Someone Special Had a Birthday...

... and it was Joshua!!

It was such a fun day and we all had a blast celebrating Joshua and his big day. I can't believe he is really this big already! We had a little party with some friends (Buzz Lightyear themed, of course!) and then had his favorite, "Happy Jose," for dinner and opened even more presents.

He was completely spoiled, so I think we'll just skip the Christmas presents this year! ;)

Anyway, here are some pictures of the fun!

Here he is playing with his new trains...

...which he loved until he opened the presents from his grandmas and grandpas!!

Sitting by the huge mound of presents.

Blowing out his candles


And sitting by his requested Buzz Lightyear cake.
It's kind of a sorry attempt on my part, so I'm glad he's only four and doesn't realize how great it could have looked! It's supposed to be a space ship, in case you can't tell. :)

Happy Birthday Buddy,

we love you and we are so grateful you are ours forever!!!

Thanksgiving Fun

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

. . . a week and a half ago! :)

Crazy how time flies.

Anyway, we went to visit Bryan's brother, Wayne, and his wife, Kristen, and baby Stanley and dog Coney. What a good time we had!! Thanks for putting up with us Wayne and Kristen! :)

Pajama buddies
We couldn't believe how big Stanley has grown!
He is one handsome boy with a killer smile!

Joshua had a grand time with Uncle Wayne's Lego's.

Grace spent 75% of her time on the swing set!

Cute Bryan and Baby Stanley

And the most fabulous turkey EVER...seriously!

It was wonderful!

Joshua was very enthralled by the turkey injection process. :)

All in all, a very fun Thanksgiving!

What's new with you?

Not much new around here. Just the same ol' stuff. Busy dad, worn out mom, goofy kids...the usual! Since there have been no major occurrences, I have selected, for your viewing pleasure, some pics of random things that have been going on. :)

First, Joshua turned our kitchen into a "grocery store." Yep, he brought about every conceivable thing into the kitchen and set up shop. I was on the phone with my mom, and it was one of those times that I knew he was probably doing something that would be a lot of work to clean up later, but I was enjoying our conversation so I ignored the warning voices in my head! :) It was worth it though, because he was so proud of himself, as you can see! I had to "buy" his shoes from him so I could help him put them on so we could go pick up Bryan. I think they cost me more the second time around than they did when I first purchased them!

It finally looks like fall around here!!

The kids have been loving tramping through the leaves and especially throwing them in the air.

(Grace was napping whe we took this picture - we didn't exclude her on purpose!)

Last Sunday was our ward's primary program. It was Joshua's first program since coming to primary and my first program as the primary chorister, so it was a big day around here! Joshua was so excited and he even memorized his part and said it all by himself! Talk about proud parents!

I, on the other hand, was really, really nervous!! I didn't think it would get to me, but I woke up that morning and thought I was going to puke! My stomach was all butterfly-y and I felt weak in the knees - not a good sign. The kids did wonderfully, of course. It was a great program and I was so proud of how hard they had all worked and how brave the all were to share their testimonies with us. When I got up to lead the closing song, I had to turn around and face the audience because they were singing with us. We were singing the first verse of I am a Child of God and as I stood there with the kids singing out behind me and the people in the chapel looking so touched by the children's testimonies, I was just overcome and I started bawling right in the middle of the verse! Children are pretty special to our Heavenly Father and they have a lot to teach us-I know it's true, my own kids show me that everyday. So thank you to my wonderful primary singers for letting the whole ward see my emotional side! :)

And lastly, the kids have been really into building tents lately. This has been a common sight in our living room...unless of course it is dinner time and we have to dismantle the tent so we have something to sit on!

To the Veterans

As you all know, today is Veteran's Day.

We just want to thank all of those who have served our country, and thus us, in the military, as well as those who are currently serving. We have a couple of grandfathers who are veterans and we value their examples of patriotism. I always enjoy meeting veterans and hearing of their experiences. There is a lot to learn from those who willingly sacrifice their time, comfort, and often their lives, for their country and the freedoms of others.

Please know we truly appreciate you!

