some online Halloween fun

The kids have had fun with these.........


Go Here to dress Zoe in some cute Halloween costumes



Carve your own pumpkin HERE




Play Whack O'Ween and other fun games at Funschool

Fall Is In The Air....finally

The leaves are finally changing up here. The 70 degree weather is gone. It's official. I know I've mentioned my love of all thing Autumn before, but I just LOVE this season!

*views from our front porch

Ghoulish Fun

I just love Halloween! There are so many fun things to do, make, read, cook.....I thought I'd share a few things we've done so far-

Q-Tip Skeletons- so fun! Thanks, Andrea :)

Bat-O-Lanterns from Family Fun

Mummy Dogs from Rhodes- the kids LOVED these!

Ghostly Shepherd's Pie- they loved this, too!!

recipe here

Ghosty Pancakes

Eyeballs- the kids will eat anything with eyeballs on it!

1. Make some royal icing;
ROYAL ICING
Ingredients:
3 egg whites, room temperature
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Combine ingredients, beat at high speed for 7-10 minutes.

2. dye 1/4 of the icing with black food coloring, then using a cake decorating bag with a circular tip, make a whole bunch of eyeballs (squeeze onto wax paper) using white first, then black. Let dry overnight, peel off, and make your food creepy! If you moisten the back they'll stick to just about anything.

Last night we enjoyed some "eye scream"!!

Another version of Jaime's Spooky Cake

Some of our favorite Halloween books:

Spooky Saturday at the Dinosaur Museum is always a must! This year we got to visit Batman's cave and see some creepy experiments.

Park City

We had a great week in Park City over fall break! It was fun spending time with Spencer and Andrea & Danny and Leah. Grandma & Grandpa spoiled the kids, as usual! Some of the activites included:


Fun At The Park






Ping Pong Tourney


New Junk Art



Swimming


Crafts With Aunt Andrea



The Shoe Tree


Walks


The Music Park


Hangin' Out



We love spending time in Park City!

Maybe I Clean Too Much.......

What is something mom always says to you?
Lincoln: Sorry
Kensie: Do your work

What makes mom happy?
Lincoln: When I be good
Kensie: doing what she says

What makes mom sad?
Lincoln: When I get in trouble
Kensie: saying "no"

What does your mom do to make you laugh?
Lincoln: says funny words
Kensie: tickles me

What was your mom like when she was little?
Lincoln: a pumpkin (what the?)
Kensie: cute

How old is your mom?
Lincoln: 4
Kensie: 31

How tall is your mom?
Lincoln: 6
Kensie: 9 ft.

What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
Lincoln: clean up
Kensie: color

What does your mom do when you are not around?
Lincoln: work
Kensie: play with Jackson

If your mom was famous what would it be for?
Lincoln: cleaning bathrooms (see a pattern here?)
Kensie: singing

What is your mom really good at?
Lincoln: eating toast
Kensie: having fun

What is your mom not really good at?
Lincoln: couldn't think of anything (that's my boy!)
Kensie: jump roping

What is your mom's favorite food?
Lincoln: toast
Kensie: pizza

If your mom was a cartoon who would she be like?
Kensie: Dora

What do you and your mom do together?
Lincoln: clean up
Kensie: paint nails

How are you and your mom the same?
Lincoln: our eyes are the same
Kensie: we both like to clean up

How are you and your mom different?
Kensie: she has short hair, I have long hair

How do you know that your mom loves you?
Lincoln: she reads me stories
Kensie: she hugs me

The One That Got Away

I missed one. A crayon, that is. In all the crayon-making madness one seemed to have escaped. I discovered this yesterday when I pulled a load of Kensie's laundry out of the dryer. Yep, blue melted crayon all over her clothes. Not just on a few pieces, on EVERY SINGLE ITEM. Not just in a few random places, ALL OVER EVERY PIECE OF CLOTHING! I've tried everything to get it out {to no avail}. I've tried the tide/borax/shout/oxyclean/vinegar formula......I've tried WD-40. Nothing. Now her clothes just smell like she works at Jiffy Lube. Apparently it was a nuclear crayon or something. The thought of having to toss that many clothes makes me sick. She may just have to wear them anyway.

{sigh}

I WAS able to get the crayon off the {new} dryer, though, which lightened my mood just a bit.

Anyone with size 8 girl clothes................I'm taking donations! {Ha Ha!}

Cute Quick Clipboards

Today I got fed up with all the school calendars, homework, pictures, etc. that clutter my fridge! I need to be able to see them {because my mother brain just cannot remember everything} but I HATE looking at them up there on that fridge. SO, I decided to do something about it! I found 2 old clipboards, dolled them up, and hung them in the laundry room above the kids' backpacks. Now I can still see all the school stuff when I NEED to, but don't have to look at it if I don't WANT to.

This took me all of about 5 minutes to do. Serious. Just found some cute paper, taped it on, and voila! You could Mod Podge the paper if you want a glossy look, but I just used double sided tape. That way I can change them up if I ever get the urge.

Mangiamo!

Last night's Family Home Evening was all about manners. First, we had dinner at our own "fancy" restaurant where the kids got to fill out a menu & create their own pizzas. During dinner we talked about using our manners at the table.

*thanks to gourmet mom on the go for the inspiration!




Following dinner we had our FHE lesson, which I found HERE. We've done this one before, but the kids love it & can always use a refresher on the whole manners concept!!

Finding Joy In The Journey

Probably my favorite talk from Conference this year was given by Pres. Monson in the Sunday morning session. Here are some of my favorite words of wisdom from that talk:

I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed

Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey.

read the talk in its entirety HERE

The Weather Outside Is FRIGHTFUL!

Yesterday Morning......

Yesterday Afternoon.....

This Morning!!!