Decorating the Tree

Colton loved climbing the ladder 

Megan hangs an ornament

Aw they are getting along

Parker can reach the top branches this year

Even I got in on the action

We got a new tree and some pretty new ornaments this year thanks to a birthday gift from my mom.  We all had a lot of fun decorating together, except for Laynee, who was too tired to get in on the action.  We were able to put our old tree up in the loft and the kids had fun decorating it with their special ornaments.  Parker got a hockey stick ornament this year, Megan a nutcracker, Colton an Angry Birds and Laynee a bunny.

Megan's Dance Open House

Serious ballerina

Wish I was still this flexible!

Megan almost has both splits!

Beautiful form!

This girl loves to dance! 

So graceful!

Megan and her dance team...the "Gems"

Megan and Eliana

Megan is on a dance team this year and takes 5 classes a week (2 ballet, 1 tap, 1 jazz and 1 turns class) to learn her art.  We were really excited to attend her open house this year to see what she has been learning.  We were so impressed at how far she has come in the past year: New ballet combinations, tap steps, turns and pirouettes.  She is an awesome little dancer!

Laynee's 2nd Birthday

Looking so grown up

Ice cream cake!

Wow this looks good!

Present time

I can't believe my baby is two!  It seems like she was born just the other day.  Laynee is definitely a little ray of sunshine in our lives.   She is constantly charming us with her cute little voice and hugs and kisses.  I love that she is spunky and sweet.  She does tend to get into things A LOT and has shown us her artistic skills on the walls and the furniture with both markers and nail polish.  She also loves to climb up and dump out my spices, hide objects inside other objects, and steal hot dogs out of the fridge and eat them raw!  It's never a dull moment with this little cutie!

Halloween!

A bunny, a butterfly and 2 hockey guys...oh my!

Buttercup and her two animal friends

Cute red-headed butterfly

Is that hockey guy missing some teeth?

Parker goalie

The Dread Pirate Roberts!

Buttercup and Westley

The girls loved trunk or treat

The girls' cute Halloween cobweb hair

Cute bunny!

Halloween was busy this year, since the kids had to go to school.   Once they got home, and homework was done, it was time to head to the ward Halloween party.  Megan dressed up as a butterfly this year, Laynee as a bunny and the boys wanted to be hockey players for like the 3rd year in a row...oh well, easy costumes, I guess.  Brian and I decided to go for the movie theme and dressed as Buttercup and Westley from the Princess Bride.  We had yummy soup and rolls for dinner and the kids played carnival games and waited for it to get dark.  Turnk or treat was really fun, and Laynee was so cute holding her pumpkin and saying "treat or treat" in her cute little voice.  Everyone got funnel cakes and took lots of pictures and we headed home for bed.  School night makes for early Halloween bedtime!  

Disney Halloween

The whole family in the cute shirts I made

Cute Laynee waiting for the Tiki Room

Disneyland is Number 1!

Cute sisters

The girls on Splash Mountain

Autopia!  Colton's favorite

Family ride down Main Street on a horse-drawn carriage

The whole crew!

Laynee and Mom

Mr. Toad's Wild Bunch

The girls in Wonderland

Mater ride

The girls loved the carousel

Ferris Wheel

The view was amazing!  And not just because Brian was sitting across from me!!

Silly Symphony Swings

Colton was a trooper!

We decided to visit Disneyland in the fall this year because we had always wanted to see how awesome everything was decked out Halloween. We had an amazing first day, with the highlights like the Jack Skellington Haunted Mansion, getting soaked on Splash Mountain, hardly any lines and lots of laughs.  We were getting ready to stop for dinner, when Colton started complaining of a stomach ache.  He fell asleep right at the table while we were eating, and when he woke up, proceeded to spew all over Disney's hallowed ground!  Mickey's hazmat crew arrived and took care of the mess very quickly.  Needless to say, we left early that night and headed back to the hotel, where Colton spent a very long and bumpy night.  Luckily the little guy was a trooper.  We got him a powerade and he rode around California Adventure the whole day in Laynee's stroller.  He even rode rides!  Great fun was had by all and we all left with great memories and (some of us) with lighter stomachs!  

October Fun

Cute li'l pumpkins!

Jane Deere?

Git along little doggie!

The Buffer and Super Fishal from our Murder Mystery Party

Harry Potter movie night

What a cutie!

Carving pumpkins

Ew guts!

Laynee isn't sure what to think

We had a very fun October in 2013.  We did all the usual fun stuff like countdown to Halloween, Mummy on the move, pumpkin carving and visits to the pumpkin patch but we also added a few new fun traditions.  One of our favorite new fun things was a Harry Potter movie night complete with butter beer, Bertie Bott's beans, licorice wands and cauldron cakes.  We also had a very fun murder mystery party with all sorts of very interesting super heroes.