Halloween 2012

Yesterday was just a normal day at our house. I had a few errands to run. Brady loves corn dogs and Sonic had $.50 corn dogs for Halloween. I rarely let him get a corn dog, so he was pretty excited to have that for lunch.

 

Presley had no idea the day was any different. I have put her in the activity center a few times this week. She seems to like it. She has awesome head control, so she does really well in it.

As I mentioned before, we did Trunk or Treat on Saturday as our "Halloween". I had thought if Brady wanted we would take him down the street before church to Trick or Treat. My parents were out of town and weren't able to be at Trunk or Treat so they wanted us to come by their house so Brady could trick or treat them. We ended up just going straight there. We made one stop at my uncles house on the way. When we got to my parent's Brady was done. He took his costume off pretty soon after we got there. He was content with his few pieces of candy. We went to church as normal and Brady got a few treat bags there as well. We have enough candy for a while, but not an abundance.  I love all the holidays and the fun they can bring, but I do not like how they can get excessive. We want Brady to be thankful and appreciative. That is hard when you get tons and tons of candy. I am happy we stopped when we did. I really struggle with letting them enjoy the holidays and teaching them generosity and it isn't about more and more stuff.

Brady being a weirdo in his costume. I tried to get him to pose, but he was being silly.

 

 

Presley girl in her Halloween outfit. She looked so cute in it! She is so chunky! Look at that double chin.

 

Sweet story: My parents gave him $5 in his treat bag. My mom asked what he wanted to do with it, if he was going to save it. He very quickly replied, "No, I am going to put it in my jar for the kids that don't have mommy's and daddy's."  We have a container we have been putting spare change in to donate to a local children's home. I have been amazed with Brady and how much he wants to give to these kids. He volunteers to put money in it on his own all the time. This was just something we thought would help teach him about how blessed he is and how we should give. It has really made him think. I always hope he stays this generous and sweet!!! As soon as we got home he dug it out of his bucket and put it in the jar. Sweet boy! He is such a blessing to us!!!

The Rest of the Weekend.

Friday night Caleb had to work late and Brady spent the night with Papa and Gigi. Presley and I headed out for a costume party.

I was hesitant to go at first. I didn't know exactly who was going to be there and I didn't know how Presley would do.  However, when I was leaving I was so happy I went. I laughed and laughed!  Presley did fine, she didn't even cry on the way home! :) It does my heart and mind good to spend time with friends. I love having friends in all different stages of life. I am a mom and wife. I love my husband and kids more than I can describe, but there is so much more to me. I love this life I live and wouldn't take anything for it. BUT, I don't always want to talk mom and wife. I love getting a chance to just be Amber and talk about something outside the world of mom and wife life. I didn't realize how much I needed that until I was driving home. I felt relaxed and rejuvenated. Ok. Ok. Enough of that.

I was a bank robber and Presley was my bag of money! So easy!

Saturday morning, Presley and I headed to my friend's baby shower. I went to college with Amanda and was a bridesmaid in her wedding. The shower was at another friends home that I worked with at Maggie Moo's in college. It is always nice to see these sweet ladies. I met a few new ones as well. ;)

We had brunch and it was so good! It didn't take a picture(should have), but they had little make your own yogurt parfaits in mini mason jars. I loved them. I was a little too excited about them.

The simple, cute cake.

We also made tie onesies. (no pictures) They had the tie already drawn on, we just drew in a design. It was pretty serious.  They also had a "photo booth" with mustaches. We took some of Presley with a mustache, but I don't know whose camera they ended up on. Hopefully they will show up. It was fun and funny.

She got a lot of diapers and essentials. She got a few new sweet boy clothes. My friend Jessica made these for Liam's room. So cute!

I always enjoy seeing Amanda. I am so excited for her family to welcome baby Liam in a few weeks.

Of course Saturday night was trunk or treat. You can see the post on it here, in case you missed it.

Caleb worked Sunday afternoon. We went to worship service as a family and quickly grabbed lunch. Caleb headed to work. Brady and Presley took long, long naps. I was lazy and may have watched a couple lifetime movies while they napped. Ha!

