Happy Halloween

Of course we had a bunch of Halloween activities this year. We kicked things off with our church's Trunk of Treat. We searched pinterest for some cute cupcakes to bring and came up with these Frankensteins. King and Conrad just kept say in high pitched voices "They are so cute!"

The Primary Presidency was in charge of the event and since I am the second counselor that means I spent a lot of time running around like a crazy person and didn't get any pictures of my kids or John and I. Luckily, one of activities was a photo op so we were able to get some pics after all. (Not sure if I blogged about this before but a couple of weeks after we moved here we got called into the Bishop's office to receive callings and I honestly thought they would be really small since no one knew who we were, but to my surprise I got called into the Primary Presidency. It's been a blast although I am still trying to memorize the names of all 100 kids. It's huge).

I have to say that I was pretty proud of John's and my costumes. The track suits were a sweet steal at a church rummage sale. 

King had a Halloween party at school, but unfortunately this is the second year in a row he has missed it because a stomach bug has hit the house. October must not be a good month for us. This year it all started when we got a call from the office at school saying Netta needed a change of pants. I assumed she had maybe peed her pants, but when I got there she informed me that she had farted and poop came out. Lovely. So we took her home and within hours she was throwing up and then that evening I started puking and then to top it all off King woke up in the middle of the night blowing oats. John was having eye surgery later that week so he couldn't risk getting sick, which meant I got to clean it all up. What fun! Luckily, by Friday everyone was better so Halloween wasn't completely ruined. Well it was somewhat ruined for poor King again because it decided to turn freezing cold and start to hail/snow. We went downtown to Trick or Treat at the local businesses right after school, but King was freaking out about the cold so we didn't last very long.

I wasn't sure if Conrad would like to use Netta's old Baby Jaguar costume, since King never did, but he is obsessed with it. In fact, when he saw me writing this blog post he insisted on putting it on again. (Poor runt Conrad. Part of the reason King never wore it is that he grew way to fast)

After freezing our butts off we headed to Qdoba for dinner. Another place that I don't really love, but we end up eating at a ton. The older kids were allowed to wear their costumes to school, but for some reason 1st grade and under were not. Netta was not a fan of this so of course we had to find one of our costumes that was enough like a regular dress that she could still wear it.

John was at home in an ambien induced coma during all this fun. Halloween morning he got PKR, the newer form of laser eye surgery and he basically had to sleep all weekend. I would joke that he had the easier weekend, but really the ambien didn't work very well for him and he was in a lot of pain. Luckily, the surgery went well and he survived that weekend and now he is finally free from glasses and contacts!

Since John was out of commission I had to find a way to stay at home and pass out candy while still letting the older kids trick or treat. Luckily, we have great friends from church who live like 2 doors down. The mom Laura is my friend and visiting teaching companion, they have a son Ryan who is EZ's age, they have a daughter Amanda who is in between Netta and King and their oldest daughter Heather babysits for us. Laura was kind enough to take EZ and Netta out with her kids. King absolutely refused to go out in the cold again and I wasn't going to make her deal with Conrad out there, even though she is great and she said she would have. 

Fun with Visitors and Few Random Things

We were lucky enough to have 3 of my sisters come to visit between the end of September and the middle of October. It was a bit like running a bed and breakfast and totally worth it. Rachel and her husband Robert came to visit first and sadly I don't have any pictures of us together, but it was with them that I discovered Grandpa's Cider Mill. While we lived in Texas, if anyone asked what I missed about Michigan, I always told them fall and cider mills. I especially missed the cider donuts from said mills and Grandpa's Cider Mill did not disappoint. They have a cider bar where you can taste different samples of their 20 some flavors of cider and of course they have amazing cider donuts. I ended up eating a ton of donuts between all the visitors and I never got sick of them. 

My next set of visitors were my sister Meghan and her kids. Her husband was going to Utah for a wedding and she was stuck at home alone with all the kiddos, so it was a perfect weekend to come visit. I kept joking that I loved having a "sister wife" here and I really did. It is nice to have another adult in the house to talk to while you are doing all the mundane chores and what not. While they were here we decided to hit up the local corn maze. It actually had a lot of fun activities in addition to 3 mazes. The kids loved racing around the course on these peddle cars and even Conrad and Timmy got in on the action with some help from Uncle John.

We tried really hard to get a picture of all the kids together and we basically had to give up hope of getting one where everyone was smiling and just go with everyone kind of looking at the camera.

We were able to do 2 of the 3 mazes. We probably would have abandoned ship after 1 but the older kids were so jazzed about doing another. 

Each maze had a little puzzle card that you filled out as you went along. This definitely helped keep the kids engaged, even if they all insisted that we fill out each one of their cards which kind of drove the adults a little crazy. During the second maze, Lucy announced that she had to pee right in the middle of it. There was no way to get out in time so she had to go in the maze. The poor girl had been wearing one of Netta's old leotards and I guess she doesn't know the old pull the crotch to the side trick because she got butt naked to take her pee. Amazingly she wasn't fazed by the cold and I am pretty sure no one but us saw her.

