Pieces of October

Our friends the Esplins have been moving dirt in their backyard, and Bennett is a huge fan of the tractor that has been parked in their yard since October.  He runs over to touch it every time we are over there, and asks me to take his picture with it every time too!

I made a cute Halloween banner for my mantle.  Always nice to finish something I start.

Way back this summer I ordered 40 bulbs from the tulip farm we visited in Washington over spring break.  They came in October and I planted them along with 100 pansies in our front flower bed.  Hoping spring proves to be stunning!

Sean began cello lessons and is enjoying them so far.  It's so fun for me to hear him practice!

I chaperoned the middle school show choir retreat where we spent the night at a trampoline park!  Wow.  Might not have signed up had I known that's where we'd be sleeping. ;)

Sydney lost her first tooth!  (As you may remember, the top one had to be pulled do to an abscess in the tooth, so this was the first one that wiggled out all by itself!  It was an extremely traumatic experience for her.)  Thank goodness the tooth fairy makes every thing better.

Bennett and I shopping for pansies.  On the way home, we pulled into the parking lot of a park to catch a balloon landing--always exciting during Balloon Fiesta week!

Hayden and Sean saved up their money and together they bought an impressive Lego Star Wars set.  It took them about a week to build it.  Their favorite is giving Darth Vader a mug of hot cocoa while he commands the Emperial Star Destroyer. (I think that's what it is?)

EMS Show Choir Fall Carnival

We inflated hundreds of balloons for the "Up House" carnival booth, and saw Dallin and Daphne perform with Five Star in a super condensed version of Little Shop of Horrors, along with a few other fun Halloween songs like Monster Mash and for the life of me I can't remember the other one.  

Dallin and Charles were both featured as narrators with cool, super-low voices for various parts

Daphne won a goldfish at the carnival who, miraculously, is still alive 3 months later.  We keep expecting to come down one morning and find him floating at the top of the water, but little Barry just  keeps swimming!

Middle Earth Halloween

Halloween Costumes and Jackolanterns

October 24 & 31

The theme this year was Middle Earth.  The kids were all J.R.R. Tolkien characters from either the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.  Had Arthur and I dressed up we would have been Aragorn and Arwen.  But time and energy only allowed for the kids costumes, and Hayden, Sean and Bennett's weren't even homemade.  Not sure how long I'll be able to keep up the theme--we'll see.  Anyway, here are the cast credits:

Dallin--Radaghast the Brown (complete with a birds nest under his hat)

Daphne--Galadriel, Lady of Light (Daphne helped make her costume this year)

Sean--Frodo Baggins of the Shire

Hayden--Gimli, son of Gloin

Sydney--was our only character without a name, really--she was supposed to be a hobbit child, but I think she also sort of passed for Rosie, who marries Samwise Gamgi at the end.

Bennett--Gandalf the Gray, but he really thought we were making him be a witch.  It took a lot of convincing to get these pictures with his hat on.

 

I love this one of Sydney and Bennett enjoying the spoils of Halloween night.  Bennett was so thrilled with all his lollipops that he forgot he was wearing a witch hat. ;)

And these are just Jackolantern pics

Family Pics 2015

Family Pictures

Old Town Albuquerque

10.24.15

After stressing out and crying about coordinating everybody's outfits, wanting to match kindof, but not be "TOO" match-y,  I came up with a combo that worked and that didn't require me to run out and get a new set of clothes for everyone.  It's tough coordinating this many people's outfits.  So hurray that it came together!  Bennett was a pretty typical 2 year old during our session, but everyone else (including Arthur) held still for the camera.  And Erin did an amazing job, as always!  Love our family pics this year.