This is Halloween!!!

Whole wheat/ banana pancakes, shaped like pumpkins started off our day.Then to school for a parade and party!Visiting the Grandparents.

Dinner: homemade chili in pumpkin bread bowls. Finally, trick or treating with Dad and Dobie!

Talent...

My husband is so talented. I also love that I get out of carving "MY" pumpkin every year, because he does such a great job. I do clean out the pumpkins though, which to some is worse than carving. I imagine I am performing surgery, cleaning out all the icky stuff. Yes, I am a nurse I do know all the proper terms...

These are Sam's creations this year.This is Ashlyn's creation this year.

2007

2006

20052004

This is the year it all began.

Sam has a great time making these. He just whips these out like it is no big deal. WOW!

Happy Birthday Katie BUG!

My friend Lisa has waited her entire life for this beautiful girl. Today she is ONE!!!!

Happy Birthday, Heather!!!

Heather is a great friend & she seriously knows how to shop! Thanks for letting me "hang" with you on your birthday. I hope you had a GREAT day!

You HAVE to see 3...

I loved, loved, loved this movie. I know that sounds cheesy. I really LOVED it! Everyone, yes, even the dad's need to go. Ashlyn has now announced she wants a PINK sports car for her sixteenth Birthday. Fabulous!

Inspiration...

Here is a wonderfully written piece about Stephanie Nielson, her fight, and her amazing sisters. Sam and I went to high school with Stephanie's older siblings. We are sincere when we say they truly are a great family.
Please continue to pray for them.
I am so blessed to have my family.
I urge all of you to love this deep.
http//www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/26/20081026sisters1026a1.html
The song on my playlist is Mindy Gledhill. She is a friend of Stephanie. Mindy performed Saturday night at a fundraiser for the Nielson's in AZ. People all over are helping any way they can. This restores my faith in man kind in this scary world.

Pumpkinland...

We were up early, then off to Magelby's for breakfast(with the entire BYU's women's soccer team.) We made it to Pumpkinland by 9AM!!! It was a great family day. What a beautiful fall we have been blessed with.

Utah's day at Gardner village...

Wow!

We decided(after the scarecrow festival was too crowded) to head to Gardner village for a day of girl fun!

The place was so busy. I was amazed at the number of people.

I thought Utah went to Disney for UEA.

Maybe this was Utah's staycation.

After all, it was ours.

This was the highlight of Ashlyn's day. Finding a water snake in the pond...ewww!

She wasn't posing, I swear. What a natural;)

I can ride my bike with no training wheels...

About a month ago, Ashlyn was "sick and tired" of waiting for Sam to take her training wheels off her "baby" bike. She proceeded to use the weight of the bike to BEND the wheels outward, so they no longer touched the ground. Very smart, this girl. For those of you who are saying, "how old is she?" She is 7 and 1/2. (yes that half counts, unless you are my age) I know that is way too old to begin the two wheeler adventures. We, OK I, have been a nervous wreck about it. We live on a hill. I have had nightmares about bikes, and being unable to stop. This all stems back to my childhood, getting my bell bottom pants caught in the chain. For some reason, I was unable to stop and I ran into our garage. This was very traumatic for me. I have let my daughter suffer because of it. The deal was that we were only going to practice at the park....the nice flat, grassy park. Ash had a different idea while I was at work. She bent those darn "baby training wheels," and took off all on her own. Down our hill she flew. Two wheels, she was able to stop herself, and loved every minute of it. I promptly got the most excited phone call at work. "Mom, I bent my training wheels, and now I can do it myself!" She exclaimed. "Do what yourself?" I asked. " Ride my bike, silly".... I believe I then ranted with her father about how dangerous this is, and why weren't you out there????.... Poor Sam got an earful.

This is were a new adventure begins...

I try to get over my own fears and let my daughter live.

Proud girl, with her new big bike, helmet and riding gloves.

Note her cool gloves like Dad's. I wish I would have had Sam take pics of the bent up "baby wheels" on her too small princess bike.

Oh well.