I don't know what it is about Halloween, but it is definitely a favorite around here. When we lived in Mesa, every year we would decorate our whole front yard with tombstones, zombies, and scary noises. We had a long picket fence that we dripped in red paint and hung skulls on. Then we'd invite both sides of the family over and sit out in the driveway around a firepit and have chilli, cornbread, caramel apples, rice krispy treats, hot chocolate, and whatever else showed up. It was such a fun tradition and the boys looked forward to it every year. We don't get more than 5-6 trick-or-treaters at our house up here so we didn't go all out this year. Our ward had a trunk-or-treat. Layton and his friends, Josh and Tanner, came home from school and carved their pumkins.
I love this picture. My mom made this clown costume and wore it when she took us trick-or-treating when I was in elementary school. I remember her pushing Amy in a stroller around the block in her clown costume. When she and my dad got divorced, she basically left everything behind and when I came across the clown costume, I asked her if I could have it. The kids aren't supposed to wear masks at the Trunk-or treat so Layton wore the clown costume.
Josh wasn't sure he even wanted to go but at the last minute, he decided to throw together a costume mad eup of different pieces of costumes from past Halloweens. He is wearing the hat from Layton's Micky Mouse costume, the white shirt from his pirate costume, and a tuxedo jacket and tie that was given to me by someone I used to work with in the Fremont Junior High Library. Not too shabby!
Vance was at work all day and we still hadn't decided what we would dress up as. I borrowed this Gnome cotume his sister, Monica, made and quickly sewed a mushroom hat for Vance. I met him at the party and he took one look at what I had brought for his costume and said, "Are you serious?" I said, "Yep, put it on and don't take it off!" He was a good sport and wore it all night. And we won a prize for our costumes and for having the best decorated trunk.
On Halloween night, the boys wore their costumes and went out and got loads of candy. Layton made his own costume and did a great job. Minecraft is a stupid XBox game everyone plays and Layton's costume is the character Steve from that game.
This is my mom and Carlie's daughter, Eliza, at the pumpkin patch in Mesa.
November 20th is my birthday and this year I turned 37. Vance and the boys decorated my car and filled it with balloons while I was asleep. They make me feel so special! Brenda and Gail and Vicky came and woke me up at 6:30 in the morning and took me to Trappers for breakfast. It was really good! I love french toast!
Stephen and Nichole, my brother and his wife, bought my dad's house last year and have been remodeling it. Every time we go down there, Vance helps him. This is some of the progress:
While we were down in the valley, Vance took me to the ER at Banner Gateway Hospital to see if they could figure out what was causing my high blood pressure. In August, I had a dentist apointment for a route canal and while I was in the dentists chair, I passed out and my blood pressure shot up to 180/116. The dentist, who is also my Bishop, called Vance at work and had him come get me and take me to the hospital. I had an EKG, chest x-rays, they did an ultrasound on my kidneys, checked my arteries, my lungs, everything. Guess what? Everything was normal. So they sent me home. I continued over the next months, to have chest pain, fatigue, and headaches, and sometimes nausea, and saw many doctors, tried many medications, and went to the ER a few more times and....nothing. I was being seen by a cardiologist, who did a stress test on me and...nothing. And yet my BP is still up around 160/110 and my chest always feels heavy. It's so frustrating! I am currently seeking a new doctor.
Thanksgiving was at my sister, Julie's house as usual. We always eat around noon and play football till the food is ready. Stephen pulled a good one this year. He shook a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and opened it. It sprayed all over the table, all over the ceiling, and all over the family. It was a sticky mess and he ended up mopping the ceiling after dinner. Lesson learned? I'll let you know next year. This is Stephen and Nichole carving the turkey. Save the neck for me, Clark!
I don't know why Vance couldn't just cooperate and smile pretty fro the camera...
My boys hate it when I make them pose for pictures but I don't care. This is a good one with them and my mom. Josh is 15 and Layton is 11.
This is our annual football game in Julie's backyard:
The team:
This is Mom with most of her grandchildren.. Layton, Amanda, Eliza, Hanna, Josh, Allyson, Lauryn, and Maddy. Only missing Cooper and Riley.
It is a tradition of mine to avoid wrapping any and all gifts. I am the worst gift-wrapper in the world! Thank goodness there are people in the world who actually enjoy it. For instance, Amy. She wrapped all the gifts we bought while we were inthe valley fro Thanksgiving. Last year when she lived up here in St. Johns, she came over and wrapped all our gifts. It was so wonderful! It helped us avoid the usual depression on Christmas Eve when Vance and I would argue around midnight over who had to get up and wrap the gifts. Thank you Amy! This year, Amy wasn't living up here but it was ok because Vance's mom has the gift wrapping sickness too. So she came and wrapped everything! I am so blessed!
And as usual, when we make a trip down to the valley, we always get in our usual haircuts from Carlie. She's the best haircutter we've ever had!
These next photos are of more of the demolition going on at Stephen's house. My mom loved swinging that sledgehammer and knocking out those bricks! She spends most of her free time helping out over there.
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