Carnival & Birthday & Halloween... oh my!

Whoosh, what a crazy week. I figured I should just do one big slide show & combine all the craziness so I don't have 87 posts. Sorry to bombard! Last week was SO busy. Jer's family's ward has a huge Halloween Carnival every year & this is our 4th year going with them. They do it in a member's acre back yard, and they have 4 bounce houses, pony rides, train rides, carnival booths, THE WORKS! Oh and chili, cornbread, hot dogs, snow cones, cotton candy, & the most delicious kettle korn known to man! ... and dang it, its getting more crowded every year!

The next day was our Ward's Trunk or Treat. They had a spooky root beer cauldron & a fire pit, it was so much fun. I bought 3 bags of candy & it was GONE within 5 minutes! Those crazy Mormons have so many kids! :) Then we rushed home to make sure the Birthday Boy got plenty of rest for his big day....

The next day was Brayden's Birthday party. This year since he was turning 5, he requested to have his first ever "friend party" at a "cool place." So I gave in. He has always had a fascination with bowling, but had never done it, so we did his party at the new Bowling Alley. He got to invite 8 of his little friends, and they all wore their costumes. They had the bumpers up & lightweight balls & I was shocked at how well they all did! It was Cosmic Bowling too, so it was extra crazy & fun. It was so cute to see him & all his friends bowl. The kids were all angels! They put on a costume contest & gave all the kids passes to the arcade! Then we went back to our house for yet another family party. What was I thinking? Clearly I was not. I had a momentary lapse in sanity & thought it would be a good idea to get it all done in 1 day? Idiot. I had 1 hour to clean & bake 2 cakes... never again! Speaking of, that is what crazy people do, but what do all you 'normals' do? A friend party, or a family party? separate days? or do you nix one all together? Help me out! It was WAY too overwhelming for me!

Finally came Halloween. I was a naughty procrastinator & sent Brayden to school with literally the "bottom of the barrel" reject pumpkin, after searching 4 stores. Brayden took one look at it & stuck out his bottom lip. :( He was worried the kids would laugh at it. HOW SAD! I said, please Bray, I went to 4 stores. It's this pumpkin or NO pumpkin. He wanted to know why all the other kids moms' found nice pumpkins!? Ouch. Anyways, he had a school party that morning & they didn't even end up decorating the dang thing, so when he came home I let him paint it.

Then some friends/neighbors organized a neighborhood party with all the kids, thanks Jamie for hosting! They played games, made Monster treats, went on an awesome Hay ride (thanks Jason!) and then we got ready for trick or treating. I took them to a few houses & then passed out candy this year while Jer took the boys in the wagon, those wagons are made for Trick-or-Treating! the best! Everyone commented on Kosty as a "she" or "her" or my fav, "look its batgirl!" Of course, it didn't help that he would only wear his mask as a headband. But again, I am only offended that people would think I would dress my 'daughter' in a boy costume! When Brayden came stumbling up the drive way with his candy bag slung over his shoulder, I knew he was FINISHED. Oh my heck, they got way too much candy! Jeremy's family came & we all sat in the driveway with the fire pit & ate chili & cornbread & of course TOO much candy! What a week! I am exhausted, and this week I can't wait to DO absolutely NOTHING! :)

Brayden is five...

My little Brayden is five. Yes, five. Wow. I can't believe 5 years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, that sweet angel arrived and changed our lives forever. I remember it so clearly. Jer and I were balling our eyes out. The heavenly, peaceful feeling in the air... there is absolutely nothing more blissful & surreal than the birth of your first child. I remember right after I had him, I said I would gladly have 10 more babies, I was so elated. (some still use this quote against me!) I know I have already told so many of his admirable qualities, but I could go on forever. This boy never ceases to amaze me. I am MOST grateful that he is my oldest & he will be an example to the rest of our children... (ah-hem Kosty!)

I love your eyes. Big and blue, the most beautiful shape. I LOVE how they sparkle. You have the longest, dark, curly, thick eyelashes. Everyone comments on them. (I wish I could say you got them from me, but no!)

