Happy Halloween y'all!  So these are for the non-facebookers.  I have spent months (literally) planning their costumes.  Charlie became obsessed with Sleeping Beauty early in the year, and she was particularly taken with Maleficent and would repeat certain lines like "touch the spindle, touch it I say!" and "prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel... and DIE!"... We couldn't resist.  We knew what she had to be for Halloween this year.  It seemed appropriate to make Josie Sleeping Beauty because at the time, she was sleeping 18+ hours a day (thanks to fluid in her ears and chronic ear infections for 8 months straight).  

Finding a toddler size Maleficent costume is essentially impossible so I had no choice but to make one.  After months of trying to figure out how to do it, Mom came to AZ in August and we knocked version #1.  Then in late September I came across an original Maleficent pattern on Etsy.  So, I had to get it.  I went to California the first week of October for Kenzie's fall break and mom and I knocked out version #2 of this costume.  So awesome!  Wish the mask fit a little better... but all in all it turned out great!  Thanks mom for all your help!                                                                       

 Check out that awesome cape lining!  Mom you are just amazing- I really couldn't have done it without you.  Charlie had a really cute, full black tulle dress to wear underneath her cape, but she said it was too itchy and pretty much went ballistic when I tried to put it on her.  So she just wore tights and a leotard underneath instead... Anyone need a big, fluffy tulle dress in a size 2????

 My friend Aimee told me about a cute little pumpkin patch not too far from my house.  It took me forever to finally take the girls there.  I took them on Halloween day.  There was a cute train ride, hay mazes, animals to feed, little jumpers and a few games to play- totally geared at young kids and very inexpensive (aka Charlie and Josie were free!).  Pumpkins were 3-5$.  Can't beat that.  It's my new favorite pumpkin patch (besides Lombardi's which isn't in this state).  This is my most favorite pic of Charlie- probably because you can see her face.  She hates the camera and will turn away anytime she sees it.  I have lots of pics of the back of her head (grrr!!!)

 Josie's favorite part (besides here lollipop) was feeding the goats.  She loved when the goat licked the food right off her hand.  She would giggle and giggle.  Don't worry fans, there was plenty of hand sanitizer there ; )

Stinker Josie kept trying to pull the pumpkins from the bottom of the pile and would get so frustrated when she couldn't pick them up.  I found it rather amusing so I snapped this pic- I'm a mean mom, what else can I say.

We hope you all had a fun Halloween.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm glad it's over.  Ready for a holiday that doesn't involve me making 3+ costumes...

More kid funnies...

Scenario..I have a large glass base thing on the table filled half with candy corns and a white candle in the middle. I started to notice that the candy corn level was getting lower and lower. So, I say to the kids, "guys, somebody's been eating the candy corns." Carter and jake both say, "we don't even like candy corns". Malia...without being accused or even looked at says, "Okay fine. I won't eat the rest of them." They kill me...

Kid funnies...

Carter...I am doing terrible on this essay because I don't know how to spell anything. Me...Carter, what do you do if you don't know how to spell a word? Carter...Ask you? Me...NO! Malia...Pray about it Carter. Me...seriously?

Thought for a Sunday...

"Be still, and know that I am God." This is my thought for the last couple of weeks and probably the next couple. As you all know, i will graduate in December and attempt to find a job. It has been hard for me to restrain myself from getting a job now (like an aid or something) in the hospitals just so I have a foot in the door. Everybody seems to be doing it...and the job market is not good. Nevertheless, I have prayed and fasted a lot and I realize that now is not the time. I keep getting the answer, "not yet." If you know me at all, you know I am a doer. I like to take care of things myself. That, my friends, is why it's so hard to sit back and watch my friends getting some type of job and not FREAK OUT! I am doing absolutely everything I can, from guarding my 4.0 GPA with my life, to volunteering anywhere I think might have potential, to doing my internship at a smaller, closer hospital where I might actually have a shot at getting hired as a new grad. I am doing all I can. "Be still, and know that I am God." I just keep repeating it. It's from the D&C somewhere and I read it one day after thinking about some things. And, I'm trying...to be still, and let God be in charge. I hate that! I like to be the boss. (Does "you're not the boss of me" sound familiar to anyone?) Yeah, I say that a lot.

