The Nightmare Before Christmas

This is Halloween... or was... or... you get the picture...

Acadia dressed as a nerd... quite a stretch for her... NOT!  She is not a "nerd" but is very smart and loves to wear those socks no matter what day it is... and may or may not have sported those glasses just for fun for days before and also days after Halloween... oh no, not a nerd at all. ;)

Aurora was Minnie Mouse and it was extra fun this year since we had just been to DisneyWorld and she had several chances to meet Minnie in person.  It was fun to "be" her for a night! :)  And for the record, she did not wear the vampire teeth with her outfit, lol.  She got those trick-or-treating and really wanted to wear them as soon as she got home (and washed them). ;)

Ryan took the girls out trick-or-treating and they had great weather - which meant they were out for quite a long time!  They ran into lots of friends along the way and ended up trick-or-treating with them for part of the time.  Extra fun! 

I stayed home to pass out candy but we didn't get as many trick-or-treaters as we normally do.  So the ones that came got a handful each! lol

Our girls made out pretty dang good and had a lot of fun... it was a pretty Spooktacular day!

Time to play "Catch Up"!

I've been a little completely MIA lately.  I can blame part of it on being so busy with the holiday season but there have definitely been times when I could have blogged and just wasn't feeling it.  I've got the Bloggy Blahs.  ;)

But the BBs have lessened just a bit and I think I'll take advantage of that and just shove my way past them.  To start, we need to back up a couple of months!  Eeks, yes, I'm really THIS far behind!!

Way back in October, before Halloween (that would be TWO holidays ago!), the girls and I went to the pumpkin patch for a fun day with my cousin, Sami.  Check it out!

We always love going to BiZi Farms and were only bummed that Ryan couldn't go this year.  But we still had lots of fun!

Rori even ran into a school friend on the huge hay pyramid.  They had fun having a little impromtu playdate!  Sami had fun with the Kettle Corn, we all got muddy in the corn maze, and Rori tried her hand at grinding corn... I know, these pics are kind of corny!  *hardy har har*

And before we left, we made a bunch of four-legged friends at the petting zoo.  Sami was going in for a kiss, I think. ;)

BiZi Farms is a fun way to spend a fall day!

A Month of Thanksgiving Day 30 pt. 2

Only one last post... but there are several things I could say.  Makes me almost wish I hadn't taken the time off while we were out of town; I could have snuck away each day to post a little something, but I was having too good of a time with all of our family. 

And I think that is what this final gratitude post will be about, my extended family.

I didn't really notice when it happened, but at some point, around the time we had our first child, my family became "extended family", because all of a sudden, Ryan and I had our own little family.  It is how it should be, and it happened very naturally, but sometimes it makes me a little sad that I didn't realize it was happening so I could have acknowledged it somehow.

I come from a large family; I'm the oldest of eight children.  We are each different, but that is good because we all have different strengths and talents.  I miss living close to them, I sometimes wish that my kids had the chance to grow up close to their cousins, to have overnight visits with grandma or aunts, but I'm glad that we live at a time when travel isn't too hard and we can see them once or twice a year.

I'm grateful for my parents and all that they've taught me.  I'm sure that a lot of who I am is because of how I was raised.  My mom taught me about friendship and service.  My dad taught me about the power of faith.  As a mom now, I see my parents differently than I did before.  I see the sacrifices they made for us... and how much patience they must have had to put up with me and my siblings! lol  I'm grateful for the examples they have been to me.

Even though none of our parents or siblings live here, I have aunts, uncles, and cousins here, and I am so glad!  With them, we have family to meet up with, spend holidays with, celebrate birthdays with, etc.  I'm so grateful to have them here!  It makes it easier to be away from our parents and siblings when we have other family members who are nearby and want to be apart of our lives.  They are always willing to help when we need something and they are a ton of fun!

I'm grateful for all of the family in my life: the family that Ryan and I have together, my extended family, my in-laws, and the friends who have become family.  As I look at what is most important to me, after my faith, it is my family, and that makes sense because "Family is central to the Creator's plan." (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

A Month of Thanksgiving Day 30 pt. 1

I think I missed a day, so I am posting twice today.  Plus, this is my last day, so I better make them good.

