Veteran's Day and Young Women in Excellence

November started with Young Women in Excellence at church. We had two girls getting their medallion and all the girls helped in some way to make the night happen.

Our programs

Our treats. 

The theme was D.O.T.S. or depend on the Savior and everything was polka dotted. 

I found out that chocolate covered donuts holes work just fine as cake pops. I'll have to remember that. 

The program went good, the girls had fun and it was well attended. 

Since I was running it I did't get any pictures of it. Here are some from another parent of a daughter who got their medallion.

Congratulations Kaitlyn Paige

We messed up the seminary room in the process so they wouldn't be too bugged at us we left extra treats and balloons in the room along with a love note stating 

"D.O.T.S. Depend on the Savior to 1. find your scriptures   2. your new seating arrangement"....the teacher and students loved it so we were OK. 

Ashley in the same week had to create a board game with the black death as a theme. Here are the game pieces I made out of shrinky dink material...

and she did the rest. I think it will be a very interesting game.

 I think it might be a family night activity.

While subbing I made talking turkeys with the class. It ends up being 60 students because the classes switch part way through the day. This was a crazy project to tackle on my own with 60 kids. I would modify it if I ever did it again. They loved it though and now every time I come back they ask if I have another craft project. How do I top this!

Jacob cheered his last game. Sad but happy that he got the experience. 

The score was 42 to 8 so it was a good game to cheer for. 

This is the mascot trio. 

(The girl's name is Caprese and she wanted to enjoy the last football game her senior year without her suit on.)

Jacob has had fun getting to know the cheerleaders and the the other mascots. Here they are a a movie night. 

They were supposed to wear crazy hats and he didn't want one he said. It looks like he left the house with Ashley's Hello Kitty hat as his crazy hat. (Maybe he didn't want me to know he was taking it)

The Saturday before Veteran's Day we brought the girls to help put flags on graves at the Riverside National Cemetery. 

There was an opening and a flag ceremony and then we were off to find a place to place flags. 

Emily really wanted to do her grandfathers but its a big cemetery and didn't know if we were going to be anywhere near it since we were just following the group. Sure enough we parked in the right section and she went out and found her grandfather's grave! She was happy.

Jeff wanted to put the flag on his father's grave and since there was already one there...

he put another one ;)

We participated with the girls from the Orangecrest Ward and we all had a good time. 

When Veteran's day came around Ashley was bored so we picked up Cassidy and I brought them to Sky Zone trampoline park. 

They jumped, I read...win, win.

I did Simone's open house and sold some of my jewelry and hair stuff. I had fun hanging out and talking to all the ladies coming in.

Ashley had her first choir performance singing at her school's run and carnival. They did a great job.

We went to the pet store and Ashley made a new friend. 

This puppy was a favorite and she didn't want to put him down. I have to admit he's cute...but not cute enough to have another dog. Ha ha.

We were at the pet store to buy fish food because Ashley came home with 3 fish (the reflection makes it look like more) They ended up lasting a couple of weeks. I was secretly happy that the last one died right before Thanksgiving so I could get it off my counter ;)

So the next thing for Young Women's is getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner for some elderly guests in our ward. We made pinecone turkeys and some of the girls learned how to use a glue gun. 

October Happenings and Halloween

October continues with Friday night football games with Jacob! At this game he is decked in pink for breast cancer awareness.

He always cracks us up. Here he is "sharing" a box with one of the cheerleaders. He would hop on a box and make it impossible for the cheerleader to cheer. (He is almost never on his own box) She is looking at her neighbor as if to say, "what am I supposed to do?" Jacob is a tease and will do anything for a laugh :)

We got to see Kelzey perform during half time. She is out there with the flag in the middle. 

It's been fun watching Jacob at the games.

A much needed break out of the costume. Nathan is next to Jacob as is the other male mascot. 

So this month we were without hot water for a couple of weeks. After rushing the order of two different parts and having our plumber come out twice hot water was finally restored. We all had to get used to cold showers....which were done quickly.

We had one of our most fun and well attended mutual nights making Maxi skirts. 

The first night was crazy trying to make patterns and cut out fabric but everyone got their skirts done by the next week. 

Saunna set up a caramel apple bar that was a big hit. 

Adele worked hard on getting the girls up to date on their personal progress before our Young Women in Excellence. 

Sadie working on decorations for Trunk or Treat

Every year there is a band parade in our neighborhood. Bands from all over compete and King High School is the finale. We came out at the end to see Kelzey...

and Nina. Ashley was running alongside Nina and trying to get her to laugh. She isn't allowed to so she's fighting the smile as she's marching!

