All Hallow's Eve

Halloween on a Saturday - what a treat! We always have a trick-or-treat supper with whichever cousins can join us. It is usually pretty rush-rush as everyone is zooming home from work, shoving their kids in costumes and driving over to our house to get food in their bellies with time to spare for some decent trick-or-treating before it gets too late for little ones. The beauty of Halloween on a Saturday is that we were able to start our festivities in the late afternoon, leaving plenty of time for everything Halloween should be.

I tried to plan some games, but the cousins just enjoyed being with each other so much that it was completely pointless. We had roast beef sandwiches and our traditional Halloween squash soup with my killer cinnamon croutons (that, for me, are the whole reason for the party). My niece even made a pinata that all the kids took a whack at post trick-or-treating. I think everyone had fun.

I am happy with how all of my kids' costumes turned out. Erik was Obewankenobe (or however you spell it), sans long pony-tail braid in the back (I could not figure out a way to attach one without him looking like an Indian from Peter Pan). Djeryd was, of course, Harry Potter. And Annabelle was a beautiful sparkle fairy. Unfortunately, as seems to be my lot in life, I did not take any great pictures of them in their get-ups. Grrrr. I think I was too busy worrying about food and taking pictures of everyone else, that I sort of missed my kids. Oh, well, there's always next year. I wonder what my kids will choose to be . . . I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.

Catching Up

We rearranged the office last week and I lost my camera cable for downloading pictures (granted, it was only lost to me; Sean knew exactly where it was and got me all hooked up again). So now I'm good to go and feel a strange compulsion to actually take pictures again, and then actually post them. Amazing! I have been blogging out of an obligation to record my family's day-to-day history for the past few months, not because I actually wanted to do it. It is nice to be getting back to myself.

And now, back to my post. On Monday we carved pumpkins. Strangely enough I did not remember to take a picture of everyone with their pumpkins when it was all done. Items of note were Erik's extreme disgust of pumpkin guts (shown above). I find this noteworthy because, being a little boy, Erik is fascinated by all things disgusting and dirty and gross - so why not pumpkin guts? This is baffling to me. Another item is Djeryd carved his very own pumpkin all by himself this year. "Big deal," some of you say, but it is a big deal because we don't have any of those fancy, safety pumpkin-carving kits around here. It's kitchen knives, or bust. I was terrified. Sean was pleased.

I also made my very first homemade cheesecake ever. It was so good! I've been making small batches of different sauces so we get a different flavor each time we sit down to a slice - strawberries, chocolate, and lemon-blueberry - delicious! It turned out really good, if I do say so myself. I only had one hang-up while making it. It is an English (meaning written in England) recipe and some of the ingredients (graham crackers - referred to as "digestive biscuits" (that term does not sound appetizing to me in any way)) were listed in ounces. Let's just say there was a minor miscalculation and an emergency trip to the store became necessary. It was all completely worth it, though. YUM!

Last, but not least, in the catching up category, I finished Djeryd's Halloween costume. The boy is set. I LOVE that gold satin. There is some beautiful (if I do say so myself) embroidery on the back. I don't want to give it all away just yet. I will be posting more pictures on Halloween with all the kids in full regalia. I wound up with a small hem problem that I have no intention of fixing, but that is my only complaint. I am extremely proud of this costume. I can't wait to show you more pictures in a few days.

Drum Roll Please . . .

We will be having more of these - ribbons and braids and dresses.
This morning we got a beautiful look at Alyxandria Brynn.
She will be arriving with the daffodils!

Soccer

There was a song on an old Pizza Hut commercial when I was a kid about a little boy who played right field on the baseball team. It talked about how you needed to know lots of skills like catching and throwing, but really when it came down to it the little boy just picked dandelions in right field waiting for the inning to be over. That song kept running through my head as we watched Erik play soccer on Saturday. I have about 15 more pictures just like the one above taken throughout a one hour game. I am certain that he will eventually get the hang of it.

In fact, the last ten minutes or so he actually started playing soccer, and he did a really good job. Erik can be quite aggressive and rambunctious in his day-to-day life. Sean and I are very confused as to why it has not carried over into his soccer career. On a higher note Erik is a good defender and he is really strong throwing the ball in-bounds. When he's engaged in the game it is really fun to watch.

We have loved soccer practice. He has been in practice since August so we had many warm summer days to drag out a blanket and relax on the grass while Erik ran drills and scrimmaged. Now the weather is unpredictable and not quite so fun to sit out in. So far we have been pretty lucky, though. I love seeing how content he is after practice or a game - he loves to run and kick. All boy.

Tidbits

I love fall. It's time to plant bulbs and enjoy apple cider and crisp, cool days with unbelievable blue skies. I get to break out my beloved jackets and sweaters (some of which I still fit in - at least for another month or so). I am really enjoying the kids being in school, although I was very worried it would make me cry everyday (not a tear!). It is a season full of change and promise and curiously fresh even as it is a season preparing for death. Fall does not make me miss spring or summer. I love fall in its own right, independent of other seasons. It is glorious in its uniqueness.

