Trick-or-Treat

Friday night was our Halloween party at the church. The kids were so excited! Porter has been putting his costume on for two weeks and then it came time to get ready and I held up his monkey costume. He grabbed it from me and threw it on the floor saying "NO monkey!" So he went as himself :) Then we have a dragon and a giraffe.
Ainsley eating a cookie she won as a prize for a game.
Brinnley is going fishing.
This game was pretty funny! Brinnley was too fast for me to get a picture. They tied gummy worms to a string and hung them from a pole. Basically like bobbing for gummy worms. Porter's tongue was wiggling like crazy trying to get the worm. He worked hard for that treat!
When it came time to do the trunk-or-treat, Brinnley asked if she could go with her friend Ellie Tilton. The girls were off and I didn't see her again until they were done. I cannot believe my baby is old enough to be doing things with friends instead of me. So big! Ainsley was Chant's partner and Porter and I were buddies. The only thing about my buddy is he didn't want a buddy. He was an independent little boy! He held my hand for about the first three trunks, then he pulled away and he was off. He was pushing his way through the big kids to get to where the candy was. But he was so good, saying trick-or-treat and thank-you at each trunk. I could barely keep up with him he was moving so fast. And he was a repeat offender, stopping at the same trunks several times. Sorry guys! I tried to stop him! It was a huge success. We came home with smiles and bellies full of sugar!

Pumpkins!

Tuesday afternoon we carved pumpkins. For some reason we never made it to a pumpkin patch this year. These beauties came from good old Wal-Mart. Last year Porter wasn't old enough to get into the action, but this year he had so much fun. However, when it came to sticking his hand into the pumpkin and touching it's guts, he got a little grossed out. He's like his mom, he doesn't like his hands to be dirty.
Brinnley and Ainsley were smart, they used spoons to scoop everything out.


Before carving them the kids drew faces on them.


Ainsley wanted her pumpkin's face to be able to come off. And it does! Thanks Dad!
Happy Halloween!

What They are up to Now

I recently reconnected with someone I had lost track if, someone that is very important to me. He asked me what my kids are like. Well, this is what they are into now. Brinnley loves school! She is doing so well. She has made so many friends and she loves going. She comes home from school and write letters and colors pictures. Her favorite thing to play is school. I am thinking a ream of paper and an easel for Christmas. :) Brinnley is very outgoing and always happy and helpful. She is obsessed with horses and dogs and she wants a puppy so bad that last night she cried herself to sleep wishing she had a dog. I don't have as many pictures of her since she isn't home as much. I will work on fixing that!

Ainsley girl (picture above) is loving to play outside. Every day she takes a shovel and digs in the dirt next to our house. Since the leaves have started falling, she likes to rake them up and then jump into them. She loves to read books and is learning how to read. She can count to 50. She knows her ABCs and she can count objects at least to 25, we haven't tried to go higher. She is like me, a little afraid of new things, but once she is comfortable she comes out of her shell.
Porter Boy. He is a bundle of personality. He too is obsessed with horses. He has adopted all of Brinnley's plastic horses. He does the best neighing sound you have ever heard. It is so loud! He wants to watch the movie "Spirit" everyday (it's about horses). He also loves to play with his cars. And he is kind of partial to Brinnley's doll that Grandpa gave her for her first birthday. Here he is sharing his yogurt with her. For all you who haven't seen Porter for a while, he is talking well. And he talks a lot. He's learned the art of taddling and arguing with the girls. He is a firecracker! Funny story. Last night we were having dinner at my sister's house and Porter kept saying "potty." He wouldn't stop so Chant took him into the bathroom and of course nothing happened. A while later he did it again and wouldn't stop again. This time I took him. I took off his diaper and put him on the toilet. I thought I would leave him up there for a minute and then take him off and put his diaper back on. I wasn't really paying attention. All the sudden Porter squealed and I looked down and he was peeing all over his pants and legs. His eyes were as big as saucers! Maybe potty training will be easier and sooner than I thought.

I love these kiddos!

With Love...

