We Love Halloween!

You may have noticed that Olivia is in two different costumes. She wore her Diamond Castle Princess dress to the school parade and it ripped. We went to exchange it and came home with Princess Ariel. As you may have also noticed she is the social butterfly of the family and finds friends everywhere. The cute little witch is our next door neighbor and Liv's best friend (no they are amazingly not twins).

The grand kids would not allow us to skip trick or treating at Grandpa Charlie's office. They scored oodles of candy and we all got a treat to be with Christopher (or Spidey with muscles) who came all the way from St. Louis!

Clones were popular this as you can see. Sam was just thrilled Brig actually wore a costume this year. And of course Sam has to be something SCARY. He complained our house wasn't spooky enough and put bloody legs and shoes coming out our garage door to spook the neighbors.

We passed a billboard of women in costumes and Charlie gallantly stated that none of them were as hot as his mom. But he ate his words when he saw what a hideous witch I made. Whitney, Adrien and I all dressed up to help at the class parties. I think we got a little carried away!

FALL SPORTS!

Our little monkey Charlie has decided to take gymnastics.

Check him out on that pummel (?)horse

Brig had an awesome soccer coach and team this year. The best part was practicing in the coach's spacious backyard. He can't wait until they start up again in the spring.

Sam joined the HAST swim team. He just participated in his first meet on Saturday. Watch out Micheal Phelps!

WE LOVE THE MOUNTAINS!

We have decided to stay put in the good ole UC for now and I am so excited. We love our family and friends here and we would miss awesome American Fork Canyon.

We spent many Sunday afternoons hiking the Timpanookee and Alpine trails. Dave even spotted a bear one day while running, yikes! I would even miss my early Saturday morning runs down the canyon.

This summer we also spent several afternoons hiking around Silver Lake. We had fun showing our friends, the Lindseys one of our favorite places, the Brighton Cabin. We even saw a mother and baby moose, it was awesome!

Priest Lake Idaho

I had the best birthday ever this year! (29 rocks) I have the best parents and siblings, I am so lucky. We had a fun Sunday dinner, I enjoyed calls from the faraway sibs, and my Dad wrote me the sweetest note that had my heart bursting. Sam made me breakfast in bed (oatmeal, berries, and lemonade with a mint sprig) Dave bought roses and the boys helped him make me dinner. The party continued with lunches with friends and family. Then Dave surprised me with an amazing overnight gettaway to stay in a cabin on the beautiful Priest Lake. We hiked and canoed and ate delicious food with a view of the water. Thanks Pam and Wynn for nannying the kids. Thanks all the amazing people in my life!

GUTS and GORE

Since Halloween is around the corner I thought it might be appropriate to show a little "guts and gore." The queesy may need to turn their head! A week and a half ago the boys were playing in our neighbor's back yard when a wind storm began. Brig was hurrying to unlatch the vinyl fence gate and come inside. A gust of wind blew it shut splitting the fourth finger on his right hand in half lengthwise to the knuckle. I saw him crying and thought he had been stung by a bee, how I wish! We rushed to the ER and after some nasal fentynyl and a finger block he was feeling groovy and even joking the with Doc. Even the nurse in me was nauseous when the MD was making the two halves of Brig's finger "talk." After ten stitches, a splint for the broken bone and some packing so his nail will grow back we were sitting pretty. Dave came home from a business trip to California to a big surprise. Luckilly it is healing well and Brig is loving the principal and his teacher doing all his school work!

Are there any brain cells left?

I could blame it on my sleep deprivation from early morning marathon training runs or crazy, busy mornings getting everyone off to school. But I am starting to wonder if I have any brain cells left. I know we all have our moments, but seriously has anyone else tried to pour hair gel on waffles instead of syrup? Luckilly Liv caught me saying "I don't want THAT on it!" I was going to write another funny incident, but I can't remember what it was. HELP!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

We cannot even begin to express the joy of raising our little girl! Olivia has been a pleasure since the day she was born. She is so calm, happy, and kind. We all love to be with the gal that can hold her own wrestling in a princess dress. Tonight in the bath she wanted to act out "Little Mermaid" and was singing and fake crying and really getting into character. Broadway, here we come! Of course, Ariel's dress is not "podest" (modest) and is also a little "stitchy" (itchy). Liv was excited to start preschool last week with Miss Brandi and about 7 kids from our ward. She is definitely the social butterfly of the family. Liv rode her new princess bike to school and she is a maniac on wheels just like her mama. I admit I was a little emotional realizing how grown up she is becoming. Olivia also started Dance "camp" not class. It was evident she is born to dance when she started twirling down the aisle during the closing hymn in church. Thank heaven for little girls.