Halloween is just around the corner, and I have been spending every well-feeling moment concentrating on costumes. Djeryd's and Anna's are being constructed from scratch, essentially. Erik just needed a brown cape - no problem. Djeryd found me yesterday feverishly working on his quidditch uniform and asked if his costume was the most complicated. I said yes. His sly little smirk expressed his self-satisfaction over that one.

I LOVE making the kids' costumes every year. It is so fun and rewarding for me to figure things out and just to create. But I am always taken aback by the amount of money I spend creating a home-made costume. I could have purchased Djeryd's complete quidditch costume for half of what it is costing me to make it. But I must admit, the one I am making is gorgeous. Satin-lined quidditch robes are not available at costumes.com.

My last tidbit for today is my sweet baby girl who has recently decided to play with the dolls that have sat in the nether corners of her bedrooms for the past 10 months. Now I often hear the words "Look, Mommy. I'm a good momma." Today she was rocking her baby on the couch because she told me it got a black eye and needed a cuddle. Then she patiently changed her baby's "very stinky" diaper, which she said "made a mess all over the table" (yum). We had one brief discussion about appropriate baby beverages as she was caught trying to pilfer a juice box from the garage to "feed the baby". (Anna is notorious for opening a juice box - which is strictly forbidden as they are for school lunches ONLY - and drinking two swallows then leaving the juice to ferment on the counter untouched for days on end.)

Onward and Upward

General Conference was so inspiring. I love to hear and see all of our wonderful church leaders teach us. Love seemed to be a major theme of Conference and the importance of safe-guarding our personal righteousness. I wanted somebody to talk about food storage because Sean and I are actually doing and okay job with that one and I wanted to give myself a little pat on the back. But alas, I was reminded over and over again how much work I have to do on myself and with my family. It is wonderful to know that Heavenly Father and my Savior are right beside me, helping me along.

The other great thing about this weekend was I got to see my newest little nephew - just one small week old (or is it two? oh, my goodness, did it really go that fast?). Yea for new babies! I feel so lucky to be one of those individuals to which family is a great blessing and strength.

So here's to moving forward and doing great things - great things with our new home, and great things with our family, great things bettering ourselves so that we can better bless others, and great things serving the wide world around us. We are looking ahead to all of the good that can and should be done - good that we want to be part of. (I know that last sentence ended on a dangling participle, but I don't know how else to say it and make it sound normal.) ;>

I Take It Back

I take it back. The morning sickness does not seem to have departed completely. I'm still smiling, though.

A Return to Domestic Bliss

No pictures today; just happy, sweet feelings. It has been literally months since I have actually enjoyed cleaning my house, or thrown my creativity into making a meal. Morning Sickness seems to have officially departed (although I admittedly slept for two hours in the middle of the morning today). The curse seems to have finally lifted. I am delighting in washing windows, dusting and vacuuming. I'm back to adapting recipes to make them even more scrumptious than the original. I am enjoying making after-school snacks for my little ones. And Anna and I are getting out for a daily errand (just to get out of the house and into some fresh air). Life is good. Life is wonderful. And I can't stop smiling. Yippee for the second trimester!

Sunriver

Super Karstie
golf
canoeing
laptops
swimming
staying up late
cousins

mii's for everybodii
stuffed french toast
lots of food
cookies
bike rides
adventures
wakeboarding high scores

giggling
light saber
friends
fun
jumping out of bed (or whatever it was they were doing up there)
John Williams song
Apples to Apples

crafting
playing
laughing
Douhii's killer CGI likeness
testimony
more golf
family prayer

President Obama

I just wanted to throw in my two cents since I sent off an email last week to some of you about Pres. Obama's "First Day of School" speech. It was posted online today for any and all to read. I read all the way through it and I was rather impressed. I thought it is inspiring and right on. I am grateful they took out the curriculum with the essay question about "What can you do to support the president?". And I am grateful the speech is not politically charged as it is being given to children, not adults, and that would be inappropriate. But really, as far as the actual speech goes, I think it is just the kind of thing a president should say to the students of this country.

I know some of you think I am politically naive, but I believe freedom of speech extends to everyone, including the president. If there are little pieces in the speech that are distasteful to some, that is fine - you have every right to find it distasteful, but he has every right to say what he believes in his heart is the right thing to say. I don't want to get into a big debate about Obama's economic or health care policies, or his even his internal policies; I just want to say that the man is entitled to voice his opinion - just like you and me. Most of the people who voted for the man are pleased with the things he is doing, most of the people who voted for someone else think the guy is a moron. The country was in the same boat last year, but the roles were reversed. So, go ahead and write your congressman and stand up for what you think is right - fight for it! But please, don't hang the president for exercising those same rights.