I love when you wake up, the first thing you do is come snuggle up with us in bed.

You love to play with my hair. You are always twirling it or running your fingers through. It is SO cute.

Your little brain. You are always thinking. Always thinking ahead, and always have thoughts & questions running through your head. Nothing gets past you.

I love how excited you get over the small things. You love to mark your calender off every night, decorate for holidays, go to the grocery store, library, a new placemat, a new book.

You are so healthy. Sometimes you will ask if cookies, or brownies are healthy, & I have to convince you that its ok to have desserts sometimes! You ask me almost daily if the things you are eating are "healfy."

You are a sweet brother to Kosty. He watches every move you make. He thinks you are the coolest thing in the world. I love to watch how he stares at you & mimics you.

You are so responsible & independent. You HATE being late anywhere. (I am working on it!) The first thing you ask me every morning is if you will be late for school. You are so proud to get dressed on your own, pour your own milk, make your bed, and clean your room.

Speaking of clean. Your wife is going to really LOVE me someday! You keep your room spic & span, and nothing can be out of place. (it hasn't always been this way, he is trying to show me he is responsible enough for a pet.)

Your all time favorite breakfast is Cheerios. Not Honey-Nut, not frosted, not apple-cinnamon. You LOVE the good ol' plain yellow box. Classic. You won't even let me put sugar or honey on top!

Your favorite place to eat is Subway. Hands down. Turkey with provolone, mayo & olives on wheat. You would pick Subway over McDonalds, Chick Fila, Wendy's, ANYWHERE. And if I do take you to one of those, you always ask for the fruit cup or yogurt instead of french fries! (quite the shock for your ol Dad.)

You are so detail-oriented & a pure perfectionist. You hate making mistakes. You are really hard on yourself. But you try so hard.

You are so witty and clever. You love telling stories and jokes.

You are so photogenic. I seriously don't think you can take a bad picture!

You are a true Momma's Boy, through and through. Of course you love your Dada, but you defininetly have a soft spot in your heart for your momma. :)

I love your dimple, and your cute forehead, and the blond baby hairs around it!

I love that you love to help me cook, pretty much anytime I am cooking, you can be found sitting on the counter right next to me.

I love how you say prayers, and more often than not, your short simple prayer mentions something about, "please help Kosty to not ___"

I love that everytime we leave church, you ask me what I learned.

Obviously Brayden has me wrapped around his little finger. I have enjoyed him & loved him to pieces for the last five years. I am truly grateful for his special spirit, and that I know we have been blessed to have such a son. He is a one of a kind, and we learn so much from him. We love you Bray! Happy Birthday! (I will have to post the pics of his party later, after we recooperate!)

uh-oh

I was just going through old pictures and suddenly it hit me, I think there is a pattern going on here....

I guess we do need a girl!

(p.s. I plead not guilty to all, the exception being the little barrette in his hair)

*Schnowflake*

What a fun weekend we had! We went up to Snowflake to visit my Mom and it was the best weekend I have had in a while! We were so spoiled & pampered all weekend, now its back to reality! Good thing the rest of the weekend made up for the INSANELY MISERABLE drive up. I almost pulled my hair out. My kids were better behaved on the SIX hour drive to Cali this summer, than this measly 2.5 hour drive. I was unjustly tortured in between Thing 1 and Thing 2, or "Overactive Bladder/are-we-there-yet-kid" and "Crazy-screaming-for-no-reason -kid" who repeated "Snowflake... cold... Snowflake...cold..." the entire way there. Then he demanded to wear his jacket in the warm car. Telling him NO backfired, so somehow I managed to get the DANG jacket on without undoing his car seat straps! It took some major finagling, but somehow I accomplished the task! DON'T be fooled by his smile in that picture, he is such a FAKER! I made Brayden go pee RIGHT before we left, and he had to pee again before we were even out of Mesa, & then again just outside of Payson!!! Grrr! We FINALLY got there Friday night & my mom had warm chili & cornbread for us, we were FREEZING, STARVING & GRUMPY, so it hit the spot. We let the kids play for a while & finally crashed late that night. The next morning, we got lucky again & had waffles & my FAVORITE comfort food, Cream of Wheat with extra sugar & "lumpies." Then we went to a real Pumpkin Patch, it was cold & windy, but the kids loved picking pumpkins, and I was AMAZED by these ginormous sunflowers everywhere, they were like 6 ft tall--and COVERED in sunflower seeds, imagine that! I am such a deprived city girl, I didn't even know that's how sunflower seeds grow. Am I the only idiot?? I guess I never really thought about it, but I found it rather fascinating, and they were really tasty too!



