Welcome Fall- checking our list twice

     As silly as it might seem, something that I have been especially thankful for the last month is to have one of the only trees on our street with season changing leaves. I love coming home and seeing Fall right in my yard. It's such a great feeling.

   

     Since Daylon was born (and we began living a not so ordinary life) we have made an effort to make sure we enjoy each season or vacation. We typically refer to it as "Summer Vacation- Woohoo!" (the woohoo is crucial) or "Spring Break-Woohoo!" (that typically has a bad connotation come to think of it) but since Fall encompasses two holidays and not much vacation time, we just call it "Fall". Kind of a downer without the "woohoo!". Anyway, one request the kids had to make Fall fun is to have a Halloween themed dinner once a week. I only took pictures of 3 of the four weeks I think because I can't find the fourth dinner. Anyway, here they are:

Chili and Cornbread Coffins

Stuffed Shells Snails

Salami and ricotta calzone Snake

chicken and bacon alfredo calzone SLUG



Eyeballs -thank you Family Fun spooky and tasty dessert are always a crown pleaser!



We also had make pumpkin bread with chocolate chips. Check. ..And pumpkin cupcakes. Check

Go to the Pumpkin patch. Check.

decorate the pumpkins. Check.

Daylon's

Sadie's "Girl" pumpkin

Violet loves Minnie



Caleb's take on Frankenstein



Keira's pumpkin is everything scary: lots of witch warts, Vampire teeth, evil eyes and angry eyebrows

Ready for Halloween

 Carmel apples (see previous post)

repeat photo

Some of the other things that I don't have photos for are: make Carmel apples (see previous post)
Write Santa letters, homemade soup and bread each week all Fall (this one has been fun and the kids love when it's there week to pick which type of soup we eat- this week, homemade cream of broccoli. Mmmm) and 1st rainy night have cocoa and a hot treat (we had the pumpkin muffins).
  Somethings we still need to do are: visit Oakglenn (we're going the week of Thanksgiving), jump in a pile of leaves (I need to find enough leaves. Missing Minnesota right about now), try out a new trail by our house, pumpkin pie, go to the Turkey Bowl and have our traditional muffin breakfast Thanksgiving morning.
  
   I've always loved Fall, but the kids always make things so much better!! One day I'll post the "Summer Vacation- Woohoo!" post. One day.


  Happy Fall!!

7 and counting...

     Keira's birthday is just 10 days after Caleb's so we're throwin' another birthday post at ya.

    A little about Keira:
    Keira always puts other's feelings before her own. She loves being a helper! She is constantly helping out without being asked. She's a great cook and wonderful with her little siblings. She is kind to everyone and LOVES to laugh... such a contagious laugh too! She loves her cousins and friends and is always counting down til the next playdate. She is also a very smart little girl. She is reading at third grade level and doing second grade math in the first grade. She just got straight "Os" on her report card too! She loves the beach, shopping and Phineas and Ferb. She loves church too and learning scripture stories! Music is also a big part of Keira's life. Since she was litle, she always impresses us with how many songs she knows the words to on the radio and in primary.
    
   Keira wanted to have a Princess Ball for her party this year and a 10 days before the party she deicded that she would rather have a special big date night with Brian and I.  With the date night in motion, we invited grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and cousins over for her birthday dinner. Unfortunately, the week of her birthday she came down with pneumonia, so we had to push it back a week. I tried to make her birthday day fun, but it was definately not the best birthday day ever since she was so sick (and so were the twins and Caleb). We had pizza and orange slices for dinner and the kids and I made carmel apples for dessert (which is double great since it also crosses something off our family's Fall to-do list!).

for her birthday donut, she picked a gormet donut shop that carries unique donuts: the one she chose for herself had gummy bears on it. Yummm (gag)

moving the ghost to the "26th" of October

these were soooo good. They're chocolate covered carmel apples. Keira and Sadie made sprinkle topping apples, Violet oreo and Caleb M&M



even sick, she's adorable



     The Friday after her birthday we took her to her favorite restaurant (Denny's) and then to the movies to see "Puss in Boots". We loved spending time with just her! It was such a blast ! Keira asked that we do dinner and the movies but she also wanted us to come up with a surprise for her. The second she said that, I knew what I wanted to do! I went to priceline.com and negotiated a hotel room. I got a room with breakfast included for $35! I love priceline! Keira absolutely LOVED her surprise! It was my first night away from Daylon so we stayed in Corona, just in case my parents had a hard time with his machine or whatever. We didn't tell her where we were going and it wasn't until the front desk clerk asked if we wanted a King or 2 Queen beds that she figured out what was going on. We stayed up late and she tried her first rootbeer from a bottle. In the morning we slept in, had a tickle fight and a GREAT hot breakfast. Yummmm. After we checked out, we went to Party City to get her costume and then went to get the kids.

I think she's had soda 5 or so times ever, so this was a big treat!

she loved sleeping in the middle of Brian and I- so sweet

losing a tickle fight with Daddy

relaxing and watching Phineas and Ferb before breakfast



    Later that night my parents took our family and my grandma out for a double birthday dinner (grandma and Keira)

   Last Friday, we had a mini version of Keira's party. My family and Brian's attended. Our kids and the Russell kids came dressed up in Disney Princess and Prince costumes. I was able to use some of the decoration I already bought too. Keira asked for Chili and Cornbread and chocolate pie for dessert. We all had a great time together.

A modest version of Princess Jasmine and Prince Philip

Princess Jasmine hair

L-R: Aleyna= Ariel, Ashton= Buzz (he's a Pixar prince if there ever was one :) ), Keira = Jasmine, Violet= Tinkerbell, Gavin= Prince Gavin, Sadie= Ariel getting married and Caleb= Prince Philip. Not pictured: Landon as Prince Landon and Daylon as the dragon from Sleeping Beauty (not a prince, but I was running out of costumes! =P)

hugs for the birthday girl!

  Keira, you are such beautiful, smart and wonderful little girl! I am so blessed to be your mom! I love you!

Caleb's Party

    Caleb's birthday party was the day before his actual birthday and he chose a "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" theme. To be honest, I was a bit surprised because he really doesn't watch that show too much, but whatever makes him happy right? =) There was a pretty good turn out (about 25 kids total) and the highlight of his party was the pirate ship slide/bounce house...which I didn't get any pictures of. Ugh. I did a lot of running around and not a whole lot of photo taking, but here's what I did get: enjoy!

invites

all the kids got happy pirate tattoos and swords when they arrived

Caleb helped me make the treasure chest for the treasure hunt. We filled it with ring pops, Fun size 100 grand bars, chocolate coins, jewels and these cool pirate pouches I got on Amazon filled with toy coins

the treasure hunt went all around our house and yard, but it ending in the dining room

Keira and Aleyna finding the treasure chest. The last riddle was surprising confusing to the kids and most ran to the patio table :) Ha!

food table...well, what was left of part of it by the end. Gold fish and Swedish fish for snacks.

pirate pops that Grandma De La Cerda made

probably the worst cake I've ever made. I TOTALLY ran out of time and this massive cake (6 mixes) kept falling apart

A plane formation flew overhead as we sang "Happy Birthday" I thought that was pretty cool. A benefit to living in "Sky Country"

Caleb and Jarred are such cute little friends. Jarred is Caleb's teammate and Coach's son.

  Afterwards, Grandma (my mom), Grandma M&M and the Russell's stayed for pizza and a sugar high play time. The kids love cousin time! Happy Birthday, Buddy! We love you!