Catching Up

So, I haven't been blogging much lately. It is hard to though, because all of my time has been spent on Christmas presents. I can't post anything on my latest projects until after Christmas. They have been some fun ones though.
We have gotten most of our Christmas decorations up and lights on the house. Hope to get more lights on clearance after Christmas. The kids are so excited. It is gonna be wierd this year. This will be our first year having Christmas with just us. We traded Christmas with my family this year for Thanksgiving, because all of my siblings were able to go to my parents in Washington. We made the 20 hour drive without stopping overnight! It was so nice to be all together. It is the first time that we have all been together, I guess since Ben and I got married seven years ago. Usually somebody is missing (generally my hubby). The kids and I met two new additions to our family (one on my side and one on Ben's). We were able to get family pictures and just have a lot of fun, maybe too much at times (Lysha are you still working on your musical about putting a puzzle together?)
Hope to get our Christmas card done soon. The weather hasn't cooperated much and then Ben has had to work late a lot; so it's dark by the time he gets home. It may end up being a New Year's Card.
It has finally cooled off here and it feels like autumn now. We have had rain a few days and I am so happy to be wearing long pants and warm clothes. I love to be bundled up. I love jackets and sweaters and hoodies.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope you are all enjoying this holiday season.

Halloween 2009

For Halloween this year we decided to all follow a theme. Josi made the first choice. She wanted to be Harley Quinn from Lego Batman for Wii. From there Ben decided to be the Joker. At first Hyrum and I were going to be Spiderman and Mary Jane Watson, but later changed to Batman and Poison Ivy for a few reasons. After Ben decided to be the Joker, he started watching clips of the Dark Knight so he could act like Joker. Hyrum would wrap his blankie around his neck and act like batman. Beside that, I decided that it would be easier to make a Batman costume than a Spiderman one. Thirdly, Mary Jane Watson was a little boring. No real costume, just regular street clothes with red hair.

Joker

Why so Serious?!?

Poison Ivy

Harley Quinn

The Whole Gang

We didn't get a good one of just Hyrum.

Friday night we went to your ward Halloween party. The kids got to do a little trunk-or-treating. Saturday, Ben wore his costume to work and got some good reactions out of his drivers. Then we invited ourselves over to Bryan and Karin's to spend the evening with them and so the kids could go trick-or-treating in a better neighborhood. Most of our neighborhood didn't pass out candy last year. It was a little disappointing. Bryan took lots of pictures, so he probably got some really good ones. I hope they share :) Thanks Clarks for letting us crash your evening. We love spending time with you!

Photo Shoot

These are a few of my favorites from the Photo shoot Andy did with the kids. They are just raw images, so they need a little editing done.

I need to crop this one a little, but I love his face.

This one is really cute. I just wish his undies weren't showing.


Josi was being a stinker for a little while so she isn't really in this one, but Hyrum looks so cute. Sorry Josi, I am going to have to crop you out .

This was actually Alysha's turn. She had Andy do her Senior pictures and Hyrum decided he wanted in on the action. They look show cute.

Thanks, Rooster

July 4th (and 3rd)

On Friday we played a little dress up. My mom has accumulated a lot of costumes over the years with seven kids. I only captured a couple, but they were the best. This one was one of mine. I can't remember what I wore it for though. Alysha models it very well.

This was Sarah's Halloween costume a few years back. Amy fit this very well, she even did a ninja sneak attack on Dad and Andy.

Friday night we had our own little drive-in movie. My dad has a projector and so we watched Signs (the scariest movie my parents own) out on the side of their trailer. Hyrum and Josi both fell asleep pretty quick. All of the late nights finally caught up with them.

On the fourth we sat in the back yard and watched the neighbors set off fireworks and had a few of our own. I think the neighbors must have all been illegal, 'cause they were way better than ours. Of course we had sparklers and the little snaps for the kids and Grandma also got them some glow sticks to wear.

This is our little light show with sparklers and glow sticks.

Hyrum thought some of them were too loud.

Josi seemed a little bored by it all. I think she was just tired.

On Saturday Andy also did a photo shoot with the kids and he did Alysha's senior pictures for her. I will post them as soon as he gives me copies.