Halloweenies

Halloween this year was as crazy as usual. First, we had the annual Trunk R’ Treat and Chili cook-off at church. I made my extra special seafood chili… yummy! After the food all the kids walk around to the trunks (oh, that’s where it gets the name) and trick ‘r treat. It’s a good way for kids to collect a lot of candy in a short amount of time… and of course mom's and dad’s get to share in the spoils too.

Grandma also came to town for David’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor and she stayed with us for a couple of days. While she was here grandma went a little crazy. First, she got a haunted house gingerbread house and built that with the kids 'till like midnight. Then she prepared a Halloween Feast which included Cheese Fingers (cheese sticks made to look like fingers with red pepper finger nails), Ghost shaped homemade tortilla chips, Mummy Dogs (hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough with mustard eyes), pumpkin shaped mac and cheese, salad with scabs (dried cranberries) and Carrot Fingers in guacamole (carrot sticks with almond finger nails in guacamole dip). It was as good as it sounds. Thanks Grandma Huck!

Then on Halloween night, all the kids got dressed up: Chad was Napoleon Dynamite (not much of a stretch there), Luke was the Big Bad Wolf disguised as Grandma, Macy was Madonna (!?), Haley was a cow girl and Reed was a puppy. I took Luke, Haley and Reed trick r’ treating around the neighborhood and Macy went with some of her friends. We have been really fortunate living up in the Northwest that we have not had a Halloween with rain... yet. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Chad decided that he wanted to have a Halloween Party this year so he invited a few friends over (including girls…!) and they had pumpkin shaped pizza, fresh popped popcorn and watched The Sixth Sense... one of my fave's but I don't know if it's for the attention span of 13-year-olds. Also, one of their friends broke his ankle and couldn’t come to the party so they all trick r’ treated over to his house and visited him.

I also have to mention that it's Cooper's birthday too. If you know Cooper, it'd all make sense to you. Don't you like his costume? Those are his angry eyes.

But all in all it was another great Halloween, we hope you all had a good one too!

Julia, Alina, Sierra and Macy

Josh and Luke... what a big nose you have...

Chad Dynamite

our trunk of treats

Luke, Haley, Reed and Macy

The spoils!

Grandma's house under construction

The Halloween Feast

Cooper looking sinister

Chad's Partaaayy!

It’s Over Already?

It seems like just yesterday that I was writing about soccer starting, and now it’s over. Haley’s team had their last game and they had a big celebration where they got a cake and each got a trophy. Great job Haley and The Pixie Chicks!

Haley and the trophy

The Pixie Chicks

Schedule for the day...

• Make pineapple upside-down cupcakes for Trunk-or-Treat (check)


• Take shower (check)


• Macy soccer game


• Haley soccer game


• Meet Susie to help set-up for Robby & Carter's reception


• Go to bank


• Clean house


• Get costumes for all the kids (yeah, we're a little behind on this one)


• Pumpkin Patch with Haley's Girl Scout troop at 2:00


• Set-up for reception


• Make chili for Trunk-or-Treat (D's doing this one)


• Robby & Carter's reception - 5-8pm


• Church Trunk-or-Treat - 6-8pm


• Trying not to kill anyone or ourselves - PRICELESS!

And that's only today. Tomorrow... Church Primary Program, Pick-up Grandma at airport, David's Eagle Scout Court of Honor - not too bad! And, fortunately, the sickness seems to be clearing. Luke is finally "awake", moving around and not running a fever... however, he now seems to have spots all over his tummy that remind me of chicken pox. Not sure where that came from... don't think it's one of the symptoms, but who knows???? D, Macy and Haley are all coughing and have sore throats... but hopefully, that's the extent of it. Now... on to our day! Have a great one and wish me luck!!!

The swines are invading!

I won't say we have "that" flu... but there is definitely some sick in our house! Luke has been home the past two days, nauseous, with a fever, coughing, body aches, and just yuck... and now Haley is coughing and home... and I think four of the five children all took medicine before they went to bed last night.

Really not good timing - but is it ever???? We have two soccer games tomorrow, our nephew's wedding reception tomorrow night, our Primary Program on Sunday morning, and our other nephew's Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Sunday night, as well as Grandma Helen coming to visit. Oh well... what can you do?

Scouters

Chad and Luke are both advancing in Scouts. Chad just received his Star rank and Luke got his Second Class. They are both doing awesome… great job guys and keep up the good work!

Luke... the happy

Chad... the goof

Our new school!

Over this past year, our district built two brand new elementary schools. One was built in the parking lot of one of the other schools, and then the original school was torn down. But ours was built in a new space, with a new name, and our old building was given back to the district. Our new school is only about 1/4 mile from our house, and we were very excited to start our new school year there!

Last year, as one of our final projects, all of the kids did "self-portraits" out of clay, which was then baked, glazed, fired a few times, and then used all over our new school as part of the decorations. The kids really enjoy finding their tiles and seeing how they all turned out! Now they're cute little faces are part of the school forever!

Luke's portrait, right in the center.

Macy's, on the left. Notice all her blonde-ness!

We're back!!!

Ok, not like we were anywhere, really, just crazy, busy, living life... and it's driving Chad CRAZY to keep seeing his picture, going off to Scout Camp, from back in August, as the thing that pops up! So, because I have become an awful blogger (but I'm really good at Farmville!), Derrick has decided to try and catch me up a bit... so introducing... Derrick! Yeah!!! Woo Woo! Come on... everyone cheer!!!

Star Wars in Concert… Geek Fest

On October 14^th Chad, Luke and my niece Annie were able to attend Star Wars in Concert at the Rose Garden in Portland. It was basically a live orchestra with a giant movie screens behind them. As they played different scores from the films they played parts of movies on the screens at the same time. It was hosted/narrated by Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO... GEEK MOMENT!!! They also had an exhibit and had some movie props and costumes. The best part was that only Chad and I were going to go because I didn't want to spend the extra money to take everyone (I didn't think they would appreciate it) but then on the day of the show our friend Christy Dancu said her husband’s work had box seat ticket’s and nobody there wanted them and would we be interested in them. HECK YES we would! So Luke and Annie were able to come too… unfortunately only two of us got the box seats. Sorry Chad and Annie. I'm sure it was still a lot of fun for them... just not AS fun.

Me and the view from the box

Annie, Chad and Luke being zapped

A clip from the show

Haley’s First Tooth

The tooth fairy is putting in overtime at our house as we add another tooth loser to the list. Haley lost her first baby tooth!

Robby and Carter Matrimony Bliss

On October 10^th Shannon and I were able to drive down and attend the wedding of our nephew Rob who was married to his new wife Carter in the Oakland, CA temple. Grandpa Huck came up from L.A. and did the sealing which was really cool. That’s two grandchildren that he’s been able to marry… who will be next? We had a great time down there and were glad we could be there for it. Congratulations Robby and Carter!

Just hitched

You may kiss the bride

Carter's new family

Oakland, CA temple