(I think I am saying all of this now because I will not say a political word in Sunriver (it's a confrontation-thing), but I want you all to know where I stand.)

Before and After: the Entry

Remember this?

And don't you love this?

Ta-dah!

My front entry is finally finished! Yea!

(Sorry the pictures are so stragely oreiented - the area in which to take photograph is very narrow and long - kind of tricky for anything panoramic. I think I need a bigger house.) ;>

Double Super

Super fast, super cute. Challenging, yet simple. What more could you want? I hope my Activity Day girls like making them (and my little nieces - yea for Sunriver!).

My Happy Place

Over the past few weeks I have spent a great deal of time laying on my sofa or in my bed. For some reason, being vertical, at this interval in my life, is generally a bad idea. What on earth do I think about during all those long hours? Especially when I feel too crummy to read a book or play a game with my kids? Well, I go to my happy place. Disneyland. I try not to think about eating too much of an apple juice icy until it made me feel quite ill while waiting for Erik and Sean on the Dumbo ride. I try not to think about how watching the carousel in Fantasy Land, or parts of the Snow White ride made me feel a little nauseous. And I try not to think of the time I totally lost it with our entire entourage because I wanted to eat a real sandwich - not soggy peanut butter and jelly (I sincerely hope that was an incident that seemed much bigger in my head than it really turned out).

Yes, I try very hard not to think of those things. Instead I remember our adventures on Tom Sawyer's Island. I remember watching the big white River Boat paddling its way around New Orleans Square. I remember climbing Tarzan's Tree House (and all those stairs!), and feeling completely surrounded by jungle the entire time we were in Adventure Land. I remember seeing masses of people buying and eating pickles (can someone please explain this phenomena?). I remember the smell of churros - one thing I promised myself I would buy, and never quite got around to. I remember the kids driving their very own car for the first time in their lives. I remember the thrill of my boys when they realized they could go on a "grown-up" ride.

I remember how clean it was and how happy everyone seemed. I remember strolling through Downtown Disney at any hour from 9am-10pm and loving every second of it - the shops, the lights, the music, the magic (not to mention their yummy smoothies and muffins (which I believe I mentioned in a previous post)). I remember waiting in line in the beautiful plaza every morning to get inside the gates. I remember going on rides I remembered as a child, and how different they felt. I remember playing Astro Blasters over and over and over again whenever we had fifteen minutes, or a half-hour to spare - always comparing high scores as we exited the ride. I remember rafting down a white water river with my sister-in-law and niece and son.

I remember so many wonderful things. But my most favorite Disneyland memory of all is swimming in our gorgeous hotel pool while my little nieces paraded around in their princess costumes. It was completely magical. So now you've seen a glimpse of my happy place. If your last name starts with an "L", I think you should come along with us the next time we go. There is nothing sweeter than family and magic in the same place at the same time.

Beach Trip

On Saturday we trekked up to Tillamook for a day at the beach. It was in the nineties at home, but the Oregon Coast is no respecter of inland temperatures. It was a seventy-ish, and bit breezy. We forgot to take this into account and left without coats or sweaters, except in the case of my always prepared (sometimes overly-prepared husband). At least he was kind enough to share his only sweater with me. Ah, true love. ;>

I loved watching Anna experience the sea with Daddy by her side. It was very sweet to watch them to together and see that trust that she puts in him.

Sorry there are no real picutres of Djeryd. He spent the whole time with his arm buried in a sand castle trying to fashion a tunnel.

And what would a trip to the beach be without ice cream? Yum!

Swimming Lessons

Yesterday was the littles last day of swimming, and Erik did not disappoint. He did no less than TWO flips this year (last year it was one). His poor little back got all red from the resulting back-flops. The flips were in amongst several cannon balls which "make a huge splash!" He also got a few turns on the rope swing, "Indiana Jones style".

Anna braved the rope swing only once. I thought she did a great job, but she dropped into the water a split-second before the instructor expected her to, and hence, got a little more water over her head than she would have liked. It scared her out of her second try.

My little Erik improved so much over the past month. To give you an idea. This little guy (only five, mind you - well for a few more weeks) dove off the diving board into 10' deep water, swam to the edge of the pool, and got out, all by himself. He did that over and over and over for about 20 minutes. Yea, Erik!

And my lovely little Miss Annabelle. So many of you have asked how the swimming lessons were going after that first blog last month. I am happy to report that she improved greatly with every trip to the pool. Not only did she warm up to her instructor, she warmed up to the water, and swimming in general.

It was so fun to watch my little munchkins learning and interacting with the outside world in such a positive way. I had Djeryd by my side on the bleachers each lesson. It was really nice to have a companion (although we will have to forego that in the future as it is Djeryd who really needs the lessons - no more sitting on the sidelines for you, buddy). Great kids. Happy day.