Then we went back to the house for the arrival of my sisters, niece, & brother. It was "the original 4" (meaning my siblings before my parents got remarried) it was like old times again & we had fun catching up. The boys played basketball & my mom made us turkey/avocado/bacon sandwiches for lunch. Then we all chatted and then took naps. Jer woke up & looked out the window to see my Mom & my brother (with a ponytail in his hair) racing quads up the mountain, he was cracking up, I wish I coulda saw that one! So then we all went quad riding, SO MUCH FUN!! My mom lives in the middle of nowhere, so you are free to just roam wherever you want. That night we went out to dinner, then came back & carved pumpkins, baked sugar cookies, and got ready for a "brain beatin" as my Mom called it, and played 'Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?' in which case some of us found out we were not!





On Sunday, we all went to church in the morning, my little brother Chase was in the primary program, so we got to watch him. Then, we came back & my Mom treated us to brunch with baked french toast, sausage, & fruit salad. Lucky us, and what better way to end a delicious meal than with another afternoon NAP! YAY! :) the boys played the Wii and we just hung out and tried to digest before we were served yet another meal before our departure. This time Mom made roasted chicken, fresh green beans, rolls, and then we had an early celebration for Braydens b-day (since they wont be down next weekend for his real one) and she made homemade flourless chocolate cake & whipped cream. MMMM. I'm tellin ya, we were SPOILED ROTTEN. Then we said our goodbyes :( & drove home. It was a much needed relaxing, delicious, and fun weekend. Did I mention that her guest bed is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in? huge fluffy pillows, warm down comforter & the softest sheets ever. I am really gonna miss it! I LOVE MY FAM. Thanks SO much Mom!!!

down on the farm...

Does anyone even know how to spell Schnef Farms, anyways?? HA! I've seen it spelled a thousand different ways on every one's blogs, and now here is my inaccurate version! Thursday night Becky & Casey invited us along to Schenf's. The kids LOVED it! We rode the carousel & then went to this cute little maze with little tractor looking trikes, that was a hit. Then we went to the stinky petting zoo, and Brayden was very aggravated! He did not enjoy the aroma! He made that face the entire time! They had the HUGEST cow EVER & cute baby pigs. I thought the pregnant goats were the strangest looking things ever, it looked like they had 2 large triangles poking out on each side...weird. Then we rode the bumble bee ride & the tractor hay ride. (Kosty was silent & glued on to me!!) The boys went to the mini golf course & Becky & I waited for them over at the Hoe-down concert & food area. After we all chowed down it was time to go. Thanks so much Becky!! We had so much fun!

the energizer skater...

he keeps going & going & going... we got Kosty this mini skateboard for his birthday & ever since he hasn't let it out of his sight! Obsessed is an understatement. Trying to explain just doesn't do it justice. He acts like he is a pro- he pops it up with his foot & then carries it under his arm, sometimes pulling up his sagging drawers with the other hand. A riot! and he pretends he is bustin hardcore tricks all day. At least he will appreciate how we got his name someday!

He takes naps with it, takes it in the car, goes to bed with it, oh we went to Subway (& yes, bringing it was not an option) even while we were in line, he was doing his "tricks," and this one is the FUNNIEST... last night we were saying prayers, he came over & stood on it, then folded his arms & closed his eyes, I bolted for the camera, wouldn't you??

