Beautiful and Spooky photos found HERE! 

Happy Halloween!

tomorrow is the big day.  I'm cleaning and organizing today like crazy to try to prepare for it.  I did it in '06 (it helped that I had a class centered entirely around the idea) and then tossed the idea around in '07 but I don't think I ever got farther than 3 pages.  *sheepish grin*

this year I have a pretty solid idea though, and I'm excited. 6 and 1/2 pages a day! wooooo!

Cake Balls.

because I have been motivated enough this week to do exactly two loads of laundry and nothing else, I once again give you a post that is in fact nothing more than a link to someone else's creativity.  If you haven't already heard of Pioneer Woman (well, then shame on you, the woman is a hysterical genius. I love her deeply) then now you get a LINK to her blog! (okay so the link is just to a single post on the cooking section of her blog, but whatever).  

since I've been so Christmas-post-y this week and since it isn't actually Halloween yet, I thought I'd give you a fun, yummy, and quick (sorta) Halloween food/craft.  Enjoy.  

If I can bring myself to get up off the bean bag,  I might even make some myself. 

this advent calendar caught my eye - It's easy to make and would be major fun for the kids (each tin has a surprise of your choice inside). I found it HERE.  It's not nativity-esque, but it could be put together in one or two afternoons! 

eventually of course, I'll have to actually make some of these things myself... not sure when that's going to happen since I've just decided to do NaNoWriMo again this year!

Here's another one, for the sewing-crafty types. There are no instructions (it was made to sell) but I found it HERE, and it's a lovely idea. 

another holiday craft (directions HERE) that is super-cheap-and-easy to do. Also, Christmas tree ornaments make great gifts for far-away family members, friends, and co-workers (of the Christian variety, anyway).  I've been thinking of doing Christmas packages this year for all of our extended family - ornaments and treats that they can open when the box arrives. 

then the guilt for not giving presents is gone, and we don't have to worry about our bank account in these times of amazing economical bounty.  

If I haven't already emailed you the link:

I am totally addicted to THIS BLOG. Karalenn has been calling me every time "Cordy" updates and we've been squee-ing like teenagers. 

Start at the beginning, folks. And don't bother starting it until you have an hour or so to spend reading, because you won't want to stop. 

I'm really feeling the urge this year to jump into decorating and planning for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This craft (found HERE) is autumn-y and could work for Halloween or Thanksgiving and is super super simple.  

Maybe it's the fall weather we're finally having, or maybe it's the Christmas carols I listened to all day yesterday; but I am FEELING THE SPIRIT!  yay!

i have a lot of fur left over from Craig's Raccoon Mario tail. Naturally I've been daydreaming of sewing stuff like this:

even though I don't have a girl and am pretty sure I would HATE sewing such a project.  This lovely photo comes from HERE - where they sell these beauties in all kinds of styles and colors. 

it's a good thing I don't have a girl, I believe...

Our church held the annual Trunk-or-Treat early this year; so Halloween for us was last night. This year's theme, as you know, was Super Mario Bros. 

the boys had a lot of fun, and naturally came home with too much loot:

princesses! 

the Burrows looked AWESOME this year! way to go Vera and Brett!

Craig's tail was a huge hit. People kept hugging  it:

our little family. 
apparently I overdid it last night and woke up this morning coughing and hacking. Craig declared me unable to go to church, so I've been sitting at home planning the rest of the years' holidays. It's almost Christmas!!!

Halloween, Part I:

I finished Jen's Snow White costume (except the collar - that kicked my butt and I whimpered and whined and eventually gave up), and I'm almost done with my Princess Peach getup. 

It is very frustrating that all of our parties are a week before Halloween this year! Stress!  I have about an hour's work on mine and the boys' stuff. Tomorrow morning I'll be making a raccoon tail and ears to stick on Craig's costume. (heh) 

my new best friend:

oh, Santa Ana winds, how we despise you. 

you make us all sick. 

and hot.

and sick.

you light fires all over the southland. 

knock it off, ya big bully.

BEFORE:

ugly, dirty ottoman. suffered from too much sun and slobbery children.

AFTER:

ahhh! I like it! I'm pleased that the piping (which is not filled, just folded fabric sticking out like a tag) turned out nicely and looks like it matches even though it is a completely different color from the brick red stripes.  

Next, the couch cushions! (well okay, no. Next: Halloween costumes!)

Happy Halloween to me! 

i was surprised by a box from Utah today, 

with a return address I didn't recognize. 

