Happy Halloween

Well - Halloween was kinda anti-climatic for us this year. Between half of us being sick and Halloween falling on a Sunday, and all the family we have had recently, we didn't do much for Halloween. On Friday we went to a ward Halloween party with lots of fun games, a bit of trunk-or-treating and yummy food, but 'we' only included me, Eileen and Anna - Aaron was rather naughty and didn't get to go - and Dan was nice enough to offer to keep Evie too. So the girls and I had some fun and then today for Halloween, I made Dan get out the costumes after church and get the kids dressed up so I could take pictures. LOL - kinda pathetic I know - but they are so CUTE! Eileen was a witch, Anna a ghost (she ran around the party yelling BOOO at everyone) Aaron a pirate (for like 20 minutes - but he LOVED the sword) and Evie was Tinkerbell. Can you believe this picture was only the second one I took! Good thing too since my battery was nearly dead.... :)
Now on to November and (as Eileen won't let us forget) Eileen's birthday. Eileen has been counting down days and excitedly anticipating presents. She has picked her birthday dinner (Mac and Cheese of course - and she even picked Broccoli for a veggie) and she talks non stop about her birthday. I can't believe my little girl is almost 6... where have the years gone!!!! Heehee - more on that in 2 days though - since 6 years ago today, I was just a massive blimp who was waiting not so patiently for a sweet little bundle of joy!

Fun Fun Fun!

Well Grandma Cox finished up her stay here, and we had lots of fun playing with her. She flew out Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday morning, Grandma and Grandpa Jones flew in. They have been their usual busy selves - cleaning and fixing everything they can find. The kids have been having a blast with them too. They spend as much time as they can hanging on Grandpa's legs and watching and helping Grandma. Dan left on his trip to Seattle on Monday and we were so glad to have him back today! The kids were just bouncing off the walls. The highlight of the week was the kids primary program. They had a practice for it on Saturday - so the kids had fun there - on the way home we were working on their speaking parts for the program. They each had two lines - Anna managed to memorize one of them - we worked on it in the car - but I couldn't find the other one to work on it.... Anna's lines was "I know I can have faith in Christ" - she told me she liked saying faith in Jesus better. I told her - well maybe then say Jesus Christ. Eileen said - so is Christ like his last name or something? I said...well kinda.... Eileen: "Soooo like... Heavenly Father Christ?" Me: ummmm..... not really. Eileen: "well who's in this Christ Family??" LOL - she's such a smartie!

So the actual program was today and our two little girls were the spot light stealers. Well - mostly Eileen. Anna said her line perfectly - all by her self....twice... Eileen said her lines very well - but on the first one she got a bit too close to the mic and woke up anyone sleeping in chapel and most surrounding buildings. She also sung every song at the TOP of her lungs (as in - I could hear her clearly over the entire primary) She was also bouncing around, hamming it up and pointing up anytime the word "Heaven" was sung. And any time she was unsure of the words in a song - she turned around to the primary leader behind her and looked at the program she was holding. She did the whole program with the biggest smile on her face! This sweet leader behind her tried to encourage her to be a bit more reverant , but she was a lost cause - she had both parents and her grandparents to perform to - she was radiant and I don't know that I've ever enjoyed a primary program more - I don't know which emotion was more prevalent - laughing or joy. :)

Le Sigh....

Well the contract on our house fell through.... :( So now we are back to waiting....

This has been an eventful week. Monday we got to go and see the newest Bessendorfer and she is adorable!!! She slept the whole time we were there and she is soo sweet! We got to see Aunt Linda and meet Joseph and had a wonderful dinner.... then my kids peed all over themselves and we had to go home.....

Thursday Paul and Candace and family got in town. We had tons of fun playing with them. Soo fun to watch the cousins play together. It's so nice to be a bit nearer to them - we've missed them!

My mom got in on Friday - which also happened to be her birthday - so we had some family over for a little birthday party. I made a cake which was WAY overcooked - so i threw it out and started over and made one that was MUCH more edible! :) Food was good and company was better!