Kate and Ashley and Cassidy showing off the results of their sour candy challenge. 

I've started subbing again...this was the end of a looonng day in a 1st grade class. The soaked, ruined book was brought to me by a student, I had 3 students that were prone to pouting, fits, anti social behavior and refused to a. sit, b. do anything the rest of the class was doing, c. keep hands to themselves.   Oh I and  I rescued 2 of these students from getting electrocuted after I caught them trying to plug in the electric pencil sharpener after taking it apart and filling it with water while I was reading the rest of the class a story. I give all credit to teachers of younger grades!

This was my attempt at capturing the partial eclipse. The only reason I knew about it was because Taylor and Parker came home and told me it was going to happen. So we poked holes and you could see in the shadows the moon covering the sun..

When I took a picture with my phone I could see the same shadow in the reflection from the sun. 

A little cooler weather prompts baking. Time to make some caramel popcorn. 

Ashley playing with the leftover caramel. This stuff is dangerous to have around the house so I haven't made any since :)

Ashley's friends Jenna and her sister Anna both do dive at RCC so one evening we came out to see them. 

Since Jenna doesn't live very close we take the opportunity to see her when we can. 

I have to say it was fun to see some impressive diving too!!

Getting ready for Halloween. My neighbor is the most talented person!!! She made this cute Halloween gift bag out of scrapbook paper. She inspires me.

Jacob's crazy pumpkin he made at mutual. 

So Jacob

The Saturday before Halloween I got up early to make cupcakes for our cupcake walk. The Young Women were putting on the Trunk or Treat for the 2 wards so I was happy to finish it and make sure everything ran smoothly. 

Not having time to come up with a costume (the last thing on my mind) I raided the costume box and hour before we left and found a wig, cut up a shirt and tried to come up with something where I could wear yoga pants and tennis shoes since I knew I was going to be running around. 

People asked what I was. I was "embarrassing mom" 

Ashley saw me and said "I hope you aren't going to wear that! That's embarrassing!"

I've learned that a teenagers mom's job is to be embarrassing so you might as well own it.

Ashley had Jenna out and they were both minions 

(used the minion costumes Jeff and I used last year)

Jenna also spent the night and went to church with us the next day.

Running our cupcake walk. Little chaotic. I would do something different next year but all in all it turned out good. 

So here is one of the Young Women advisers, Rebecca Campbell dressed up with the grand kids. 

Amy Caldwell and family. Loved her son in his giraffe costume. There family tradition is to have their baby wear the giraffe costume their first Halloween. 

Teenagers with minimalistic costumes trying to still look cool. 

Catching a wave...

While we were at trunk or treat Jacob was at a varsity cheerleader movie night. I asked him how it went and he said "It was OK but I thought we were going to watch scary movies and instead we watched Halloween Town and Mean Girls."

Welcome to a girls party Jacob :)

So the night before Halloween I was hemming, sewing and creating costumes.

Jacob with costume number 1. He wanted to be a teletubby so I bought a red sweatsuit and gloves and engineered a teletubby costume. 

He was a hit at school that day. People thought it was hilarious. 

He said he was interviewed by 4 different people to be in the yearbook, ha ha. 

Ashley's costume for school was the minion outfit, with hemmed sleeves and bottom. Basically it was like wearing a sweatshirt and suspenders and she said it was comfortable. 

While she was gone I poured out all the candy that she has been hording since last year knowing that she would be getting more. 

All the old Halloween, Christmas, Easter and whatever else candy. 

Wow, I think she likes owning it more than eating it!

Jacob with costume #2

His school was having a trunk or treat before that nights football game. Each group had a theme and his buddies were doing Monster's Inc so the night before I had to come up with a "Boo" costume. 

Ashley with costume #2

Ashley and Cassidy were doing twin costumes dressing up like nerds. I brought them over to the trunk or treat and they got started on their trick or treating. 

Jacob with his Monster Inc crew.

This was the cutest costume I saw all night!!

Jacob's costume #3 was his mascot suit that he wore at the game. Jeff went to his game and I brought Ashley trick or treating with her nerdy friends. 

Taylor and Kelzey hung out and carved a pumpkin.

You know Halloween is over when it's time to throw the Jack O Lattern away...I think this one is ready.

The next day we got together with Joel and Virginia and family to celebrate Scott and Jared's birthday (even though Scott couldn't make it)

We met at a restaurant and celebrated and then came back to our house to hang out. 

Ashley got a hold of my phone and took this picture and a few others...

I wrangled it back to get this one. Happy Birthday Jared!