After I saw what was in it, I didn't care if it was 

mistakenly sent to me, I was gonna keep it!

but after reading the card I realized who it was from. 

Thanks, Lunch Lady!! 

(I will not confess to how much I have already eaten..)

The secret's OUT! 

Betsey and I flew to Utah on Friday to surprise Karalenn as a late 30th birthday present. You can see by her expression here how overjoyed and happy she was to see us...

we caught her in the middle of practice for the Stake talent show the next day. Her initial distress was over the amount of money we paid to come "just because I whined to you!" but we assured her our trip was nearly free. 

then she became re-distressed when she found out we were staying 3 nights at her house. ;)

After practice, we kidnapped her, picked up Angela (whose husband works with Kare's husband and who lives just a few miles away. they hadn't met yet), and went out for dinner and a movie. 

we made sure to have a camera, and then forgot to take ANY pictures. there is no proof that karalenn and angela have actually met...

Dinner was great. The movie was depressing. (costumes, though, yum!)

Betsey and I watched Kare's girls for a few hours on Saturday so she and Seth could have a date before the big show.  They did great! Everyone looked appropriately dead.

Betsey made us all t-shirts with a quote from Young Frankenstein. My bump is intimidated by their more believable bumps. (soon, baby, soon)

When Betsey and I flew home yesterday, the A380 was at LAX, having landed that morning. We drove by the runway to get a good look at it. We were silly enough to not get any pictures.

It was fun to see you Karalenn! Hope you had fun! The next time you turn 30, we'll plan something even better! :)

Thursday's List: 

wake up to helicopter hovering a half-mile away. check clock. curse helicopter. 

scoot over when oldest son comes to bedroom, wakened by cursed helicopter.

roll over and ask husband a question, which turns into long conversation, bringing him fully to cranky consciousness and prompting him to get up and be out the door for work 3 hours earlier than usual. 

inform boys that they are not going to school that day. mom doesn't feel like walking up the hill 3 times in this disgusting weather. celebrations ensue. (no, I don't have the least amount of guilt. sorry)

make strawberries and hot chocolate for breakfast. more celebrating.

technically, that's as far as I have gotten today.  but I have big plans for the rest of my thursday! I have to finish organizing the master bedroom, do a couple of loads of laundry, hem a pair of pants, cut out two costumes and a giant plant pattern, and pack for my secret weekend. (nope, sorry, it's a SECRET!) there are other bits tucked in there too - enough to keep me going for the whole day. I expect to feel very productive come dinner time. 

then there's book club tonight. Fun! yay! 

Happy Thursday, and happy Weekend! I'll be back Monday to post secret photos and secret fun stuff. 

tagged by Hannah.

this is the 4th photo in my 4th file - last autumn, when we went to Underwood Family Farms. This was the giant pyramid in the center of the corn maze. I told Connor to pose like the Cristo on Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.  I keep hoping it wasn't sacrilegious...

the tag rules are:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. post the rules

3. write 6 random things about yourself.

4. tag 6 people, link to them.

5. let the folks know they've been tagged. 

1. i love winnie the pooh. milne, disney, the old and new art, the stories. all of it. i still have a watch and a throw blanket given to me by an ex boyfriend because they have pooh on them. craig is kind enough not to be bitter. 

2. i break my toes a lot.  once at a dance, i was trodden on (my dad was bishop and made the guy give a talk in our ward as penance). but the rest of the times i simply wasn't paying attention to the foot-to-corner-of-wall distance.  luckily i have not broken any other bones. 

3. i hate to fly. when I was 14 my nana and i landed in Dulles through a thunderstorm and I thought it was awesome. since I had kids I'm pretty much deathly afraid of going up into the air. I feel bad for my fellow passengers who innocently picked a flight with the woman who is destined to crash to her death that day. the only thing that gives me comfort is that i'm pretty sure it's an irrational fear. 

right?

4. i'm an aspiring writer. i "finished" a manuscript in '06 and have been putting off the editing process ever since. just started another one with craig last month. i've always wanted to be a writer (possibly because I love to read so much), but I kindof hate writing. the sitting-down-and-doing part is less fun than the imagining-while-washing-dishes part. 

5. i constantly get my left and right confused. no explanation needed.

6. i love to camp. camping at the beach or in the forest, hiking, fishing. Love it. I don't mind being dirty and I don't depend on a good night's sleep enough to make me cranky about sleeping on the ground. Food cooked over a fire pit tastes the best.  I really enjoy the outdoors. 

