Halloween on the Computer

My mom started a little Halloween project today.  She is going to send the girls something on the computer each day for the Halloween season.  The girls were excited to get their 'computer surprise' this morning.

 

Brad left today for India.  He'll be gone for a week, and I am hopeful he will not get sick while there.  It's one of those places I truly have no desire to go, but he's far more adventurous than I, so he's kind of excited.

Parade

Today was Plymouth on Parade, which Leiden's school was marching in.  We got there early, and saw these cool old cars.  These babies are almost 100 years old.  One of them was 1913, one was 1914, and one was 1925.  They certainly don't make them like they used to!  The owners were kind to let the girls sit in them to get some pictures.

 

 

We determined that Leiden and I would walk with the Elementary, and Brad would take Mimi and Mac to wait along the parade route.  They look thrilled.  It was actually really hot today and they were sitting in the sun.

 

 

Leiden handed out pencils to the parade watchers until we got to Brad and the girls, and then decided she was missing out on all the loot the girls were getting, so she wanted to stay with him.  It was fun while it lasted.

I received a notice in the mail that I am not registered to vote in the upcoming election at my current address.  So I remedied that today, sending in my registration.  Getting excited to vote!  My birthday will be a day to go down in the history books this year. 

 

 

Our neighbor's tree is beginning to turn--it goes this gorgeous orange color.  Mimi was happy to pose for us.

 

 

Tonight we went to the University of Minnesota's women's volleyball game.  It was fun, although the girls had a hard time sitting still in our seats. 

Gala

Mac is into drawing these days.  She drew this pretty flower with a storm.  Dark clouds and big fat raindrops.

 

 

She also drew some girls at the park.  I LOVE this picture.  And I love how her people have legs coming out of their heads.  It is so awesome.

 

 

I have been being artistic, as well.  Brad serves on the Board of Directors for Accountability Minnesota, which provides free tax assistance for low income families through volunteer work.  Tonight they are having a gala fundraiser that is fancy dress.  Of course this meant that I had to find a modest dress appropriate for a cocktail party.  I found a dress, and it just needed literally a half inch more on the 'sleeve' to cover the essentials, so I improvised.  I had some black satin that matched the waist band of the dress, so I fiddled with muslin until I came up with the correct shape and size of pattern piece to make these tiny petal sleeves.  If I do say so myself, they looked like they were there to begin with!

 

 

I managed full makeup, including red lipstick, and an updo--only using like 30 bobby pins.  I would have set off metal detectors.

 

 

The function itself was not super fun--it was a fundraiser, after all--but the food was good, and we had some friends there to talk with and enjoy.  It was really just fun to dress up and have somewhere to go.

Leaves

Brad took these gems this evening while I was getting dinner going.  I don't know where Mac was.  It is absolutely smashingly beautiful here these days.  The leaves are turning, but it's still warm.  There have been a couple cool days, but we're not done, yet!

 

 

I was heading out for a Relief Society meeting and Brad had the kids get the paint out on the porch.  There's Mac.

 

 

Look at these beauties!

Halloween is Coming!

Literally just as I got out of the shower this morning, there is a knock on the door.  Well, great.  And of course the girls go running to see who it might be.  While I dither in the bathroom about whether I should try to get down there or not.  Luckily, they yelled up to me that it was a package on the porch and that the guy was going back to his truck.

 

They were very excited when they found out the package was from Grandma and addressed to them.  When they opened up the box, they found tons of Halloween literary surprises!  There were chapter books for Leiden, a drawing book, a sticker book, and younger audience books for Meems!  Leiden was especially thrilled to find the chapter books, as she has run out of reading material!

 

 

Thank you, Grandma, and Happy Halloween to you!

Donuts and Pumpkins

I spoke in Sacrament meeting today, and it went really well.  I enjoy doing it, but I'm always glad when it's over.  I feel like any spare second I have for the week before the meeting I should be working on my talk.   So today I celebrated by making these cute little paper pumpkin whirligigs to be strung up on our mantle.  Fall is here! 

 

 

Brad was true to his word, and made donuts tonight.  There were simple vanilla glazed, orange glazed, and chocolate.  Unfortunately I started my motivational health challenge today.  I got -1 for sugar!  Not the most auspicious start.  But they were delicious.

Apple Orchard

It was COLD today.  We figured we'd go to the orchard, anyway, and so we were pretty chilly there, too.  I think it was even colder there than in the cities.  The girls loved the haystack to jump on.

 

 

Check out Mimi's outfit--pink pants, red University of Utah sweatshirt, and pink belt.  Queen of all she could see.

 

 

Admission included face painting,

 

 

Slides,

 

 

A train ride,

 

 

and fun!

