Today Allie had a Halloween party at preschool.
She was very excited to wear her costume.
They must have had a great time since she came home extra tired.

Here is a picture of the things she brought home in her backpack.
Check out her cool footprint ghost &
her writing the letters 'A' & 'L'.
Two more letters and she will be able to spell her name!

5 Haircut

My hair. What do I say...'the grass is always greener on the other side'.

Growing up I hated the curls since it was more like frizz. Somewhere in high school I stumbled across a defuser & Aussi sprunch spray, which made life easier, but still the curl has ruled my head. In college I grew out my bangs (remember the hair-to-heaven, you know the 80's ratted ball) and and grew out the back nearly to my waist. I bet I spent over an hour a day blow drying, straightening, and adding back in wavy curls. Hard to imagine I spent that kind of time on myself at any time.

Now that I'm a wife and working mom I've cut the hair time down to next to nothing by cutting it off. But life gets busy and hair grows. I was surprised to find that Monday I could braid my hair into 2 french braids. If I slicked it back, I could even get it into 2 tiny pigtails. Convenient as it was, I decided to sacrifice the length for a quicker style and got a trim yesterday. Thanks Hayley! Ponytails are great for a busy morning, but when my hair gets that long it just doesn't look good any other way. The top curls pull out and the bottom gets stringy. Sorry Nate, it just doesn't work. So, here are some pics I took of myself this morning to show my sisters.
What do ya think?

3 Ward Halloween Carnival

Fall is definitely good for one thing: taking lots of pictures to scrapbook. Just in October we have...

• football games
• Harvest pumpkins
• play in Grandma's leaves / pick their apples
• canning
• North Logan pumpkin walk
• Ward Halloween carnival
• Carving pumpkins (we haven't done this yet)
• Trick or treat

Well here we all are at the annual ward party put on by our awsome young women and men. The girls had a blast getting their faces painted and all the other booths. There was a cupcake walk, fishing booth, dart throwing, and eating donuts hanging on a string. Allie was ecstatic to get a little make-up on. Kylie loved the food.

0 North Logan Pumpkin Walk

This was out third year in a row going to the North Logan Pumpkin Walk, but in the past we've meandered through during the mid-afternoon. This year we headed down for FHE, Monday evening around 7:30pm. WOW! What a difference!!! Instead of parking directly in front of the entrance, we parked several blocks away. Instead of walking right in, we rode the free shuttles. Both girls were wide eyes as we rode a city transit bus on the way in and a school bus on the way home. Seriously, I think we could have skipped every pumpkin display and just rode the buses and the girls would have been just as happy. Well, Allie might have wanted to do one other thing to make her night complete.

Allie went to the pumpkin walk the week before with her pre-school class, but she was super excited to go back with us. She talked and talked about getting in the 'holes' and being Ariel. It took me a few days, but I finally figured out she wanted to talk photos in the painted boards. I guess it is our tradition now (along with about every other family in the valley -LOL).
Kylie - - Allie

3 Puzzle Mania

Allie has been loving her new puzzles. To earn each new puzzle, she has to keep her panties clean and dry for an entire day. In 3 days she has earned 2; two more to go. Today she completed the newest puzzle in about a half hour, first time. She is getting faster!

When we were at the dollar store, Kylie picked out a small purple bouncy ball. I love that this $1 toy is her favorite.

I was snapping shots of the girls playing when a catchy tune came on the radio. I don't know if you can hear it on the video clip, but Allie got her groove on. It was so hard not to laugh! I don't think she even knew I was sitting behind her until about halfway through this clip.

1 Games we have been playing

Remember that puzzle I got Allie last week. The one that she and Ray lost interest in after about 1 minute? Well, by the next day Allie was hooked. She will sit and work on it for 30, 40, even 50 minutes at a time. I do have to remind her to go to the bathroom, as she sometimes concentrates so hard she has an accident. She can now put all 63 pieces together in a flash. I think it is time to get her another one!



The other day our good buddy Jett came to play. Kylie squealed like a pig when he 'found' her ball, so I sat them both down and got them to roll it back and forth to each other. I don't know who had more fun, Kylie or Jet. It was so cute. Pretty soon Allie came to join in, too. When it finally dawned on me to take a picture, the moment was gone. This was the only shot I could get before they all went their separate ways.

