Happy Halloween!

Halloween this year consisted of carving pumpkins and going trick or treating. There weren't any school parades or ward parties or community events, but it turns out we didn't really miss them all that much. The biggest concerns we had were weather related, but luckily there was lots of sun on the two days leading up to Halloween to help melt all the snow and ice from our big storm, and by the 31st the sidewalks were clear and dry.  It was so nice out that night we didn't even need to wear coats to Trick or Treat!

Last year I waited to long to buy pumpkins and they were all sold out mid-month so we never got to carve any. This year I made sure to snag some early and then we carved them as a family on Halloween Eve.

The kids do not like cleaning out the guts, but with four pumpkins to prep, there was no way I could do it all on my own. It was either help, or no pumpkin for you!

Charlie was the easiest request this year - just a happy face

Davey wanted me to make him a Mario pumpkin, but I didn't have the time or energy to figure out something that complicated so he got a Goomba (from Mario) instead

Sophie wanted me to make her pumpkin match her shirt! I thought I did a pretty good job. 

Griffin went to bed before I got around to his pumpkin so he didn't get to give any input or take a picture with the final result, which ended up being a lion.

For some reason I did a little impromptu photo shoot of the kids in the Halloween shirts. I don't remember why I did this, but I got some cute photos of them!

Trick or Treating was different this year. Our neighborhood has an older demographic and there were definitely less houses participating this year. We had to try about 12 houses when we first started out before finding one that opened with candy. It was still a successful night though and the kids brought home plenty. They just had to walk further to get it!

Our house decorated for the trick or treaters, of which we had about 5

Our sweet neighbor saw on Facebook that I was making the kids Mario costumes for Halloween and she put together these cute mystery blocks with chocolate coins inside! They were such a fun surprise and the kids thought they were so fun!

Halloween 2020 Video Clips

Griffin at 7 Months

Griffin is now seven months old. Time is flying by and he's starting to do big boy things like crawl around, join family dinner in the high chair, ride in shopping carts and SLEEP! He currently goes down around 7:00, has one dream feed around 11:30 and then sleeps again until 7:00 - I can't even say how much I'm loving this and hoping it sticks for good.

He now has some blondish hair fluffs to go with his big, dark eyes and gummy smile. He babbles "mom mom mom" all day long and I'm definitely counting it as his first word. The kids all call him the "Griffin Grabber" because he's lightning fast and loves to get his hands on anything and everything - hair, phones, water bottles and marbles are his favorite. We sure love this boy!!

Griffin at 7 Months

• He went to church for the first time since being born. Our ward is only meeting for one hour right now, so it's been an easy transition for him to start coming.
• When you put him down on the ground he will always do a little wiggly worm dance on his stomach before he starts to scoot around. 
• He didn't even shed a tear when he got his flu shot last week.
• His favorite finger food so far is cheese. In addition to baby food, we have also tried bananas, oatmeal, pears, and eggs. He also really loved it when he got his hands a stray lollipop during Halloween. 
• The drool has been out of control this month, but he still has no teeth.

His hair is light, fluffy and sometimes curly. Who knows what it will look like when it grows in more!

Enjoying a snack in the high chair

If he sees something he wants, he can slowly inch along until he gets it

First time in the big cart at Sam's club

The moment I realized it was time to lower his mattress

Trying to unplug Mr. Pumpkin

You can just see the little grin in his eyes. He is cute, but he is trouble!!

This boy loves to swing at the park

October 2020 Roundup

October was a wild month!! We wore shorts and sunglasses one week, and snowsuits the next. We had fun adventures at the Canyon, in Lubbock, at the pumpkin patch, and celebrated Halloween. Our days were filled with school, soccer, lots of walks, and time outdoors. Dave and I casted our votes and now we get to watch the madness of Presidential elections come to a close in the coming week. 

All decorated for Halloween!

Hanging out with my little boys

Davey spends most of his waking hours tormenting Charlie, but every now and then they get along and can play together without a referee. 

The Discovery Center opened a new "building" exhibit that the kids have loved! We are so it is open and has fun things to do and play. We normally come here at least twice a week.

Family party in the big bed

General Conference was virtual again this fall. We watched most of it on delay (because kids) and we had our traditional coffee cake and puzzle for the event.

We love our friends!!

We were supposed to be at a Lambert reunion in Phoenix for fall break this year, but it was another victim of covid. Instead I took the kids swimming at Town Club and they had a great time being wild and loud. Thankfully we were the only ones there that day!

When Orange Leaf sends you a BOGO offer for frozen yogurt you hop in the van and load up on all the fun toppings! 

Charlie has been really into "narble track" lately and spends hours each day playing with it in his room. It's a challenge to keep it safe from Griffin and I normally have to rebuild the track several times.

Waiting for Sophie at school pick up

Thanks to Prime Day, I finally got the bike trailer I had been wanting for years!! Of course it came right as we're headed into winter, but we have been able to take a few rides around the neighborhood on nice days.

Gathering all the acorns on one of our neighborhood walks

Having fun with phone filters while we wait for our Walmart grocery order

Grandma Howe sent Griffin this cute Thanksgiving outfit! We started wearing it early so he could get more use out of it. The feet have little turkey feathers on it and he always is trying to (unsuccessfully) pull them off.

Sometimes soccer practice is happy, and sometimes it's sad

Davey working smart, not hard. I love that giant "4" that fills the whole bottom row. He is a clever, obstinate kid sometimes!

Paw Patrol is on a roll!!

A fun morning with kinetic sand, that definitely did not all stay on the table cloth for easy cleanup.

Davey got to wear his costume to school and trick or treat at the different doors around the church

October 2020 Video Clips