HaPPy HaLLowEEn!!

Seems like the days and weekends surrounding the holidays are absolutely jam-packed with this, that or the other!! I had a lot of good intentions for celebrating Halloween this year... you know, stuff like a trip to the pumpkin patch, making cute Halloween food for lunch/dinner, carving pumpkins, NONE of which happened. We did decorate a bit and I did make Halloween shaped sugar cookies earlier in the month and I guess none of the kids are traumatized by what we DIDN'T do, so I should just get over it.

After spending a fortune on costumes last year, I had purchased costumes on clearance after Halloween and thankfully, everyone was happy with what I had for them to wear this year; Brooklyn - Super Girl, Blake - Darth Vader, Gavin - Boba Fett. I didn't have something for Preston, so we asked him what he wanted to be and he kept telling us "a ghost." I've never had one of my kids express a desire for a specific costume so young, but he was adamant, so that's what he was!

Another "thing" I didn't get to.... taking good individual pics of the kids in their costumes, except for Prest. *sigh*

Our ward Trunk or Treat was Friday night, with the traditional chili and cornbread affair. They had carnival games inside the church building before the trunk or treating started. Brittney and her friend dressed up as the Olsen twins, complete with the sunglasses and Starbucks cups- haha!The kids ready to get some candy!! Not sure why everyone looks so unenthused here...

Matt was working in Yuma today (that means he's later getting home) so the kids felt tortured as they watched all the trick-or-treaters come to OUR door while we waited for Daddy to get home. They love passing out candy and glow sticks anyway. We finally headed out and although a lot of houses already had their lights off for the night, Brooklyn still declared that this was the "BEST Halloween EVER!"

Trick or Treat!!

Another glimpse of babyGirl & we have a DATE!!

We've never had a 4D u/s done while any of our babies were in utero, so we decided to go ALL out and splurge for one with this last baby. The place we used, Wombmates 3D4D, actually comes TO you and sets everything up in the comfort of your own home. The tech hooked the machine up to our big ole tv so the kids were able to watch every moment of the ultrasound.The baby was totally cooperative and we were able to get some amazing shots of her cute little face!

BIG yawn!"Thinker" poseChubby cheekers!Tiny fingersSucking her thumb?

Based on these pictures, we're guessing that she'll look more like Brooklyn or Gavin. She has a round face with chubby cheeks and possibly Matt's butt chin. ;) It'll be interesting to see how these images compare to what she'll look like in real life!

And we have a date set for my c-section!!!

December 14th is BABY DAY!!!!
{That's just 8 weeks from today!}

Good friends, good times :)

Saturday night, we headed out to the desert to have some fun with three other families in our group of friends, the Thornes, Turners and Oitzmans. The Turners brought some "toys" that we got to take turns riding. The kids all thought they were in heaven!!

Even these BIG kids were in heaven! ;)We shot some guns...

had chili & cornbread muffins, roasted hot dogss'moresand got DiRtY!!!We even saw this desert dweller crawl right through our spot!All the kiddos, minus three babies -- Madelyn, Brooklyn, Kate, Kate, Jurnee (back), Gavin, Joshua, Blake, Todd, Kylee, Caedence, (in front) Emily, Preston, Lea

I've said countless times that I'm so grateful for the big group of friends we have out where we are!!! Makes life so much easier when you have good people to be around.

I actually won something!!

I entered a drawing sponsored by Arizona Shopping Secrets for Disney on Ice tickets and to my surprise, my name was actually picked as the winner!!! The biggest catch, though, was that the show was in TUCSON! Since it was during Fall Break and the kids didn't have any school, I figured why not?! I planned on just taking Gavin and asked my sister-in-law Kristin if she wanted to come along and bring Spencer (who is Gavin's age), so we arranged sitters for the other kids til the hubbies got home and off we went!!! We didn't tell the boys where we were going, just some place fun. ;)

We had great seats! Gavin and Spencer were pretty entertained by the show. I loved that Gavin would periodically giggle out loud or give out a "whoooooooo!" Love this cute boy!Mama was a sucker for expensive cotton candy with the alien hat and the overpriced light-up Buzz Lightyear sword. Gotta spoil them once in awhile!

The show was Toy Story 3, but it basically told the story from the beginning-
Buzz defeating Zurg Woody & BuzzJessie & Woody

Lotso bearKen & Barbie were hilariousAll the "toys" at Sunnyside Daycare

The boys chattered away about the show when we got back to the car, then were out within 10 minutes of leaving the parking lot. It took just under 2 hrs to drive down, 2 hr show, then 2 hrs back so a whirlwind trip, but it was so fun to do something like that!!

The chickadeedles

Our baby chickens have grown so quickly and are fully feathered now! We moved them to the coop so they have plenty of space to roam around and roost.

There is bad news.... Maggie, one of our barred rock chickens is, in fact, a ROOSTER!!!! So HIS name is now Magnificent. LOL! As soon as he crows for the first time, he's OUTTA HERE!! I don't think our neighbors would take to kindly to a wake up call of that sort. ;)

These white leghorn chickens are fast little boogers!!!Preston doesn't like to touch their feet, so he holds the chickens like this and it makes me laugh...Gavin is so gentle with the chickensBlake usually will only hold his own chicken.Brooklyn should live on a farm. She treats these things like her babies!!!

Preggo Update

I'm 30 weeks today -- holy moly. Time is flying by fast!
Ultrasound last week confirmed it's still a GIRL! It's good to know all my shopping hasn't been in vain. ;)

{girly parts}{profile, looking up}{side view- ear, shoulder, elbow}{profile, with hand by mouth}

All these adorable baby girl clothes are piling up and I can't wait to do the girlie thing again!

Several weeks ago, I busted out all my bow making supplies and went to town making all sorts of bows for baby girl.
I bought my first pack of newborn diapers this week, which makes this feel a little more real.

Girls names have been FAR easier for us to discuss and agree on. I'm pretty sure we're set on a first name, just trying to solidify a middle name.

She kicks and rolls and sticks her little body parts out ALL the TIME. I love watching my belly move. I make Matt come feel her dancing around and he always laughs at how funny it feels. Imagine feeling that from the inside! She also gets the hiccups several times a day.

I'm starting to get more and more uncomfortable, sitting, walking, sleeping, etc. My pelvic bone is really hurting a lot, which causes me to waddle and I'm not afraid to admit it!

Only 9 more weeks until we get to meet this little lady!! We're so excited!!!

Grow, baby, grow!!