For yesterday's post, I am thankful for my friends.  I have been blessed with some amazing friends.  I heard somewhere years ago, "Friends are the family you choose."  I've always loved that saying.

One of my dearest friends throughout high school, remains one of my dearest friends today. We have lived far apart for 15 years now, but still keep in touch and I make an effort to see her everytime we visit Sacramento. She has always been completely selfless in our friendship; always thoughtful and generous. She has always been one of the best examples to me of what a friend should be and I am so lucky that she is mine.


When we lived in Idaho, we had no family there at all.  We knew no one when we arrived, but quickly made some great friends who became our family while we were there.  We spent Sunday evenings together, watched each other's kids, spent holidays together, called each other if we needed help or advice, etc.  Even after we've all moved away from that little college town, we've remained friends and get together every Christmas season for a weekend of fun, memories, and our own little traditions.

A few years ago, I met a group of amazing women in an unconventional kind of way.  Through the internet, and I think maybe a little divine intervention, we were brought together at a time when we all needed each other.  We became a tight group and these women helped me through some difficult times.  We shared each other's pains as well as our joys.  Most of us are still together online, not quite as often, but still always there to celebrate, uplift, and support one another.  It is a comfort to know that I have this group to turn to, no matter what I'm going through.

I am fortunate to have some incredible friends here, too.  Two of my closest friends are both women that I knew for a  couple of years before our friendship really started to blossom.  But thankfully, eventually it did and I can't imagine my life without them.  One can always make me laugh.  She is funny and has a great way of looking at life.  She is quirky and that is part of what I love about her.  She is also always supportive.  I know I can call her anytime I need someone to talk to.  The other is my backyard neighbor and has become a sister to me.  We have relied on each other so many times, shared our lives, families, homes, etc, that her family has become my family and my family has become her family.   The school even calls me her daughter's "other mom".  Our backyards meet and we have a gate in the fence between our homes, the plan is to pave a path (which is already worn in the grass) from our deck, through the gate, and to their patio.  We joke that in heaven, our mansions will need to be next to each other, so we can always remain backyard neighbors.

I have learned a lot from all of the friends I've been blessed with and I just hope that I am able to be as good of a friend to them as they have been to me.

A Month of Thanksgiving Day 28

Well, I knew posting would be sparse during our visit home for Thanksgiving, but it ended up being non existent!  We had a great visit though and THAT is what I'm thankful for now.

I am thankful that the car did run great, the weather was perfect for traveling, the kids didn't get carsick, and we arrived home in enough time for me to finish planning my Sunday School lesson (and for Ryan to clean the gutters while Cadi raked the backyard).  I'm also glad we were able to visit and see so many of our family and friends, though we never have enough time to see everyone.  I'm thankful for those who opened their homes to us, fed us, put up with us, etc.  I am thankful for Thanksgiving dinner because it was so incredibly delicious!  I am thankful for Forced Family Fun day (what we began calling the day after T-day because it is usually the one day that my family can all get together, and whether or not we all want to do whatever we're doing, we do it because we can do it together... sometimes other days are called Forced Family Fun days, too, but this is the original).  I am thankful that Ryan's parents were able to join my family for Thanksgiving again so we didn't have to go back and forth in order to see both.

Now that I'm home, I'm thankful that it is officially the Christmas season!  I am thankful that we have begun decorating.  (4 trees up, 3 to go!)  I am thankful for the music, smells, sights, and sounds of the holidays.  I love this time of year! :)

A Month of Thanksgiving Day 19

I am grateful for a good, reliabe car.  And I will be even more thankful when our good, reliable car delivers us safely to Reno later today.  At that time, I will also be grateful to be out of the good, reliable car.  ;) 

Posting may not be daily for the next little bit. :)

A Month of Thanksgiving Day 18

I am thankfful for trips back home.  We are on the eve of our annual Thanksgiving visit to California and I'm so thankful that we are able to go.  With minimal effort, we can travel hundreds of miles to visit with our family, and even though it will be a long drive, it will be done in a day and within our budget, which is something that wouldn't have been so simple a few decades ago. 

It is sometimes very hard to live so far from family, but being able to have visits like this makes it easier. :)