.  Didn't happen.  But my sweet husband, totally trying to rid me of more work, picked up this adorable little monster costume from Costco on his way home the day before Halloween and made my day!!  Love that man!  And doesn't Jack look so cute and cuddly wuddly!!!  Not to mention WARM!  I love that they've finally gotten smart and made the costumes for the weather!  He did great trick-or-treating!  Didn't seem to mind that he was in the stroller all evening.  He enjoys watching people.  Nate let him get out every couple of houses though, to get some candy.  He was COVERED in sugary, stickiness by the time we got home though!  

Charity chose to be a cheerleader this year!  Her outfit was a little harder to come by than Kelly's.  But we found most of it at the costume store that we love.  They are good at making things work.  We had wanted to put a W on her shirt, but did I mention I was dying??  Well, it didn't happen either.  She looked great though!!  I love that we remembered to do the W on her cheek :).  She would have preferred a BYU cheerleader costume, but ya can't win 'em all.  That is her dream school right now.  Anyway- she looked great!  She loved Trick-or-Treating.  I could tell she felt a little old though :).  She's definitely growing up.  Not too much though!  Still got another few years of it in her!

Bradley decided to be Clark Kent.  I LOVED his costume!  All month I kept telling him what a brilliant idea it was, and how creative he was, and talking him up to everyone... come to find out, he got the idea from me!  Huh.  He looked great though!!  I think he liked it a little :).  I loved how easy it was :).  Just grabbed some church pants at the DI so that he didn't have to ruin his nice suit pants (which unfortunately got all torn up in the wash- apparently they mean it when they say "dry clean only").  He was so handsome for school when he slicked his hair!  Cute boy.  I just love him.  Bradley stuck by Rachel most of the time.  Practically running from house to house.  He had a great time!  

And Mr. Noah wanted to be just like his buddy Josh, and chose to be a Ninja!  We stole most of the costume idea from his friend, which happened to be quite cheap and easy.  Dollar store mask and weapons (which he left at home!!!!!  ugh!), some black clothes we already had, and some red duct tape!  I loved the easiness of this one.  He had a hard time taking it off the next day, he loved it so much :).  I'm glad.  It's always fun when I know they love it.  He was so in character all night, he "just wanted to do ninja moves" after a few blocks of trick-or-treating, rather than carry that heavy pillow case.  Funny kid :).  .

Charity, Rachel, and Kelly the neighborhood cheerleaders

L:ook at all that candy!!!!!  HOLY MOLY!

Grandma and Simon came over to see what they got.  Luckily the Almond joys were a big hit this year, the kids are always generous with those :).  

The next day, they had the neighbor kids over for a Trading session.  Fun kids!

Pictures from Bradley's Family Party

Pictures from Grandma Ruthie's Birthday at the really cool park!