This is a semi-side note but I am super excited for the holidays.
Reason #1: Most importantly I get to go home to Alaska and spend Christmas with my family. I love, love, love my crazy, zany, wacky, goofy, wonderful, kind, amazing, fun-loving family! I'm not sure why but in the past month or two I have been missing them like crazy! I've been so homesick for Alaska and I was just there a few months ago in June. In any case, I'm soooo glad that I get to go home!
Reason #4: I just LOVE this time of year! I love the music, the decorations, the mood, the excitement, the hot chocolate, the gift buying, the laughter, the smiles... the list just goes on and on! Really though, what's not to like about this holiday season?!?
To get back to this post though, here is what we did for Halloween and the beginning of November:
This is a picture of the cake I brought to our ward Halloween party. I decided to make a pumpkin cake. It didn't take too long and it looked awesome!
Another view of the pumpkin cake...
Jessica is wearing her rocker outfit for the Trunk-Or-Treat. We found this $2 kid guitar at Deseret Industries. When I put new batteries in the guitar, it still worked! Score!
Jessica was not a happy camper by the end of the night. She was sooooo tired!Carving Pumpkins
Jessica was so excited to help us carve pumpkins! I love it when we do something totally new to her. She gets soooo excited!!!
We were given these special pumpkin carving packets that let you carve intricate designs on your pumpkin. I was very excited to build a tradition with Jess and to carve my intricate design.
How cute is this little girl?!? I just can't get over it!
Jessica was enthralled with our pumpkins. She kept trying to poke her face down into the pumpkin while we were scooping out the seeds because she wanted to see what was going on. It made the scooping process just a wee bit slow...
Jessica even took a turn at scooping out seeds. Now if we could just manage to teach her where the seeds actually are, she might have some luck!!!
Daddy was a GREAT pumpkin seed scooper!
Jessica wasn't sure if that piece should be thrown away.
Woo-hoo! Pumpkin carving masters!
We decided to go as a punk rock family band. Obviously Daddy and I are a teensy bit more excited about our costumes than Jessica was... When she does not want her picture taken, watch out! 2 words: Temper Tantrum!!!
After a tootsie roll (and opening the front door) she calmed down and was loving the costume idea. Here is Mommy rocker and Toddler rocker posing for their photo opp.
The Punk Rock Family Band (PRFB) in the middle of our set... (We bought her guitar at D.I. for $2.00 as a prop to her costume. I decided, on a whim, to replace the AA batteries for kicks. It worked! The guitar totally works! Score!
We're on our way to our neighbors house for trick or treating... We had practiced for several days the knocking on doors part and saying "Trick or Treat!" Jessica would love to knock on her Aunt Angie's door and (immediately) say "ick-o-eee!" Then the door would open and she would hide her face.
She certainly wasn't shy when it came to receiving her candy though...
Here she is enjoying her candy!
Halloween Decorations
This is my pumpkin! It took FOREVER to carve but it looks awesome!!! Next year I'm going to attempt a new look with shadow patterns. The idea is, you carve something on the front (like a witch over her cauldron) and then something on the back which casts a shadow on the wall behind the pumpkin (like the "spirits" rising up from the cauldron.) Just wait until next year folks, next year...
I don't know if this picture does it justice but here is the front of our house with our Halloween decorations. I can't wait to own our own home so I can really begin to decorate our house the way I want to! I absolutely LOVE Halloween decorations! (Not the gory kind though...)
Around the House
No, Picasso has not visited our house. But, perhaps Jessica has a future in art? I figured I had better take a picture of her first "art" rendition just in case. Medium: Crayons. Canvas: our bathroom mirror and walls. Lovely. She was so PROUD of her artwork when I came in. I really had to run for the camera.
She got stuck underneath one of our chairs. Little goober!
Jer hangs his ties up in his closet and they are the perfect height for Jessica to get at. She loves wearing his ties. She loves wearing them all at once!
