This is Halloween

Whitney found this crown in the closet so i put it on her. She thought it was pretty funny.

All the girls dressed up after the ward Chili cookoff and Trunk or Treat. Whitney wore the little dress cuz she hated the bumble bee outfit.

Last Monday we had a bunch of peple over to carve pumpkins

Our spooky trunk

Abby, and Whitney Knudsen, her friend, at the Elementary school carnival

All the costumes before the Halloween Carnival

Cute as a bug!

So Halloween became quite the big event his year. Monday we were planning on carving pumpkins. I decided to invite some new people who we have meant to have over. I also invited our next door neighbors (our only neighbors), and then at the end decided to invite our friends the Knudsens as well. They are all a lot of fun, and I figured it would work to just have all the mess at our house, most of them were planning on carving that day anyways. I spent most of the day baking and cleaning. I made pumpkin cake and monster cookies. It all turned out really well and oter people brought treats, so we were set. We had a small FHE lesson and then just dug in.

Tuesday I was invited to a food storage party, but scott got home late, so i missed it. There is another one at someone else's house next week. Wednesday i had book club, which i just joined with some of the ladies around. it was funny, my last book club in Eagle Mountain was all young moms. The topic quckly turned to labor and childbirth, nursing, all kinds of things like that. Here the topic began with arthritis, hips and back surgery. I was laughing on the inside, since i had just mentioned this to Scott before I left. But i like it. No one suggested we read Twilight, so this is a step up! Thursday we had a Relief Society activity which was pretty fun.

Then comes Friday, the school carnival. They do not wear costumes at school, which is actually nice. They do a costume parade and then little carnival games in eah classroom. The Cheerleaders also did a little dinner in the cafeteria. Scott worked until right before, so it was crazy getting everything and all the costumes put together, but we did it.We went and did all the activities, talked to some people, and then made our exit. It is so nice to be able to just walk over to these things.

Saturday morning Isabel went to Donovan Atwoods birthday. This is the ex-boyfriend she was going to marry last year. Then we spent a day waiting for the halloween party. Scott worked but got home just before again. It was a chili cookoff and I made my normal chili, nothing fancy. Of course I ran out of chili powder, so it wasn't as flavorful as i would have liked. PLus I cooked it a long time, maybe too long. Anyways, I won 2nd place and got a bag of crackers for a prize. That was nice. The 1st place was a chicken chili, so I'll have to get her recipe. We had chili and cornbread then brownies for dessert. There was a little costume parade as well. Then we went out to decorate for the trunk or treat. We gave out glow necklaces which were a big hit. Scott took the girls around and I stayed at the Suburban. A storm blew in right at the end, so everyone made a quick exit. Soon after, it quit so i took the three big girls around for a little trick or treating. They had fun. Abby was Britney Chhipmunk from Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel, Isabel was a heart butterfly, and Sara was Cinderella. Whiney was a bumblebee and then a little witch, she was just happy to people watch and get a bit of candy. She also liked carrying around her pumpkin. oh yeah, I got a purple wig and skeleton shirt at Wal-mart, since I was tired of being an Army person. I got more compliments last night with crazy purple hair than I have gotten in a long time. Maybe I should make a change...

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

Corn maze

Sara on top of the huge bale slide. She did not want to go, and she did not love it.

Petting a goat

All the girls in the Pumpkin Patch

Dad and Sara getting ready to enter the Corn Maze

Yesterday we decided to vist Grand Junction, Colorado. it is a small city about 2.5 hours from us. it is the closest mall\shopping pretty much. The guy who I knew from Ricks and BYU and Scott knew through friends, also lives there. He actually brought Scott over to my apartment on night and that is how we met the second time. Anyways, this guy, jackson actually ended up marrying a friend of Scott's cousins who grew up in another small town. Anyways...lots of connections, but we haven't seen them for years.

Whitney with her pumpkin. She thinks it tastes delicious.

So we went to the mall and I was able to get outfits for our upcoming family pictures. Shopping online was too difficult. We looked around, and then headed over to visit. They have kids almost the same age as ours, so lots of new toys to play with. They especially loved the pygmy hamsters they had. Isabel managed to let one loose while no one was looking. fun. we caught it. They were lightning fast.

After that we headed to the pumpkin patch. Thank goodness for the internet and google, I already knew about it, and where it was. We had a good time playing in the corn maze. They had a small kids' maze and now Isabel wants one in the back yard.

We ate at a restaurant called "Boston's Pizza" which looked oddly like another restaurant from Canada. If only they would get some Tim Horton's out west, I would be happy.To top off the trip we were able to head to PetsMart and get Flipper #2, or Ariel, as sara calls him. He's a girl, according to her. So we'll see how long this little betta lasts. isabel hugs the tank. she needs something to cuddle but Dad still vetoes. We'll see in the spring.

Walking Whitney and new trees

Three trees in the back, Autumn Blaze Maple, Autumn Purple Ash, and another Blaze Maple.

The ash tree in the front of the house

Cool Whitney

Walking around

How much mess can a one-year-old make with one Halloween oreo?? this much

Life goes on here in Monticello. The fall has so far been beautiful and warm. The leaves are turning now on the mountain. We waited until October first to get our trees 50% off. We were able to borrow a trailer and drive an hour to Cortez to a nursery to get them. They are supposed to be fast growing, and both will display great colors in autumn. We are VERY excited about them. Now just to keep the kids, deer and dryness away from them for a few years and we'll be in business.

After thinking I was out of luck with peaches this year, Bountiful Baskets had some, and I now have about 60 lbs set out on the counter to ripen! Scott promises to help me can them, so we'll see how it goes. I need to see if I have enough jars...

Whitney is now fully walking everywhere, and is getting faster by the day. She LOVES ring-around-the-rosie, but likes to fall down the best. She doesn't need to wait until the end! it is so cute. She is really following and copying her sisters now. She doesn't say much, but I think she's on the verge of breaking out in full sentences. Whitney does things on her own schedule, and that's ok with us.

Halloween decorations are up and costumes are being put together. On October 21st we are getting family pictures by a great photographer in our area. I hope the weather will cooperate and we will get some great shots. So far, Whitney likes getting pictures taken, so we'll hope she keeps it up. When we pay for them, we get a CD, so any of you who may want copies, we can print as many as we want, in any size.

Happy Fall to all of you!