Kosty's Little Party

When I got Kosty out of his crib on his birthday morning, the first thing he said was, "CAKE!!" We compromised with a honey bran muffin and a candle! Later on, we had a very small get together, (since he really doesn't even know what all the fuss is about yet!) I wish I got a pic of everyone! We had Kosty's all-time favorite for dinner: pizza with olives, then we opened presents. My brother Justin gave him an afro wig with a pick, he wasn't a fan, but it was hilarious trying it on everyone else! When we were singing Happy Birthday, Kosty wasn't too fond of the fact that everyone was staring at him, so he protested by a major GROWL, followed by, "MAAAMMA!!!" Meaning just I was allowed to sing. Stinker. Thanks everyone for coming, Kosty got some awesome gifts & he LOVES them all!

ramblings

*WARNING!* I am hesitant to post this because it is so personal, but since this is my "journal" here goes. I am feeling rarely super emotional right now, but feeling the need to record some of the things Brayden has said to me lately.

I SURELY would never want to forget any of it.

I took him on a date on Saturday. We went to Walmart & a few other places. While in one store, he looked around & noticed we were its only customers. He said, "this place is kind of spooky, cause no one is even here." He sure speaks the truth. At the start of the date I reminded him to be a gentleman & hold my hand & open doors for me. He did. It was so wonderful. As I buckled him in, he told me that he wanted to tell me something when I got in the car. So I went around to the driver's side & as I was getting in, he said, "Mama, watch your step." Then he asked if that was a "gentleman". On the date we went to a pond & he had a great idea of throwing rocks into the water & making wishes. I loved hearing all of the things he wished for. Some of the ones that stick out in my mind are, "I wish that I could be the coolest kid." "I wish that I wasn't afraid of dogs anymore." "I wish that Chase could move back to Arizona so I could play with him." "I wish that me & mama could go on more dates." Oh I almost forgot, "I wish I could be 8 so I could get baptized." It was a really special moment. Just him & I together, making wishes.

One thing we did was get the party favors to make his birthday party bags. I explained to him that the Bowling Alley wanted to charge us $50 extra for party bags. So I told him we could make them ourselves & save some money. When we were done I looked at the receipt & told him that they wanted $50 but that we did it ourselves for around $10. He said, "Why don't you use the $50 to go to your ballet class." Ok, balling like a baby now. Because a few weeks ago he asked me when he could come to watch my ballet class. I told him that I hadn't been doing it because my favorite teacher is not there anymore plus I am trying to save money right now (since Jer is starting a new business) I cannot believe that he thought of me right at that moment. And that he would remember about the ballet converation that we had weeks ago & that he was concerned for me to use the money that we saved for my class.

Oh yes, and we ran into this crazy cashier lady, that has now turned into our family joke. Sweet lady, really. Just hilariously-odd. A true one-of-a-kind. She repeatedly says, "Heck ya! By golly! Now we're cookin' with gas!" to every customer, over & over. I swear. Those same 3 phrases. It is so hard to keep a straight face. Anyways, on our way home from our very first encounter with her, we were laughing so hard & after lots of practice, Brayden had it down perfect. So when I spotted her this time, I could only imagine Brayden saying something like "You're the one!" or whatever. So I whispered in his ear to not say anything about it to her, because it might hurt her feelings, & to just listen for it! Sure enough she said it to us, and everyone else too.

Later that night as I was tucking him in, I was telling him what a fun time I had with him & we were recapping our adventures. We talked about the desolate store, and then I mentioned that it was sad that there was no one in there because that meant nobody was buying anything. He said, "Yeah... and that means the workers won't get any money." Then his sweet eyes lit up as he said, "I KNOW! we could have a Lemonade stand & give all the money to the workers." Again I am tearing up. Then we talked about the funny "heck ya -by golly-now we're cookin' with gas" lady again. He said, "Mama, I don't want to make fun of her. Even though she isn't even here & she can't hear us." Tears again. Sorry, I am a blubbering fool right now, but Brayden is truly a special spirit. He is so incredibly insightful, intellectual, compassionate, and loving. It is amazing what an example he is to me, and I know it should be the other way around. He certainly can put me in my place & if I could only be more like him, I would be a better person. I am so blessed to have him in my life and that he is my son.

