The Belle of Halloween

The girls had a great time trick-or-treating. Abby was complaining of her leg hurting. Turns out the safety pin on her tutu was poking her in the leg. They are filled with sugar, but are sleeping now. This was such a busy October. I can't believe that the holiday season is here. Sometimes I just wish that everything could stay just how it is. That no one would ever grow up...but I guess I always feel that way and they still grow and I still enjoy each phase of life. So Happy Halloween...till next year when everyone will be a year older and I'll wonder where the year went.

A Funky Vampire

The "Pink" Fairy

Abby specifically refers to her costume as a "pink fairy."

Halloween

We went to the Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday night at church. The girls were so excited. Sammie was easy this year because she wanted to wear her Belle costume from dance. Abby wanted to be a fairy. I just went through the dress-ups. Olivia must be growing up. She wanted to be something scary this year and vampire it is! We came up with a "funky vampire" costume. So it was scary, but not too scary :) Happy Halloween!

American Pop

The 3rd Graders do an "American Pop" performance each year. Olivia's dance number had to wear country clothes. She would start singing all these songs at home and I would turn and ask, "Where did you learn that?" They performed songs from the 1950s to present day. There was the Beatles, Elvis, Stayin' Alive, Cyndi Lauper, Back Street Boys...all the way to today. They learned tons of songs and there were dancers for each number. So entertaining.

(Olivia and her friend Mary before the performance).

Abby gettin' some air

Pajama Day

Friday was pajama Day for the kindergarteners. Sammie knew just what nightgown she wanted to wear. The red one. We got this nightgown as a hand-me-down from a friend who also has girls. Olivia loved it and wore it all the time. Sammie was so excited a few months ago when Olivia passed it on to her. It also has a dainty matching red robe that goes with it. This nightgown is well-loved and is also worn as a dress-up. For some reason they feel so elegant when they are wearing it. I loved how Sammie woke up early. Before 6 o'clock. If Daddy is still home, you know that it's early. When I got up at 6:45, she was already dressed in her nightgown, had eaten breakfast, brushed her hair and teeth and packed up her backpack. I'm telling you. This nightgown is magic. She was spinning around in the morning so excited for pajama day and was still excited about it when she got off the bus. She skipped all the way home.

"Take-uh pitchur a me, mawm!"

And this is what we got. Abby insists on being a part of everything that goes on in our home. I was taking a couple of pictures of Olivia before we left for her baptism and Abby wasn't shy about her request to have a photo snapped of her as well. She ran right to this spot and looked at me. Held still for 2 seconds and then was satisfied. She just wants to let us know that she's there.

And the winner is....

Oh, the baker in me is so proud. A couple of days ago Olivia came home from school and announced that she wanted to enter the cake decorating contest at school. I had already thrown the rules out the previous week thinking that we wouldn't have time and that neither of the girls would be that interested. Since it was all her own idea, I felt that we should make it happen. I emailed her teacher and asked her for the rules. She did most of the work herself (which was one of the rules). I love it when my kids get their own ideas and I really have nothing to do with it and then they succeed. Her cute spider cupcakes won for the 3rd grade. It took almost 2 hours for her to decorate them and my kitchen was a mess with chocolate sprinkles. Well worth the effort.

Apple Days

October seems to be filled with endless events. It seems like everyday I get a note from the school asking us to bring in something for some fun thing they are doing. Pumpkin carving kits, t-shirts to paint, cowgirl outfit, bags of candy, 3 apples of different colors, cake contest, pajama day. Seriously, nearly every day.
The kindergarteners put on a "Apple Days" performance for the parents. They sang cute apple rhymes with their apple painted t-shirts that they had made. Then we were invited to sit with our little kindergarteners and enjoy apple snacks and treats. It was fun to be at school with Sammie and Abby was thrilled to finally be able to go somewhere at the school. (She is still begging to go.)

Baptism Day

Yesterday was a special day. This little sweetheart was baptized.

It was a great day. I remembered back to my own baptism. I wrote in my journal that day some of my feelings. I jotted down that I was baptized and got the gift of the Holy Ghost and that my family came over for lunch. Then at the very end of my entry I wrote,

"Someday I will see my kids get baptized. They will be happy like I was. And today I know what is right and someday my kids will know what is right. And I love my family and they love me."

When I was little, I always looked forward to being a mom. And I looked forward to experiencing the important moments of my children's lives with them. It was a tender feeling yesterday seeing how happy Olivia was as she made the choice to be baptized. As she was sitting so sweetly in her seat waiting to be confirmed, surrounded by my brothers, my husband, my father-in-law, my dad, and bishop, my thoughts went to those lines of my journal entry I had written so many years ago. I felt such peace knowing that our Heavenly Father knows us. Each one of us. We are His. I felt so happy and so blessed. The family is truly a divine unit. I am so happy for Olivia. She is an amazing little girl.

While my sisters are at school

I forgot how simple life is with just a 2 year old at home. Abby's day is filled with little moments that are exciting to her, like a walk to the mailbox. Every morning we walk the girls to the bus stop. Abby wears a back pack too (she insists) and isn't quite sure why she can't get on the bus. She asks me if she can nearly every day. I tell her no, not yet. I'm wondering if this conversation will continue for the next almost 3 years before she starts kindergarten. Some days she will line up with the other kids and sort of hide behind her sisters. When the bus comes she glances over at me to see if I'm looking. When she catches my glance she gives me a pleading look. "Can I go onna buuus?" If I wasn't watching, I know she would sneak on. Our day is spent on the trampoline, or playing play-doh, or riding her scooter. I love it. Everything is new and exciting to her. She is actually a very fun little companion to have.

The Fair

We went to the fair last weekend and my girls wanted to do this:Go inside these giant clear beach balls that were floating in a shallow pool of water. They spun. They jumped. They ran into the sides. They went crazy. Good times.We haven't been to the fair in a couple of years. It was very crowded, but the girls had a good time. They went on the carousel and the ferris wheel and enjoyed a good ol' corndog.

It was Abby's first time to see all the farm animals. She was excited at first until we got a little closer. None of my girls are animal lovers. You either have it, or you don't. They mostly made "eww. gross," comments while swatting flies and avoiding poop. I always enjoy the pigs the most. Those things are so huge! It was a fun evening together and we left the crowds to enjoy some icecream after. Came home dusty and tired, a little cranky, and went right to bed.