Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

Sarah hugging our rotting pumpkin. Yes, it was rotting. What a joke, I still was able to carve so that you couldn't see the mushy parts.

Ew...pumpkin guts! I tried to get Sarah to touch it but she kept telling me it was gross. Very cute!

Sarah was so insistent on "helping"... which as you all know makes things harder than it has to be. So Sarah and I would take turns and I would work like a mad woman when it was my turn so we could finish before the end of the year.

Sarah helping Daddy... he was much more patient than me.

Ariel and the Tombstone.

I didn't realize until after we were done and I set them out that someone could interpret this as meaning Ariel is DEAD... hope I didn't traumatize some cute kid to tears. She's alive and well, go watch your movie and you'll see. 

Ward Halloween Party

Yes, that is right, mascara. She felt like quite the little princess.

See, she is totally glowing.

Of course, and the drive to the church she fell asleep (the Ward party STARTED at 7pm, which is Sarah's new bedtime) and so she was a little cranky when we got there. When her friend wanted to play with other kids, and not her she burst into tears... and yes, we had mascara everywhere! She looked more like a Goth-Princess at that point. But thanks to the wonders of baby wipes we got her all cleaned up and she was soon running circles around tables with some other kids.

Ryan challenging Elder Russell to a donut eating contest...

...Ryan lost... it was close though, we all thought Ry was going to win and then out of no where Elder Russell was victorious!

They had about 5 rooms set up with various activities you could go to. It was a very well thought out and planned party. Props to the new activities committee.

Trick or Treating

My friend Tiffany and all of her neighbors were going Trick or Treating together and so we decided to tag along. I was in such a rush though (we got caught in a traffic jam and completely missed the pre trick or treating bash, I was bummed) that I didn't get a shot of Sarah & Abby together, OR of all the cute kids she went trick or treating with. Oh well...next year.

Abby enjoying the nice weather.

This is about as much as we saw Sarah... she was a blur the whole night!

Yup, you can be jealous. Lots of houses were giving away FULL SIZED CANDY BARS!!! Woot Woot!

Abby chomping away at her toy... she is quite the chewer lately.

After we did a street with the gang we decided it was time to head back our direction. We stopped on the way home to get a couple more photo opportunities. Well that and then sweet old people would open their doors and call to us in a rather lonely tone, "Aren't you going to stop here and trick or treat?" How could we walk pass that. The same thing happened on the way to meet up with everyone, and we were like..."We're meeting up with others, we'll be back, we promise!" But some were insistent and we double dipped from them.

She got really good after watching all the other little kiddos.

Her haul. It really didn't feel like we hit that many houses. I am afraid for next year when Abby will have her own bag... she already got a few pieces this year just for being cute!

Well that was our Halloween! We enjoyed it, it is after all my FAVORITE holiday!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Sucker for Shoes

I found the CUTEST website for shoes!!! See Kai Run.

Love it!

The site is a little different in the fact that they don't carry a whole bunch of different sizes in each shoe. When I was skimming through some of the ones I really liked
they didn't have in Sarah's size.

Oh well, probably for the best... or at least best for my wallet!

Too bad they don't have them in my size, or I'd really be in trouble. ;-)

The Straight-Jacket Method

When Abby is ready for a nap she will fuss anywhere but here. As soon as I swaddle her up and buckle her in so she can't unswaddle herself she falls asleep almost instantly. I kind of feel like a bad parent because it looks so mean. But she loves it... trust me I have tried just laying her swaddled everywhere else, but her swing or carseat are her preferred choice of rest.

And of course she loves having blankets on her face, which makes me paranoid that she won't be able to breath, but when I move the blankets... she wakes up!

If you look back on the "Good Morning Sunshine" blog you can see she was strapped in like this too. Silly girl, but I'll take what ever works!

What a good big sister...

I was doing something and couldn't hold Abby at the moment and she of course was fussing on the floor, wanting to be held. I asked Sarah who was trailing me around the house, if she would go and talk to Abby for a minute while Mommy finished up.

"Okay Mon-ney"

A minute or two later I hear Sarah cooing and talking to Abby. I came into the living room to find Sarah laying next to Abby telling her that it was okay and to be happy. Abby of course was delighted to have Sarah giving her so much attention, she already adores her big sister.

