Birthday, Birthday, Pumpkin

Treyson's birthday is TODAY! I won't dwell on how my baby is 5! (who woke daddy up this morning with : "Dad, today is my birfday. Sing to me, dad!"). If I dwell on how old my kids turned this month, I'll turn into a babbling ball of mush. I'll wax poetic about my youth leaving quickly with the onslaught of older children (when the BABY is 5, that is bad!).

So, on with the happy. Trey's party was last Wednesday and we went to Vineyard Pumpkin Land. It was awesome! It's all centered on little kids: corn maze, "light alley" (with halloween, thanksgiving & Christmas lights on display), huge pumpkins (see picture), animals (goats, rabbits & fowl), and blow up toys: slides, jumping pit. It was so much fun and so easy to do. We finished with cupcakes and presents back at the house. Treyson had the most fun! He had a great day today and told everyone he saw that today was his birthday. My 3rd grade class sang to him and he loved it.

Alyssa turned 9 on Saturday. She had a late night Friday night with a few of her closest friends! They had a scavenger hunt, watched a movie, ate pizza & cake, played night games & sardines, then presents and home. It was tons of fun. Alyssa is such a fun girl and she has super sweet friends. They made a "dress" for her out of the gift wrapping crepe paper. She layed on the floor, so it wouldn't fall off. Some of the girls are in my school class & so it was probably kind of weird for them at first. But, after all, it was their buddy "lyssa" and they are such a fun close group of girls that we just had a great time! On Saturday, the kids & I went to see High School Musical 3 with Robyn and her nieces and nephew. We had a great time! We love HSM3.
Kylie got to attend a BYU women soccer game with the ward YW/YM (again we're getting close to the blubbering with a daughter old enough to go to YW). She had a great time!

Now to the pumpkins. Anyone who knows TJay, is aware of his artistic ability. Add pumpkins to that ability and you get a "serious" night of jack-o-lantern creating! This year we invited Dave (party pooper) and Robyn to join us for dinner and carving (I did tell Robyn to bring knives, incase we weren't so good at sharing - each of our kids has their own. I told you we were serious!) Dave ended up being a great helper as he was the picture taker and the knife-weilder for Trey. (It saved me from having to interrupt my pumpkin carving time). We had so much fun and have 5 awesome pumpkins to prove it. We love OCTOBER! It's so exciting at our house.

Happy & Sad

I wanted to get online and blog about my awesome birthday yesterday! I had the greatest day. Jewelry from my wonderful family. A 3 hour post-church nap. A little "dancing with the stars" on the DVR (I'm so behind). Thoughtful gifts from friends & neighbors. Dinner and cake at a friend's house with a suprise visit from one of my students and his family. The kids played and had fun. The dads talked. The moms visited. It was a great evening! I loved it!

This morning I was informed that a good friend is in the hospital in ICU after giving birth to her 6th child. It just happened yesterday and no one knows what will happen or when. My heart is breaking for her sweet family. She is the kindest, most thoughtful person I know. She has taught me so much just by being my friend and a great example to me. I will carry a prayer in my heart for her and her family until she can be well again and return home. I love you, EM!

Hello blog world

Okay, I admit that I'm technologically challenged - that is why I married a techno genius. But, apparently, EVERYONE is online blogging now, and I've had fun reading blogs, so I'll give it a try. I guess it'll sort of be an online diary without all the nitty gritty stuff (if you're lucky, I'll add the nitty gritty. I guess if I figure out nitty-gritty).
So, we are in the midst of "birthday season". Birthday season begins August 16th with TJay's birthday (39 this year, still very YOUNG at heart).
Then we continue to September 26 with Kylie. She turned 12 this year and so it was a HUGE celebration! There was best friends at a sleep-over, Color Me Mine (very fun), glitter nails (thanks, Kath), pizza, ice cream, pop and candy (to help us stay awake), chocolate pancakes ( a sleep-over staple so all the friends wish they were Belts and could have brownies and frosting for breakfast too), bracelet making and then running all over the place to deliver friends to their various homes, soccer games, etc.
Continuing on with birthdays, mine is in a week (October 12 - gifts are welcome). Keri (my cousin) and I have birthdays 2 days apart and decided we would be 22 this year. We pretty much decide on our new age around the time our birthday approaches. We were 29 for quite a few years. That's an enjoyable age.
Then, Alyssa is October 25, and she will turn 9 this year. She wants a skating party, but we'll have to see how ambitious I'm feeling. :) Trey finishes us up on October 29 (because I teased Keri about her daughter being a "spooky baby" because she was born on the 28th, it's my comupance). Treyson may be having an early birthday party this year, because that last week in October is packed! Then birthday season is over for the next 10 months.
I'm going to post this and decorate my page and find other blogs. Look at me go . . .