Our Newest Arrival.

 Welcome to the world, Baby Scarlett!

 

Just a couple shots of Scarlett's adoring fan club...

Sunday funnies

After sorting some camping supplies, I was playing a game of solitaire with the cards I had just put in the take pile.

I said, "I win!" as I gathered up the cards.

Ash said, in a mocking voice, "mom, it's a one person game, of COURSE you win!"

Then I was asking Justin for some math help with planning our meal for Monday. I asked "how much fritos should I get for 70 people?"

He promptly responded, 1400. Twenty per person.

Thank you Katherine.

New Coffee Table

Here's my most recent woodworking project - a coffee table made out of mahogany, walnut and zebrawood. The zebrawood is a veneer about 1/64" thick and is inlaid into the table top.  The walnut has some cool and unusual ribbon striping.  Now that it's all done, finished, and in the house, I just need to keep myself from freaking out every time one of the kids touches it!

Sampson falls

It had to come off, I couldn't take it any more. But I still think he's a handsome little devil!
The dots on his hands are a regular thing, he says he is iron man.

They're messing with me

Squirrels have been stealing our fruits and veggies again, including apples from my apple tree.  So I set up two traps and placed in each trap the uneaten portions of apples that the squirrels already got to.  Yesterday I checked the traps and found that a squirrel deftly removed the apple from one trap without triggering it, and placed the bait in the second trap, triggered the trap, and then escaped, leaving the second trap with two apples and NO SQUIRREL.  Those dirty, disease carrying, dirt eating, inbred, beady eyed, thieving, varmint loving, hole digging, rotten sons of rodents!!!  I swear they're just toying with me.  But mark my words - the last laugh will be mine.  Just this week the developer started tearing up the open field where they live in preparation for the next phase of the housing development.  Yes, we'll have more neighbors soon.  But those nasty critters will soon be out on the street.  Justice at last!!

Graduate

My little buddy graduated from preschool.  He is getting big, I can't believe it.  Then he gets bored and pesters me and I get excited for school in the fall.  He will be in a new transitional kindergarten program at our school.  I think he will like it.  I think I will like it too!  But I'm actually going to miss him.  Don't tell anyone.

Yosemite...it's about time!

We "hiked" to Lower Yosemite Falls. I say "hiked" because it was more like a nice stroll to the most gorgeous waterfall ever! The end of the hike was close enough to the falls that you could feel mist!


The kids loved climbing on all the huge rocks that were around the waterfalls. I think they would've spent the whole day climbing on the rocks below the falls had we not had a slight issue. Carter's blood sugar was really low and we had NO snacks! Poor kid, we told him he could run, climb, or goof off because the car was a good 25 minute walk away and we had no snacks. Lesson learned. Bring more juice when you are going to get lost in Yosemite!



I think this is Bridal Veil Falls. It was a nice little walk up to the falls as well. You could get so close to this one that you could easily fall in. Made for very HIGH anxiety levels for me :)


You can't live this close to Yosemite and NOT go! So, after 5 years of living here, we went! The kids LOVED it! And who wouldn't? It is absolutely gorgeous!
And, maybe the best thing about our timing...there was snow! Plenty to make snowballs with! We weren't exactly dressed for snow, but the kids liked picking it up and throwing it at each other and watching it in the rivers.

This is definitely a trip we are going to make again. Who's coming with us?

Spring break...and 7 weeks off nursing school!

I don't know why...but I had 7 weeks off clinical (hospital days). And we were BUSY! So Kristin, this is for you...note the lack of Easter pics. I don't know...just didn't happen.



Bella turned 9! This was an "off" party year...so we celebrated as a family. Bella wanted to go to her favorite...Home Town Buffet, so Bella and I went for dinner and we all had dessert together.



Jake got an award at school for "Character Counts." They invite the whole family to come and have a slide show going with each kid's picture up. They are nominated by one of their teachers who writes something about them and it is read to the audience while they are standing on stage. Funny story, we thought they were feeding us dinner, so we were starving! Instead, we all ate chocolate cake for dinner. Yum...



