Santa Clues

The last couple of years we have adopted a tradition from Harmon's sisters called "Santa Clues." During the month of December, based on the kid's behavior they can get a Santa Clue. A Santa Clue can be anything from a new Christmas CD to a candy cane. We hide the present and then give them a clue to help them find it. My kids look forward to it and it is great leverage. This was today's Santa Clue. They were so excited to find a kit for a gingerbread house. We had a lot of fun decorating it together.

Good Morning!

I haven't done a post in over a month but I thought I would be ungrateful not to share this cute face I woke up to this morning. After having sick kids for the past week, this was a blessing to wake up to. Kate just smiles her head off and puts my life into perspective. It's all worth it.

The Great Pumpkin's Sweet Revenge by Harmon

So I had made several calls to the individuals that most likely placed this large pumpkin on our front step. I gave them until the end of the night to have it removed or they would feel my wrath. They chuckled and pretended like they didn't know what I was talking about.

Last night after we returned home from our family venture to the BYU Bookstore, the pumpkin was still there and I had had it! Thursday night is hockey night, so I drove down to the church and came screached into the parking lot, slammed on my brakes and let them all know that they have started war. Again they laughed and pretended not to know what I was talking about. So I squeeled out of the parking lot and went home to take the appropriate action.

I went downstairs, got by paintball gun, filled the hopper and headed out the door. Just as I opened the door, our Elder's Quorum President was about to knock on the door and was fearful of his life after seeing me with some kind of weapon in my hand. It turns out that the guys had done the same thing to him and he wanted to go get a bunch of pumpkins and blockade their doors. I thought that was way too much work and I had other plans. He looked a little concerned but I headed to the church which is just down the street from our house.

I walked through the backyard of the house next to the church, whose yard just so happened to be one of the "tricker's." I climbed up on the fence to find them all right there playing hockey. It took them a while to notice me and they started skating over to me. When they realized I had a gun in my hand they slowly started to skate backwards, at which time I began to fire the trigger, shooting as fast as my finger could pull the trigger. They were yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs. I landed several shots and then they were gone. It was the funniest site I have ever seen in my life! One of the other guys that plays with us and wasn't involved in the trick, stood there holding his arms high up in there yelling, "Don't shoot, don't shoot, I have no beef with you at all!" Eventually, they came back and cleaned up the pumpkin I had since cut apart and set up an entire blockade leading into their street. We all had a good laugh and needless to say, I don't think they will be playing any more tricks on me.

Trick or Treat?!

Look what showed up on our doorstep the morning after Halloween! We have a bunch of pranksters in our neighborhood . . .

Happy Halloween!

The marathon day of Halloween is over! Between decorating cookies, carving pumpkins and getting ready, I didn't stop running all day. It turned out to be a good Halloween . . .

Kate was the cutest Tink ever!
Skinny Harmon with Kate - doesn't he look great?
Halle was a "glamour witch" - she was very glamourous!
Lacey was a monster girl.
Peter Pan with his pumpkin.
Lacey with her friend Kennidee who was a dead rock star.
Peter Pan and Tinkerbell off to Neverland.
Halle and Kate.
I actually exist sometimes in pictures. Lacey shot this one of Harmon and I. Notice there are only a few leaves left on our tree - it's definitely fall around here.
This was a dress rehersal earlier on Halloween. Jack was playing dress up with the girls and came up with this costume on. I'm sure this makes Harmon proud!

One Last Smokey Swim

Unfortunately, our trip to California overlapped the fires. It did make the trip a little weird, but fortunately we weren't that affected by them. Our hearts go out to all whose life was affected by the fires.

Lacey our poser.

Here is Halle in front of the red sun with Lacey behind her doing a cannonball.

Jack was not very into the swimming thing (which makes it much easier on me). He prefered sitting on the edge with his feet in the water. It must be the Idaho in him.

Nana and Kate were the lifeguards.
We were lucky enough to overlap with Sam and Lindsay's trip from North Carolina. Here are the girls swimming with Reed.
Nana and Jack.
Happy Max with Lindsay
Eskimo kisses from Papa.