Happy (Belated) Halloween!!

We decided to stretch the Halloween festivities out over a couple of weeks, so this is one giant post of all the fun!!

First, these are two of my most favorite picture of the kids:

Grace the Curious Kitty:

To Infinity and BEYOND!!
Pumpkin "Carving"
Grandma Guymon sent us a super fun Halloween package with lots of fun Halloween activities and treats, including these fun pumpkin face pieces. The kids had a blast with them! Aren't they so cute? Sure are a lot less messy,too!








Lubbock 3rd Ward Trunk-or-Treat!
Our ward has an annual trunk-or-treat each year on the Friday before Halloween. It was so much fun! We were reminded again how blessed we have been to be here and to meet so many wonderful people that have truly touched our lives.
The trunk-or-treat is held at a ranch, so there were animals for the kids to see/pet, hayrides, food, and of course, trunk-or-treating!
Here are Joshua and Grace with some of their friends:
Pirate Owen, Buzz Lightyear Joshua, Sleeping Beauty Claire,
Cinderella Sabrina, and Kitty Grace.


Since Joshua was going to be Buzz Lightyear, he wanted someone to be Woody. (He had a good point, the two kind of go together like PB & J!)
So Bryan was the handsome Sheriff Woody.

My cute fuzzy kitty!

(Yes, she has a black eye, and NO, her brother does not beat her and she has not taken up boxing!! She fell and hit it on the footboard of our bed, poor thing! With her, I'm sure it won't be the last. For example, her new favorite adventure is to walk around with her eyes closed and see what she runs into! Doesn't usually turn out very well...)

Handsome, and very excited, Buzz!

Halloween Party at our place!

Since the kids had already gone trunk-or-treating we decided to skip the trick-or-treating on Halloween night and we had a rockin' party instead! It was so fun to hang out with the Odells, the Strattons and the Nelsons. Lots of good food, games, and company!

First I had to show off a couple of Halloween decorations I made this year. My friend Kaci helped me make this wall hanging. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, considering my sewing abilities, but please, if you quilt professionally, don't look to close!!

This is what I made for the table decoration for our party. I found the idea in a Family Fun magazine. It was so quick and easy, which was good, since I didn't do it until that afternoon! The kids each got to take home one of the salt dough ghosts as a party favor.

On to the important part of the party...

The Eighties Odells in all their eighties glory.

(Sad part is they were able to find most of their costume pieces at the local Walmart!!)

Thanks for dressing up guys, you looked TOTALLY AWESOME!

And here are some of the kids all dressed up!

We also had a super cool Spider man, the cutest witch EVER, and one adorable bumble bee, but of course I forgot to take pictures. :)

So that was our Halloween - SUPER FUN!!

Is it Thanksgiving yet?!? I'm ready for the next party!

A little confession . . .

So I have to confess, and this is a really serious sin here in Texas...

I don't really love football.

Yikes! I know, I'm bad.

I don't mind it, but of all major sports, it is really my least favorite. I would much rather watch basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, swimming, gymnastics...you get the idea. :)

However...

...because there have been THOUSANDS of crazy people camping out in "Raiderville" since MONDAY so they can get the best seats...

...because Texas Tech clothing is flying off the shelves quicker than most essential food items...

...because there has been a "Countdown to the Game" sign at the bottom of my TV screen (the spot normally reserved for emergency weather info) since Monday...

... because campus is surrounded by fields full of RV's that have been waiting to start the party since Wednesday...

...because it is all people talk about...

... because Tech is playing the # 1 team...

...and because my husband is all decked out in his raider wear and is going to wait in line for three hours to get in...

I must say. . .

GO RED RAIDERS!!

WRECK 'EM TECH!!!!

In Search of Buzz Lightyear - by Janelle Guymon

Once upon a time there was a young mother who was at the mall. Halloween had just passed and she was looking at costumes on clearance at the Disney store. There was a fabulously cool Buzz Lightyear costume on the rack for 75% off, making it $10 rather than the normal $40. This mother thought "Gee, maybe I should buy this for my adorable son for next Halloween." But then, being her cheap self, decided she wasn't sure which size to buy and besides, the adorable son isn't really that into Buzz anyway.

