Candy Day

We begged and begged to have a trunk-or-treat last year for Halloween. We got the shaft. BUT! We were promised one this year, due to the day falling on a Sunday. These things are the best. Dinner (that I don't have to cook), lots of candy in a short distance, with people I trust. Sounds pretty perfect to me! I wore my Jeanie outfit I made a few years ago before I had Kaitlyn, and Dan borrowed an Airforce uniform to be my Major Nelson. Allison was easy to please with a cheap witch costume, which I then had to enlarge the opening of the hat for day of. Cole went for the pirate costume, and Kaitlyn perfectly fit the giraffe costume I bought a year ago on clearance. We had Allison's school Festival the Friday before Halloween.....which she looked forward to and asked about almost weekly since the day after last years'. Then, we had the trunk or treat at the church which I was in charge of with the activities committee. That night before Halloween, we went to a Halloween party and I got a pretty good ab workout from laughing. I'm pretty sure Dan added a bruise or two to the thigh, and I contributed to a huge dent the the wall--doh! Needless to say, we had a pretty freakin' good time. The costumes were great, the company was even better, and it was topped off by my least favorite movie. The Ring. *Shiver* The next day (on Halloween) we had dinner with the whole family at Kari's house, and we played games and the kids handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Shannon and I might have gone to see a haunted house or two in the neighborhood. The kids overall were really great about not going out that night and almost had more fun handing the candy out!

A Walk in the Park

We got a flier from some new church coming into town...and they were having some sort of kick off party at the park with a bounce house, free popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones. I'm all in for free fun on a Saturday so we headed over. The kids had a blast....but it was blasted hot that day. Kaitlyn had her first taste of cotton candy


and the kids tongues were blue from Snow cone overdoses. I had a nice chat with the lady who was starting the new church with her husband. She made some comment about the house they just moved to and how she thinks the previous owner must have been Mormon because of how many rooms there with the add-ons. She then added that she thought maybe they didn't believe in birth control. I chuckled and added that they do....and by "they" I meant "we." She then took her foot out her mouth and tried back peddling a little. It was pretty funny. That is one thing I love about living here in Temecula. There are so many family-oriented and God-believing people, I feel really blessed to be able to raise my kids here. So if you're thinking of moving and don't know where to go? COME HERE!! We love it....especially on beautiful weekends like this one.

Shiny Happy People

There is many a morning when I feel like my kids just take pleasure in teasing and torturing each other. So when I see moments like these....I feel like there is still hope. Dan and his sister, Shannon, have always been really close. I always hope for these two that they can have that kind of relationship. On Saturday mornings, something strange and wonderful happens. It seems like fairy dust has been sprinkled on the two and they go downstairs and play together for hours....no fighting, just letting us sleep in. It is the BEST. And that's when I think, "I'll take it." But then on weekday mornings, I want to hide under my covers and disappear. But I guess, for now, I will keep freezing moments like this one and hoping there will be many more like it to come...and maybe not so far in between!