Trunk-or-Treat

My girlfriend got this picture of Spencer last night after we were done trunk or treating . Even though he was pulled in his horse wagon the whole night he was obviously pooped. I am going to put up our pictures of the other kids later. Right now it is my turn to take care of all the throw up. That's right we have all had it, and it's gross.

I dream

So really, this is all I can think about lately. I think this bag is beautiful. I look at it and it just makes me happy. I am accepting donations. I'm going to call it the Emily Loui fund. It's around $2,200 so don't be cheep. It's a good cause :).

Fright Night

We decided to have a Halloween Party. My kids begged me last year, but Spencer was just barely 3 months old. So that didn't happen. This year I decided to go for it. Now that it's over I'm glad I did. Lot of WORK but lots of FUN!!! Below is pictures of the invites. On the right is the girls, on the left is the boys. Dallin and Eliza each invited 7 friends.

Eliza finally decided to be a vampire. This was her 4th costume idea. After she said she wanted to be a vampire I thought it would be fun if Steve and I were Vampires too. Dallin felt left out but he really wanterd to be an assasin.

I wanted to hang this chandeler from the fan in the frontroom. Thank goodness Steve thought ahead and said, "Wax is going to drip from this." We put it out front on the porch. Look at that cute little cowboy behind the screen.

The witch station.

FOOD FOR THE PARTY. This was lots of fun. I got the idea for candy kabobs from, http://www.purplechocolathome.blogspot.com/ . You should also check out her witches. I really would love to have lunch with them.

Cupcakes, who doesn't love cupcakes? I made about 50 something of them., and just when I was running out of decorating ideas Jackie suggested I check out her sister's blog, http://www.redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com/

Of course I had to make carmel popcorn. According to Dallin and Eliza I make the VERY best carmel popcorn. Here is the recipe. Totally low fat, and it stays soft.

Carmel Popcorn

4 cups butter (2 cups-4 cubes)

2cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup Caryo syurp

Bring to a rolling boil for about 1-2 min. Drop in water to see if carmalizes. Pour on popcorn. Seriously, I'm not totting my own horn I got the recipe from a friend for a reason. It's the best carmel popcorn ever.

This is the cupcake Steve, claimed to eat. It did turn out really cute.

Of course we had to have dry ice. Which is cool, but it makes the lemonade taste funny.

GAMES, we played 3 games at the party. First the dounut game, always fun.

Everyone cheering Thomas on.

BOBBING for APPLES

I realized after this picture that I would never bob for apples unless I get to bob first.

Eliza dives right in.

The girl groupfrom the left, Kendall, Tabitha, Ashlee, McKenna, Kiara, Eliza, Madison. On the floor left Hallie, Sara.

The boys, from the left, Austin, Mike, Thomas, Dallin. Bottom, Brody, Tanner, and Taige.

Aarron and Gretchen came over to hang out and help crowd control.

The kids diving in and enjoying all the SUGAR>

Boys, need I say more.

Our last game was the Cake Walk. All the kids won. They got a grab bag and a candy kabob.

GRAB BAGS

A handful of boys stayed late and went toilet papering. Eliza and Tabby stuck around and made up a dance. Which they performed for us about a dozen times. Over all Fun party. Where is the clean up crew?

Primary Program

It's shocking to me I have already had this calling for almost a year. We have great families in our ward, with extra great kids in our primary. Today was the primary program. It was the best one I have ever seen. The theme for 2010 was, "I know that my Savior Lives." For the kids speaking parts Kristi asked the kids questions and then had them tell their testimony of that topic. So Dallin was asked, "Was there a time when the Holy Ghost helped you?" Dallin's answer, "The Holy Ghost protected me one day when I was at the swimming pool with a friend. I got trapped in the middle of the pool and couldn't swim to the side. I started to drown and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again I saw i could swim to the side. I was saved.
Eliza was asked, "How can you follow Jesus Christ's example?" Eliza's answer was,"Jesus obeyed Heavenly Father by feeling sad with his friends when they were sad. I can also obey when I try to be a good friend."
They also sang with a couple of other kids, at the end of the program. I know that my Redeemer Lives, and even though I am there mother, trust me they sang beautifully.

Last football game

Dallin had a great season. He had great coaches, and the kids on his team were all great boys. They had a tailgate party on Friday after their games. Steve made a video for the team to watch. It was pictures of all the boys, making plays, put to music. They loved it. The very next day on Saturday we started their new sport, Basketball. Eliza got fitted for he cheer leading uniform. That's right you read me right, cheerleading. :) The weather has been great in Flagstaff until the last few days. We had REAL football weather on Friday. Freezing!!!

Spencer loves wagon rides. As long as I kept the wagon moving, he didn't want to get out and stumble around in the wet grass.