 

 

While we were there, we enjoyed some apple cider doughnuts, which got Brad in a donut mood.  He wants to make some in the deep fryer.  I'm sure they will be wonderful, and I only wish I wasn't starting a motivational health challenge tomorrow!  We also got some hot apple cider, that didn't come with a lid on.  They had them separately, but we thought the cider would cool a bit faster without them.  That was until two (!) wasps went right in and drowned in the cider!  (Or burned to death.  Either is disgusting.)  Today was a beautiful fall day!

Pumpkins!

Mimi seems to be becoming more and more attached to her blankie.  She carts it around the house, and I have to tell her all the time to go put it in her bed.  She usually listens, but then bedtime comes, and it mysteriously is not there.  She likes to lay down and be cozy with it, which is the cutest thing ever.  Today she wanted to lay on the stairs.  She wanted to go way up to lay down, but I told her she could be no higher than the second.

 

 

While Mac was at school yesterday, Mimi and I went and got some pumpkins!  Just at the store, but I always love to pick them up!  We got them out of the car today, and Mac thought she'd try to pick one up.  :)

 

 

She eventually asked me to carry them to the porch where the girls sat happily with them.

 

 

I had the kitchen window open because the girls were playing outside, and I turned around to find Miss Kitty up on the window sill.  She was very upset that the screen prevented her from reaching her ultimate goal--the great outdoors.  This little kitty face is a little bit scary.

The Bus

Mac has been SO excited for this day!  She gets to take the bus with Leiden to school from now on!  She is thrilled at the prospect.  She will ride the bus to school and I'll still pick her up.

 

 

We all went to the bus stop this morning to make sure the bus driver had received the information for Mac. 

 

 

 

He had, so off they went!  See her in the window? 

 

 

When I picked her up she was so happy!  Her comments about the bus included that the bus was 'bumpy', and she kept almost sliding out of her seat.  But she had fun.

Fall

Brad is out of town for a bit, and we took off to the park with some friends.  Fall is certainly in the air!  All I had with me was my awful phone camera that is cracked and blurry.  But check out that tree!

A Utah Man Am I

Today was another busy Saturday.  Brad is going to a boot camp class on Saturday mornings, and I need to run to get ready for the half.  This equals lots of time exercising, and then we get to play!  BYU, that is!  Brad got the higher end cable package so we could get ESPN where we can watch lots of games.  Or Brad can watch lots of games.  But I'll watch tonight's!  We invited a bunch of friends, who happen to be BYU fans, to come over and watch the game with us. 

 

This morning I was in bed, and I heard Brad get up.  A few minutes later, he comes back in to our room and wakes me up, saying, "Mercedes, someone vandalized the house last night!"  Of course I jumped right out of bed and saw the damage that had been done!  Our friends had come and BYU'd our house!  Chalk drawings all over the driveway, pennants, and calendars.  And a random cow in the lawn.  Not sure about that.  Brad took some video, but I can't find it.  I'll put it up later if I find it.

 

 

We attempted to get them back with the food for the night.  Red everywhere.

 

 

I was especially proud of my cupcakes and toppers!  Homemade cakes and self-designed toppers. 

 

 

And then we totally got them back when we won!  Go Utes!  We're going to be tired tomorrow!

S'mores

We invited our British friends over for s'mores this evening--perfect evening for a fire in the backyard.  They had never done s'mores before, so it was pretty novel for them.  The kids love to have them, and we usually have to monitor Mimi pretty closely.  She doesn't really care about roasting the marshmallows, she just likes to eat all of them out of the bag while we are roasting ours. 

 

 

Sneaky little thing. 

Fall Festival

After Leiden went off to school, we did an art project for fall.  The girls got to get their hands all paint-y.

 

 

The funny thing?  Mac's and Mimi's hands are the same size!

 

 

Then we took a break and went to get Leiden from school to take her to the doctor for her final check up to make sure her little system is back to normal.  She was proclaimed in good health, which I was glad to hear.  Shortly after arriving at my parents' house, she started complaining that her tummy hurt again, and having a little bit harder time going to the bathroom, and I got really worried.  We had just gone off the last smallest dose of laxative, so we followed the doctor's instructions and went back on for a couple days, and things seemed to resolve.  I do not ever want to do this again.  It has been a ridiculously long road getting her completely better.  She certainly has facilitated our family being much more healthy!

 

Kind of a slow week back!  I didn't even take any pictures until today.  This evening was Leiden's school's Fall Festival.  They broke out the bouncy houses and the kids were thrilled.  Mimi looks like she belongs at an elementary school.  Can you tell which one is her?

 

 

These jumping ones always scare me.  There are like 10 kids all trapped in a bouncy house, jumping and rough housing.  I try not to worry, but it really does scare me.  The girls have no such qualms.