I'm So Excited and I Just Can't Hide It!

I can't wait for Friday. In honor of Halloween I decided to round up pictures of Halloween past.
This is Paul and I on our first Halloween as a married couple (1996). I had gotten this faux fur from a neighbor. She bought it to make a giant teddy bear but never got around to it. She would probably die if she knew I made it into a caveman costume. Somehow I convinced him that it would be a good idea to dress up. I don't think that he has worn a costume since.

Emma was right at five weeks for her first Halloween. I made a dalmatian costume out of felt and one of her sleepers. She was so cute in her tail and floppy ears but everyone kept calling her a cow.
The next year I made Emma into an M&M(1999). This was a pretty easy costume to make and she stayed nice and warm. We spent that Halloween in Utah visiting her twin cousins who were just two months old.

This was the last year (2000) that I made a homemade costume. I was pregnant with Andrew and once he came there was no time left for sewing. I am still not sure how I managed to make this. I don't think that I have sewn anything requiring a pattern since.

This was Andrew's first Halloween. (2001)I loved the idea of having the kids in themed costumes. He was right at six month and was just learning to sit on his own. If we didn't have him propped up just right he would fall over and his padded belly would stick up. He looked like a bug stuck on its back. Paul and I couldn't help but crack up laughing at him. The next year we stuck with the Disney theme. Andrew was mobile at this point making it almost impossible to get a photo of both of the kids together. (2002)This was our first Halloween living in Utah. (2003) Look at all of that wretched white stuff. Barf! It was sooo cold that night that Emma started crying that she was freezing to death and all of her green make-up streaked down her face. Poor little thing. Welcome to Utah.

The weather was much better this year. (2004)We had a toasty warm unicorn and Frankenstein. This was also Emma's first year at public school where she got to do the school parade. I went to help out in her class room feeling very festive in my orange shirt and Halloween argyle socks. When I got there I was shocked at how many parents came in costume. It was on. From that point forward I started dressing up again. This year (2005) I was an Elizabethan Queen, Andrew was Darth Vader and Emma was a butterfly (She isn't a regular fly, I swear!) I loved this costume. It was so much fun dressing up again. We had a great time that year.In 2006 Emma was a geisha, Andrew was a dinosaur and I was a red and black devil thing. This was the first year that they kids just went and went and went. It take a lot of energy to trick or treat this neighborhood with all the hills but they just kept plugging along. They got so much candy that they had to empty their bags and then they went out for more.

In 2007 and we were all spooky gouls. Emma and I (you can see me in costume in older posts) were Spider Web Ghosts and Andrew was the Guaze Reaper.

Have I mentioned that I am excited for Friday? Hip Hip Hooray for Halloween!

The Pumpkin Patch

We went to Harward Farms' Pumpkin Patch in Springville tonight for family home evening. I enjoyed every minute of it. The kids had a great time too. Paul was a good sport but was pretty much just along for the ride. There was an amazing sunset that made the night very special.
Geez I thought these pictures would show up better. I will be working on them over the next day or so.

So I decided to leave the others but add some of my favorites full sized (well as full sized as you can get on here)

Baby Girl and Mommy

Think this would be too big?

Me and my babiesDaddy and the babiesAndrew and MommyPaul and his pumpkinThe kids in the sunset

I was Tagged by Rees

Thanks Rees! A List of Eights

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch (if I have time)
I love to watch
1) Days of our Lives (hangs head in shame)
2) Project Runway
3) America’s Next Top Model (hanging head again)
4) Survivor (I even gamble on this one, I won once!)
5) Lipstick Jungle
6) Dancing with the Stars
7) So You Think You Can Dance (there will never be another Neil)
8) Amazing Race ( Do you think Paul and I would make a good bickering couple?)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1) I got up early to let Steve in to finish my house
2) I read several chapters in my book
3) I took a nap
4) I went on a date with my hubby
5) I got two meals at Noodles (they screwed up my order, told me to start eating the wrong one while they made the right one and then felt like a pig when I had two full sized bowls of food in front of me)
6) I got depressed while shopping at the mall (I’m not ready to be an old lady yet, but I feel too mature for the junior stuff. Where are 30 year olds suppose to shop?)
7) Went to Kneaders for turtle cheesecake and a caramel apple (dessert always helps)
8) Went to Macey’s to get Candy Corn Kisses and Yogurt (did you know that the grocery store is dead on a Friday night?)

