Smiles

Colt, Ellie, and I spent Halloween morning at the park. It was great weather and so nice to be outside.  Ellie was all smiles in her stroller for a few minutes and then she took a nice nap in there for the rest of the time.

Cutie pie!

Colt was all over the place but loved it. He fed the ducks for a bit, played on the slide and swing, chased a squirel, kept asking why he couldn't touch the ducks and squirel, accused a nice puppy he was petting of biting him, and tried tasting an acorn.

Lots of pictures of Colt here. Like any mom I just think my (dare I say) baby, is so cute so I couldn't decide on which were my favorites!

Acorn.

He was sitting on my lap while we swung and he kept yelling "higher" and cracking us both up. It sure is great spending a really nice morning together. I loved it.

Yard of the Month

Eric has wanted Yard of the Month since we moved into this house. For a while he got mildly obsessed about it and every month would wonder what he needed to change in the yard to get it. They he finally gave up. I don't think I have heard anything about it in about 7 months. Then at the beginning of October the doorbell rang and they said we got yard of the month! I was just laughing and couldn't wait to tell Eric because I knew he would love it.

I was meaning to take a picture of Eric with the kids near the sign before the end of the month but everyday I would forget. So this is the last day of October and I figured I better take one before they take the sign. So I used what I had, Colt and Ellie in a car seat!

Halloween

Halloween was great! The kids loved it and all did great. No complaining about walking or anything! (a big feat around here) We met up with some cousins and they girls had so much fun just running ahead from house to house.

Ellie was a chicken and loved lounging in the stroller. She was an adorable chicken! The girls wore that costume for their first Halloween too.

The best we could do!

They were excited to get going and the other kids already started walking so I barely got this picture. We rushed out of the house so I am going to make them put the costumes on again tomorrow and take another picture!

Colt had so much fun walking around and carrying his bucket. He was always a  house or two behind the big kids but he kept going. He didn't want to be carried or pushed in the stroller. He kept saying no. His bucket got almost full and he was totally leaning over to the side trying to carry it. I tried to empty out some into the stroller but he just cried "my candy" until I put it back in! He was so adorable and quite a trooper.

I like this pictures of them two, even though Colt didn't want the ride, we had to force him to catch up to the girls!

Ellie stayed in the stroller most of the time. She was snug in her chicken suit!

Halloween morning the girls had school. They got to parade around and trick or treat around to some other classrooms and then had a Halloween party. It was an awesome day at school. Their bags got full to the top with fun stuff from their teacher, other kids, party stuff, and of course candy!

The Ladybug class. It was their funny face picture. They had a absolutely great day! They got to skype with Grammy, Poppy, and Hannah in New York. Grandma Brenda came trick or treating with them. And we went to visit our friends the Ivey's on the way home from trick or treating and they had a ball locking everyone up with play handcuffs. Halloween was a great day, but I was exhausted!

Some Halloween Stuff

The kids had an awesome time at the ward trunk or treat. They played some games put on by the young men and young women and then loved running around the parking lot getting the idea of trick or treating all over again! Colt hung out with Eric and handed out candy for a while and then once he got going he loved trick or treating. He says "trick treat" and thank you so cute!

Rachel and Olivia were Rapunzel and Colt was Thomas the train. Ellie is going to be a chicken for Halloween but she was a ballerina this night because it was too hot for her chicken costume!

Time to carve pumpkins! Olivia was especially excited to help dad with them! They each picked out a stencil that we carved for them. Livy picked a dog. 

Rachel picked a cat. 

Colt picked a spider. 

And we did the best we could. They loved them though.  

Boo! Colt kept singing Happy Birthday once he saw us light the candles in the pumpkins.

That is a really big "cheese."

I don't know if we will be able to keep up with them this year. They are so excited to trick or treat and can run pretty fast now, and never run out of energy!

Getting Ready For the Big Day....

Halloween, that is! They are mighty excited to go trick or treating tonight! These pictures are from the last few weeks around here just prepping for Halloween!

Trying out the scary stuff......

Halloween crafts.....

And deciding what to be this year!

A new slide just for Colt. This poor boy has nothing that is really his. He was so excited to get this. He also needed something else to climb on besides the couch!

He always stands up top and waves yelling "Hi Mama!" Love that kid. 

He also loved the cardboard box that he called "house." Of course the girls wanted the box and the slide and now they wanted to play with him!

And Ellie is getting big! She is 4 1/2 months now and so adorable. She is so smiley and loves to "sing."

Sisters stealing the slide. Yes we have to have it right in the living room for it to be used. Colt doesn't use it much if we put it in the other room so it pretty much stays there so he can be near us. Eric really loves it in the living room!

Trying to get a group shot. Colt was not having it. Luckily we are having pictures taken by April soon so hopefully we can get a good one! Why does getting a great picture of your kids make you so happy? I don't know, but it does!

After we dropped the girls off at school he was smiling away. He is so cute and fun but he is hard for me sometimes. He likes to hit and bites his sisters some, tackles them, steals their stuff, screams a lot, tells me no, and asks "why" about everything! Boy you drive me crazy sometimes but you are a sweetie the next minute, which doesn't allow me to get too mad at you! 

He is really smart and loves songs, puzzles, stickers, cars, lizards, counting, shapes, anything outdoors, jumping on the trampoline, parks, painting, milk, candy, and lint. Yup, lint. He picks it up anywhere he can find it. He was licking a piece at the store the other day from under a clothes rack. Make me puke Colt. I don't understand the obsession. He asks for candy a lot, especially chocolate. He know everything I am talking about and it talking a lot now. He is funny. He always brings me my shoes when it is time to go somewhere. He loves me. He gets very upset if I try to go somewhere without him. He loves sleeping with his bed so packed full of stuff there is barely room for him. 

And he loves his sisters. Always calling for them and trying to carry Ellie now. Trouble. He hugs them and kisses them when they let him. 

And we are surviving. Eric seems to be gone more now than he was at any other time since we had kids but  we are making it. Some days are not so great and others breeze by. Hoping for more of those breezy ones. Wishing them for you too!