Halloween Festivities

I love Halloween! I love dressing up and eating soup and candy. Mmmmm.... This year I dressed up as a cop in honor of my new cop brother-in-law. Go COP JOEY!!!

Friday night was our church party. Since our ward is small and our parking lot is a sketchy parking garage, we don't do the trunk-or-treat. We send everyone to the second floor, put the adults & candy in the doorways and the kids run around in circles and collect loads and loads of candy. They love it!

Optimus Prime and I getting ready to go

Decorating the treat bags

The kids all dressed up

My little ducky running around

Sunday afternoon we walked up to the Gaylord St. Festival to collect even more candy. It was a little crazy this year. I lost Grey twice and one time for almost five minutes. I was freaking out!

Most of the group:

The Photoshop Effect

After working in photography and learning and using the tools in photoshop, I am a firm believer that we cannot believe what we see. Ever. As consumers we are constantly blasted with fake images to promote products and ideas. Yes, there are beautiful people with attractive features--but things can be changed, removed or added in a click of the mouse. Even I with my intermediate knowledge of photoshop, I can remove cellulite, rough skin, pores, wrinkles, stray hairs, acne in a minute or two. The possibilities are limitless. I have a basic book that teaches how to paint in fake abs to give someone a nice six-pack. I will get off my soapbox because I absolutely LOVE photoshop. It is amazing. But I have also learned to look at everything in print as an art form. It is not necessarily real.

These videos are very educational. Take the time to watch them. I love the second one. I could watch it over and over again in slow-mo.

Pumpkins!

Pumpkin carving for FHE. Jared had work to do and was on his laptop nearby while Grey & I carved pumpkins. Although I am such a perfectionist that I was not very good at letting him help. At one point I said to Jared that my hands were tired and getting sore. Grey responded, "Mine aren't. They are fine. I'm not doing anything." Ooops... need to work on that one. He was a good little buddy to have help me.

Denver Style

When I took Grey's 4-year pictures, I of course had to take some of Elise. I wanted them to reflect our neighborhood (haha), so I took them over to some graffiti walls off of Broadway. Something different. I also took them to get some pictures in the changing leaves but by that point Elise was crying and Grey was done.

Birthday Boy

Poor Grey had an on/off bug for 8 days and we ended up canceling his birthday fun party. It was heartbreaking to tell him we couldn't do it. So we had grandparents over last-minute for cake & ice cream on his actual birthday. Luckily he was well enough by then for a small piece of cake.

 The Optimus Prime toy he had been asking for. Afterwards he was a little bummed it wasn't HUGE.

 The Optimus Prime cake (took me forever to frost)

 My sweet four-year old

And the singing on video...

Four!!

This boy is FOUR

Hard to believe four years ago today my life was about to change more than I could ever imagine. Grey brings so much to our family. He will always hold a special place in my heart as my first baby and the one that helped me grow up--fast.

I had him answer some --okay a lot-- of questions. If you aren't family it will bore you. But it made me laugh. He is such a funny little boy.

What is your favorite food?
cake

What is your favorite vegetable?
popcorn. I don't like vegetables. They are gross for me and will make me really sick.

What is your favorite thing to do?
play at Monkey Bizness & Chuck E Cheese

What are your favorite things to play with?
jumping  in bounce houses. Nothing at home. Well I guess I like my cars and Iron Man things. (Guess I can throw some things out?

What is your favorite color?
green & red

Who are your best friends?
Ryan, Noah, Jared & Addie. Brig is my best friend. And Tyler.

What do you like to wear?
Iron Man shirt, lime-green-frog soccer shirt, or my muscle shirt (Obviously)

What is your favorite sport?
riding my bicycle, soccer and playing football, baseball and hockey and ice skating

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Optimus. A Fireman and all of those helpers--cops, ambulance guys. Cops are my favorite. And a fireman chief.

What are you really good at doing?
Jumping and riding motorcycles but I don't know how. I am working on it and learning how.

What is something that is hard for you to do?
Playing nicely

What makes you sad?
If I get lost and don't know where you are

What makes you happy?
When I find you and run to you all by myself. Playing outside on my toys. Drawing on paper.