8 Favorite Places to Eat
1) Las Tarascas
2) Mama Chu’s
3) Café Rio
4) Baja Fresh
5) Favela’s (Can you tell I like Mexican?)
6) Claim Jumper
7) Zachary’s Pizza in Berkley, Ca.
8) Cattleman’s Steak House


8 Things I Look Forward To
1) Days that I can sleep in
2) Halloween (it is my #1 favorite holiday)
3) Vacations (I like the little short ones with few expectations. They rejuvenate me)
4) My house being back to normal (hopefully this week!!!)
5) Paul graduating (who knows if I will ever see the day…sigh…)
6) Valentine’s Day (I love the traditions that we have. It makes it so fun to look forward to. I also know that after mid-Feb. my world will start to be in color again very soon. I hate winter)
7) Spring
8) The holiday sales (Paul and I try to do most of our Christmas shopping on Black Friday and we also like to go out after Christmas)

8 Things on my Wish List
My material wish list
1) A new setting for my wedding ring
2) A great haircut (why is this sooo hard?)
3) A new fancy sewing machine, no wait, a new buffet and hutch
4) A boob job and tummy tuck
My Spiritual Wish list
5) A way to avoid all temptation
6) Celestial Glory for me and all of my loved ones
7) The ability to do all the things I am asked to do, you know, service stuff (LOL!)
8) More knowledge in this life

Eight people I tag:
Unfortunately I don't know eight bloggers (that haven't already been tagged)
If you read my blog, you have been tagged!!!

If I Could Turn Back Time- Installment 2

This is a recap of November and December.

In February of 2007 Paul’s parents were called to serve a mission in Hong Kong. They were thrilled with their call. They would be serving as temple workers in the same mission that my father in law, David had served in as a young man.

They had been out about 4-6 months when Nancy hurt her knee getting onto a bus. After much uncertainty of how things would be handled, they came home in early Sept. It was upsetting for them, but it was pretty clear that they were needed back in the states.

They blessed our family with their return and were also able to be home just in time for the baptism of their twin grandchildren. It was a lovely day and the Spirit could be felt very strongly during the baptism.
Not long after the baptism they were able to welcome two new grandsons. I became an aunt to two of the cutest, happiest little boys ever! Their names are John and Calvin.

We were also able to spend the holidays with them which was an unexpected surprise. We spent Thanksgiving at Joi and David’s house where the cousins worked on puzzles together and got to enjoy their grandparents.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving was the BYU vs. Utah game. I had been waiting a long time for this. Paul’s dad had left us the tickets for this game when he went on his mission. When they came home early he asked Paul if he could go with him and Paul told him he promised to take me. David made some calls and got a ticket from Dr.Tucker. We ended up swapping tickets with them so they got their 50 yard line seats and we were down on the front row right in the middle of all the action. It was so fun to be right there will all that energy!
After BYU won, Paul took off like a bullet to storm the field. I took off after him but he was long gone. I thought that I had lost him forever. Miraculously we found each other in the huge crowd.
After the game we went to dinner with our friends Karen and Cameron and on the way home got into a small car accident on the freeway. A car was following too close in the traffic and rear ended us. Luckily they drive a huge SUV with a huge tow hitch and we came away without any damage to us or their car.

In early December we had some really good snow pretty early on. I was determined to get a great, classy, elegant family photo for our Christmas card like we had done the year before. I worked hard putting the outfits together, all matchy matchy, but it wasn’t meant to be. Here are some of our outtakes. They include bright blue gum, squinty/closed eyes and wrinkled noses.

Instead this is what we ended up with. One day the kids started playing outside and made this way cute snowman. They did it all by themselves and even used a scarf and hat that I had crocheted for Andrew. When they showed it to me I knew it was too cute to pass up. I hurried and started trying to get clothes for us that would coordinate with Mr. Snowman and we got this shot. I still love it!

In December we went to Gardner Village to see the Elves, Andrew had a Christmas concert, and we decorated, and baked to get into the holiday spirit. On Christmas Eve Santa came with our pajamas and once again, left them without being caught by the kids.

Christmas morning went great. The kids got everything they wanted including Webkinz, Cars cars, Squawkers McCaw and a Wii.

On December 29th the whole Gardner family went to Seattle to meet the two new babies. This was our Christmas gift from David and Nancy and what a great gift it was. We had a very early flight, the first ever for Andrew,but it was so fun to all be on the same plane. There were ten of us all traveling together from Salt Lake. While we were there we got to spend time together as a family, see the Public Market, ride a ferry, and be part of the baby blessings. It was such a special treat to all go as a family.

The Gardner FamilyThe kids fell in love with both boys instantly. This is JohnAnd this is CalvinAll the Gardner cousins together (John, Megan, Matthew, Amanda, Andrew, Emma and Calvin)
We got home pretty late on New Year’s Eve. My parents picked us up at the airport and took us to their house where we barely had time to welcome in the New Year. The night, and year, was over before we knew it.