My parents came for a visit

When my parents got their mission call to Montreal I was soooo excited!! I had big plans to go an visit them and meet everyone they were meeting and see the sites. Years ago my mom and I went on a trip to Montreal and it was so fun that I couldn't wait to go again. But then Cait got sick, and life got busy and we haven't had the chance yet. And to be honest, it's not in the budget this year and they're coming home in June. So...there goes that dream.

BUT...they took care of that problem by coming home for a visit. Becc had a baby on November 15 and they used that as an excuse to come home and see everyone else. They took a turn visiting and spending the night at all our homes and catching up. It was awesome!!

Most of us showed up at the airport to greet them...and Josh and Charlotte even made a sign!!

When they stayed at our home we went sledding up and back down the street...and then quickly returned to the house because it was so darn cold!!

the girls got bedtime stories galore from grandma! And french lessons from grandpa.

It was a great visit...and now we can't wait for them to come home for good!

Montana with the cousins

One of the things that happened after I finished my picture a day project was that I stopped using my camera. I was so happy to be done taking pictures and even more happy to just sit and enjoy those moments instead. I need to find a balance though. Take our trip to Montana last week. Chris and Lauren invited us down for a last minute long weekend to her parents cabin. We had a lot of fun in the Hot Tub, kayaking in the Rain, playing games, flying the toy airplane and so on. It was a great weekend. I however only took two pictures...one of all the kids while shopping and one of Cait folding her arms for prayer time at the dinner table (while reading a magazine of course).

So although I thoroughly enjoyed myself and really had a chance to appreciate each moment, I do wish I'd brought out my camera a few more times!! Oh well, those will be memories I just have to keep in my head!

Halloween

Last year the girls decided to be Vampire Princesses for Halloween. Awesome. Sometime this summer I found these sweet dresses in Winners. Done. But then I realized I'm a theme kind of girl...as long as my kids are young enough to go along with the fun, we will always have a Halloween theme. Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Little Bo Peep and her one little Sheep, the pirate and her Parrot, the Cheerleader and school mascot, or the Safari Guide/Explorer and the Safari Animals. So this year I had to think of some sidekick costume to go with these Vampire princesses. My first thought was to make Cait a bulb of garlic. How awesome would that be??? But then one day I found a little Bat Hoodie in Target and it sealed the deal. Of course we would be a family of Vampires with our trusty bat to play along. So FUN!!

Now tell me...is this not the cutest bat ever?

I would NOT want to see these three in an dark alley - ever

Creepy Hailey

Scary Paige

This little bat is how they work their magic. She looks so cute and approachable; and then BAM there are two creepy Vampires ready to suck your blood!

And just an adorable series of pictures of this bat eating...something off the grass. I'm hoping it's mud. But doesn't she look like she belongs?

Carving Pumpkins

Oh pumpkin carving...what to say. Let's first of all get this clear. I LOVE Holidays. All of them. I love doing fun things with the kids! I tolerate carving pumpkins...only because I hate gutting them. AND, don't even think about roasting pumpkin seeds. That stuff is nasty! But it's all still fun. My theory about Holidays and fun family events is that Pinterest has no place in any of it. I hate Pinterest. I hate that people feel the need to make everything look perfect. I mean, whatever happened to carving a few triangles into a pumpkin and calling it a day? Do I really need to clean my house, hang some homemade Halloween banner, make pumpkin muffins (with perfect icing), and listen to spooky music at the same time? No I do not. And I'll tell you what works better in my family...letting them be part of the process!!! Now if you do happen to do all those things and it works for your family...then great!! It's just no our style. We're a bit messy, the kids run the show a little more than some families...but we're making some good (not as picture perfect) memories in the process.  We sat down and the girls drew their design on paper (or right on the pumpkin) and Ben and I helped them carve those designs. Then after they posed with those pumpkins and tried to make the same face their pumpkin made. How cute is that? And then of course Cait chewed on the pumpkins any chance she could. She's a little savage!