Steve snapped a picture of Dallin's proud Mom.

By this picture you can tell Dallin really just wants to play tackle. The funny thing is at the tailgate party when Dallin got his award his coach told him he had a real future in tackle football. On the way home Dallin said,"see Mom even my coach thinks I should get get to play tackle." Thanks Coach Rod.

LANDSLIDE, "Can I handle the season's of my life?"

Dallin and I were driving to school all alone yesterday and I turned on this song. Dallin loves to listen to songs and then tell me what they mean. When they were little I would always tell them what the words meant, now he is old enough to figure out some of the words all on his own. With this song, on this morning, I asked him if he knew what this song was about? He said, "Tell me." So I started from, "Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?Can I handle the seasons of my life?" I explained that he is in a different season than me. He is a kid and his main job in life right now is to make good choices and have fun being a kid. I said, "for me I am a mom, right now. You guys are my main job.

The next line, "Well, I've been afraid of changing'Cause I've built my life around you. To explain this one I said, "Like right now I'm a Mom. My whole life is you guys. Everything I do is for my family. It's what I want to do. You guys are going to go off to college someday and leave, and your supposed to. But that is going to be hard for me, because I have built my life around you." At this point I already had to swallow back some emotion. I did go on to tell him that I would be OK, and that it's life. It's part of getting older. Which ties in the next line of the song which we just listened to, "But time makes you bolder, Even children get older, And I'm getting older too.

We were sitting in front of the school now and I turned around in my seat to say goodbye, only to see him half smile at me and say, "I love you Mom, have a good day." I said, "love you back, have a great day." He jumped out of the car and ran into school. I just started to cry. Not a hysterical cry, but my eyes welled up. If I could freeze time every once in a while I would. I just watched him run into school thinking, it's going by way to fast.

I know so sappy, but it was one of those moments for me as a Mom, when I realize how lucky I am to have them. I know songs mean different things to different people, they even mean different things to me at different times in my life. This is just what it meant to me on this morning, with Dallin.

LANDSLIDE- FLETWWOD MAC
I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
'Till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky,What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older too

Ah, take my love, take it down
Ah, climb a mountain and I turned around
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down
Oh, oh, the landslide will bring it down

Watch it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM7-PYtXtJM

Lucy's Birthday

Today was Lucy's birthday!!! We usually have a family birthday, but this year Halllie, in her cute little voice asked if she was invited to the party??? So I quick made dog bone cookies, and had a party. Hallie, Chase and Taige came over, they brought Lucy a present, deer meat. She gets to have it tomorrow. We sang, "Happy Birthday", to Lucy and then gave her the OK, to eat her cake. Two steaks, cut up, she even got a cookie. It would have been a perfect day but she got a bath, which she hates. She thinks she is being punished. She is waiting so patiently, watching me soooo closely, waiting for the OK to eat. Such a good girl. That's cute Hallie in the front, she is the funniest.

Dog Bone cookies.

Spencer is insisting on eating with a spoon. That's what the rest of us use, so he has to have one to.

He also watches me water the flowers, so the second he gets outside he heads straight for the hose. Picks it up and then walks to the faucet were he tries and tries to turn it on. Yesterday Steve came home for lunch, we had a picnic because the weather has been so beautiful and warm. We stripped Spencer down and turned on the hose for him. he had a great time water the flowers and making mud.

Here he is through the screen, after we took the hose away. He was not happy about it.

Still upset.

Steve and I just got home from Las Vegas, we went out for the Vision Expo. I was glad I got to go this year. We met up with friends and had a good old time. I got a tattoo at the Optometry party, a temporary. The following night we went out to eat with friends, Ryan and Celeste Dodge, it was great to see them again. Although I didn't get enough time with Celeste. Erik and Julie Dodge also made the trip down after dinner we went out with them to the club TAO and danced all night and I do mean ALL night. It was tons of fun. No tattoo's that night, however I did get Xed, but it was a huge misunderstanding and we worked it all out. That's all I can tell, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Kids Pictures

Today we took kid pictures. I hate the school pictures and refuse to buy them, so I always try to take their pictures around the beginning of the school year. I just have one question..."Why are family pictures so difficult???" Dallin is just ticked off he has to put on nice, "stupid" clothes. Eliza was tired from a sleep over and a late night this weekend. So there was some tears. Spencer didn't get his afternoon nap, because we were taking pictures. Steve was questioning me why we were doing this, and I was MAD because everyone was fighting me. NOW SMILE KIDS!!!! I decided Spencer has a lot of hair and it's just wild. It was a little windy, so it was extra hard to control.

DALLIN S. CODNER

D & E

ELIZA K. CODNER

COD KIDS and I love them!!!