Halloween 2013

This year Halloween day was somewhat stressful.  We went trick or treating at 10:00 to a few of the local businesses with our story time library group.  It was fun, but unfortunately Brogan was quite the stinker.  He had a HUGE meltdown right before we left (he wanted me to take him to Dad's work...) I finally just told him I was taking him to work, and instead just went to the library.  In the car he saw a few kids walking in dressed up, and finally decided he wanted to wear his clown outfit. (good thing I was a nice Mom and brought it).  I was watching Brooklyn, so I packed a little umbrella stroller to push her in.  Wouldn't you know the little stinker butt Brogan HAD to be pushed in a stroller!!  I was going to run home and grab my double, but my friend Evyn had an extra in her car, and she graciously pushed Brogan around trick or treating (Brogan- you owe her big time- she's just as pregnant as I am!!)  (Thanks again Ev!)

After story time trick or treating we ran to Grandma's office real quick to trick or treat to her co-workers (and show off their cute costumes), then headed home.  I mandated that everyone MUST have a nap, because it was going to be a lateish night, and everyone was already cranky.  We had planned to meet up with some friends at 4 and trick or treat to the businesses down Main street, but (as hard as I tried) I didn't get anyone to go to sleep till 3:30 (and they both had to sit on MY lap in the recliner... I really needed a nap too, but guess what?  Hard to sleep with three kids smashing you while your feet are going numb!! -Just want you kids to know all the sleep I've sacrificed for you over the years!) 

So we didn't make it to trunk or treat till 6:15ish.  We hit a few houses close to the church, then headed to Grandpa Funks house.  

Addison originally wanted to be a princess this year, but after seeing (and wearing) Taylor's Mermaid costume, she wanted to be a mermaid.  I had her talked back into doing the princess thing (I really didn't want to buy costumes this year) but Grandma Jensen came to the rescue.  She brought over her old Halloween box which contained the mermaid costume I wore when I was Addison's age!  She even had a fun super long wig! Brogan wanted to be a clown this year- and thanks again to Grandma for the rescue!  That's also the same clown costume that my siblings and I all wore time and time again! 

I love to dress up for Halloween (probably more now then when I was younger).  Stewart and I went as the Milkman and the pregnant housewife.  His name badge read "Mike's Milk Service, We Make House-calls, Best Service in Town" ;)  We got some good laughs. 

After hitting our traditional Wendy Robinson then Pine Street circle trick or treat route, we headed home.  I was surprised at how much Addison liked the spooky stuff.  She went into the dark "haunted trailer" at trunk or treat, even though there were bodies lying all around trying to grab her.  She also loved all of John Flora's spooky yard decorations.  She would have stayed there for another ten minutes just checking everything out! Brogan on the other hand takes after his Momma- spooky was not his favorite!  

It was a good Halloween.  A candy tax was collected by this Mom, and I am already trying to stash it all in places that the kids will never suspect (cause they want it all RIGHT NOW... and they don't handle their sugar very well...)  So until next year- Happy Halloween!

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch!

Last week we went to a pumpkin patch with Lindy, Bridger and Alli. We were planning on meeting Lindy at one in Jerome, but Stewart insisted that there was a super cool looking one in Buhl we had to go to (it had a corn maze and everything).  Come to find out we probably could have just gone to the pumpkin patch in Jerome and been just fine, but it was fun to ride over together and spend some quality cousin time together :) 

 Bridger really is just adorable!

 Lindy, Alli and Bridger.

 This is my favorite picture EVER! If you can't tell, this boy never stops moving!!

 Addison liked pulling Brogan and Alli in the wagon.

 Addison being silly with the gourds they had.

 They had some straw bales stacked up and the kids loved singing and dancing and acting crazy on top of them :)

 Our pumpkins!

 Love this gorgeous girl!

