Gratitude

I meant to write this post earlier in the week, but life got in the way. We have tried all month to help the kids (and ourselves) remember everything we have to be grateful for. This year we decided to do a grateful wreath. The kids helped make it. Every day they would write something they were grateful for and add to the wreath. I wanted to remember each of their lists (in no particular order):

Brayden: bones, showers and baths, floor, school, people to make friend with, Jesus, medicine, markers, straws, clothes, our blessings, Ethan, family, books, candy, games, food, trash cans, church, Wii, computers, beds

Tawny: toys, babies, scissors, church, tape, showers, school clothes, staples, Jesus, Food, cribs, piano, floss and toothbrush, home, pets, couches, church, mommy and daddy, doors, home, brothers

I have so many things to be grateful for I don't even know where to start: a loving husband, wonderful children, my faith in Jesus Christ, our home, health, me and Greg's jobs, family, and so much more!

When I grow up

Brayden brought this home from school the other day. it says, "When I grow up I am going to be a farmer. I am going to ride a trackter. And I am going to be on the same farm as my dad. I hope my dad is still alive when I am a farmer." I thought it was cute so cute!
On saturday the kids got to ride with Greg on the new cotton picker. They had so much fun, even Ethan!

Ethan

There's so much I want to remember about him. At this age he is changing so quickly.

*He's learned to tickle. If we're cuddling in my bed, he pick up my shirt, tickle my belly and do a little fake laugh

*He's my only child that will let me wipe his nose. Yesterday he even brought me a piece of toilet paper. It makes it so much easier!

*His new word this week was "heavy". He applies it to everything he can't push. He walked around the house all morning pushing on things, then telling me they're "heavy" if they don't move. So far the stove, wall, kitchen table, sliding door and the couch are heavy. (When he pushed on me I made sure I moved. I didn't want to be heavy!)

*If he sees someone scratching their arm/leg he'll come over and help.

*He is finally walking!! He'll be 15months in a few days, so it's about time

*He loves the uh-oh game (do something with purpose then look super innocent and say uh-oh!

*When he is irritated, tired, or just doesn't want you looking at him he makes this sound I can't even describe. It's like the annoyed sound an upset teenager would make on a movie. I definitely have to get a video of it because I can't describe it any better.

*He loves to cuddle so much more than any of my other kids. He loves his mommy the best (as he should) but if he's in the right mood he'll cuddle with anyone he knows well. Yesterday he cuddled with Brayden while we were watching a movie. Adorable!

*He loves peek-a-boo

Where are you?

Boo!
Again,
and again....
and...

again! It never gets old (for him or me)

Halloween Festivities

Halloween seemed to be more of a week long celebration than just a day. The Sunday before we carved/decorated pumpkins with my parents. My parents always do such cute pumpkins. My dad tries to get a pumpkin with a "scar" that he can incorporate into his face. This year was no exception.
Since our kids are so little and can't really help carve at all, we let them decorate their pumpkins this year. They used paint, glitter, feathers and rhinestones. They turned out very unique! But the kids loved doing it and I didn't have to clean and cut both of their pumpkins, which honestly is not one of my favorite things to do.
Aren't they gorgeous?! I actually didn't carve my pumpkin this year either. Brayden and Tawny inspired me to be creative so I used rhinestones to decorate mine.The other great thing about not carving our pumpkins is that they don't rot before Halloween. And because they didn't rot I'm able to bake them and freeze enough pumpkin puree to cover my baking for the next year. I did two of the pumpkins today and got over 18 cups of puree. And it taste so much better than the canned stuff.

On the Friday before Halloween Greg and I hosted an adult Halloween costume party. It was so much fun! We had awesome company, ate great food and had such a food time talking and playing games. I made a spiderweb cheesecake that turned out so cute I had to include a picture. And according to ever there, it was super tasty too! (I don't know because I don't like cheesecake).On Saturday we had out ward "trunk or treat", which we did inside the church this year. The primary was in charge of decorations and all the games, so Saturday was pretty busy for me, but it all turned out really well. All the kids seemed to have a lot of fun, except Ethan. He did not love all the people in their costumes. Greg finally had to take him home early.

I told Brayden to give me his "serious football face"
Tawny wanted to be a pirate just like last year. She loved her costume that much.We started out Halloween day with spooky pancakes. They're even healthy whole wheat pancakes and the kids don't even notice because they're in cute shapes. I've found I can get them to eat almost anything if it looks cool.

They do a costume parade at Brayden's school so he got to wear his costume to school that day. Of course Tawny had to wear hers too. They even let Tawny walk with Brayden, which I really appreciated and she loved!

For dinner I let the kids decorate their own pizzas. We do this every so often and the kids really love it. This time I cooked their pizzas using our skookie pans (individual sized cast iron pans). They were so much tastier! The bottoms got nice and crispy but the rest was soft. As you can tell, pizza decorating takes a high level of concentration!Brayden made a face.

Tawny went a little more abstract. (She said hers was a face too, but I just don't see it)

After dinner we went trick or treating. This was the first year Brayden or Tawny have actually gone trick or treating. I was too busy chasing them around the neighborhood to take any pictures. Apparently our neighborhood is one of the most popular in Blythe for trick or treating because it was packed! The kids got so much candy, more than they will ever eat. They really had a great time. I'm glad that the next holiday is Thanksgiving because it is one of my favorites. I love that it reminds me daily to have an attitude of gratitude. It is so much easier to have a great day when I am constantly on the lookout for blessings. November is going to be a great month!