Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year.  It makes my heart a little sad that the girls are "too old" to really get excited about trick-or-treating/dressing up but they humored me did it anyway.

Ansen had career day at school and was encouraged to dress-up as what he'd possibly like to be when he grew up.  Anyway to get these kids dressed up and cute on Halloween works for me. We searched high and low for a costume that would fit and still be cool enough to trick-or-treat in.  At 6am we figured it out in Wal Mart. 

(The one nice thing about being there at 6am was the fact that there were a bazillion other moms there as well trying to figure out costumes.)

Ansen decided to go as a military surgeon and it turned out great.

Adorable, right?

After school it was a mad house around here.  We still hadn't carved pumpkins, Braley was invited to go trick-or-treating with a friend of hers who was taking out her siblings and Kahau was getting ready for a high school football game.  It was madness I tell you.

We carved.  Some of us did it topless.  Not me though, I have standards.

We got dress up and in Ansen's case re-dressed up.

Braley as a nerd:

 (those eyebrows seriously kill me)

 Our uber creative/lazy teenager put on her warm winter coat and favorite winter hat and "dressed up" as a Norwegian Foreign Exchange student.

 (throwing that peace sign is pretty foreign exchange student accurate)

 And again, our doctor.

The trunk-or-treat at church was fast and furious but it was fun to see all the costumes and families. Afterwards we went to a neighborhood right across from ours and let Ansen trick-or-treat the night away.  There were hundreds of people and just a great sense of community as we were walking around tonight. There was 3 houses that really put on a good show and were really (like for real) scary. At one house you had kids crying and people running away.  Ansen wanted nothing to do with them but he braved his fears and did okay....which was better than I did. 

 The weather was a tad chilly but perfect fall weather.

Happy Halloween!

Fall Choir Concert

This week was Kahau's fall concert.  To be honest I kinda dreaded it.  Not because I don't like listening to her sing but because they are always so, so long.

Not this one!

It was 35 minutes of bliss. Really, it was a great little concert and Jason and I really enjoyed it. Plus our kiddo was singing so that's a bonus. Kahau did great. We are impressed with how well this freshman of ours has adjusted to all the changes in her life the past few months.  She just rolls with the punches and man, we love her for that.

Fright night 2014

One of my favorite night of the year combines something I loathe and something I love.

I loathe Haunted Houses. Loathe. Them.

But....

I love my friends and the fact that they come with me.

I even love my husband who leaves me to the monsters.

We drove to Woodburn on Saturday morning so that for lunch we could have tacos from my favorite place.  Oh how I love tacos from Tacos Caronas.  With the stress I was putting on myself and still trying to come to grip with the Relief Society thing a taco was just what I needed.  Let me say it again. I love tacos...real tacos.

After checking into the hotel and dropping kids with friends (they were so excited to see friends) we met up with everyone for some dinner before haunted houses at another one of my favorite places, Aloha Grill.

 I was in heaven a) because I was eating this deliciousness and b) because we were with our friends.

Then it was haunted house time and it was fun.  It's just so fun to be scared. Well, kinda fun.  It's more fun to hang out and talk to friends and act silly together.

 We really have great friends.

It wouldn't be an outing unless Jason sang some karaoke with a pint-sized panda bear:

He only did it because there were 20 people cheering him on but still how great are these pictures?

As tradition we went to Shari's for pie shakes and just hung out for a bit before collecting our kids and heading back to the hotel to catch a few hours sleep before heading back over the mountain.

Like I said at the beginning, haunted houses are so not my thing but hanging out with friends is my thing.  And this year I hit a major milestone--no tears. I, Dana the brave, didn't cry.  I'm pretty proud of myself thank you very much.

Until next year.

Relief Society President

Now this is a story all about how

My life got flipped turned upside-down

I'd like to take a minute 

Just sit right there 

I'll tell you how I became the...

Relief Society President.

Here's how it went down:

A week ago Sunday Bishop asked to speak to me after church. He explained that somethings were being moved around in the ward and that he knew we had been here a while and I still was without a calling. He said soon after some ward shuffle the ward would have a place for me.

