Jedi-ween

Another fun and successful Halloween. The whole season, really. Planning the costumes, decorating the house, and buying candy is just as fun (if not more) than the actual day. We didn't get quite as many trick-or-treaters, probably that Halloween was on a Monday.

This is the last year I am encouraging us to dress as a theme. My kids are getting old enough to want to go with their friends and my husband has been a great sport. It is time to set them free. I knew I could get away with it this year because of how into Star Wars my family is right now. Dax made a fine Obi-Wan. He was wishing for Princess Leia in the gold bra but I had to save that costume for after the kids were in bed.

I added a few new yard decorations this year. One was a sign post the hubs put in for me. It is just a pine log from the mountains with some dollar store signs screwed onto it.

I made a "severed finger" box for my kids this year. I remember having one exactly like this when I was a kid; I loved tricking my friends with it. It is just a jewelry gift box with a hole cut in the bottom and fake blood/red food coloring added around the hole in the fluff.

The worst thing about today was Hunter, Mack, and Quinn being sick. Hunter missed his class party again- second year in a row. October is a hard month for being healthy.

The best thing about today was baby Yoda. She stole the show in those darling green ears. AND she can sing the Star Wars theme. How adorable can you get?

Another couple funnies: When Dax told me that he's never going to trick-or-treat at the park again. The line was SO long; we waited forEVER. He said, "I hated that. I would have rather sat on the toilet for 2 hours reading an entire hunting magazine."

I also had to laugh when I was fixing Preslie's hair for her Padme Amidala costume and she said, "You know, I am actually your Mom."

you might be a redneck if...

you have your buck tied to the top of your family car-

I got my deer!

Dax and I woke up at 4am yesterday to head out to the Book Cliffs. We had arranged for Preslie and Hunter to go to school and then to friends' houses after school. We loaded Mack and Quinn and our gear and drove out in a snow storm. It snowed all morning as we drove around. Visibility was limited and the deer weren't really out because of the storm. We saw a few does, fawns and maybe 2 bucks. One of the bucks was a huge 2 point that I was tempted to shoot but it ran away when we got closer. Mack was in the back seat being himself and making it difficult to hunt. I couldn't blame him though. We drove around all day long. I questioned myself many times as to why I was doing this. It was freezing cold, so muddy, and not an activity I would choose to do with little kids. But, Dax has put me in the drawing for this Book Cliffs hunt for 9 years. I tried to make the most of it.

We met Dad, Matt, and Trent out there and had lunch with them then they piled in our Durango and we hunted together. Dax drove us around for hours in the mud. Our SUV is covered.

We saw a few deer but nothing too exciting. Around 3 or 4 pm I was holding Quinn on my lap in the front seat and my eyes started to close a bit. Dax asked if I was ok and if I was getting bored. I said yes but mostly just tired. I layed my head back and 1 minute later, Dax yells, "There's a huge buck! Paul, Tristie, someone shoot it!" My Dad didn't seem to be getting out very quickly and I knew I could get it so I handed Quinn to Dax and jumped out. The buck was headed up the hill behind some trees. I feel like I made a good shot and knew I hit it. It ran up the hill and all the guys were chasing after it. I wasn't in a hurry because I thought I hit it good and that it would lay down. It did lay down but crazy Dax was running up the mountain after it holding Quinn and was telling us to follow the tracks.

It is a nice mature 4 point buck. I'm happy! The guys were proud of me. Dax, Dad and my brothers totally did all the work after I shot it. Dax gutted and caped and quartered it and my bros hauled it all up the hill. We tied it to the top of our Durango and we drove home. I had done what I came to do. Dax loves to hunt so much and I am glad I could make him happy by being apart of what he loves to do.

I am relieved that I got a deer. There is a lot of pressure associated with this! Four of us had deer tags: me, 2 of my brothers and my Dad. All of us shot nice bucks and had a great time. Stressful and complicated with little children, but fun.

more seasons than we can handle

I mentioned earlier that this was Birthday Season at our house. It is also Halloween season, canning season, and yes, DEER SEASON! We mustn't forget that. So much to do...

Yesterday I

• worked ($)
• planned the next 2 months of cub scouts with my assistant
• baked cookies
• made dinner and took it to a friend who just had a baby
• secretly delivered "Halloween Phantom" treats to 2 neighbors
• started an incentive program with my kids to get them to speak nicer to our family members. Their reward is a turkey dinner (they are pumped, but also had to loose points for fighting over who got the drumsticks).
• folded 5 batches of laundry with Dax after he got home from work at 8:30pm.

Today I

• canned 21 quarts of applesauce while babysitting 3 neighbor girls
• attended pack meeting with my very own Cub Scout. Hunter earned his Bobcat Rank!
• divied up my kids to various neighbors so Dax and I can go deer hunting tomorrow
• mopped my sticky applesauce floor
• packed up stuff for our hunting trip
• missed my husband who worked until 9:45pm.

Tomorrow I

• would really like to shoot a nice buck! WISH ME LUCK.

