HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RUSSELL

We celebrated Russell's birthday for about 10 minutes. I guess that is how it goes when you get older and have 6 children. With his birthday being on the day we were trick or treating, there wasn't a whole lot of plans to celebrate. So after we got all of the kids ready for trick or treating. We got out his gifts and watched him open them. Earlier in the month we had bought a new tv for the basement. This was really his birthday gift. But you have to have something for the birthday day right?

So he had a few gifts from his family

And of course season 6 of The Office...

Overall I think he had a great day. We sure love him. He is a wonderful husband and awesome dad.

Costume Time

Here are all the kids before they went trick or treating. Breanna the pirate girl
Brinton as Mickey Mouse

Brock the Whoopie Cushion

Andrew as Woody

Logan as Buzz Lightyear

Hattie as a Water Fairy

Russell & Joy as Ken & Barbie from Toy Story 3

Carving Pumpkins

Each year we love to plant pumpkins in Grandma's garden.

There always ends up being more than we need.

Then on the Monday night before Halloween we spend the evening carving pumpkins.

We went for traditional looks this year.

I helped Logan clean out his pumpkin and carve it. Dad supervised everyone else as they cleaned out their pumpkins and made a plan.

Andrew spent his time ripping the newspaper and making a mess.

We took some of the seeds and washed them and cooked them. They were gone in under 5 minutes.

The girls had gone to a birthday party and got these gross teeth. Logan found them and this is the result...

Some serious consentration going on.

The final result. Pumpkins carved and ready for a candle and trick or treaters.

How to eat a Graham Cracker

by Andrew.

YUMMY!! I think it is hillarious when babies imitate what they see (in this case) what their family does. I think he is pretty good at dipping graham crackers for a 14 month old!

I just wanted another....

BATH!!

So one night when Russell was at scouts and everyone needed a bath and to read to me and dinner needed cleaned up and there were a million other things that needed to be done. I got Andrew out of the bathtub and asked one of the kids to pull the plug in the bathtub. Well I got Andrew in his jammies and went to do something, when I walked back to his room to put away his towel this is what I found..... Obviously, Andrew wanted another bath. So in he went pjs and all!!
I guess he thought he wasn't clean enough the first time.
Needless to say he was very upset with me when I took him out
and tried to get him dressed again.
Also, needless to say I was not very happy about doing the
whole routine over again.
I guess I should just be glad that it wasn't a poop mess to clean up :)

Football Season

This year Brock decided to play Grid Kid Football with some of his friends and his cousin. It was quite the experience. He had practice everyday in August for 2 - sometimes 2 1/2 hours A DAY!! Yes I said A DAY. It was crazy!! Then when games started they had practice 3 days a week with one game. We had games from Firth to Driggs. We had games in the sun and in the rain. Overall it was a good experience for first timers. I don't know how excited I am to try it again next year---we will have to wait and see what Brock says.

Family Photos

It is that time of year again--PICTURE TIME

I told myself that this year I would have the pictures taken when it was a little more green

{not that I don't like fall colors--I just wanted green in the background}

Next year it is going to be a hay field--but I have to be ready before they cut the hay!!

Our good friend Mary took our pictures--they turned out
AWESOME!!

I love how each picture of the kids shows off their personality...

Then for a group shot of the kids that didn't turn out the best

but hey we got one!!

{Russell was actually making them laugh by saying FOCUS-FOCUS}

THe Boys

The Girls

The DAD & MOM

A few family photos

Which one do you like best??

What an awesome family!!

I love these guys.

Even when I have to clean up poop and do mounds of laundry!!

My little walker

I love it when a baby starts to walk.

With Andrew being our last baby it is a little sad--but it has to happen.

I love that it they are so willing to keep trying when they fall down.

I love the excitement in their faces when they make it only a few steps.

I love their new found independence, they can now go places maybe they couldn't before.

I love that now they are tall enough to reach something they couldn't before.

I just love it.

Maybe we could learn a few lessons from a baby who is learning to walk huh?

My baby boy is growing up.