Halle Got Her Ears Pierced

Halle didn't suck her thumb for three weeks in order to get her ears pierced. We are so proud of her!

She is nervous and excited about getting them pierced. The girls that worked there were great and did it very quickly. Halle didn't even know they did it!
Here she is afterwards. Doesn't she look cute?

Zoomars

Nana took us to Zoomars - a petting zoo in San Juan Capistrano. It was a very smoky day and we were looking for something to do to entertain the kids. This place had actually taken on several animals that were evacuees from the fires. The kids had a great time.

Lacey loved the bunnies and the bunnies loved her! A pet bunny is now at the top of her list for Christmas. (She will also have to get new parents from Santa).
Halle, on the other hand, would be just fine if she didn't have to be near a bunny again in her life.
Nana and Jack with the goats. Jack wasn't sure what he thought of the goats.
Lacey on the train.
Lacey's horse was named Pal. She wished she could ride without being led.
Jack on his horse, Snowflake.
Halle in front of the Llamas.
Kate enjoying a cat nap at the petting zoo.

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland and California Adventure two different days (I spread them apart for my own sanity). The fall is a great time to go. No line was longer than 10 minutes. Most of the pictures are on my Mom's camera but here are some that I took. (Note to self: It's not worth it to bring your big, nice camera to Disneyland - stick with the point and shoot.)

Here we are entering Disneyland. Mickey Mouse was made out of all sorts of pumpkins. It was very cool. Disneyland is very cute at Halloween.
Nana was such a good sport and help at Disneyland. Here she is on the rockets with the kids.
Jack on his horse.
Cute Halle.
With finished off the night with Dumbo.

Lacey has such a fun personality. She made me come take this picture of her with her horse.
Halle and Lacey on Dumbo.

Jack trying to stay awake for the parade. Once he saw Mickey Mouse he woke right up and loved the parade. We had a great day but were exhausted. All the kids were asleep within 10 minutes of getting into the car.

Titleist

Before we left for California, Harmon finally found Jack a little golf hat. He was so excited to be like Harmon. Harmon made him take it off before he went to bed and hung it on a hook. The next morning when I went to get him out of his bed the first thing he said was, "Titleist." I later told Harmon about it and he said, "That makes me so happy!" I'm afraid of my future . . .

Jack and Papa in the Swimming Cool

The kids couldn't wait to get to Nana and Papa's house to go swimming. Jack calls it the "swimming cool." I thought this picture of Jack and Papa was so cute.

Noah's Ark Exhibit

The kids and I flew in to Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 17th. I worried for weeks about flying by myself but the kids did so well. I was sent an angel from heaven by the name of Cheryl that noticed me in the airport and asked if I was flying by myself with my four kids. I told her I was. She told me that she was flying by herself and that she would help me with whatever I needed. Fortunately, there were no catastrophes but she helped me load and unload off the plane and even waited with us at the curb until my mom pulled up. There are still very good people in the world today. Anyway, from the airport my mom took us to the Noah's Ark Exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center. It was a really cool place and the kids had a great time. Thanks Nana!

This part of the exhibit was made out of all sorts or recycled parts.
Halle was able to make the giraffe's head turn back and forth as she moved. Very cool.
Jack loved making his own storm. You pumped this pump and it would make rain. He could have done this all day.
Lacey on the camel outside the ark.
Halle on the other camel outside the ark.
Halle and Lacey got the animals on the ark two by two.
Kate and I outside the ark. I hope the ark was actually bigger than this but I think it was pretty true to size. It must have been very stinky. They even had all this fake poop and brooms and dustpans for the kids to clean up the poop!
Inside the ark, they had two puppets of every sort of animal. Kate wanted to eat them.
Lacey hates moose (because of an experience she had while camping this summer) that is why she is making this face.
Nana and Kate.

Jack prepared some food on the ark.
The kids had a great time with Nana.It was a very cool exhibit. Very well done.
At the end, the kids got to decorate their own ark.
Halle with her own ark.