Saturday and Sunday I was performing in firesides with the choir that I joined a week and a half ago. They went well - I don't think i messed up too much!! :) The Colorado Mormon Chorale is somewhat similar to Evening Song (which I sang in in Texas) but bigger. :) I'm looking forward to rehearsals full of Christmas music now and can't wait for the Christmas Season!! LOL - I think Dan took all the pictures this week on his phone - so when I can get him to send me some of them I will post them :)

Another One Bites the Dust

Another what? you ask? Another tooth. Eileen is now down 3 teeth. She has an adorable lopsided grin. This evening when she went to bed she cried like her heart was breaking - Dan had dropped the tooth and hadn't found it yet and Eileen was horrified at the idea that there would be no tooth in her tooth box when the tooth fairy came. She and Anna got to go to a friends birthday party yesterday and had tons of fun and tons of junk food. Anna was sick last night and this morning - thankfully it seems to have passed and Dan and I are just chalking it up to too much JUNK!

The weather here has been beautiful (at least until last night when it started drizzling and has kept going all day) so the kids and I spent most of the week walking around and enjoying the weather. There is a walking/bike/running path that runs right by our house and 3 out of 5 days this week, Anna and Aaron were begging to go on walks/bike rides along the path. It's a lovely walk and the kids love it. Anna and Aaron pedal their hearts out and we probably end up going at least a mile before we are done. It also makes nap time go more smoothly :)

Dan and I are very excited to have our house under contract and we are praying that all goes smoothly and that we will soon be able to put the money for those house payments and the utility bills into savings. We aren't making any money off the deal - but at least we won't have to keep paying for a house we aren't living in! Anna's big thing right now is wanting to do my hair - she loves to brush it and spray it with water and put clips in it. She tries to put hair bands in it, but she isn't able to make it work and she gets very frustrated with herself. As long as she sticks to brushing and clips we are both very happy (i love having my hair brushed!)

Evie has reached a new level in her mobility. She has started climbing everything she can find. She climbs Dan's and I's bed - she climbs onto rocking chairs (small ones) she climbs onto anything that she can manage and then sits there and looks at us proudly. She is such a character! She loves to make noises with her mouth and loves to put things on her head and loves to play patty-cake. She loves to snuggle and she loves her blankie. She is starting to want to follow her brothers and sisters around.

Well that's life around the Jones house - insane but fun! Next week the real insanity begins - starting next Thursday and going for about 2 and a half weeks - we will have house guests, and Dan will be gone for some of it on business trips, and Eileen has a week off school in there. Oh yeah and a holiday... Life will be fun but CRAZY!!! We can't wait to see family though!

Conference and Canning

I'm going for the whole alliteration idea.... anyway - we have had a great weekend! My dad came out on Wednesday - he had a business meeting in Colorado Springs, and spent a few days with us around the meeting. The kids had a blast with Grandpa (and I don't think we scared him too badly...) He watched the kids for us on Friday night so Dan and I could go to the temple and then for dinner. Going to the temple right before conference was just amazing and he and I were both very glad to have gone having come out feeling at peace with some big decisions we've had to make lately. This week we also got some Bartlett pears and have been canning them... YUMMY!!! We went to my aunt and uncle's house this morning and had a great time enjoying breakfast with them and playing. They also had some stuff they were getting rid of that we got to pick through - and the kids loved coming home with a couple new toys. Conference was amazing. LOL - I don't do New Years Resolutions really - I find that most of my resolutions are made around this time of year (or April) when I hear the words of the apostles and resolve on things I can do better. So my goals after this conference? Be more thankful - I think I'm pretty good at being thankful to my husband - but I really want to make an effort to tell my kids that I appreciate them more. Be more consistent with personal scripture study - Family and couple study is regular - but I need to make time for personal study more consistently.
(if you are wondering what happened to Aaron's face and arms - he colored all over himself with markers.... and didn't want his picture taken)