Approximately 11 Months later:

This same young mother asks the adorable son what he wants to be for Halloween. "Buzz Lightyear!!!" He shouts excitedly. The young mother internally curses herself for being cheap and blames her mother for passing the trait on.

A few days later the adorable son still wants to be Buzz Lightyear. The only costume in town is at a local "goodbuy" store, but it is flimsy and, quite simply, not very cool. Not to mention that it is $10, the same price she could have spent for the much cooler, and better quality suit at the Disney store. Curses again!

The young mother resorts to eBay where after several attempts she is lucky enough to "shop victoriously" and win a Disney store Buzz Lightyear costume for only twice the price she could have bought it for a year previously. Curses again, but is secretly quite excited because she know the adorable son will be thrilled!

A few days later the young mother and her two children come home to a package waiting on the porch. "I think it is a Buzz Lightyear suit!" the adorable son exclaims! How does he know? the mother wonders. They take the box inside and before she can even return with scissors to cut it open, he is tearing into the box. "It is a Buzz Lightyear suit!!" The adorable son is beyond thrilled and puts it on immediately. The young mother goes to put the scissors away and comes back to see the adorable son in his Buzz Lightyear costume, checking out his reflection in the T.V. With his hands on his hips and feet set slightly apart, the exact Buzz Lightyear stance, he looks at his reflection and whispers to himself, "Perfect!"

The moral of the story:

An extra ten dollars is more than worth the smile and excitement on this face:

THE END!!

Afterward:

Here is a picture of the cute daughter in her costume as well, which she was also very thrilled with, but that is another story for another day. :)

Grace's first Haircut!

Well, I finally broke down and did it - I cut Grace's hair. Well, I guess "trimmed" would more accurately describe what happened. Either way, the mullet is gone!

Oh, it was a cute, curly mullet though, was it not?

It was just getting a little too stringy looking for my tastes.

Do I actually dare cute off those curls? Well, I cut ...

and then I almost cried when I realized what I had done!

She really did a great job. She tried to squirm away a few times and we had to break out the M&M's, but she never cried or screamed like Joshua did when we gave him his first haircut. (Of course, that may have to do with the fact that Grace is 2o months old and Joshua was only four months old!)
And here are some after shots! I was so happy to see that I hadn't completely destroyed her curls! You'll have to settle from the view from the back, apparently she is too busy to actually look at the camera. :)

So CUTE!

I never was good at Tag!

So I used to be really slow at tag when I would play in elementary school, and I guess some things never change! I have been "tagged" by three people in the last couple of weeks, and I am just now getting around to it. They were all kind of similar, you know, listing random things about myself, so I combined them. Hopefully I don't get caught cheating! BEWARE: you may learn more than you want to know about me, this is a lot to reveal :)

5 foods I enjoy-

1 - Just about anything Mexican

2- Bacon cheeseburgers

3- Ice cream

4- anything chocolate

5- waffles

(wow, it's a good thing these aren't the only things I eat!)

5 movies I enjoy-

1- The Ultimate Gift

2- High School Musical (yes, I'll admit it :) )

3- National Treasure 1 & 2

4- While you were Sleeping

5- Father of the Bride 1 & 2

5 things that make me happy-

1- When Bryan comes home at the end of the day

2- Joshua's stories

3- Grace's smiles and her giggle

4- chocolate

5- the gospel

5 stores I like to shop at-

1- Target

2- Hobby Lobby

3- Just about any scrapbook store

4- The Children's Place (specifically the outlet store cuz I'm cheap!)

5- Market Street (fancy grocery store here.)

5 FEARS-

1- Losing my husband or one of my kids

2- earthquakes

3- scary movies - I really can't handle them!

4- Being outside in the dark by myself

5- Serious illnesses

5 OBSESSIONS-

1- Scrapbooking

2- card making

3- chocolate - gosh, that just keeps coming up!

4- Bryan - we just love when he's home!