Family Pictures 2013

I'm always hesitant when it comes to family pictures.  I feel like we're never "ready" for them... don't have the right clothes, not the right season, we're having a baby soon.. shouldn't we just wait for him too?  Then he needs to be old enough not to look like a rag doll.... (see?  It's a sickness I have).  This year I decided somewhat last minute just to do some.  We bought a few new clothing piece, but really just threw it all together quick!  

Stewart's cousin Angelina took our family pictures this year, and she did a FABULOUS job! The weather wasn't ideal (super windy, and by the end the kids were pretty cold), and Brogan- who fell asleep on the way to Shoshone, was not happy to wake up and take pictures. Regardless, Angelina managed to get some great pictures, and overall I was very impressed with how great these are!

We only got a couple "family" pictures, but with two squirmy kids we're pretty lucky to even get that :) 

 (Brogan was so unhappy- he had to be bribed with a doughnut... which didn't help)

 My Favorite!

 Addison was super cooperative and managed to get some super cute pictures!

LOVE these!  Wish we would've gotten a few more at the train station and on the tracks, but we'll get there next time for sure!

Happy Birthday to me!

This year I turned the big 24 (whoot whoot).  

This year all I wanted was a new DSLR camera.  I had planned to buy one from a friend here in town, but also planned on using all of my baby sitting money and part of our Christmas bonus to buy it... in November or December.  Being so fed up with being so pregnant, and with not much else going on, I was really reeeealy itching to get playing with camera that was to be mine.  

After Stewart left me for a week of work in Wisconsin, and my parents were gone for a week helping my brother move, I was pretty cranky right before my birthday and pretty much threatened Stewart that if he didn't get this camera for my birthday, I was just going to Credit Card it anyway.  I bugged him about it a lot.  So much in fact, that the last time I brought it up he got kind of mad at me (It takes A LOT for him to get mad at me.... Sooo pretty much it sounded like I was going to have to be patient.  

The other side of this story includes me telling this friend that I would get her the first $100 by the first of the month (which came and went while Stew was out of town).  I didn't make it to Twin at all to cash my checks, and the days of October kept dragging by, making me feel like more and more of a liar.  Even though I talked to her and she didn't seem too bothered by it, I was feeling bad.  After Stewart was home for a week I freaked out on him again.  "PLEASE cash these checks TODAY!  It's the only thing I've really asked you to help me with since you've been home!!"  That night he informed me that he had deposited the checks, all was well.  I was SO MAD!  I wanted to give her CASH!  I'd already hassled her by making her wait, and now I was going to make her cash a check.  What a moron!! COME ON MAN!  I SAID CASH THEM!  (I was pretty mad).  

Welll... I reeeally need to learn to take it easy (especially around my birthday).  Stewart did indeed deposit the check, but he also paid for the camera, IN FULL, and had it for me on my birthday.  How did I ever get so lucky? 

Not only did he get my camera for me, he put together a nice birthday dinner party for me with all our family.  When I groaned because I didn't want to have people at our house- (I would have to clean) He insisted he would clean the entire house to my standards, which he did (He even mopped... which are above my standards) :) He also changed every diaper for the day (Brogan had three poop bombs), and he made dinner.  I really love that guy!

These past few weeks after my birthday I've spent playing with my camera, taking notes, reading online tutorials, and taking TONS of pictures! 

This was the first day after I'd gotten it.  I read pretty much the entire owners manual, played around with ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.  I'm still in the process of getting it all right, and I'm super annoying if I'm taking your picture, but I'm starting to get the hang of it! 

Here are just a few of my favorites from the last little while... the weather has been beautiful! It's starting to get colder now, so I hope I have a few more opportunities to get out and capture some of the gorgeous fall light and leaves! 

(p.s.- all of these have a teeny bit of editing, but only in Picasa- mostly the fill light or shadow fill... no photoshop (yet).  (Hopefully I'll be able to get photoshop for Christmas {Wink Wink Stewart}.

But I am pretty proud of the quality of pictures I got- hot off the camera!