1 Ray & "A"

Today I was going through some old digital photos that I never printed and came across one of Allie & Rayden nearly two years ago. I thought it would be fun to post since I've recently put up a few of the buddies. I'm so greatful that our girls have such good friend. It is something I'm sure I'll become even more greatful for in the future. So here's to a long friendship -Ray & 'A'

2 Leaves are Falling All Around

Allie, Mommy, & Kylie

Yesterday I had the girls in their sleeveless costumes posing in the pumpkin patch, but today there is a BITTER wind blowing. We tried to take some friends out to the farm today, so they could pick a few pumpkins, but the kids didn't want to be out of the cars and I don't blame them. On the way home Allie & Rayden were noticing the falling leaves and I made a comment about we should go plan in Grandma & Grandpa Schwartz's leaves soon, maybe after naps. Allie begged to go right now. I though, why not? We turned around and backtracked a block. I'm sure glad. The kids had a great time romping in the leaves and eating fresh apples.

It was definitely a fall day.

Allie
Kylie
Allie & Rayden
Allie
Allie & Rayden
Rayden, Kyile, & Allie
Kylie raking
Rayden

2 Morning Muse

This morning Nate's oldest brother, Brook, came over during breakfast to conference with Nate regarding tractors, trailers, and trucks. I think our 'equipment' list is going to grow this week. Sigh- I don't have much of a stomach for this self-employed thing.

While here, Brook was Kylie's hero when he put her jacket and shoes on over her PJs. Kylie always gets anxious when Allie is getting ready for preschool. I think she can tell she is going to be left behind. She doesn't throw a fit when Allie leaves, but she tried to get ready to go, just in case. When Allie left, Kylie snuggled right up to Brook and gave him lots of love. He is her type! Kylie prefers the strong farmers, like her Grandpas Eldon & Paul.

After preschool Rayden came over to "play puzzle" with Allie. She picked this Strawberry Shortcake 36-piece one out at the dollar store yesterday. It is a bit beyond her now, but she loves it. After a few minutes the 'game' degenerated to pushing each other around in the rolling dinning chairs. At least it is clean, right Hanne?
(yesterday Ray & Allie nearly flooded a few of the Sorensen's rooms during their little tea party)

2 Pumpkin Fairy Photoshot #1

This year I actually got the girls Halloween costumes early. I had a picture in my mind of the two of them sitting in the pumpkin field in tu-tu's. I found these 'pumpkin fairy' dresses at ShopKo and could just see it in my mind. Too bad the girls didn't see it in their minds. Last Friday was my first attempt and it didn't turn out anything like I thought it would. I planned to try again.

6 Pumpkin Fairy Photoshot #2

Beware: loads of pictures of my pixies to come

Toady I braved the photo shoot again and took nearly 100 shots of the girls in their Halloween costumes. Too bad I am not a photographer. Do you think the girls will let me try a 3rd time??? Any suggestion to get them to look forward and smile, specifically Allie who kept closing her eyes and ignoring me?

Allie (3 1/2) - - Kylie (1 1/2)




PS -I found the perfect touches for the girls' costumes at the dollar store today: orange wings and orange slippers! Best of all they were only $1/each.
(did you notice that Kylie's pair of wings were on upside-down?
oh, and Allie didn't want to wear her great footies?)

2 Grandpa Paul, Kitty Doctor

Last weekend we went to Idaho to stay with my parents. I guess I should say the visit was motivated by a heap of scrap metal at my brother-in-law, Mike's job site that needed Nate's attention. We helped harvest, prep, and freeze oodles of carrots. Grandma & Grandpa have a HUGE garden. The girls got to play with the Stafford cousins, which they loved. A major highlight was Grandpa Paul taking the girls to his Vet clinic to treat a sick baby kitty.

Kylie loved the kitty, but wasn't to soft with her pets (hits). She like the fish tank best of all. The girls also got to love of the clinic's resident mouser, Morrise the cat.

all girls - - Bailey - - Emma

Allie, Kylie & Mommy - - Allie & Mommy

Each girl got to hold the poor sick baby kitten and help feed it a bottle after Gpa put special medicine in it's eyes. Allie was very concerned and gently with the kitty.

Bailey - - Emma - - Kate


ALLIE