Hunter is Eight.

Hunter had a hard time falling asleep last night for all the excitement and anticipation of his big day. Quinn woke up in the night crying so I got up to comfort her and saw that the stair light was on. I investigated further and found Hunter downstairs watching a movie. I wished him a happy birthday (it was 4am-his birthday technically). He said he had been up since 2am and couldn't fall back asleep so he decided to put on a movie and wait for everyone else to get up. Great idea but that was in like 3 more hours so I put him back to bed.

He opened a couple gifts when he got up (new DS game and new scriptures with his name on them). Then I drove him to school since he missed the bus from sleeping in.

It was a busy day for Dax and me. When Hunter got home from school, his friends arrived for a birthday party. I hope they had fun. I like this pic of Hunter and his friends doing Jedi force moves on me..

I asked Hunter what his favorite part of his party was and he said "the cake pops". That is good, since those took the most time. I followed instructions to make them here.

I personally liked the obstacle course Dax set up in the back yard. Also the t-shirts we gave each boy turned out cool. I learned to spray paint t-shirts at an activity I took my kids to in the summer. I made a Lego man stencil using instructions from this blog. I taped the stencil on, spray painted, then removed it. I so enjoyed making them.

Hunter is a great boy and I'm blessed to have him for a son. He is by far the most mellow kid I know. He just chills out and is a home body most the time. He is my snuggler and gives good, long hugs (just how I like them). He is super smart and catches on to new ideas and concepts very quickly. He absorbs information like a sponge and consequently is a wiz at school. He is very methodical when he does anything, always trying to get it right and concentrates very hard on tasks that interest him. I wonder what he will choose for a job when he grows up. His natural abilities in reading and math will be a blessing to him. He doesn't really enjoy sports and does not like competition. Some might think that is a shame because of how big he is. He is a head taller than most of his classmates and stronger too. The best part about Hunter is that he is very kind to all people. I have never heard him say a mean thing to or about another child. I hope he always stays that way. He is my sweet heart and I appreciate how he always wants to do the right thing.

This evening Hunter enjoyed playing with new toys he received from his birthday. My favorite thing he opened was his cub scout uniform. He put it on and looked so cute and grown up. I am pumped to be in cub scouts with him as his den leader! He will be a great scout.

Another exciting thing that happened today is Preslie lost 4 (yes four) teeth! She pulled out 2 early this morning and I about died (laughing) when she pulled another one out tonight before bed. She went into her room to round up all her lost teeth and then came out and held up another bloody tooth and said, "Here's the fourth!". So crazy. The tooth fairy is going broke tonight.

What a day. Hunter had NO problem falling asleep tonight.

Mack's happy day

• presents in the morning
• friends came to play in the day
• waffles for dinner
• pumpkin pie birthday cake
• FOUR candles to blow out!

We love you like crazy, Mack!

2 Halloween decor projects

We are in full-fledged decorating mode at our house. Here are 2 projects I completed this week. And you know how I do 'em: CHEAP.

1. Creepy Curtain.
I purchased horrid seafoam green lace curtains at a yard sale for 25 cents a couple years ago. I had this very purpose in mind but it took me til now to finally do it. I tried dying it black but I should have heeded the instructions on the dye box: 100% polyester won't dye. It can be spray painted, though. After paint, I cut and ripped until I was satisfied with the results. I hung it in the front window with a tension rod I borrowed from my bathroom curtain.


2. Pumpkin Post.
Starting out, this project was going to be 2 posts flanking the entrance of our Halloween graveyard. After I made one post from scraps in my garage, I got lazy my idea evolved and the post became a Jack o' lantern stand. (click on image to enlarge)

I may still make another one but for now I think it looks good holding my Jack. What do you think so far? I have a few more projects up my sleeve. I love Halloween.

busy season kick-off

My husband's birthday always kicks off the busy season at our house. This year, his birthday was a season all its own. (Everyone should have a birthday season, not just a day. Seriously, it is awesome.) I made him his cake 2 days early. We let him open his present 1 day early. Then on his actual birthday, we went out and Dax shot his new black powder rifle. That afternoon, we drove to Salt Lake and had dinner with my parents, who also had a cake waiting. The next day, Dax and I took a day trip to Logan to absorb the beauty, walk the campus, drive by all the places we called home there, eat at El Toro Viejo, drive up the canyon to see the changing leaves, and meet some friends for some Aggie Ice Cream. I still love beautiful Logan.


But wait, Dax's birthday still wasn't done. My awesome Mom threw a big Sunday dinner for Dax; 3 of my brothers plus Dax's brother and family came.

Now onto :

• Halloween prep/decorating
  
• Muzzle loader deer hunt
• Mack's birthday
  
• the elk hunt
• Hunter's birthday
• my deer hunt Dax signed me up for
  
• Halloween (big deal around here)
  
• Hunter's baptism
  
• Dax's Colorado deer hunt
• our wedding anniversary
• Thankgiving
• Christmas season
• Preslie's Birthday
• Christmas!