About 5 years ago Chant and I were deciding where we would move and he would attend chiropractic school. Oregon was at the top of the list. We even made a trip there to see the school and look at housing. We thought that was the place. And then it just didn't feel right. We quit being excited about it and suddenly Missouri was it. I didn't even see it until we moved out here. We just knew this is where we had to be.

We have about 8 weeks left before we will pack up our moving truck and go back west. I feel at peace with this decision just as I did about moving here. Today at church, as I looked around at the amazing people in our ward, my heart was filled with gratitude for the blessing of being in this place for the past 4 years. I have met the most amazing people here! We have been so blessed with friends as close as family. We have been given the opportunities to serve in the church and grow from those callings. I love the young women in our ward and I am so thankful for the examples they are to me and for all they taught me. They are so happy, positive, and loving. It brightened my day talking to a group of them in the hall. I am thankful for the amazing sisters in our ward. I have felt love from each one of them. They have taught me so much, through their examples and their prepared lessons. I have grown so much as a mother and an individual and I know that is largely due to the help and examples of these wonderful women. My children have been blessed with the best friends and teachers and leaders. Thank you for teaching my children and for loving them! Chant has been so blessed to work with the leadership in the church, from the Elders Quorum to the Bishopric. He tells me often how grateful he is for the privilege of working with these men and learning from them. You have touched him deeply.

I know the Lord hears our prayers and he guides us. I know this is where my family needed to be. We have grown and been prepared for the next phase in our lives. So I guess I just wanted to tell our Missouri family that I love you all and thank you for everything you have done for my family and myself, even though thank you will never be enough!

Say Cheese!

October 9th we had our pictures taken by our friends Ben and Becca Munson. I have to say that I am incredibly jealous of their talent. I have always wanted to be able to take good pictures of my children. After looking at their, mine feel flat. They have a way of adding depth. These are just a few of my favorites. Now I have the impossible task of deciding which ones I want to frame. Thank you so much Ben and Becca! And thank you Marlie for helping to wrangle the kids in! You were amazing!

Confidence and Change

The other day Chant and I went to Old Navy. After losing weight, my coat from last year was drowning me, and my yellow gem from high school would make a person lose weight due to sweating because it is so heavy. It is for like 20 degree, nose hairs freezing cold weather. I needed something not that heavy, but heavier than a hoodie. I took an armful to the dressing room and came out beaming in this beauty shown above. Chant was surprised by this pick. I think the ruffle threw him. I would never have chosen something like this before. He said he felt it was too fancy for everyday. I chose to leave the coat at the store on its hanger, not because it wasn't Chant's fav but because it needed a few more buttons.

This shopping experience did spur a conversation and some thinking. I have chosen a few things lately that have been a surprise to Chant. He said he likes them, it's just that he has prided himself on being able to peg things I would like. But my likes are shifting and so that is becoming harder for him. I thought back to my newly-wed days. (Sorry, no pics because this was way back before we had a digital camera.) Lets just say my style was simple. Polo shirts, jeans, hair pulled halfway back with a barret. Nothing fancy. The past year or so I have been drawn to things with color, texture, patterns. I have become fond of accessories. I think I always liked these things, I just didn't have the confidence to wear them. I am at a place where I am feeling good about myself and I am not afraid to wear what I like even if others might not like it. (Although it's always a plus if my husband doesn't think I look awful :) )

Well, that shift in style has not just been within the clothing area. In thinking about moving, I have one wish that will probably take a while, but here it is. I want to redecorate my living room. I want to have a space that is pulled together and looks cohesive instead of a hodge-podge of styles. This weekend we hit a few garage sales and I found these beauties. I can't tell you how excited I am. I have wanted to have a few vintage looking suitcase stacked in a corner in my future living room. Well, these are vintage, complete with original travel stickers. I love that they have a few scratches and look older. (Chant is shocked that I am saying that!) I am just so excited! Now all I need is a metal locker! Yes, locker as in the place you dropped your books in high school. Follow me, I have a vision! I am so excited to decorate my home the way I want to truly express who I am. Here's to confidence to do what I want and embracing change!