It was a good weekend.

Trunk or Treat

A few things to note about Halloween 2012
1. This is the first year I have had 2 kids at Halloween.
2. My mom happened to be out of town this year.
3. I LOVE Trunk or Treat!!!

Our church had Trunk or Treat Saturday night. I think Trunk or Treat was the best idea ever! Brady's first Halloween(2009), we attended a different congregation that had Trunk or Treat, but we didn't go. Our congregation now(which is where my family attends and always have) didn't have Trunk or Treat. So... We did the whole drive to each family members house with a 10 month old in a dinosaur costume to Trick or Treat. We did it and it was fine, but we were all DONE by the time the night was over. Costumes and car seats don't mix!

The next year(2010) we went to Trunk or Treat at my parents church(our church now, also) and was thrilled with it! The next year(2011) we invited Caleb's family to join us and they did! They also loved it! This year we continued with the Trunk or Treat thing. They encouraged Caleb's brothers to also come.

It makes it so nice that we can say we will be at Trunk or Treat and if you want to see the kiddo's in their costumes then come by. Also we get maybe 10 trick or treaters at our house and Caleb LOVES to hand out candy so he really enjoys Trunk or Treat.

Brady's friend Aubry and family. This family always does a great job!

It was cold this year, but we kept Presley bundled up and Brady is never cold. Really he sweats more than any person. Strangers are always commenting on how much he sweats along with friends and family. It is so crazy! Back to it...

Our Baseball setup.

I asked Caleb what he could dress up as without buying anything and we came up with a baseball player, so that was our trunk. I had bigger ideas, but waited way to late to start on it. Oh well.

Best Buds!

Caleb manned the trunk, his parents held Presley, while I took Brady around for candy and to the bouncy things. I also had invited my grandparents to come, so I was trying to make sure they all saw the kids dressed up. I got a call that Presley was having a meltdown and I needed to return. I left Brady to bounce and dealt with Presley. I thought she was under control so I ran back to check on Brady. She wasn't so I came back to get her. She was not having the bottle, so I had to feed her in the front of the car while Caleb gave out candy out of the trunk. Ha! I could have gone inside the building, but she was screaming and I just went to the closest covered location. No one noticed, not even the girls in the car next to us. Success!  I then strapped her into the Moby around me and she went to sleep. I had quickly told Brady to stay near my sister, so I went straight to them when I was situated. She didn't have him. So I went back to where I left him and there he was bouncing and getting right back in line after each turn. No worries. I went to get something to eat, but ended up standing to eat it, because I was talking and trying to monitor Brady. I finally coaxed him away from the bounce house, but without his shoes. (I did NOT want Pres to wake up and it is hard to put on his shoes with the Moby on without waking her.) He was running around without shoes for the longest time, until Caleb finally got a chance to put his shoes on him for me. Did I mention it was so cold and he had no shoes on! Caleb's brother and family finally made it, but my SIL had forgotten Carleigh's costume. She was so upset, but Carleigh didn't care. It was CRAZY!!! Needless to say, I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked, but we still all had a great time. Even with all of all this, I really am so thankful for Trunk or Treat. This is so much easier than getting them both in and out of the car at a million different stops and taking costumes on and off at each stop.

Presley and Papa

Brady and Presley both did really well considering. I was a little concerned about Presley. But I don't think she could have done much better at only 3 months old, well except for her screaming the entire way home. I have come to expect that though. She doesn't always do it, but she does do it and it is awful, but we persevere.  I was so impressed with Brady. He didn't ask to eat his candy and was very pleasant the entire night. These things always run the risk of major fits and meltdowns.

My cousins little girls came. They were cute and cold.

 Life is just much more chaotic with two, much more than I thought it would be. Despite the crazy, it is so much more sweet with two. I mean look at them!

I really missed my mom being there. We have a great support system all around.  Everyone was helpful when I asked, but my mom just does. No asking needed.



Sweet Noah.

I think if I didn't have a sense of humor I would drown in Parenthood. Caleb and I usually stay up way to late laughing about the craziness each day brings. In my opinion, it is the best way to survive.

