Happy Halloween!

Here are a few of the pumpkins we carved for Halloween. I tried to take some others, but they would not turn out and even these are still a little fuzzy. Oh well, they'll have to do. As you can see, Haylie was a princess (shocker!), Sleeping Beauty to be exact, and little Mikaela was a Bumble bee. They both looked so cute. They made a pretty good haul too considering being in a new neighborhood. This was a good Halloween because it was warm and we were able to actually visit with some of our new neighbors. I ended up doing my visiting teaching the night before and so I was able to get a feel for how the neighborhood was. My partner told me that I should prepare for 200-300 kids! Holy cow, I thought my old neighborhood had a ton of kids. Yeah, I was at the store this afternoon getting more ammo (er, candy).

My family came over for "Dinner in a Pumpkin" and apple juice. It was good having them come and visit with the girls. Eric's parents also got in some quality time as well, although unfortunately, it wasn't as long as any of us would have liked. I'm still glad we got to visit with them though.

I know my blog template is a little premature and believe me, I'm not in any rush for Christmas to get here, but I want to make this one last a little longer and it's also a cute background! I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween. Now, bring on the turkey!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Lois!

Saturday Eric's entire family gathered at the Marriott in Provo to celebrate his grandmother's birthday. It was a fun day and it's always nice to see family members who live farther away. Eric's family is quite spread out and we don't get to see each other very often, mostly just during holidays and birthdays, etc. All of the little cousins really have a good time playing with each other and chasing all around the room. Eric's uncles, Bill and Rick, can always be counted on to have a new joke (this year's was pretty good), and this year we welcomed two new additions. The arrivals of little Weston Hildebrandt, the baby of Eric's cousin Jaylene and her husband, Teddy, and Vance Miller, baby of BJ & Alenna Miller (Eric's brother). They are both so cute.

Eric's family is a lot of fun and they truly do enjoy each other's company. It was great to see everybody and hope there are many more birthdays to come! Happy birthday Grandma!

Oh Deer! The Great White Hunter Strikes Again!

Well, Eric is one happy man. He got his buck on Tuesday-all is right with the world. Way to go Eric! As you can see, it's a pretty good sized deer. Haylie and Mikaela weren't sure what to think when they saw Daddy come home with such a big animal in the back of his truck. They did stay out there with him though to watch everything he did. Maybe Dad will get his way in a few years and the girls will want to go hunting with him. And now, the duck hunting begins.

My Favorite Things

I am the CTR 6 teacher in my ward and I have such a cute little class. Four boys and only one girl. They keep me pretty entertained with their observations about people and church. Last week, after our primary program in Sacrement Meeting, I asked my class what they did during the week and what their favorite thing was. I got some very random answers (what did you expect-they're six!): "eating dinner", "playing video games", "going to school", "getting dressed" (?), yada yada yada. So funny!
It made me start thinking of some of my favorite things and I thought I would share them with you!
1. Family, my husband and my girls-nothing tops them. I love my family and Eric's family very much. I have always considered myself a very fortunate girl to have such an awesome family and sisters and to have married into such an awesome family as well. That's not too common and it's nice to have support and love on both sides.

2. The Temple-There is nowhere else on this earth that brings more peace and clarity to my life than within the walls of those sacred buildings. I don't get there as often as I would like, but it makes me all the more grateful for the times that I do go.

3.Disneyland-if you know me at all, this will come as no surprise. I have been in love with all things Disney since I was little and it just increases as I get older and share it with my girls.

4. Cruises-I totally love them. I have my in-laws to thank for that. They gave us a cruise as a Christmas gift one year and ever since then Eric and I have been completely hooked. Woo hoo.

5.Drawing/Singing-these two are a definite tie. I love them both equally and they are often done at the same time (ask my parents if you don't believe me-they endured countless hours of listening to my voice from the confines of my bedroom as I drew).

6. Makeup-I think I was born with a mascara wand in my hand. I love it. It's never a bad day when your makeup is rockin'! My favorite part of makeup is doing it on others. Luckily, I get the opportunity to do that more and more lately as a side business and it's awesome!

7. Musicals-bring on the theater! This would also include dance, plays, etc. They're so much fun to watch and it is so entertaining. Now, Eric does not share my affinity for this, but he has been known to enjoy himself at several of these kinds of outings and I'm glad he's willing to go with me once in a while (he even admits he enjoyed Phantom of the Opera).

8. Books-I love to read. I don't get as many opportunities to read since I've had my girls, as they keep me running, but when I do get to enjoy a book it makes me happy. I am reading "The Peacegiver" right now-totally recommend it!

9.Camping-Eric and I both love this. I have to thank my parents for instilling this love in me. Some of my favorite memories growing up are from the trips we took to Yellowstone National Park with all of my Dad's family. All the cousins used to have a great time making up plays, visiting the "hot pots", singing "Annie" show tunes for countless hours and going to the General Store. I miss my cousin Natalie singing some random song about fried ham (I don't remember how it goes, but it's pretty funny). I hope to take my girls and Eric up there someday soon. Eric hasn't been there yet and there is so much to see and do that I think he'll fall instantly in love with it.

10. Holidays-Especially Halloween. I enjoy any excuse to spend time with Eric's or my family (holiday or not). I truly enjoy being around both families and so I never look at it as a burden to go and socialize. Holidays just give me one more reason to do so. I don't particularly care so much for the holiday itself (unless it's Halloween), it's just the vehicle I use to be able to see family.