What makes you mad?
If you give me a white shirt and blue pants (aka the outfit I made him wear for his 4-yr pictures)

What is your favorite TV show?
Iron Man & Iron Man 2 & Optimus Prime (yeah we are great parents)

What is your favorite book?
Toy Story

What is your favorite game?
Duck, duck goose

What is your favorite animal?
Tiger or Jaguar

What is your favorite song?
Twinkle, twinkle little star

What is your favorite thing about mommy?
I love you. I like to play games with you.

What is your favorite things about daddy?
Playing lots of lots of [sports] games in the back yard.

What do you want for your birthday?
Optimus Prime toy and a BIG Bumblebee Transformer and a sword

What is the best part about being 4?
Having ice cream and some cake on my birthday (I hope he gets over his stomach bug so he can enjoy it!)

And now since you didn't get enough, some funny things about Grey:

He hates girl singers (except for Gwen Stefani) and always makes me change the station if it is a "girl song." He only wants me to play "boy songs."

In his prayers he ALWAYS says, "And please bless America. We love America. YAY America!" And tells us afterwards if we forget to say it just like that--which is every time.

He loves snuggles and back tickles. He likes when I climb into his "high-bed" and snuggle. Then he comes in our bed in the morning and snuggles while he drinks his milk.

He is obsessed with being a muscle-man and will eat almost anything if I promise it will make him big & strong. That is why he loves the muscle-tees so he can show them off.

Happy Birthday baby boy. You melt my heart! Yeah I'm cheesy like that now.

My big pink tractor...

We went back to Miller Farms with some friends. I kind of want to take this tractor home with me. So girly!

And the boys driving the big green tractor (Grey, Brig & Ryan):

Swimming

I thought it was time to finally get Grey into swimming lessons. I haven't had the energy to deal with it since he is terrified of water. Even more reason to put him in lessons. But it has been amazing! He is already pretty much swimming and dunking way under water after only a few lessons. He loves it. I am pleasantly surprised.

This is possibly the best picture ever.

Bowling

Jared & I actually got a night out with friends. YAY! We went to a yummy New Mexican place in the Highlands for dinner then onto the alley for some good old-fashioned bowling. I've made a new resolution to bowl more. It was so much fun. I even broke a hundred - once. Yeah I am the worst bowler pretty much ever.

Our friends

My honey & I

Slippery Slide

We walked over to the park at the school by my parent's house over the weekend. I had not been to the school since I was a trouble-making teenager playing on the swings--oh and picking up my sister when she was in 6th grade there. Strange memories. But the slide was so steep and Elise, the daredevil that she is, wanted to go down them all over and over again.

Miller Farms

How have I never been here before?!! We took a family day and drove to the farm to harvest some produce and enjoy the other fun. There was SO MUCH to do. I loved it! I am already planning to go back next week if the weather holds.

**WARNING** G PICTURE OVERLOAD

Grey with Tow Mater - they had all the cars from the movie

Farmer G - he loved driving the tractors

Riding behind the tractor out to the fields

We brought home potatoes, beets, carrots, cabbage, sweet corn, indian corn and a pumpkin!

Picking out the perfect pumpkin to take home

Pulling the wagon full of yummy produce back to the Yellow Brick Road

Finishing up with some family fun on the jumping pillow

Jared somehow missed my perfect form-haha!

Oh and these might be the best pictures of Jared. ever. love it!

Pre-birthday Celebrations

Four is just around the corner and this past weekend was our quarterly-family-birthday-hurrah! The kiddos dressed in costumes and Cindy hosted an amazing party full of games, treats and prizes. So you are going to get a little halloween costume preview. It was a blast.

Dressing the grandpas

Optimus Prime popping balloons

My little ducky (with Grandma)

Present Time!!! Ninja Ryan was very excited to help.

Everyone knows my child well. Cars, trucks & Iron Man gear. He was so happy and plays with all of it nonstop. Thank you to everyone!! I doubt we'll be able to match it on his actual birthday!

Checking out the new Iron Man truck with rockets!

Trying on the Iron Man set complete with a helmet, repulsor blast glove and arm band and arc light and plenty of rockets to really think he is actually Iron Man. I must add that when he wears it he puts on his Iron Man t-shirt and has to wear his red shorts to match because Iron Man is red. It is really cute!

I know you are excited for more to come on halloween & birthday.