Trunk or Treat

Every year our ward does a trunk or treat activity usually the weekend before Halloween. We always have it at the Hunter's Christmas Tree Farm. The Hunter's are a member of our stake they are right on the border of our ward. They have a huge bon fire going with hot dogs to cook and a chili cook off to eat for dinner. They also do hay rides, a cup cake walk, and the older kids can be found running around the farm and then when it gets dark we trunk or treat to the cars. This is one of the best and most fun activity we do as a ward. Of course things didn't go as planned this year. It decided to rain. So they moved everything to the church. We still had hot dogs (only boiled) and chili for dinner and the cake walk. Then the kids trick or treated to classrooms throughout the church. Yes, I brought my camera and no I didn't take any pictures (Looser). My chili did win 3rd prize though in the chili cook off. Thanks Betty Crocker. There were at least 20 different chili's there so not bad. My sister Christa's took 2nd. I was hopping my mom would take 1st so the Bugee's could sweep. We all had fun even though we weren't at the Hunter's.

Primary Program

The last Sunday in October was our Primary Program. This year they decided to give everyone a speaking part. We have a huge ward. We fill up the whole chapel and we have to open the overflow curtains and we fill over 1/4 of the gym. So with having a big ward we of course have a big primary. In the past programs most of the kids would have a speaking part and the other kids (usually 2-3 kids per class) would hold up pictures. They also wanted everyone to have there part memorized. Even the older kids who could read. Talmage and Kennedy had long parts (4 sentences) and Payton and Brenton had one sentence. They all did a great job and didn't need any help. Kennedy talked the loudest out of the whole primary but was talking way to close to the microphone so you couldn't really tell what she was saying. I was very impressed at how many kids had their parts memorized. I think only a couple needed help they knew their parts but were scared. I think everyone but maybe 2 read there parts.
Kennedy was also spotted doing the Hula to one of the songs. I love the Primary program.

Mommy and Me Night

Last month we started a new tradition in our family. It is called mommy and me night. With having 6 kids and 5 of them in school it is very hard for me to get one on one time with each of my kids. By the time they get home from school they get a snack, do homework, I make dinner, they get some time to play, some days there is scouts/music/activity days, and then it is time to get ready for bed. Jon came up with the idea of me taking one kid a week and going out and doing something just the 2 of us. So every Thursday I get to take one of the kids and go out for about 1 1/2 hours and do whatever they want (mommy approved of course). Brenton and I went first. We decided to go to Target (the dollar baskets in the front of the store. Love those) and the Dollar Store to find some cheap but good items to stock up for our treasure box. We use the treasure box for when the kids do something good at school, get the best listener 5 times at home, or if we loose something we will often use that as a way for the kids to help find something. Anyway, it was great to get to talk to Brenton and find out what was going on in his life without being interrupted by the other kids or video game. Payton and I went the following week and we went to a few places that carry Webkinz because that is what she wanted for getting a good report card a few weeks back. I was happy to finally find the one she wanted four stores later. When it was Kennedy's turn, she wanted to go to the mall. We looked around the Disney Store, Hallmark store, she got a cookie, and then we spent the rest of the time at the American Girl Doll Store. She was not very happy that we didn't buy anything but a cookie. Talmage and I went yesterday. He wanted to go to the Dollar store to buy a gumball machine and then to Walmart to spend his $10.00 he got for his birthday last month. He bought some Indiana Jones guys. The kids are already talking about wear they want to go next time. Hayden has mommy and me time every Mon-Fri while the kids are at school. I don't do it with Connor having autism and can't talk and he doesn't really care to go out to stores (it is too cold to go outside) or care about the one on one time.
I hope this will last every week since the kids are growing up so fast.

Pumpkin picking and carving

After we went to Chuck E Cheese for Tallies birthday dinner, we went to Harry's and picked out our pumpkins. We met my mom and Taylor there (my dad was out of town). Hayden kept throwing the little pumpkins into our cart so when he wasn't looking I would take them out.

Kennedy

Hayden


Connor, Taylor, Talmage, Kennedy, Brenton, Hayden, Payton

Then the following Wednesday October 29th we carved them. We were supposed to carve them with my mom and Taylor (dad still out of town in a whole other country) but Taylor made the basketball team and had practice and homework to do. So we did it at our house by ourselves. The kids were most upset about the caramel apples Grandma always makes and we eat after we carve pumpkins. Grandma and Grandpa (he's home) dropped them off the following day.

Brenton

Kennedy

Talmage

Hayden

Payton

The finished products will be coming on the Halloween night post.

Happy Birthday Talmage

Talmage turned 5 years old on October 21. It is tradition that when it is someones birthday they get to pick a restaurant to go to. Talmage picked Chuck E Cheese. We had to go a day before his real birthday because Jon had Scout pack meeting, Brenton had scouts, and Payton had activity day girls on Tuesday. We did make him wait until the next day to open his presents.

Hayden

Talmage

Hayden

Connor

He opened his presents the next day when all the kids were home from school.

Talmage

On Sunday, we invited the Grandparents, Aunt's, Uncle's, and Cousins over for some cake and ice cream. When I asked Talmage what kind of cake he wanted, he said he wanted sugar cookies. So I made 2 sugar cookie cakes. He wanted Indiana Jones cake so Jon printed out 2 pictures.

