Jack-O-Lanterns

When John and i first got married i quickly realised that carving pumpkins wasn't something that he grew up with as when i went to get some he asked why i was bothering.  Well I, on the other hand, have been making jack-o-lanterns since i don't know when and it was a tradition that we included because it adds to the fun!  

The kids never used to "enjoy" the carving part as they didn't like getting their hands slimy, but this year they seemed to get over it mostly (well except for Sarah, she was still quite leery).  Jack didn't want a pumpkin this year, but he was quite enthusiastic about the other kids'.  

This year i think John was more into it than i was.  He had the idea to look on the internet with the kids for ideas of what to do.  They each picked the stencil that they liked the best and John went to work stencilling.  I helped scoop the goop and carve also, but the face designs were all John.  He is a fantastic daddy and the kids were pleased with the outcome.

 Looking for good ideas...

Edy's

 Iman's

 Sarah's

Has it Been 9 Years Already?

When i think of when Immanuel was born, i think of Idaho, i think of the newness of everything, the baby clothes, the bottles, our friends that we played cards and other games with (well at that point in Rexburg there wasn't really anything else to do!).  I think of the naps John and Immanuel took on the couch together because John tried to sleep whenever he could (which was not enough) because of his night shift, his day job and of course going to school full time at BYU-I.  Everything was new and different, i loved it.  Then i think..."that was 9 years ago now?"  It seems so long ago and yet not long ago at all.  Next year i will have a double-digit kid, WOW, now that does make me start to feel old. ;-)


Immanuel these past 9 years with you have been an absolute joy!  You are truly a shinning light! I have no doubts that you will do miraculous and spectacular things in your life and most importantly make the Lord pleased.  You are a good, good, boy and your heart is pure.  Here's to happy 9 years with you and many more to come!

 I love the look on Aiden and Ginny's faces in this one.  :-)

 ZOG!  Immanuel has a Candy Corn Wizard character that he came up with that he writes stories about in his writing book for school.  He asked me to make him a cake this year that was his character.  His name is Zog, he is an actual candy corn with a blue wizard's hat on.  This is what he looks like in Immanuel's book.

 Singing

 Singing to him.  Look at that face!  I love it!

Blowing out his candle....

Eating cake!

Thanks to all our amazing friends that helped us celebrate.  We were also graced with the presence of the Robert Family, as they came to our rescue all the way from Knoxville because i locked us out of our house and Jared is a lock-smith (among many other things).  If i had known they were that close before we called for house-breaking-into advice,  i would have invited them in the first place, but it was definitely a welcome addition and we all had a great time.

Pumpkin Pickin is Not the Same...

Although i love this season to death there is still a twinge of sadness when it comes to the pumpkin ordeal.  For many years growing up my family would go to the best pumpkin picking place in the whole universe in northern New Jersey.  No where i have been before has ever topped this place.  When i got married and had kids i kept the tradition alive as soon as we moved back to the East and made sure we went with my mother at least each year.  Even though it's been now three years since we have been able to go there as we've been in Tennessee, i think this year i feel more of the sting as my dear mother is no longer living in the area (of the pumpkin picking place) and so there's really no reason for us to ever have the opportunity to go picking there ever again as it's not like we'll be visiting anyone in that area. 


The hayride was 50 cents and it took you to this gigantic field with thousands of pumpkins to choose from.  You paid by weight and the rest of the place was a gardening center which had many gourds, flowers, and other Fall/Halloween knick-knacks to choose from, as well as goats to feed and things for the kids to play on.  Then there's John's absolute favorite and that's the home-made donuts still warm smothered in cinnamon and sugar, *sigh*!


So at this time i mourn...at least until i come across a new place that meets my expectations (although mostly i just miss spending that time with my mother)....Tennessee, you have a high standard to meet from my home in New Jersey.


Here's my pics from the place we went this year....

 We met up with the Osbornes and the Shoultses.  

I especially like Aurora's face in this one!  ;-)

 Jack being a party-pooper ( a.k.a. he just woke up from a nap that was too short)

The Witches Tea Party

Female bonding is always a good thing 

and nothing goes better with that than good food and dressing up!  

A new friend of mine, Heather, just moved into the area a couple of months ago 

and put on her annual Witches Tea Party.  

It was a first for all of us here in Tennessee, but hopefully not the last and i had a great time.  

Thanks for all your hard work Heather, you sure do know how to put on a fantastic party!

 Can you tell?  It's a witch!  So creative!

 B-I-N-G-O

 Before i left...

 The Woman of the Hour, Heather!

 Teresa

 Taralyn

 Jenni and Mandy

 Close-up of Mandy's awesome glasses!

 Nikki, Katie, and I

 Beth, Amber, and Amanda

 Nikki and Katie

 Sarah and Kelsey

 Jenni and her darling baby girl, Presley (who was by far the cutest!)

 Beth won, most original...

 Teresa won the funniest...

 Mandy won the cutest.

 Table 1

 Table 2

 Lovely Cheryl

 Heather reading a witch story for the gift exchange.  Every time the word witch or broom/broomstick was read we had to pass our gifts to the once to the left.

 So cute i just can't stand it!

All of us!