I had a few more pictures, but my camera is being silly and won't load the rest onto my computer.

Happy Halloween! 

Jack-O-Lantern

I have so much to catch up on...

Caleb and Brady carved a Jack-O-Lantern Thursday morning. Caleb didn't have to be at work until later in the day, so they got to enjoy some time together in the morning.

 

Brady picked the design. I didn't see him clean out the "guts", but I am told he did. He said, "they are squishy."

 

Caleb went inside to get some scissors and Brady started carving into the pumpkin on his own. He is so independent it is dangerous some times. Luckily, it was just the jack-o-lantern kit knifes, not a real knife.  We have had them for several years so they aren't that sharp and they are small.

 

I can't say that carving pumpkins is my favorite activity. I don't like the cleaning out the guts and getting all sticky and yucky. I will do it, but I would rather paint the pumpkins! Caleb is such a good daddy.

 

Brady was so proud of his pumpkin. He carved the nose all on his own. (Ignore the real spider web in the back ground. Obviously I didn't sweep the porch or remove the cobwebs before the picture.) He looks huge in this picture.

Halloween Night

This is my last Halloween post of 2011. Promise.

I mentioned we didn't get out to Trick or Treat, but we did enjoy a little family Halloween fun indoors.

We watched Hocus Pocus and ate popcorn. Brady really liked staying up and watching the movie with us!

I also put Brady's glow sticks, that didn't get used Saturday night, in his bath and turned out the lights as seen on pinterest. He enjoyed that for a while.

We also handed out candy to the 6 trick-or-treater's that came to our house. Brady asked a couple times why those kids were at the door, but didn't ask any more questions than that.

After a busy weekend, it was nice to have some family time at home.

And just for fun, because one more Halloween has come and gone.

Me and Brady, Halloween 2008

I was around 7 months pregnant.

Brady, Halloween 2009

10 months old

Brady, Halloween 2010

22 months old

Brady, Halloween 2011

2 months shy of 3 years old (34 months old)

It is crazy he has gotten this big. It all goes by so fast. It seems like it was just the other day we were waiting for him to join our family. On the flip side, I can't remember my life without him!

Trunk or Treat

Trunk or Treat was Saturday night at our church. We talked Caleb's parents into coming this year. They even sat up a trunk. This meant both sets of grandparents were there. Both my grandmother's were there also. Everyone got to see Brady and we only had to make one stop. It was so nice. I hope we can work that out again.



It was really cold!!!



Caleb's brother, SIL, and neice planned to come, but didn't make it. Life with a one year old. So, we did have to stop by Caleb's parents on the way home to see sweet Carleigh. We didn't mind.

We didn't get out to Trick or Treat again last night. Brady had a lot of candy and we just didn't bother to do it again. He doesn't know the difference right now anyway. He thinks Trunk or Treat is Trick or Treating and that is just fine with me.

Costume Party

We hosted a Costume Party for our friends Friday night. We all try to have a party every year and this year we decide to host it. This is one of our favorite events of the year.


Group picture. I am missing.



There was such a wide variety of costumes. It is always so fun to see everyone arrive.

A couple decorations. Brady and I made the box below to put the votes in for the costume and Halloween treat contest. He was very proud of it.

This is  the winning Halloween treat below. It was a little too gross for my taste. I heard it tasted fine, but I didn't try it.

There were so many cute and creative treats. These were a few of my favorites, but they were all so fun.

I didn't get a single picture of myself. I am not even in the group picture. I am not sure how that happened. I meant to get a picture of our family dressed up, but it didn't happen either.  I was busy talking hosting, I guess. I also failed to get a picture of the costume winners. The avatar and Where's Waldo were the big winners!

Along with the food and costume contests, we had a fire outside for roasting marshmallows and hanging out. We also played several games until the early morning.

We ate too much, stayed up too late, and laughed until our stomachs hurt. Caleb and I had so much fun! 

 

I have already started thinking of costumes for next year. Ha!

Happy Halloween!!!