Spooky

We had our ward party tonight...Troy and I were in charge.

I thought it went well and everyone seemed to have a good time.

There was a huge turnout. I'm certain of the exact number, but I am guess well over 300 people. We had 20 different chilis and I was happy to see the Englis Family take top spot..although the Dzarans only missed it by one point!

I have spent the week getting everyone's costume's ready and I am pleased with the final result.

Everyone chose a different Disney villian.

Mikayla was Cruella DeVille:

Emma was the Queen of Hearts (and I am especially happy with her costume since I sewed it myself...and was super worried about how all the piecing would work on the dress and jacket...but I thought it turned out nicely):

Joe was Lotsa Hugging Bear (sewed this one as well...and I have to say...he is probably the only 12 year old boy in the world who would want to be a giant pink bear for Halloween, but he pulled it off pretty well, and managed to figure out that he could pretty much get any girl he wanted to hug him while wearing this costume. : ) Such a ladies man...don't know where that comes from. lol!)

Josh did not attend the ward party...but he is smee (from peter pan) and I will post his photo on Halloween).

Becky was the evil queen from Snow White (this is her mean face):

And Katie was the witch from Snow White (the Queen transformed -- she got some crazy mask painted on during the children's carinval...so i'll post another photo on Halloween with her nose and basket full of apples):

Finally...Troy was Captain Hook ... although I was unable to pick up his coat before the party...so he looks a little more...Little Richard than Big Bad Sailor. (Sorry Troy!)

And I was running around like crazy, so no photos of my Maleficent costume (I will take one!) So...just a little self portrait after it was all over. (Do I look a little too excited? :) )

Mad Dash

Well...I like to think I perform well under pressure...and I do usually manage to pull things out, but at what price?

We have a Halloween Party tonight...which means I needed to get the Halloween costumes done. After taking a break last year from the family theme...we have come back to it.

We are all going as characters from Harry Potter.

But...as of yesterday I did not have any costumes made.

I've now got six costumes done...two more to go.

Phew...hope I'm not too grouchy at the party tonight. lol!

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Valentines

Let me just say, right up front, that Troy and I will never be celebrating Valentine's Day again. EVER.

However, we may decide in the future to celebrate the day after Valentine's Day, because I am not letting him off the hook that easily.

It all started innocently enough. We had a special date planned. We were having a good day, a good week, really. Things were going very well, and then we had a little tiff, which of course escalated into a big ol' fight.

So, in the end, Troy went on his special Valentine's Day date. He just went alone.

Oh well. This is so the story of our lives.

And now, a week in review.

44/365 (2/13) I {heart} Troy



We continued celebrating Troy's birthday, right on through the weekend. We had a really fun bunco party, and Troy got some really nice gifts. One of my favorites, and really, if you know Troy, you know he's nothing if not confident...so one of my favorite gifts had to be this I {heart} Troy shirt from the Ellsworth's. I mean really, if anyone could wear a shirt that says that they love themselves, it has to be Troy.

45/365 (2/14) Pump Up the Volume



Katie has this little toy that plays a bunch of different songs...you know, the kind that needs to mysteriously stop working. Well, she has taken to carrying it around the house, close to her ear, like an 80's style boom box. It's too funny.

46/365 (2/15) mmmmm.mmmm.good



Every year Troy always asks for the same thing for his birthday dinner, homemade Tony Roma's ribs. It's a big task to make this meal. The sauce takes an hour to make...then 2 1/2 hours to cook the ribs and another few minutes on the grill. Not to mention making the side dishes. Well, I have to say...it was totally worth it.

47/365 (2/16) At Last



Fourteen years of marriage, and Troy and I have never had a dining room table. I know it isn't really a necessity, but I have always wanted to have one. We have the opportunity to finally be able to buy one, and unfortunately for Troy, have spent several weekends searching for just the right one. Well, we finally found it. We bought the chairs somewhere else because the ones that went with the table were obscenely expensive...it comes on Friday. I can't wait!

48/365 View From the Top



I am working on a scrapbook project to scrap the every day things in our lives, and was given the assignment to photograph my favorite view from the house. Well, mostly, we just see other people's houses, but, when I get ready in the morning, I have the opportunity to watch the sunrise, and I love it. My own view from the top.

49/365 I Want Candy



It's funny. The younger kids have not started speaking as early, or as much as the older kids...but of course, they all catch up eventually. Until they do, however, I miss their being able to be verbal. So, while Katie's vocabulary may be limited, she has finally mastered her first sentence. "I want candy." **big sigh** Like father, like daughter.