"Deep Thoughts" by Brayden...

WAY too funny not to share! today while in the car, Brayden, as usual, asks me a thought provoking question (love that) it went like this...

Bray: Mama, what does Jesus like to do?
Me: Hmmmm, probably watch over all of us.
Bray: Oh, yeah. Can Jesus hear us even when we aren't saying prayers, just when we're talking?
Me: Yes. And he knows what we are thinking about too.
Bray: Wow. Jesus probably has really big ears. Kind of like a chinchilla.

sweet surprise & terrifying tractors

Tonight we were pleasantly surprised by some of the youth in our ward stopping by to give us a cute Halloween box full of candy & some notes from the kids in our Sunday School class. One of the notes said, "...thank you for accepting your calling to be my Sunday School teachers. I love your strategy & the way you connect with us. Your a great inspiration, & a wonderful example to us all." Written by a 13 year old girl from our class! I love how she said "strategy" since we pretty much have NONE! We do so LOVE our class. Pretty much since we have been married we have had the same calling as Sunday School teachers for the 13+ year olds (approx. 6 yrs!) ... this particular class is AMAZING in their knowledge of the gospel & I feel nothing but inadequate as their teacher, they have taught me so much more than I could ever teach them. Although I have a strong testimony of the gospel, I struggle with church history & actual doctrine, I know nothing. Which is why I have been put into this calling, I'm sure. At times our tiny classroom has 16 kids, it is CRAMPED, and they are ROWDY. But I feel blessed to be their teacher & to have Jer with me. They are truly examples of teenagers striving to do what is right in times like these. They give me so much hope for my boys & that if they will continue to strengthen their testimonies they too will turn out as wonderful as these kids have...

On another note, tonight after I put Kosty in his crib (after the same usual routine) he was crying & crying, which he hardly ever does, so after a few minutes I went in there to check on him. I ask him whats wrong, & he precedes to get more hysterical so I pick him up. His frightened little eyes are frantically darting all around the room. "Whats the matter?" I repeat. Finally, sobbing, through big tears, he musters out the word, "trac-to." and points to the window. Which gives me an instant flashback. A few weeks ago, in the middle of the night, I awoke to him balling out of nowhere. I rush in his room & there he is standing, making his "scared arms" and says, "trac-to?" OH. Okay. I get it, he is terrified of TRACTORS. Apparently he has been having nightmares about them? Hmmm. So I calm the sweet boy down when I say, "there's no tractors in here. There are no tractors outside. You are safe. All the tractors are sleeping." He whines, "oooo-kkkkkay." Mystery solved. What a strange fear, dontcha think? And isn't he a little young for nightmares??

Birthday Boy

My sweet Kosty Rosty, I can't believe you are now my little 2 year old. When I was pregnant with you all I could think about was what you would look like, what your personality would be like... and I just couldn't imagine, so I just assumed you would look like your brother and act like him too. Boy was I ever wrong. You are so completely different in every way, and I couldn't be happier. How much more exciting it is to figure out your differences along the way. I love how different you are. I knew you had spunk early on- while I was in heavy labor, with every intense contraction, you would kick me as hard as you could while burrowing your head as hard as you could! (sound like Kosty, anyone??) I could not wait for you to come out and meet you! For many reasons!

Some of the things we love about you...

The way you fold your arms for prayers. You are always the first to stop whatever you are doing when we say "Prayers" you come, sit, & fold those cute little arms.

You started to sign before you could talk, you signed, "more," "milk," and "eat."

You are absolutely crazy in love with going outside. You love to ride bikes, and scooters, and especially LOVE skateboards. You maneuver surprisingly well on one!

You are such an athlete. You LOVE basketball, its so hilarious to watch you shoot hoops because of your near perfect form.

