Halloween Party

Okay, so I have this over-achieving sister (Laurel) who decided to throw a Halloween party for the cousins.  Seriously, who does that?  Hmm? :)

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She had several stations with food...

...Stations with games....

...and stations with crafts.

 She even thought about the teenagers and had a job for them, too - judging all of the costumes.  The awards they came up with were pretty cute.

 And, of course, she served up some pretty "scary" and fun Halloween food.  This picture just cracks me up.  Nice one, Laurel. 

Dallin (Link), Me (Gypsy), Cameron (Old Man), Jayden (Purple Minion), and Landon (Yellow Minion).

The whole crazy crowd!

 Cameron cracked us up when in character, which was pretty much the whole time.  What a ham.

Thanks, Laurel for the great party (and for the pictures.  I totally took pictures of my own, but they didn't turn out nearly as good as Laurel's, so I'm pilfering hers.)

Pumpkin Carving

Back in October (flashback, I know) we participated in the annual carving of the pumpkins.

Getting in and slimy!

I love it now that my kids are older.  I used to dread this activity, but now that they can wield their own knives, it's much easier.  Plus, I love their creations. 

Jayden and his pumpkin - can you tell which is which?

I think Cameron's pumpkin is very much something he would make.

Landon needed a bit of help, but I just love his Jack-o-lantern, too.

Mine and Leon's - pretty cute, huh?

Happy Halloween!

Dallin's First Date - Homecoming

Okay, so back in September, Dallin went on his first date.  His Priests' Quorum was encouraging everyone to get dates and go as a group, so Dallin asked a gal that he's known and (secretly) liked since elementary school.  I was surprised at how calm he was about the whole thing.  He asked her by making a balloon bouquet with confetti and notes inside (no picture, darn it - it was cute).

Getting ready to head out the door - no nerves or anything.

After an afternoon of playing Frisbee golf at a local disk golf park, they got all dressed up for pictures.  These were taken by one of the boys' sisters and it looks like they had some fun here, too.

Dallin and Jordon Tanner

The whole group - I honestly don't know hardly any names.

The girls - I'm glad they got a picture of the corsages, 'cause these puppies ain't cheap.  I gained new respect for boys having to pay for dates when I became a mom on the other side of the asking.

The Gents.

Horray!

In all, Dallin had a great time.  This group of boys was a great group to start off a first date with.  They were all older and had been on several dates already - thus, they could drive and knew what to do.  I was more nervous than Dallin was, but apparently I didn't need to be.  All reports came back favorably.  Oh, and Leon and I helped in the kitchen for their dinner.  It was fun to be a "fly on the wall" and spy on them while they ate.  Such fun and cute kids.

Jayden Transformed

(Doing a little catching up.)

Jayden "Before".....

...and Jayden "After".  What a cutie, either way, right?

Jayden's Run

The boys had a lot of fun this past summer with their Scout group.  Rappelling was just one of their many adventures.  Jayden did the best of all of the boys - or, so I'm told.  I'm glad I wasn't there - I would have been a nervous wreck.  Sometimes, it's better to not know what "adventures" the Scouts have. 

Summer Nights

The end of summer means warm summer nights and hanging out with family and friends.

Pioneer Day fireworks in the cul-de-sac with neighbors.

Leon's all-time favorite firework - always the finale.

Leon and the boys always enjoy a good night swim.

Roasting marshmallows and telling "scary" stories around a backyard "campfire".


Good-bye, summer - you were fun while you lasted!

We Love a Parade

A few years ago we discovered the Lindon Days parade.  It's the perfect parade for us - close to home, not too crowded, not too long, AND they throw out all kinds of goodies.

For a small town parade they still have some pretty good floats.

And, of course, no parade would be complete without the "breaking" of the board with a local Karate school.

The road is so narrow that you feel like you're right there next to the band - well, actually, you are.

A happy kid with a free Frisbee.