My mom took him to build a bear for his birthday and let him pick out an animal and some clothes for it. He picked out the dog.

Candy Parade

Every October our city has a what is called the youth day parade. We call it the candy parade. They start off by having a 3K run. After the runners go by, the parade starts. They have lots of different people from schools, to scouts and girl scouts, to dance and gymnastics, fire trucks, horses etc. your typical city parade. Plus lots and lots of candy. This year was by far the best year for candy. In the past they threw a lot of brachs peppermint candy (the red and white ones) which kids don't really care for and most of the time just leave on the street. This year was the year for skittles and starbursts. All of my extended family was there except for Cheri's husband who was working and Morgan who is out at BYU Idaho. We even had Christa's mom and dad in-law there. They were in town from Kansas City, Kansas. Her dad in law is finishing their basement.

Megan and Lincoln

Megan, Sonoma, Olivia, Payton, Lincoln, Talmage, and Hayden

Hayden, Paige, and Eliza

Oh yeah, Brenton wasn't there either. He had a stake 11 year old scout day camp. He was most upset about not getting any candy. So that is when Jon decided to make the item below.

Not a very attractive basketball hoop with the electrical wire, string, duct tape, plumbing pipe, but he found everything in our garage and didn't spend a dime. Anything he collected in the bucket went to Brenton. It was a big hit everyone was trying to make a basket. Eliza who is 2 was right next to the basket and let me tell you she cleaned up because most people missed.

Hayden

When the parade got over, we went to the church to pick up Brenton and then headed over to the park. Every year after the parade they have free lunch for the kids (adults have to pay). They have hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and soda, water, or sports drink at the park. They also have about 6 big inflatable jumpers, slides and obstacle courses along with pony rides, train rides, and a rock climb. This year we just had lunch and headed home. We usually stay and do the inflatable items but not the other things because the lines are way out to China since they are all free. My sister Cheri was staying longer so she took Payton and Kennedy with her. The reason we didn't stay long is because it was our turn along with 3 other families to clean the church. We cleaned the gym and the bathrooms. The church wasn't that dirty since it was General Conference the week before and most people stay home and watch it on satellite. Then we headed over to my parents to watch the BYU football game which we won:). We figured out Payton and Kennedy had only been home for 1 hour all day long. They were wasted.

Waterfall

About 5 miles from our house there is a park that has a trail that leads to a waterfall. We have only done this hike a couple of times. Every time we go for a hike the kids ask if we are going to the waterfall. So we decided with summer basically behind us (even though we are still wearing shorts in October) we decided to take the kids on a hike to the waterfall. I would say it is about a 3 mile round trip hike. My dad came with us and volunteered to carry Hayden on his back in the backpack carrier. He usually hikes with a 50 lb bag of sand in a backpack so Hayden was a piece of cake for him.

The Waterfall

Payton and Kennedy

Hayden and Jon

Connor and Dad
Brenton and Talmage

That is what I love most about the city we live in. There is no shortage of trails, parks, and recreational activities. Our city offers so many programs from sports, dance, gymnastics, arts (painting, drawing, photography, pottery, jewelry etc.), lot of different exercise programs and many more. I love it. My kids are currently not in any of these extra activities at the moment but if they ever do get interested in any of them it is nice to know our city offers them at a reasonable price.

MDA WALK

Saturday October 4th was a stake service project day. They had 3 different services projects going on that the stake put together. All to be done by 11:00 am so we could watch General Conference. Our ward could choose any of those services projects to participate in or participate in the MDA walk at Zoo Atlanta. One of the primary children in our ward just got diagnosed with the worst kind of Muscular Distrophy (you know the one Jerry Lewis raises money for every Labor Day) in January right around his 7th birthday. I guess with this kind of MD he will be wheel chair bound probably between 10-12 years old and wont live past his teenage years because your muscles just stop working one by one and you need your muscles for all your organs to work. How very sad. I guess they have a MDA zoo walk every year. We decided to participate in the MDA walk (they couldn't call this a service project because they were asking for donations which all the money goes to finding a cure for MD). When we got to the zoo they escorted us to the back of the zoo to this big tent. They started off with breakfast provided by Burger King. Then we walked around the zoo (well probably just 1/3 of the zoo) then came back to the tent and the kids could get their face painted, eat cotton candy, eat popcorn, or lunch provided by Blimpies (I was still full from breakfast only 1 hour before). All which was free of coarse. They also had an area where you could make posters for your team (ours was team Trey).

Brenton, Spencer, Kennedy, and Payton

Payton and Kennedy

Brenton

Hayden

They also gave out some awards. Our team won the award for having the most participants there (there was over 80 people from our team). We headed home after they were done with the awards since we have been to the zoo 2 times in the past 3 months. We got home right when conference was starting. I enjoyed conference very much although I was hoping they would expand more on the economy. I guess I wanted them to tell me to get working on my year supply. Which I have been doing a lot lately. I just don't know how much I need to be focusing on it. So I guess I am going half way not spending all of our saving on it but not just buying one can to store. My favorite part of Conference is I can watch it in the comfort of my home.