5- blogs

5 Surprising Facts-

1- I am not overly picky about my apartment being spotless, but I am very anal about my kids toys being organized and my scrapbooking area cleaned up. Weird.

2- I am really not a picky eater at all, I'll try just about anything, but I can't stand pretzels! Yes, even when they are dipped in chocolate, I still think they are GROSS!

3- I don't mind giving talks in church. (I'm willing to admit this because I just spoke today so I know they won't be asking again any time soon!)

4- I lead the music in our Primary and I really enjoy it. The kids are great and you really can't go wrong with the Primary songs!

5- I am going to admit something crazy here, you may want to sit down: I love living in Texas, even though there are no mountains or grandparents (well, ours anyway)! Don't worry, it came as a shock to me, too! :)

More Fall Fun

We had the opportunity to go out to a Pumpkin Patch in Shallowater (small town outside of Lubbock) this Wednesday. Yay! More fun fall activities! We had a good time going on hay rides, picking pumpkins, and of course, seeing the turkeys, which was Grace's favorite part. :)

Insert a *BIG* sob here- my baby doesn't look like a baby anymore! Look at that big girl!
Grace, Joshua, and Claire

I just have to note that I had to take four or five pictures to get one with all three heads sticking through! Figured it was silly at that point to push for one with everyone actually looking at the camera!

Okay, well as you can see, it wasn't the best day for getting kids to look at the camera at all! Oh well, at least we had a good time, right?

You know your husband is a busy law school student . . .

... if your 3 year old son has ever asked "is today a day when Daddy comes home?"

(I can't decide if this one makes me want to laugh or cry!)

... if when playing "mom and dad" with his sister, your son sits at the computer and "works on projects" because apparently that is what daddies do.

... if your daughter cries for Daddy all the way home from dropping him off at school.

... if your son's idea of make believe is to find the thickest book on the bookshelf (Work and the Glory, in this case) and says he has to read his "evidence" book.

Now, can I ask you, what kind of a three year old, even knows what evidence is? I don't think any of us will know what to do with ourselves when Bryan goes to work instead of school! :)

Coolest Cooking Gadget EVER!!

Okay, so maybe not to everyone, but I thought this was the coolest thing ever! Maybe I just don't get out enough! :)

What is it, you ask? It is a pelmenitza. We ordered it off eBay and it came to us all the way from Ukraine! It is used to make Pelmeni, a Russian food that Bryan really liked while on his mission. When I went to visit him in Denver this summer, he took me to a Russian restaurant and I had pelmeni and LOVED it. So when Bryan found a recipe online we knew we had to buy one of these gadgets and give 'er a whirl.

So you make the dough. It's a really elasticky dough and you roll it out really thin. You place it over the pelmenitza. Then you put the filling (ground beef, ground pork, onions and seasonings) in the middle of each little circle. Then you roll out another piece of dough and put it on top. Then you roll over the whole thing several times and Wha la! This is what you get:

Yes, I know it is dorky, but they just came out so perfect, and they even tasted just like the stuff I had in the restaurant! I was more excited than Bryan, I think! :)

Here they are all cooked up. We fried them, although in Russia they boil them and drizzle them with butter. I like them either way, but Bryan prefers them in the non-soggy version. :)

So anyway, the recipe made over 200 pelmeni, so if anyone wants a taste, just come on by!! We've got about a three month supply in our freezer! :)

Apples, anyone?

We just had one of the greatest weekends ever because on top of the awesome pelmeni making experience you just saw pictures of, we got to go to a local orchard for their Apple Butter Festival! There were hayrides, a petting zoo, yummy apple turnovers, and, of course, tons of apples for the picking! We went with our friends the Odells and the Strattons. Thanks for the good time guys!

Here Joshua and I are pushing the cool little cart with a bucket for our apples. The kids had a great time pushing them...

...or riding in them! :) Isn't she a cutie?!?
The happy apple picking family.

(Or almost happy: Grace was trying desperately to get away!)

Here are all of the little apple pickers/eaters. These apples are so yummy!!

And of course the hayride! What little kid doesn't love a ride on a tractor-pulled trailer? SWEET!