Christmas Cards

It's that time of year again. Time to break out the trusty address book and start addressing all those merry messages of Christmas cheer. I don't know about you, but I like my Christmas cards to be nice and simple, so I can spend more time with my family. I've done hand made cards in the past, and while I love the creative outlet and how fun they can be, I need to make them months ahead of time rather than in December. And let's be honest, I just don't plan that far ahead. Maybe some year, but not this year.

In my opinion, the best cards to get are photo greeting cards. I love seeing how families have grown as they've added new babies, and how children have grown as the years go by. Now, don't get me wrong - all other cards are nice, and I am grateful to be counted among those on the "Christmas Card List" from each and every friend and family member who sends our family a card. So, please don't take me off your list if your card does not include a photo.

This year I have been checking out the beautiful card designs on Shutterfly.com. It really is hard to pick my favorite!

I also love Shutterfly's photo books. We treasure our photo book that has our amazing Disneyland memories. We also had such a fun summer last year, that I made a photo book of all our adventures, and then ordered copies for Grandmas and Grandpas and even Great-Grandmas for Christmas!

MORE Halloween Festivities

Our FOURTH day of Halloween festivities was on Saturday the 30th. We decided to go to a nearby straw maze after Shawn and Jeff got back from hunting. So we got everyone ready to go, drove the long way there (following the directions on the flier, but actually there was a much quicker way) only to find that we were there an hour and 15 minutes before it opened. No worries, Big Jud's to the rescue! It was just down the road and we were planning on making a stop there sometime anyway, so we just made it a lunch stop :) Shawn, Felicity and I split the famous Big Jud burger - one full pound of hamburger on a plate-sized bun. The fries at Big Jud's are delicious also - you know, the fresh cut Idaho potato kind.

After eating we went back down the road to the straw maze and had a great time. It was big enough to take some time, but not so big you got lost forever. We could go through as many times as we wanted, so a few of us went through a couple of times. It was a gorgeous day - overcast, but not too cold or windy.

The girls - ready to take on the maze.

Shawn is attacked by the Straw Monster.Lydia in a creepy tunnel.

King and Princesses of the Straw Mountain.

Our a-MAZE-ing family!Lissy and Ben make it out!

That night was our neighborhood trunk-or-treat. The kids got dressed up in their costumes again, we decorated our trunk, and drove over to the park where it is held. I have never gone with the kids before (Shawn has taken them), and I was amazed at the number of little and big kids running around! I definitely did NOT bring enough candy. We will need to bring 2-3 giant bags next year! It was fun to see all our friends and their costumes and everything was pretty smooth considering the number of people there. They gave out prizes to the top 3 favorite costumes and Lydia was so excited to win one of the prizes! It was a Jack-o-lantern treat bucket filled with a cool twisty-straw cup and other treats and trinkets. After the trunk-or-treat we drove around the "older" part of our ward to trick-or-treat to some other important people like the Bishop and the kids' primary teachers. It was fun to go all together as a family this year and the girls were happy with their haul. I didn't get any pictures of their candy though! They must be getting too old (or I am).

Girls and our "trunk" at the Trunk-or-Treat.

Basically, by the time the 31st rolled around I was glad to have Halloween over with! I think I even took down all my decorations that night so we could have a fresh start on November 1st! (Except my pumpkin lights - Shawn did get those down later though...)

Felicity's Party

During a conversation on why we don't "do sleepovers," Felicity decided that she wanted to have a Halloween Party. I told her she had to plan it and get everything approved. This was a week or so before Halloween. Well, Friday, she finally decided to get to it. She picked a Harry Potter theme, decided on some games and made a list of friends to call. Her 4 BFF's came over (even with short notice) that night for a few hours and played games and ate junk food. They played Don't Eat Harry (which Felicity made herself - email me if you'd like a copy) and Harry Potter Clue. Actually, I think they just talked and giggled more than anything else. Felicity had also planned on watching a Harry Potter movie, but they ran out of time and one of her friend's had a broken ankle and is on crutches and couldn't go downstairs anyway.

Halloween Festivities

Thursday was our second day of Halloween celebrations (the first was our ward party on Tuesday night). This is the only day I got pictures of the girls in their costumes this year. Thursday afternoon I went and helped with Lydia's class party. One mom was a fortune teller, one mom brought a "donut on a string" game and one dad ended up leaving town for a funeral, but sent cookies and decorating supplies. I brought a "Don't Eat Frank" game and a craft where they could make ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, and Frankensteins out of lollipops and tissue paper.Lydia plays "Don't Eat Frank" with some classmates.Lydia pretends to lick her Jack-o-Lollipop at school.

That night was the school Fall Carnival, where costumes were optional, so we wore ours. As soon as we got there I helped pass out the pre-ordered tickets, so I sent the girls off to eat on their own. When they were done, they came and got some game tickets. When Shawn got there, I went and ate with him and then we walked around to find the girls, check the silent auction items, and to see what all the games were. Have I mentioned how nice it is to have big kids that can go off and do things with each other and their friends? I really enjoy watching them be independent and sociable.

Here are the girls ready to go to the carnival.