Then Thursday night we got a text:

Followed by:

He didn't quite deny the call but I slept pretty well that night thinking I was headed to primary workerville.

Friday morning the words "We'd like to call you as Relief Society President" were spoken, followed by "If you could get me names by tonight we'd like to make the change Sunday."

Hold up. Sunday? It was Friday.  I don't know very many people in the ward and what the what?!?!

This was me all day Friday:

I was in serious freak-out mode.  No lie. I talked with Jason, I called my parents, sent out a panic text to a few friends to keep me in mind and prayed my guts out.

Thankfully it worked.  My presidency was put together.  Hallelujah!

Sunday morning rolled around and we drove home from Woodburn (we were in the valley for our annual Haunted House night with friends), got home and dressed and headed off to church.

This is going to be scary and fun and interesting all at the same time.  I haven't been in Relief Society for years so I don't even know what I don't know.

Cross your fingers for me and pray for the ladies in Relief Society!

Smith Rock Pumpkin Patch

 Every year we go to the same pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins. With the move we had to find a new "go-to" place for our October fun.  And guess what? We found a great place.  It's nestled right in front of our new favorite hiking place so it is beyond picturesque. 

 There were pumpkins and corn mazes and a petting zoo.  There was a pumpkin launcher, a mini golf course and giant horse to pet.  This place was pretty neat. 

 The weather was just beautiful and we soaked up the autumn sunshine.

 You can't tell from the pictures but this pumpkin patch has THE BIGGEST pumpkins I have ever seen.  Every one of them was huge...and heavy.

In the end we paid for 169lbs of pumpkins and that was only with 5 pumpkins in our wheel barrel. Honestly these suckers were on steroids.  We are wicked excited to carve into them next week for Halloween.

Happy pumpkin patching to you.

Football season

Football season is all wrapped up.  Ansen had a blast and learned a lot.  He (and Jason and I) wish the season was longer but it was a fantastic season.

He played all sorts of positions and did a great job at all of them. In his last game he had an excellent sack on the quarter back.  That's our boy.

 At the team banquet he earned himself a trophy for all his hard work.

While he is bummed about football being over he has already began his next sport: wrestling.

It may seem a bit nutty to already be onto another sport but he loves being active and as long as the schedule doesn't get out of hand its a great way for him to burn off some of that worrying he does.  With a sport on his mind (seriously, whatever he's playing becomes his life) there is less time to worry about stuff.

And that friends it worth it's weight in gold.

Long hair don't care

Braley has always wanted realllllly long hair.  She's getting there and it is so pretty right now.  We is way into doing hair which is heaven for me.  In fact, as I type she is trying a new style on me.  Love. love, love it.

(She wants me to let you know its now extra short on the right side of the pic. It's just laying funny.)

Water polo season

 Kahau is loving this game and that makes me happy. She has made some really nice friends and she's found a sport she enjoys.

 Right now she's trying to decided between club water polo for winter or basketball.  Either one is fine with me. As long as she is getting some good exercise and enjoying herself Jason and I are happy.

Here's to water polo!

These two

Best of friends.

Worst of enemies.

One thing is for sure though, they are good students.

We went to parent-teacher conferences today for theses two and we heard nothing but good news.

They are both doing really well at school.

(Insert biggest sighhhhhhh of relief)

We had to celebrate and fro-yo is the best way to celebrate good grades.

We sure love these smartie pants girls of ours.

New specs

Her eyes are little better, her astigmatism is a little worse.

It's a fair trade.

New glasses are always so fun.

Lots lately

LOTS of volleyball.  Lots.  Braley is getting really good and I am so happy with the team player she has become.

Girlfriends got game.

****

LOTS of math homework. Lots.

This common core stuff is slowly starting to smooth itself out but there are still those days when I write myself little notes as Ansen and I are working on homework.

 ****

Lots of discussion about the house lately. Lots.

There are a few projects we'd like to get done such as new floors and a back deck but we have decided to ride the winter out as cheaply as possible and do the work come spring....unless we can get a contractor for wicked cheap. Then we will reassess the situation. So until then I'm just going to get pictures up and decorations going on the house.

I'm counting on my friend Pinterest to be helpful.

That's all, ttfn.