So, in the end I guess I've come full circle. The most precious things in my life begin and end with family. Love you all!

It's Thriller-ific!

Saturday was so much fun! My sister, Darby, bought tickets for me, Erin, Tara, Mom, Marilynn, Grandma Grace and Erin's friend, Cher, to Odyssey Dance Theater's Thriller! It totally rocked.

This was my first year going to it and I was so excited. My family went to ODT's Shut Up and Dance earlier this year (which was awesome) and so I had high expectations for this particular show. I am happy to report that they far exceeded them. I love theater and dance and this was a lot of fun. For anyone looking to do something interesting and different during October, I definitely recommend this. Even if you're not a dance fan, there's a little something to entertain everyone.

I can't wait until March when ODT starts their new Shut Up and Dance show. I'm also counting down the days for the arrival of Wicked to come to Salt Lake City. Several of my family members have already seen it and said it is terrific.

Thank you, Darby for the fun evening. It was a blast! This is definitely a new Halloween tradition for me.

I smile because you're my sister, I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it!

This month has been a pretty crazy one so far and there has been a lot of drama going on as well. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have such terrifc sisters and family and how much I appreciate their endless supply of love and support.

Erin is so funny and so positive and I always appreciate her sense of humor about life. She is an awesome Relief Society President and I admire her determination to keep at it. She is so good to my little girls and they adore her.

Darby has the best one-liners. She has such a dry sense of humor and I get the biggest kick out of her comments. She has such a fun personality and so much drive. She truly makes my day with her observations about life and the stupidity of the human race in general. I totally love that!

Dallin is one of the best examples I have ever seen of how to live the gospel. She is an example in action. I'm sure the people of Argentina are loving her and her sweet personality. I really miss her random laughs at the dinner table about the silly conversations we have. She can find the humor in the weirdest places or the dullest conversations. I can't wait until she's home.

Eric, my sweet husband, is, as always, supportive and loving. He always tries to keep me upbeat when I'm feeling a little low or worried about my latest real eastate venture. He helps me see the glass is half full and that I don't really have too much to complain about. I really appreciate his generosity and support in all things. Plus, he does a darn good toenail polish job!

I hope as my girls get older that they'll realize how great it is to have each other and to be sisters. I am so happy and grateful that I have mine around me and that we have such an awesome, loving relationship. I pray every night that my girls grow up to love each other and help and support each other as much as me and my sisters do.

Thanks Sisters, for being such great examples of love and support! You're loved beyond measure!

Boo To You!

Saturday was a bunch of fun! Eric and I went to Haunted Hollow in Ogden with my sister, Darby, and her friends, Tara and Mike. Darby and I were sick of eating out so we decided to just eat at my house and then go the haunted house. It was good times. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I LOVE going to haunted houses. Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays and I have so much fun planning parties for family and friends.

Eric and I have been to this particular haunted house several times over the years and we have a lot of fun seeing what's changed and what they add. Eric tried several times to break away from the group so he could try and scare poor Darby and Tara, but they were on to him and he didn't get the desired reaction he was looking for. It did backfire on him though, at one point after trying to scare us for the tenth time that night, he walked right into the path of one of the spooks and got quite a scare himself. It was pretty funny to watch him jump and bolt. He was a good sport about it though, and he still got us a couple of times that night. Thanks for keeping us entertained Eric!

If you're looking for something fun to do, I would totally recommend a good old fashioned scare at the Haunted Hollow! Next up-the pumpkin patch! Woo hoo.

Is it funny?

So, little Haylie has this new phrase that seems to come after everything she says. She said to me today, "Hey, Mom," as she's drawing something undeciferable, "this is my crazy dress and this is my little crown." Holding up her scribbles to help me see more clearly what she's talking about. "Is it funny?"

Then, later on, "Hey, Mom, can I have a peanut butter cookie for a minute again? Can I, Mommy? Is it funny?"

See a pattern here? Apparently, she thinks everything should be funny and is sure to check with me to see if it is. At least she isn't calling Mikaela "baby sitter" anymore. She has now advanced to: "baby sistoh-is it funny?" Oy!

Picture time!

Here are some fun new pictures of the girls. We had so much fun shooting these and they really had a good time mugging for the photographer. Just thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you all. I sure wish they could stay this small forever, but then tomorrow when they're screaming and crying I have no doubt my mind will change! :)

What's a boy?

Eric and I have been in a somewhat controversial debate of late about whether or not to add to our little family. I say yes, we have one more child waiting up there. Eric seems to think we're just fine and don't need anymore. I think he secretly would like to have another little one if there were some way to ensure that the next one would be a boy. I would love a boy since the whole idea of having one would be completely new not only for me, but for my side of the family as well. Boys are completely foreign territory to my family so I think it would be an adventure. I love our little girls so much, and could not imagine life without them, but it would be so fun to have a little boy.

Even though it takes a lot of work (and let's not forget that pesky little inconvenience-big money) and tons of doctor visits, drugs, needles, ultrasounds, yada, yada, yada...whew-it is still the best thing we've ever gone through. I have a feeling I'll win this one though. I have my ways of convincing him! Besides, when they're this cute, who can argue with wanting more? :)