Lydia - the Zombie Bride - rises from the dead. This costume won her an award (top three out of hundreds) at our neighborhood trunk-or-treat Saturday night. She was so thrilled!

Evelyn, our little "Spider Geisha" or Japanese girl, as we call it. (Authentic chopsticks from Taiwan in her bun - thanks Melissa!)

Lissy - the 50's girl. She came home and told me she wanted to be an "80's waitress." I was perplexed and didn't realize that an 80's waitress had a distinctive look. She said, "You know, with roller skates and a poodle skirt." (Edited: Lissy is apparently decade-challenged. She was clearly thinking of a 50's waitress.) Thanks Mom for the poodle skirt! Isn't she cute?

And here I am. As dressed up as I have been in years. My skeleton shirt and skeleton earrings are just the beginning. The hours I spent at the tattoo parlor
are really what make this costume shine.

That's right, I'm a crazy rocker. As crazy as I get, anyway.

Pinewood Derby

(the Boo is a Halloween decoration and is not intended to be our opinion of Dad's car)

The Pinewood Derby. Something we won't really have to worry about - what with having 3 girls and all. However, this month, Shawn had the opportunity to brush off his pocket-knife and whittle himself a Pinewood Derby car. After the initial whittling of the car, he sat down, showed us what he had done, and the suggestions just started coming.
"You should make it pink!"
"You should make it purple and pink!"
"You should put flowers on it!"
"Don't forget some bling"
So, being the awesome dad that he is, he made a car that is a tribute to his daughters. And his wife too, I guess, since we raided the scrapbooking and craft supplies. It is pink, with a lime green stripe down the top. It is called "chicaclan" - our family's "team" name. The number 5 stands for the number of people in our family. It has "bling" for headlights and some other embellishments for "tail lights." The hot glue gun was employed for attaching the bling and flowers.After making his car we all had the opportunity to go cheer him on at our ward's Elder's Quorum Pinewood Derby and Potluck. Let's just say that Shawn's car did not win any races, but he once again won our hearts by being such a sweet, fun, entertaining guy. Oh, and he did win the "Sweetest Ride" award. Wahoo!

Lydia's New Glasses

Lydia needed new glasses - BADLY, and the new insurance had just kicked in, so she was first on the list of appointments. She is rather tough on glasses (imagine that!), so we looked for some frames that appeared to be indestructible. They are a bright pink on the inside, and have bling and peace signs on the sides. The peace signs are what sold her. I think she looks so smart and adorable! She thought she looked like a teacher, especially in this outfit.

Random Pics

I love the view out my kitchen window! Not necessarily the shed and houses, but the leaves just beginning to turn and the mountains (or foothills) in the background.
This is how I often find the girls when it has gotten quiet enough for me to wonder what they're up to. Felicity has been teaching the girls to crochet and I was hoping to catch them all in the act. (We even took a trip to the craft store to let them each pick out their own skein of yarn.) Instead of crocheting, they were just vegging. Actually, Lydia does have her yarn. It is a deliciously soft, gorgeous teal yarn.

Day Trip: Part Two - Charcoal Kilns

We almost didn't get to see these or learn a little Idaho history, because I told the "boys" that we had to be back in time for the General Relief Society Broadcast and dinner our stake was doing. But then, I decided that some more good old-fashioned family time outdoors, while the weather was so nice, would be just as lovely.My memory is not so good, but I'll try to explain what these are, because I thought they were pretty cool. I'd never heard of anything like this before and honestly hadn't ever even wondered how charcoal was made. These beehive-shaped kilns were at the base of some low mountains. Only a few remained, but there used to be a dozen or more. Back in the day, they would bring the timber down to these kilns and load them up to the top. Then they would seal upt he kilns and burn the wood to make charcoal. The charcoal was then transported across the valley to the mines to be used in smelting.

The top opening. You can just see the top of the doorway in the background.A view from a doorway up to the top opening. They were renovating this one, hence the ladder.

The gang standing next to them. You can see how big they are!

The remaining kilns.

Day Trip: Fishing at Birch Creek and Petroglyphs

Goodness, it has been so long since I posted, I don't even know where to start. I'll start with pictures - that's always fun! Towards the end of September we went on a little day trip with Jeff one Saturday so he could show us one of his favorite fishing spots. It was just past Mud Lake on Birch Creek. We picked up some snacks and bait in Mud Lake and the girls got to try their hand at splitting a worm and baiting a hook. Felicity was fearless, but Lydia was a little more squeamish. (No pictures since I was helping to tear the worms in half - ick!)Evelyn didn't try it. She was more interested in the fruit snacks.

Yes, there were lots of cows. We drove through a herd with their cowboys on our way up.

Felicity and Lydia aiming for the ripples.
Daddy giving Evelyn a fishing lesson.

After we fished for awhile, we took a little drive out in the hills to see some AWESOME petroglyphs. Here's Lydia and her Vanna White impression.

Lydia and Evelyn had a blast climbing into every nook, cranny and "look out" they could find.

Felicity preferred to hang out with the guys.

I did manage to get a picture of the three girls together!

When we climbed up on top of the rock formation, we were treated to this lovely view.

Lydia and Evelyn enjoy the view from their "box seats."
To be continued.....