You absolutely LOVE animals. Every Sunday after church we take you to the horsies (right by our church) you especially adore horses. One of my favorite things to do with you is take you to Petsmart. You kiss all of the Kitty cages.

Scared Arms...You put your hands up around your chest to show when you are 'scared,' You are scared of a lot of things actually... tractors, birds, snakes, trucks, motorcycle noise, certain decor, Brayden's flat ball, loud volumes, etc... But its the cutest thing ever watching you do your "scared arms."

You LOVE babies. You always say, "ohhhhh, baby" whenever you see one and gently rub their heads.

You love to go "bye-bye" and are always the first one ready & then you get every body's shoes for them. I LOVE that.

You are such a good little cleaner too, you are always the first to put things away when I ask, and you actually enjoy it!

when Brayden does something mean to you, you forgive him instantly. What an example it has been for me to watch you. The second I 'break it up', you come right back & kiss him & pat his back.

I LOVE getting you out of your crib when you wake up from a nap. You let me snuggle you for a LONG time!

When you tell "stories," No one would understand them but me/dada. You point to certain objects/people while mumbling & I narrate for you-- I always know just what you are trying to say.

The pitter patter sound your adorable feet make throughout the house

How you dance in the car & demand specific songs over & over

Your determination & ambitition, nobody can tell you "can't!"

When we drop Brayden off at school & you say, "Elmo?" That is the first thing we do when we get home, watch Sesame Street.

Your bent little ears (they look just like they did when you were born, we love them!)

Whenever you hear the door open, you say, "DADA!!" (sometimes followed by, 'candy?')

You LOVE Nursery and always have

The way you skip-gallop all around the house

When you find your blankie after you haven't seen it in a couple hours & you just smother it & say "ohhhhhh, ba-pi!"

You are such a special boy. You have the most beautiful hair, the cutest little face, pretty olive color eyes, and dimples! I have to grit my teeth all day (britt & stef you know all about that!) I just think you are the cutest thing! I love your feisty personality and your tender heart as well. These past two years you have grown so much. You have made me grow too. You have taught me to be more patient. You are such a loved & needed edition to our home. I am so grateful that I was chosen to be your mama, and that Heavenly Father has blessed me with 2 precious little boys. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being you. Happy Birthday Kosty!

"I ain't sayin' she's a $ goldigga $..."

Last night Randi hosted an awesome Halloween ladies night...

Yours truly as the $ goldigger $. One seriously metallic gold dress (thanks to my lil sis & her job at Forever 21!) + a gold belt + a gold shovel with gold nuggets glued on + lots of bling (courtesy of Brooke & walmart) + gold glasses = golddigger


Trying to be a PG rated goldigger was a challenge, so I added an undershirt & leggings. Thanks to Jer for all his help spray painting everything gold! He got a tad carried away, so I had to "cut him off" when I found him looking in my closet for a pair of shoes he could paint! Right before I left I scoped out the neighborhood & bolted across the street to my sis in laws (to borrow her glasses) in hopes no one would see me, but of course my next door neighbor & his wife were sitting in their garage... had to make a slight detour to tell them its a costume & NO, I do NOT have a 'night' job!

When I first walked in I was cracking up at all the sights... I had to do a double take with everyone, I didn't even know who was who. I think I was most perplexed by Brooklyn... I don't know who or what she "was", but all I know is it was hilarious! When everyone sat down to eat, it made me laugh even harder... the sight of these girls in their full-blown costumes & trying to be normal was just too funny, I don't know how anyone could take themselves seriously... cause I sure couldn't! I can't even recall the last time I dressed up for Halloween & it was a blast! Thanks Randi & all the girls, it was so FUN!

Sally as the wicked witch with ugly nose

Randi as Cruella Deville

Jenna as the naughty pregnant Nun

Jenny as Lucille Ball

Katie as the pirate

Brooklyn as the ?????? gangster/club kid/rapper/ho? (depends on who you ask)

Sandy as the old lady (with smeared lipstick & horrible blush)

Kate as the 50's girl

Rechelle as Cinderella (you've found your new career!)

Becky as the cute flapper