Family Pics 2010

The last time we had family photos taken we only had two children...it was time for some updated family photos!  I saw some great photos of friends on Facebook and learned that they were taken by Kelly Willardson of Bubba-loo Photography (www.bubba-loo.com).  Needless to say, our family photos were taken by Kelly.  We met her in downtown Carlsbad which is fitting since Carlsbad has been our home for the past 10+ years.  She took some beautiful photos!  Thank you, Kelly!   I love being the wife and mother in this family!!

Haunted Dinner

As part of our Halloween celebrations this year I made a Haunted Dinner.  We feasted on guts and eyeballs, witch fingers and ogre toes, poison ivy salad topped with maggots and ants, and we washed it all down with some Witch's Brew.  For dessert we ate a skeleton skull complete with flaming eyes!  The kids absolutely loved it...new family tradition!!

 I also made some fun appetizers to share with friends on Halloween...Mummy Dogs & Cheesy Pumpkins 

Halloween 2010

We had such a fun Halloween this year!  We went to Sea World's Halloween Spooktacular where the kids were able to trick-or-treat and watch a "spooky" Sea Lion and Otter show. We also went to Legoland's Halloween celebration where the kids went "brick-or-treating", did a scavenger hunt, danced, went on rides, and Kai went on stage for the costume contest.  We also went to our church "Fall-O-Ween" party where the kids played carnival games and went "trunk-or-treating" while Matt was the DJ of the night spinning some "wicked" tunes.  The music he spent so much of his time preparing and playing completely set the tone of the party.  And we spent Halloween with dear friends at the home of Jim and Chanda Davis complete with her famous white bean chicken chili.

As a family we dressed up as Harry Potter characters.  It all started with Kai wanting to be Harry Potter...after looking at photos online we decided he made a much better Draco Malfoy.  Eden wanted to wear a scary costume this year so she wouldn't be Hermione like I wanted her to be and instead went with a Dementor.  Ezekiel wanted to be a dragon and I thought that fit well enough with the theme.  I made Wyland's costume and he became Harry Potter's snow owl, Hedwig.  I dressed up as a witch (maybe a little too true to my character) and became Minerva McGonagall.  And Matt became the name that must not be spoken...Voldemort.

The Midas Touch

As Eden and Kai were washing their hands in the bathroom today I overheard them talking...

Kai: "What if the bathroom was all made of gold?  What if the whole house was made of gold?"


Eden: That would be awesome!  Then we would be rich!"

If only it was that simple. 

Voice of the Spirit

Life is so busy and moves so quickly.  It is especially busy for me now with four young children.  Life is also noisy and demanding.  This video clip was sent to my by my amazingly wonderful mother-in-law...thank you Melanie...I needed this! 

Voice of the Spirit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPbDZnrxBLM&feature=player_embedded

First Day of School

It's that time of year again...maybe the most wonderful time of the year?  It is back to school time!  Eden is now in the 4th grade and Kai is in 2nd grade.  They are growing up so quickly.  Kai is happy to have Ms. Slattery, the same teacher Eden had for 2nd grade and who our entire family loves.  And Eden loved her teacher, Ms. Shearer immediately.  She came home from school the first day and said, "Ms. Shearer is the nicest teacher in the whole world!".  I'm glad they are both happy and that they enjoy school.  I also love being able to miss them without guilt while they are at school :).  Here's to another wonderful year of school!

Bummer Summer

So the kids and I are calling this summer vacation the "bummer summer" because the weather was gloomy and cold most of the time.  We didn't live in the pool or at the beach this year like we have in years past.  Finally the week before school was to start we got some hot weather so we made it to the beach and the pool.  I guess this "bummer summer" will help us to appreciate "funner summers" in the future!