And...Carter decided to play volleyball this year. He did awesome! He was messing around one day, imitating one of his friends and discovered that he had a fabulous over hand serve. He played with his buddies Caden and Logan and had a great season.




Jake and Bella participated in Destination Imagination. Bella's team one first place for the Central Valley Region and Jake's team won third place. Both advanced to the California State Finals where they competed once again and had a great time.



Bella is on the spirit squad at school. She has wanted to do it FOREVER, and she HATES it (Thank Goodness!!!) I don't think she'll be doing it again next year, but she likes hanging out with her friend Taryn.



We headed to so. cal for the last of the vacation to hang with the cousins. I only got pics of the girls at the beach because the boys were gone most of the day deep sea fishing. Ash and Malia in their matching swim suits...the camera was dying which is why it has a funky background...makes it look aged, don't you think?



Bella and Camille



Bella and Ash



And the loot after the Easter egg hunt at Nana and Papa's. 56 eggs each people. Yeah, we need some cousins to join us next year. Any volunteers?

Where are all your Easter pics people?!?!

Since I FINALLY got released as RS Secretary, I have more time to blog. People! Why hasn't anyone posted since February? C'mon, I know y'all took pictures for Easter so share them. Here, I'll start.

These were one of my favorite crafts that Auntie Courtney did with the kids. So cute!
Don't be jealous, but we got to spend the day before Easter with Grandma Opal. She helped dye Easter eggs, make birds nests, and supervise sugar cookie making.
We didn't end up taking any family pics taken on Easter- bummer since the kids were all color coordinated. I tried to convince the boys to get back in their church clothes after church so I could take some pics in the backyard of them, but they passed.
Sweet Josie ate WAY more candy than any baby that age should-complements of her big sister Charlie who kept feeding her gobs of pastel colored jelly beans (and the proof is all over my carpet!).

Happy Birthday Josie!!!

I always hate when birthdays come because we have no family here to celebrate with... This year we were lucky enough to have Courtney here for Josie's big day. Josie was actually sick on her birthday, Stephen was out of town and the boys were with their mom so we postponed her birthday celebration until everyone could be there. So Saturday morning we had a little brunch with Stephen's brother Nathan and his family....

We got started late (big surprise) and apparently Josie got tired of waiting so she raided the pantry and found her favorite snack... Mini Nilla Wafers. In fact, we ran out of crackers that day so for the next 2 days she kept grabbing my box of panko bread crumbs (which is the same color) and would sit down on the floor of the pantry and try to tear the box open. She would throw a fit every time we took the box away from her. Needless to say, Courtney and I replaced the box of Nilla Wafers today.
Josie on her birthday throne. Yes I did make a tutu for her high chair tray. Thank you PINTEREST for the idea!
So I may have lit a candle in the center of the pancakes and placed it on her tray so we could sing Happy Birthday to her... and she may have reached right out and touched the flame before we could even start singing... She WOULD NOT touch her pancakes until that candle was removed.
Then she went to town! She ate every last little scrap of food on her plate.
And after brunch it was time for her to open her present... Thanks Nana and Papa! As usual, the car was a huge hit! And perfect size. Her feet already touch the floor.

My latest project

For a few years I've had this 20" x 40" poster commemorating UCLA's last defeat of USC (and I say last in both senses of the word - this was the most recent time it happened, and at the rate things are going probably won't ever happen again), but never found a design I liked for a frame until now. This frame is made up of 170-plus individual pieces of mahogany plywood glued together, with bevels cut around the edges to show a little of the lighter plywood underneath. The result is a brick and mortar effect reminiscent of the red brick buildings of UCLA campus. It was a fun project that took a long time, cutting, routing, and gluing up all those pieces.

Check us out!

We had some family pictures done a couple weeks ago...and here's some samples..


My boys...


Me and the girlies...I hope some day they know how long I wanted a daughter of my own. And they are everything I hoped for (and then some, think spice, lots of it)

And all together now...I know it sort of looks like Malia is being strangled, but I love it!

Rick and I make some beautiful kids. We should have 10 more....or not.