Halloween 2011

So before I get into this post I have to explain a much needed challenge given to me by my sis-in-law Vanessa. She's noticed we have all dropped the ball in keeping up with our blogging and challenged us to get up atleast one post by the end of the week. I've decided to do the most recent and then I have plans to catch up the year from there...wish me luck, here we go!!!

Devin and Vanessa hosted another fun Halloween party this year. Great entertainment as always. Learned to play Bunko and couldn't figure out why it's looked at as a game of gossip. I could barely keep up, let alone talk at the same time as I was playing. :) Josh and I got a little more hip this year dressing up as Danny Zuko and Sandy.


Of course it wouldn't be Halloween around our house if we didn't have a few people dressed up in BYU attire. Matthew was QB Riley Nelson (notice the long hair coming out of the back of his helmet in the second picture ;), and Zach, Jimmer Fredette of course!








Ellie won first prize in the costume contest dressed up as a Corpse Bride.


Gracie as her favorite princess Rapunzel. So pretty!


Hosts of the annual Halloween party gett'in down as Vanilla Ice and Salt n Peppa. They were very creative costumes...they broke out in character, dancing and singing and we all had to try and guess what the meaning behind it all was. Between Devin dancing and singing to "Ice, ice baby," and Vanessa to "Ah push it," we quickly figured out a new one is on it's way. Congratulations you guys...we're so excited!!!


Devin, Mom and Vanessa.



Diana and Phil won most creative costume as Marge and Homer Simpson.


Sweet little Lily as Strawberry Shortcake.


Neil and Loralee as a football and Cowgirl riding a bull.


Mom always wanted to be prom queen ;)


All the cousins in their cute costumes. They all won a prize for their costumes.


E.J. the Alien and his Dad as a very scary something.


I was lucky to even get this pic of Eli and his Dad...he didn't want to go near him. We missed Landon and Diana this year, they had a friends wedding going on at the same time. Great party D and V! Can't wait till next year!!!

Ellie's Baptism Day

I didn't get many pictures from this very special day of Ellie's. The day was filled with many family members and special friends. Thanks to everyone for your support and especially to Uncle Devin and Grandpa Brown for the great talks you gave! Thanks to all who participated in the program. It was very special to Ellie and she loves you all!!!

Just had to post some picture of the girls wearing curlers. Whenever Grandma's over on a Saturday night I talk her into putting their hair up in curlers because she's much better at doing it than me, and it makes Sunday mornings go much faster. We babysat Lily one night and after Ellie got hers in Lily climbed up on Grandma's lap to get hers done too. So cute!




Sleeping Beauty's-----Diana and I went through this torture when were little too ;o)

Hero Day at School

Zach woke up this morning and said, "Mom it's Hero Day today and I want to go as Jimmer Fredette." (BYU Basketball Icon) So we scrambled and came up with this. He loves watching him play (wonder who he gets that from ;o) and hopes to be like him someday.




Matthew wanted to be his Dad of course so we grabbed some Australian stuff around the house and put on this funny IMFT technician shirt of his.



Ellie LOVES gymnastics and hopes to be a gymnast in the Olympics someday so that's what she wanted to go as.

Happy Birthday Ellie #8

Ellie got to celebrate her birthday at school on the Friday before. She came home with this cute crown and Happy Birthday cards from all the kids in her class. The cute bag is from her friend Kenadee. She was so excited about it and her little sis wasn't going to let her have all the attention. She ran downstairs to her toy box and found her copycat version of Ellie's bag for herself ;o)


Flowers from Dad...he had to work on her birthday so he brought home these pretty roses for her.


Gracie being jealous again...she had to ger her picture taken with Dad as well.


Cute clothes and shoes...can't wait for the Spring so she can wear them.



More furniture for her doll house from her brothers. My girls love their doll house. I think it's the only toy they've gotten over the years that they still play with.


Matthew got one of these scooters for his birthday a few months ago and the rest of my kids were begging for one of their own. I couldn't justify having four of these around the house but decided to get Ellie this cute pink one for her birthday so there would be one for the girls and one for the boys. (Not the best time of year to get one of these though, she slipped on some ice at the end of the driveway after taking this picture and that was the end of that for the day).


For one of Ellie's presents I took her to get a pedicure. She was in heaven!!! It was fun to have Grandma and Diana tag along as well.





So I had great plans to make Ellie this cute flower cake made with cupcakes but time got the best of me and I end up making these cute ice cream cone cupcakes instead. The kids loved them!


Bowling with family.







Funny face from Eva.


Lily eating cake and ice cream.


Cute clothes from Grandmas. Happy Birthday Miss Ellie...we love ya!!!!

Christmas 2010

We spent Christmas Eve with Josh's family during the day and then went to Texas Roadhouse with my family in the evening. It's become a tradition to go this house at the top of Alpine that is so beautifully decorated in lights. Santa's up there with his sleigh and he hands out candy canes to the kids. They think it's pretty cool. After Ellie hopped down from the sleigh she told me that she knew that wasn't the real Santa because she saw an elastic band holding up his beard...love it!!!



Cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer....then it's off to bed!



Christmas morning...yeah looks like Santa made it!!! The kids we're SO excited about their pillow pets. Gracie especially...she has been talking about the unicorn since September. Matthew got a monkey, Zach a dog and Ellie a dolphin.



Gracie and her new memory game...heaven help us all. This girl LOVES memory and is really good at it! She beats us all!!! This is very sad to say, but I've found my self cheating to try and beat her and I still can't. She loves to play it everyday and multiple times a day at that, and she begs all of us to play with her until someone finally gives in (that's what I meant by heaven help us all ;o)


My boys sporting their new BYU sunglasses and ties Mom and Dad gave them.


Gracie with her new DSI. Zach and Ellie loved her's so much that they sold their DS's the next day and took that money and bought another blue DSI. They've had a blast taking pictures with the camera these DSI's have.


Ellie with her new scooter. Santa knew she was in desperate need of a new one of these ;o)


The boys with their air soft guns Santa brought them. They were really excited about these and have had lots of fun playing with them.


Grandma in the robe we gave her for Christmas. She had been eyeing it at the BYU bookstore for quite a while so we were really excited to get it for her.


Gracie with her Rapunzel doll and our makeshift Rapunzel dress. She was so excited that Santa brought her the doll but was good to point out that he forgot to bring her the dress. We found this one in her closet and she loved it!! It also went well with the princess shoes that Matthew gave her. (This gal is my fashion diva!!!)


Zach and his new whiplash ripstick scooter.