The weather was chilly, but still nice enough for a trip to the beach. The wind had blown the sand around so much that it had buried one of the benches. 

While I was hanging out with Meghan, John and the boys went further down towards the water and John got these amazing pictures. I gotta say our kids are so stinking cute and the backdrop was so amazing. I am jealous of how well John's phone takes pictures. I am counting down till I get to upgrade.

Basically the minute Meghan drove off with her family I headed to the airport to pick up my sister Katie and her kids. King was all over baby Kaelyn. He still has a soft spot for those little ones. I really enjoyed having the babies in the house, but I have to admit that it did kind of confirm to me that I am not interested in having anymore of my own. I think we already have enough on our plate.

We went back to my new favorite apple orchard and again the kids played so much doing the extra activities that we didn't actually pick any apples. Somehow I managed to get a ton of pictures of Conrad and Noah smiling, but almost non of King. In fact I am pretty sure it took some mild threats to get the last pic here. You would think that you could count on the older child to smile at the camera, but no.

Katie and I also got to go to the women's craft night at church. It was a lot of fun and we made some sweet stuff. I have never been a huge crafter, but since moving here I have gotten on Pinterest and I have done a couple different projects. I joke that it's out of boredom and I don't mean to insult those who have always loved to craft, but really there isn't as much to do here so I have to find some way to fill my time and try and challenge myself. Plus, there aren't as many places to shop so sometimes you just can't find what you want. 

Now, on the to the few random things. Netta also played soccer this year and she had a blast, but not from the actual playing soccer part. She was much more interested in making friends and after every game she would tell me the name of her new friend on the other team. She also really enjoyed kicking all the mushrooms she found on the field. After one game she came to me crying because she hadn't scored a goal, but she had literally spent the entire time kicking mushrooms. I really think that's not the best choice if you are keen on scoring a goal. She is loving dance and is asking to take more classes, so I am not sure how long lived her soccer career will be.

October was the schools Walkathon fundraiser where the kids pledged to walk laps at recess. Parents could come and walk with the kids and so we went once a week to walk with the kids. For some reason King got mad at me for taking him there every single week so he would just sit on the side and Conrad and I would walk with Netta and EZ. Conrad would also play on the playground and he always had a following of little girls wanting to help him. I got this picture of Netta during one of our visits and I think her outfit sums up her personality perfectly.

September Happenings

In a desperate attempt to get caught up on this blog, all of September is getting lumped into one post. On the drive home from our anniversary trip we were able to visit John's nephew Coleman who is serving a mission outside of Detroit. We got to take him and his companions out to lunch and then we went to a park to let the kids play. It was good to get to see how he is doing. A mission is not easy and we are really proud of how hard he is working.

We got home the night before school started, which was less than ideal, but we made it to school on time and I even managed to take pictures before we left. I was pretty proud of myself. EZ started 3rd grade and Netta started 1st. I know they are still little but they look so much older to me in these pictures, especially Netta. Sniff Sniff

Kingston started preschool at the YMCA. I am excited that now it will be much easier to make sure I get to the gym since I am already going there 3 days a week to drop him off. I was worried about how he would do and he did freak out a bit about this new school, but the teacher said he calmed down quickly even after having to be pried off my legs.

With school back up and running, Conrad and I get to spend some quality time just the two of us. We discovered that the Children's Museum has an awesome story/craft time every Wednesday. One week the theme was bubbles and after drinking tons of bubbles and not seeming to be bothered, Conrad finally figured out how to blow them all by himself.

This is "foaminator"one of the seriously sweet crafts they had.

Owing to the lack of stores here, I have discovered a love of garage sale shopping. I would venture to say it is becoming somewhat of an addiction and King is more then happy to go along for the ride if he gets to watch movies in the car and buy toys like this sweet stuffed pineapple. I have no idea why it appealed to him so much, but obviously he loves it.

 The summer was way too short, but I was excited about the start of fall and the leaves changing and all the beauty that comes with it that we never really got to experience in Texas. Apples are huge here and so is apple picking, so my friend Liz and I took our kids to an orchard that also had a sweet kids play area. Of course none of the cool toys were nearly as appealing as the cat that was running around. Here is Conrad being so sweet and gentle . . .

and then pulling the poor things tail. Conrad really harassed the crap out of that cat and the silly things just kept coming back for more.

King on the other hand was nothing but gentle with the kitty, which is impressive since he likes to play pretty rough with everyone at home. The kids spent so much time playing that by the time we wanted to pick apples they were all hungry and melting down, so we ended just buying some from the orchard store. Oh well. They were still delicious.