One thing I simultaneously love and despair is that Jessica tries to copy everything I do. She loves my keys because she she's me using them. Smarty pants that she is, she knows what keys are used for and is constantly sticking my keys into the bathroom door knob. It turns out that one of my keys fits perfectly into that door knob.
Super cool chic!
Reading Rainbow
Jessica loves loves loves to read. She also is able to get onto her rocking chair in her room. On this particular day, I happened to sneak into her room with my camera. Not only was she reading on her rocking chair, but she had pulled one of her blankets onto her lap so she could be comfortable while she read.
When she read she reads out loud to herself. It's pretty cute. She laughs when she "reads" something funny, turns her own pages, etc...
More and more reading
Ooohhhh! This is the good part of the story!
More Pictures Around the House
Jessica wanted to play in her crib and I decided to join her! :)
I'm not sure what is in her hand and neither is she...
Look at that adorable face! I would never have believed it but it is possible to love her more and more each day!
She's either very tired or in the middle of winking in this picture. I love my baby girl!
She's throwing a temper tantrum here... I'm trying to be sympathetic. Honest!
There's the sad face! (faker... lol!)
See what I mean? Just moments later she is laughing and smiling!
I have no idea why I included this picture...
Working Out
Jer and I are trying to work out every day. We either go running in the morning (during the winter time = brrrr!) or we do an ab workout video. Jessica gets really excited and tries to do it with us. It's so funny!
The climbing on my stomach makes this workout less effective.
Twin-ers!
I never used to understand why my mother would dress my sisters and I alike. I can now say that I understand a little more because I have this subconsious desire to dress Jessica and I alike! Who knows why? I decided to put our hair up the same so we could be twins. :)
Wedding Cake(s)
Jessica really loves to help me bake. I made a practice cake for Jer's grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. Jessica liked watching me "sponge" the frosting on the outside of the cake.
Here is the finished practice cake. I did my real cake today and it looked awesome! I'll post more pictures later with those pictures.
Gettin' Jiggy Wid It
There's my lil' gangsta' daughter! Hello Will Smith "na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na..."
She kept leaning her head back, trying to see me take the picture of her. Again - so cute!
HPDHP1C Party!
(Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1 Countdown Party)
In honor of dressing up and going to see the Deathly Hallows part 1 movie, we decided to watch a different Harry Potter movie each night accompanied with a different Harry Potter activity. Here is the proposed schedule of events:(1) Jelly Bean Guessing Contest with HP Sorceror's Stone
(2) Quidditch Match with HP Chamber of Secrets
(3) Sculpt Your Patronus with HP Prisoner of Azkaban
(4) Paint Your Patronus with HP Goblet of Fire
(5) O.W.L.S. with HP Order of the Phoenix
(6) Brew Your Potion with HP Half-Blood Prince
(7) HP Dress Up with HP Deathly Hallows Part 1
So far we have really only done the first activity, but we're still watching all the movies. Here are pictures from our first activity!!!
My cousins, Spencer and Colton, came over - in front is the "goblet" containing Bertie Bott's Every Flavor jelly beans (actually, they are filled with Muggle jelly beans...)
Angie and Jer diligently at work guessing their flavors...
And the grand prize winner: (drum roll please).... Colton! He and Angie actually tied and they had to have a taste-off. I picked 3 of the same jelly beans for each of them and they had to guess what flavor. Colton's face reminds me of the commercials "Crazy for Cocoa Puffs!" only it would be "Crazy for Jelly Beans!" hahaha
Hopefully you (meaning Aunt Tirzah & Brittany) have enjoyed the update! hee hee - you are both awesome and I can't wait to see you at Christmas. Tirzah, hang in there! Brittany, can't wait for the unbirthday party for the girls! Love you both!
1 comment:
I LOVE IT!!
Thanks for the little vacation from hospital mind as I escaped into your blog! I loved it all!
Love you. Can't wait to see you either!
Post a Comment