HALLOWEEN FUN

There was alot of fun to be had this Halloween. We got together with Honey and Poppy the night and had a family party. My kids and I went to a Trunk or Treat with Grandma B, and then there is always the school parade and of course trick or treating. Samantha and Mason love dressing up in lots of different costumes, one for each party. Samantha was Belle and a butterfly. Mason was spiderman and batman. Luella was a "meow", actually a pink panther. And Chance was a toad. Luella LOVED her costume, she asked to wear it all the time the week before Halloween. She would walk around asking for her meow.

This is me and my kiddos at Samantha's school. I was hurrying as fast as I could to get to the parade, but I just wasn't fast enough. My mom, Honey and I missed cute Samantha walking through the parade. So we went inside and brought her out of class so we could see her cute costume and give her a hug and a kiss and of course get a picture.
This year Halloween was super fun. The kids loved it all, and they had so much fun trick or treating, I love the pure joy that they get from knocking on someone's door and getting candy.

MASON'S FIRST PARTY

One day I picked Mason up from preschool and he told me that he was going to got to Austin's party. Sure enough, he had an invitation to a halloween party. It was so cute. He talked and talked about it, wondering when it was and where and when. He wanted to make sure that he hadn't missed it. So it worked out perfect when Samantha also had an invite to a party for the same night. I took Sam to her party and Mason, Luella, Chance and Mom went off to Mason's party. He wore his batman costume and brought his trick or treat sack. There were treats, a bouncy house, a pinata, and a candy hunt. I kinda had my hands full with Chance and watching Luella (but uncle Coby was a huge help with Lu). We stayed for a bit, Mason had some treats, got some little candies for his sack but then headed on our way.
After I left I sat in the car and wondered and hoped that he'd had a good time. That it was everything he wanted. That I hadn't rushed him out, but that he stayed long enough to have fun. I always worry and wonder if i let my kids have enough fun to their hears content. Or do I rush them out of parties cause mommy can't handle any more. Hopefully they don't notice and they always just have a ton of fun. But Mason was pretty excited to be going to a party!

UEA IN ARIZONA

My mom had mentioned that she was thinking of going to AZ with Hilary and McKay over Fall Break. I half way joked that I wanted to go with them. Then she called and asked if I really did want to go, and of course I said yes. Yes I knew that it would be a TON of work with 4 kids, but my mom and sister are always so much help. Then it evolved into Rebekah and Lucy coming with us.

Our Honey was so sweet and put together little sacks for the kids and even one for the adults. There was a present for the kids to open every 100 miles. It was so cute, and it is something to Ben talks about and remembers his mom doing for them when he was younger. It really was the hit of the ride down. Thanks so much Honey, you really always think of everything!!!

So we got up early Thursday and off we went. We had to stop a bunch (at least every 3 or so hours to feel little Chance and Lucy), but we managed to get there by 8 pm. It was so fun to pull up to Aunt Colleen and Uncle Andy's house. It brought back so many awesome memories of going to visit when I was younger.

The plan for the weekend was just to hang out and do absolutely nothing other than enjoy each other's company. The kids were so excited to swim in the pool (yes they have a great pool!!!), jump on the tramp, play on the swing set and follow the turtle around the yard (yep, they also have a rather large turtle).

Here the kids are getting ready to go down the slide with aunt Hilary.

Lu and Hilary going down the slide.
Mason and Hilary going down the slide.
Hilary and Samantha going down the slide.
There was a little "Pumpkin Patch", but not really a pumpkin patch. In fact there weren't any pumpkin's, but it was a great little craft fair. We spent part of Saturday morning walking around the fair. It was pretty hot (95 degrees). Grandma took the kids to bounce and get some awesome glasses.

We got home from the fair and Luella was exhausted. She took a little nap and then woke up, but she was still mad and sleepy when she woke up, but then she fell back asleep. Hilary was nice enough to hold her while I took the other kids out swimming.

This is how they started out. Luella sleeping and Hilary just holding her (but still awake).

Then I came back and checked on them and this is how I found them. They were both zonked out, and Luella looked like she was about to fall off the couch.

My cousin Megan invited us to a ward Halloween party. So we scrounged up some costumes and headed over. There was dinner, a little haunted hallway, a photo booth, and then a trunk or treat. Mason was a ninja, Sam was a witch, and Lu was skeleton. We ended up missing the trunk or treat so when we got back to Aunt Colleen's all the adults got a stash of candy and headed to all of the different rooms in the house. The kids got sacks and went trick or treating. McKay even dressed up as a hunch back to pass out candy from the bedrooms. It was so cute and the kids loved it.

It was so fun to go and see the Shumway's. It was great to visit with Erin, Megan, Autumn and Joel and all their cute kids. Aunt Colleen and Uncle Andy were so good to us (and especially my kids). It was so fun to go and visit. Uncle Andy asked Mason if he could come back and visit and Mason said "I think my mom will say no" Hilarious, I don't know why he said that, but we will definitely be going back. Thanks for having us Colleen and Andy, can't wait to see you guys again! Thanks to Grandma B, Hurly, McKay and Bekah for helping out with my kids. I couldn't have done it without you guys.

So . . . . Sunday afternoon, Ben is off at meetings, 2 kids down for naps, Sam is playing with barbies and Mason found a nail file and decided to file and buff my fingernails and toenails. As he was doing so I realized that I really do like to have manicures and pedicures, or at least I like to have people work on my feet and hands. It is so relaxing, and just as I could have and was about to close my eyes it was over. Oh how I really need some pamper Whitney time. Hopefully soon, or I'll just make my kids "pretend" give me mani's and pedi's. This is just how Sunday's should be (minus Ben at the meeting). Relaxing . . . . and of course right as I thought how relaxing it has been today (we had a yummy brunch after church, and have been hanging out together), the teasing and screaming starts up again. At least it was there for a split second, and then back to my reality.

COULD YOU IMAGINE?!

I was on my way over to my mom's the other day to have a picnic, and while in the car Mason and I had this conversation.

Mason "Mom, can you carry my blanket into the house?"

Me "I can't, I have to carry Luella, Chance and the bag. You'll have to carry it."

Mason "Can you carry my scooter then?"

Me "Mason I can't"

Mason " Why not mom?"

Me "I only have 2 arms."

Mason, without any hesitation "Mom, I wish you have 2 arms on one side and 2 arms on the other. Then you could carry a lot of things."

Me "Me too Mace, that would be nice."

It was pretty funny that he thought of that. But seriously though, wouldn't it be nice to be able to carry and do all that you needed to all at once. But I might look super strange so I guess it's a good thing I don't. Those are about the conversations that we have.

Like last Monday night, we were on a hike and I was carrying Chance in the Bjorn and Mason was walking next to me, but he kept tripping on the rocks. He asked me to carry him but I told him that I couldn't carry him and Chance at the same time. He asked why and I told him I wasn't strong enough. Then he told me that I need to work out so I can get stronger. Thanks bud!!!!!

If only moms were super - moms.