This summer EZ and Netta participated in a golf program called "First Tee." It is a really great deal on golf lessons and the kids loved them. EZ really got into it and I have a feeling an individual sport like golf is more his speed. We will definitely be pursuing it further with him. In addition to teaching golf, the program really emphasizes healthy living and so they had a special family walking event around the golf course. It was one of those days where we were late and I felt like a crazy person trying to get there, but we made it and the grounds were gorgeous and we all had fun even though Netta is not exactly making the happiest face in this picture.

There is a farmer's market in town every Saturday and we have been trying to go as often as possible. We have bought some produce but admittedly we have spent most of our money on amazing baked goods. At the end of the September there was a special festival in conjunction with the market and they had an amazing petting zoo. All of the kids were in heaven and definitely everyone's favorite part was all of the baby chicks. This picture of EZ is also the only one we have of him in his soccer uniform. Soccer has been a bit painful this year. The poor kid just doesn't know how to run and the way the league is set up it is basically all games and no practice, which just doesn't work well for him. I think that kind of system only works for the kids who are naturally really talented. That and the field is right by the highway and the coach isn't allowed on the field so he can try and yell directions, but no one can hear him. EZ even admitted that he is not having as much fun as he did in Texas. I grew up playing soccer and I assumed my kids would too, so it is weird to say this, but our soccer days could be over.

Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary

Conrad turned 2 in August and I still can't believe he is that old. Probably because he is still the runt of the family. He actually is up to 50th percentile in height, so we are exited about that, but his weight is still around 15th. All my boys have had to wear clothes a size up and Netta has always been true to size, but Conrad can still wear a size down. We still refer to him as "the baby" and I have a feeling we will be calling him that for awhile. The even funnier thing is that he is so tiny, but he talks non-stop and actually really well. I love it when he says "What the heck?" and "Guess what. Chicken butt." Those always catch people off guard. I mean what little 2 year old says that?

Conrad is absolutely obsessed with Team Umizoomi and asks to watch it all day every day. So, it was only natural that we have a Team Umizoomi party. Luckily, King was also Team Umi obsessed when he was 2, so I got to make a repeat "Bot" cake. Hopefully Conrad continues to follow in King's footsteps, so I can repeat the same designs.

Conrad was lucky enough to get to celebrate his birthday once at our house and once at my parents'. Our 10 year anniversary was the day after Conrad's birthday and my parents and sisters were kind enough to work together to watch our kids while John and I went on a cruise, but before we left we had time for Conrad's second celebration. I also have to give my family props for putting the cupcakes together for this one.

 So to celebrate our big 10 year anniversary, John and I went on a Carnival cruise out of Miami that went to Key West, FL, Cozumel, Mexico and Georgetown, Grand Cayman Islands. Holy crap the whole thing was amazing. We have only gotten to go away twice with no kids since EZ was born for quick weekend anniversary trips, but this one was 6 nights and we wish we could do it every year! It was so nice to spend time together and get dressed up and eat nice quiet peaceful meals with a waiter and everything. As an added bonus I called our travel agent when I noticed that the cruise had gone down $200 to get the difference in on board credit thanks to our rate guarantee. Well when I called and he pulled up the reservation he said "Wow this is a huge difference. I see $462. Is that what you see?" and I said "Yep!" He had to fight a little with Carnival, but he got them to give us all of it. I still get giddy just thinking about it ;)

 We both got to go on stage during the juggler's act. He was really funny and I managed to make a complete idiot out of myself, because I couldn't catch a tiny ball in a huge net. John laughed so hard he almost fell off the stage. I blame the bright lights ;)

In Key West we went paddle boarding in the mangroves, which was a bit exhausting and feet numbing, but totally worth it. In Mexico, I got to fulfill my lifelong dream of swimming with the dolphins. I loved every second of it, but unfortunately, I did not love any of the pictures they took or the price they wanted for them, so I will just have to hold on to the memories. In the end though, the best part of the whole trip was Grand Cayman. The beaches were absolutely beautiful and they had the clearest, bluest water. We are already planning how we can one day take our whole family there for a long vacation once everyone is a little older. 

Besides just he amazing beaches, Grand Cayman also had our favorite excursion, swimming with sting rays. There is this sand bar where boats used to always clean their fish and over time it attracted all these sting rays. They became so tame and used to being around people that they are now like puppies. You get in the waist deep water and hundreds of sting rays swim all around you. The best part is that they aren't penned in or caged or anything. They just come of their own free will and it is amazing!

One unfortunate lesson were learned in Grand Cayman was that our sunscreen was not as water-proof as advertised, so I got to sport a styling hat for the rest of the trip.

One other highlight was getting picked on by the comedian on board. We were leery of sitting up close and rightfully so. He really made fun of John for working with appliances, which doesn't sound that funny, but he was. Of course it was all in good fun and in the end he even bought some appliances using John's discount. 

It was hard to leave the ship and it was especially hard for John to give up 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts at every dinner. I loved the food as well, but I am almost embarrassed to admit I will miss the Guy Fieri burgers the most. Holy crap I love a good burger. We know we won't be able to do these kind of trips every year, but hopefully we won't have to wait another 10.