Digital Photo Holiday Card

Tomorrow is Digital Scrapbooking Day. To celebrate, the digital designers at Two Peas are all giving away a free download. Here’s mine. Add a picture of your own family, customize some text then have it printed onto a 5 x 7 photo card. Download it free today & tomorrow. Check out all the other free digital downloads while you’re there.

Goat Rides

Ella: Mom, I found a goat ride for you?
Me: How did you do that?
Ella: I spelled Goat Ride onto the internet, it was pretty hard to find, but I found one for you.
Me: Thanks! How do I get to it?
Ella: Maybe dad could drive you.

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Ella: Mom, can I borrow a Spooooky show from your mom? Can you call your mom and ask her?

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Ella: Mom when I jump on my bed, I can boing, and it's so boing-o-riffic.

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Ella: Mom, I found your phone, see? It's a good thing I have a good sniffer on my nose so I could find it.

More Parties

Ella is lucky enough to have been invited to two parties in a row. Yesterday she attended a “Fancy Ball” birthday party for a friend, and today was her preschool Halloween party.

I got to attended the preschool party with Ella. It was awesome! The kids got handmade Halloween bags with game tickets. They had to find which ticket matched each game. Ella had fun playing all the different games & winning prizes at each one to put in her cute new bag. Then they participated in a cake walk, and got to frost & decorate a cookie. They also broke open the pumpkin piñata they made earlier in the week. At the end they preformed a cute Halloween song that they had been practicing. I can’t imagine how much work went into this party. The games & decorations were great & there was a lot of delicious food to eat. Ella has the best Preschool teacher ever!

Some of the girls having fun making bracelets.

Overheard conversation

Ella (to Lily): Look how big my tummy is Lily. I have a baby growing in it. Remember when you were in mom’s tummy, then you went to the doctor and came out? That is what’s happening to me.

This is the 4th time I’ve had to explain to Ella that there are no babies in her tummy.

Early Trick-or-Treating

Tyler's parents live in a gated neighborhood where everyone is close to retirement. Needless to say, they don't have any trick-or-treaters on Halloween since the gate is usually closed, and very few children live in that neighborhood. Last Saturday they all invited their grandchildren to come over for some early trick-or-treats, games, & activities. They went all out for everything.
The kids had a great time!


Lily was sad. She didn't like her costume. Everyone thought she was a boy. We'll just have to put a pink bow on her costume before Friday.

Chandelier in a Box

A friend I used to work with just released these new products in her Etsy Shop. I had to share because I think it's such a great Idea. Make your own Chandelier kits! This would be so fun to make as a girls night out project. I would love to make the bird one for Lily's room after we move. Or if you aren't into making things, you can order one pre-made. Super Cute! Nice job Patti! (And just for the record, she was working on this project long before Martha Stewart came out with her Halloween Chandeleir... Great minds think alike I guess.)

Halloween Book Club

Tyler and I met my mom & Emily at a pumpkin patch to take pictures of the girls in their costumes. Then we dropped Ella off at Grandmas for a special Halloween Sleepover Book Club. Ella LOVES book club. She loves to read, especially if the books have anything to do with Dinosaurs, Monsters, or spooky Halloween characters. I'm sure she's having a great time. Tyler and I took Lily out for some Asian food. She loved the spicy Kung Pao Chicken. I think she loved being an "only child" for the night too.

Mmm... Pumpkin Seeds

This morning we took a trip to the local pumpkin patch with Ella's preschool class. We found pumpkins that were different sizes small to big. And felt pumpkins that were smooth & bumpy. The kids did a corn maze, played on the tractors, and ate cute pumpkin sugar cookies that their teacher made for them. Ella's teacher invited her to stay & play with her kids after the event. Ella had a great time, especially since she got homemade waffles for lunch. (Her favorite!)
Ella: My teacher made me yummy waffles, and her didn't even burn them.
Thanks Tonya!

I couldn't resist cutting open the pumpkin we bought at the pumpkin patch this morning to make delicious roasted pumpkin seeds. I'm sure you are all just dying to try my recipe... Especially since I revealed in my last post what a horrible cook I am. But don't worry. This recipe is approved by Ella.
Here it is:
After washing seeds, boil them in salt water for 10 minutes. Drain water. In a mixing bowl, add some Worcestershire sauce, butter, salt, pepper, and a little red pepper. Let dry for a few hours. Cook in oven until golden brown.
So there's probably better recipes online somewhere that give exact measurements & cooking time and temperature. But who has time to look up recipes? Maybe that's why I'm no good in the kitchen.

Keep Trying

Me: Do you want a waffle for breakfast?
Ella: But try not to burn it. If you do, try to cook it again. You have to keep trying until you learn to do it right. Dad is a better cook than you, but maybe when your a little bit bigger you can get better. But mom, you're the best mom ever.

St. George

Cait & Ella

Ryan's funny little bike. We all had to try it out.

Cait made a new friend at the Dinosaur Museum.

Having fun.

Swimming in October.

Lily & Tyler

Grandma & the girls

Trisha

Party Planner

Ella has themes for her birthday parties planned out for the next 6 years.
She told me about a week ago all the themes she wanted, but I couldn't recall some of them or the specific order she insisted on, so I asked her again today what they were. Here they are in order:
5th Birthday: Dog Party
6th Birthday: Cat Party
7th Birthday: Dinosaur Party
8th Birthday: Sunflower Party
9th Birthday: Fence Party
10th Birthday: Apple Picking Party
She is most excited for her Dinosaur Party, but wants to wait until after she has the Dog & Cat parties because "it will be more fun that way." My cousin Courtney and I agree that the Fence Party sounds like a real good time.

Baby Shower

The cute mom to be.

The classy decorations & favors.

The delicious food & desserts.

Lots of fabulous gifts.

Grandma & Emily having a fun time.

Karli competing for most binkis.

Trisha wins.

Bookclub

Ella went to Fancy Nancy Bookclub this afternoon. She had a lot of fun.

Thanks Facebook!

If you don’t have a Facebook account yet [Tyler], you should get one! I've found so many "lost" friends & had them find me as well. I thought Angela was lost forever until she added me to her friends less than a week ago. Today we met in Lehi with our kids for a picnic, it was windy & little bit cold, but the kids had a great time, and it was fun to see her again.

You look bigger

Ella: Mom, Is it your birthday today?
Me: No
Ella: But you look bigger! Did you see how much bigger you are today?

E-Rex

Roarrrrrr!

Ella quotes & a glamor shot

I had to fade the edges of this photo to make it look more like a glamor shot. I took this picture last week, and it's been cracking me up ever since. Ella loves to pose for pictures.
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Ella: I wish the meaner bugs wouldn't tangle with out plants.
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Me: Wouldn't you rather be a Stegosaurus for Halloween? The costume would be easier to make.
Ella: Stegosaurus is just a clumsy plant eater.

Happy October!

Painting on Canvas with my family.

Picking the perfect pumpkin with Ella & Lily.

Our family's first Corn Maze.

Cute Cousins.