Halloween has started...

Halloween has already begun at our house. We had a couple Halloween parties this last week. We started with going to a carnival at the girls friend's school. They got to get dressed up and we went and played some fun games. Bethany chose to be a ballerina, Hannah a balerina bunny and Rylan picked his giraffe costume.They had a race with pumpkins. The girls did pretty good. On Thursday we had our own Halloween party, since Ky was out of town. It started with getting a package from my dad (thanks again!) We had fun making Halloween cards, making Carmel apples, doing a little decorating, and we topped it off with a picnic in the living room watching their new strawberry shortcake Halloween movie, with McDonald's happy meals. We had a lot of fun, and it helped pass the time that daddy wasn't with us. The next day, the girls kept asking if we could finish our Halloween party...I guess they weren't ready to be done.

On Friday we had a couple more Halloween activities to go to. On base they were having a Halloween carnival that was free to the public, or who could get on base. It was a lot of fun. We started in the little kids rooms. They got to fish and they had some little toys set up for them to play in. This time around Bethany decided to be a princess, Hannah stuck with the bunny without the tutu, and Rylan picked his bee costume, that he kept taking off during the night. We'll see what they decide to be next week :)

Then we went to the gym where they had a bunch of carnival games set up. After the games, we went out by the pool where they had trick or treating set up.
After trick or treating they had hotdogs for dinner. It was quite the event for being free, and we really enjoyed ourselves. On our way to the car, they had a firetruck outside and they were letting the kids get in the front seat and ring the bell.

Hannah wasn't too sure about it. But when she said her prayer that night, she said "Thank you that we could sit in the firetruck." So she must of enjoyed it more than she put on! After that we headed over to our friends trunk or treat at their church. Not that we needed anymore candy, but they had ponies and were giving the kids pony rides! We couldn't pass that up!! They also had a haunted forest, games in the gym and dessert. It was a fun party! Thanks for letting us tag along Beth!

We tried telling the girls that Halloween was over, but they didn't buy it, but I'm not ready for it to be over either! We will have fun for another week, trying to enjoy Halloween while it lasts. It only comes once a year, right!!!

Cousins and Old Town

We had a great time last week with my sister and her family in town. My kids were in heaven having their cousins here and staying with us. It was like a sleepover every night! The first couple days they were here, Bethany had school, so we just kind of hung out. We did fit in Old Town after school one day. Amber had fun shopping while we hung out with the kids at the gazebo, and got some fun pictures of them.

Drew and Bethany were inseparable while they were here. They really get along well and have so much fun playing. It's too bad they don't get to see eachother more often.

The Indian Ruins

On Thursday Bethany stayed home from school so she could spend more time with everyone. We went to some Indian Ruins.



At the first one we went to, they had some fun trees, that were fun for taking pictures. So we hung out for quite awhile, taking pictures of the kids.

I think Jerrod was too busy playing, because I didn't have any pictures of him. He is usually the one hamming it up for the camera.

At the second Indian ruin, we remembered to pick up a map at the start.The kids enjoyed finding all the different numbers on the ground to the numbers on the map and learning a little more about what the different rooms used to be used for.

The Pumpkin Patch and Goodbyes

On Friday we went to the pumpkin patch. It was nice and warm and sunny. Usually it is really cold and windy, so it was a nice change. We rode a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch where we picked out our pumpkins. We picked out some larger pumpkins, since our garden grew a bunch of little ones.

Rylan found some little ones that he was carrying around. We did get one little one for him.

After we got our pumpkins we took the kids over to the slide. I think they went on it about ten times before we left.

They wouldn't let the little kids ride on their parents lap. I figured that Ky would walk back down the hill with Rylan. But he had different plans, he sent Rylan down by himself. It was a little to much and fast for him, and he came out at the end crying. Poor little guy!

They have packet of sands that you can buy and there are rocks in them. You sift them in the water and find your treasures. They enjoyed it.
We ended by walking through the short corn maze that they had open. It was perfect length, and they had it all roped off, so there was no getting lost.

My mom drove down to visit us on Friday. She decided to come back down to watch Bethany in her primary program. On Saturday we had fun being together with everyone. We went to lunch at a Mexican restraunt, and that night we had a birthday party for me and Garry. They brought a birthday cake down from Utah, by my request! They got it from Granite Bakery, which is where their wedding cake was from. It was so yummy! We all enjoyed leftover cake for breakfast in the next morning.

We all went for sacrament meeting on Sunday. Bethany really enjoyed having her Da and cousins there to watch her do her part in the program. She did a great job too!! Now she will have expectations for people to come next year :)

These are some pictures of the kids when we got home from church. Hannah was a little grumpy!

We really enjoyed our week and our visitors. It is always sad when they go home, knowing we won't see them for awhile. But I guess it makes it more exciting when we do get to spend time together. Last night Bethany woke up crying because she missed her cousins. She must of been having a dream about them. It makes me sad when they are sad. But it is also good to get back on routine and have time just with our family.

Thanks for coming Amber. And thanks mom especially since it was such a short trip! We love you guys!!