Connor recently informed me that; "Mom, I know you like to be in the forest and look at all the trees and stuff, but what I really like is to see houses going by. I think that maybe you are a forest person, and I am a city person."    I think I died a little that day.  ;)

mmmmm. so, I tag.. Karen, Erin, Kristen, Jen, Sharon, Nancy,  Maxine and Catherine. 

whew. 

we went to chinatown on saturday with mike

it was mostly unimpressive 

I guess I expected a constant celebration you know, dragon

dancers in the streets and people in traditional dress. 

apparently I read too many fantasy novels. 

and it wasn't very big. 

just a few blocks of one street, really. 

they sold most everything there,

a lot of it cheaply and in the fake variety.

but there was some beautiful furniture and boxes in one place. 

(next to the $3 shoes and $2 fake jade rings)

those cost a lot. 

but the boys got some fun stuff (a giant pikachu and a dragon messenger bag; guess who got what) and the guys got some cool pictures (it was reference for work)

and we ate at this very enjoyable Dim Sum place called Ocean Seafood, where they brought us little plates off of carts continuously until we basically shouted at them to stop. It was very yummy, and pretty fairly priced - especially since we had no idea how much anything cost until the end. 

this cute little boy and i have had some fun times this week. First:

"fletcher, come here please."

"yes mommy?"

"did you leave all these bite marks in my yoga block?"

"......yes. I did."

(now, I had just purchased these blocks, and they were not cheap, and I was prepared to fully punish him)

"why did you do that?"

"because... because I wanted to be crocodile."

so instead of saying "no games tomorrow" or "go to your room", I fully melted and gave him a hug and asked him to please not do that ever again.  he makes that face and then I am done for.

for a few days we misplaced his DS (that item of eternal entertainment) and thought we may have lost it forever.  while he and I were leaving Target one day we were talking about how it might be gone forever and because of his apparent distress I encouraged him to pray about it and maybe we would be able to find it after all.

in the car:  "i'm sorry mommy, i just said a prayer in the car without you." 

"that's okay honey. are you going to try to look for your DS at home?"

"yes. I think Jesus Christ knows where it is."

"well, maybe if you listen carefully he can help you find it."

so Fletcher thought for a minute and then named 3 places in the apartment that he thought he should look when we got home. two places were ones i had already looked and the third was a spot i had spent organizing on saturday, so I must confess my expectations were low. He grabbed the flashlight and set to work and in under 5 minutes, he was marching up to me with his DS in his hands and a huge grin on his face.  It was in the third spot. 

after i had spent the entire weekend tearing the place apart trying to find it.  

but of course, i had not thought to pray. 

what is it about autumn?

so many people seem to respond to the beginning of fall.  in most parts of the country (not so much here, alas) it is beautiful and colorful.  for the kids there is the excitement of a new school year and new clothes.  thoughts turn to baking things with cinnamon and pumpkin.

and, of course, there is halloween.  (a marvelous holiday that ought to be celebrated worldwide. i'm just saying).  the decorating; finding things in black and orange and getting pumpkins and candles and leafy wreaths.  preparing for trick-or-treaters and finding just the right candy.  dressing up....
i get to be princess peach this year. I found a pattern that is almost exact to this dress  - except the high collar.  luckily it is relatively simple. 

anyway - so what is it? what is your favorite part of autumn? halloween? the beauty of mother nature? the food? anticipation of the coming holiday season?  I love it all.  Truly I think I am at my happiest in the autumn.  time to sew and bake and snuggle up with hot cocoa and a good book when the sun sets far too early. 

oh yeah. that's the life!

This is too small:

but this is WAY too big: 
so I have resorted to:
leggings! i KNOW! ew! wrong!  

but paired with a loooong sweater or a too-short dress they're actually kinda cute -  I did get a lot of compliments last Friday - and. they. fit.  

all hail the second trimester.  at least I can eat again. 

Connor got his first Cub Scout badge last night. He was immensely proud of himself. He also got a pin to pin on his mommy (eee!) - although it was Dad who did most of the work with him. heh. heh.  

I just discovered that I can access my wireless internet from our pool. Yes! Yesterday and today have been stifling hot, and being able to cart my laptop outside and let the boys swim is such a treat!  Connor made sure to tread water for 15 seconds as soon as he got in the pool so he could sign off one more scout requirement.