Sarah was so sweet and didn't mind that Abby...

Grabbed her face...

Gouged her eyes...

Spread drool all over...

Pinched her lips...

Or pulled her hair...

She just sat there saying "Its okay Abby," "Thats my eye," "Thats my nose," "Thats my hair," or mentioning what ever part of Sarah's face that Abby was touching (or beating up more like it). When I saw how hard Abby was pulling her big sister's hair I was worried Sarah would get mad and be mean to Abby, but she is a VERY good big sister.

I love you Sarah, thanks for being such an amazing big sister!

So far so good...

Ever since my dad called to tell me about my mom's tumor a couple weeks ago I have been so distracted. I kept having all of these thought of my mom passing away... I am not ready to lose my mom. I still have so much to learn from her.

So, needless to say I have been so anxious all this week for my mom's surgery. Thankfully, everything went well, I always imagine worst possible outcome. But she is great and is such a trooper! 'Cause having knee replacement surgery wasn't enough for the year... Sheesh!

They removed a football sized, 2-3 lbs tumor from her abdomen and the pathologist says that it is NOT cancerous. What a relief.

Thank goodness for answered prayers.

Preview of coming events...

Pumpkin carving...

Costume parade...

Fall Family Pics...

My good friend offered to take family pictures in the leaves with her new SLR digital camera (I am green with envy). This is the jacket Sarah will be wearing... I love it, so cute! Hopefully we get a sunny day before the leaves are all gone...this past week would have been perfect, it has been gorgeous! Dang colds keeping us inside! Bleh!

Foiled again!

Abby is becoming quite the little giggler...unfortunately I cannot seem to catch it on film to share. But I thought these foiled attempts were fun to watch.

Sarah tries so hard to be such a good big sister, but I still think it is hilarious how Sarah bangs the Baby against the couch right after tickling Abby!

I LOVE Sarah's fake laugh. Poor Abby, she is so patient with her spastic sissy.

She is such a sweetie. Awe! I love being a mommy.

Heaven forbid Mom try and get the baby to laugh on her own... Sarah always has to be there to help. I love my sweet Sarah.

Abby LOVES this toy, even if she is screaming her head off you pull it out and instantly she stops crying. She usually giggles at it... but for the camera... not a chance.

New Lamps!

The other day when I was shopping I found some college lamps and shades that they were clearing out of Walmart for Three Bucks!!! I couldn't pass it up. In my excitement I didn't take a before shot. Sorry!

I was going to do a tutorial of how I made them...I decided it was lame...anyone could do it, but because I do have a before of the shade. It is just plain. Nothing exciting, and really it didn't become anything exciting but I love it. I just spray painted the lamp silver and mod-podged some brown fabric onto the shade (I am new to the mod-podging world and I think I used way too much because it took forever to dry!)

I had some fringe, ribbons and all kinds of things that I debated putting on to make them cuter, but I love them  plain and simple.

I love, love, love the way they light up my room!

Stay tuned. I am working on giving these baskets a face-lift so they aren't such an eye sore in my living room.

PS - Some how I misplaced (or Sarah found) my bottle of mod-podge. This could be bad...

A good way to avoid bedime...

Snuggling with Daddy

Daddy loves it too...and looks like he should go to bed as well.

This is from another night, but I was putting Sarah to bed (the time on the camera says it was 6:40pm) and I couldn't even get myself awake enough to do it. I have been soooo tired lately. I don't know what is going on. Sarah was trying to wake me up by reading me stories (or so Ryan tells me because I was out). I vaguely remember Ryan coming in and taking over and pulling me into my own bed...although I think I perked up and did a cleaning rampage this night...and I wonder why I am tired. *sigh* I have problems.

PS:

THANK YOU GRANDMAS!!!

We have been receiving packages from the Grandmas and the girls are loving them so much! Thank you thank you!

I thought this was funny though, check out the warning that was on the back of this cute puzzle.

Watch out everyone! There is a Chicking Hazard on this one!!!

Good morning Sunshine!

This is how Abby wakes up from her naps...

I love my little ray of SUNSHINE

The best part is the crazy "nap hair"

I was letting Abby cuddle on her super soft blanket before the pj's were on...

She was wiggling all over, she loved it...I would!