Ward Halloween activity -update

OUr ward Halloween party went really well. Ben helped Thursday night set up all of the tables and chairs. He also hung the Halloween signs for me. (thanks Ben)
He actually helped me so much with last minute stuff. You know sometimes he acts like he doesn't like things like that, but at the activity, I could tell he was having a good time.
(I think I am on to him:)
Anyway we had about 250 people there and I think 200 of them were children, no joke. It was CRAZY. The food turned out perfect except for maybe not enough dessert, and the drink coolers had a minor malfunction. And the best part of the night we set up a back drop where families could get there pictures taken and I asked Ben if he would be the photographer for the set time, so I asked him to set the camera up, (meaning put the film in it) since I asked him to buy some on his way home. Film you ask??? yes we bought a really nice camera that is not digital. I feel like the 80's called and want there camera back. ANYWAY Ben was taking pictures for about a half an hour with no film and as I type this it still cracks me up, so bad...........SO sorry to the families who thought they were posing for a picture.
All is well on the home front I find out what I am having this Thursday, hopefully this one is not shy and will give us a preview of things to come.

Also Congrats to Ben's sister Leah, she had a baby girl "Kaysa Beth".

Hope to see everyones Halloween pictures soon:)

Alivia

So Alivia has many sides, happy, sad, sweet, kind, grouchy, funny.

This Sunday she was assigned to give a talk on missionary work and she did such a great job (not just because I am her mom) I was nervous that she wasn't going to do it. That she would maybe get embarrassed in front of all the kids. Well we went over on Tuesday night and practiced walking up to the microphone, (the primary is so big they hold it in the chapel) so she heard herself over the microphone. Sunday she did a great job. Ben helped her with her talked practiced it with her on Saturday and Sunday morning. Well she got up there and talked about her uncle Tim, but she accidently said uncle tom, it was funny. She was so proud and so were we. GOOD JOB Alivia......

Fall activities

Well there would be pictures to see of the kids, for some reason I can't find them on the computer. But I will update anyway. So we went to the scarecrow festival this Monday Night (missed the Harris's this year). It was a blast it was down at Thanksgiving point and the kids had a great time. Cooper got his face painted as spider-man and Livi got her face painted as a cat. They made it to every "jump house" is what they call them. They rode in the cars and watched the dancers and got some treats.
It is fall and we love it, no more a/c running allllll day. Able to go out at 3:00 and it is "nice".
Other than the nice weather, the kids are in pre-school Mon- Wed and Tue-Thur. They love it, they have lots of little friends and are learning some cute songs.
Bauer is getting so big, he says so many words and tries to imitate words all the time, he also is the second in command. Whenever Livi or Cooper get in trouble he stands right by me and points to them and says "don't" and then proceeds to walk away with me, with a little attitude "like our work is done here".

Bauer has been sick the last week and a half and had a double ear infection on the rise.
Other than life at home, Ben is working like a mad man, getting Halloween ready and done, helping at the business college, also helping me prepare the Halloween "trunk or treat" here.
Being the activities chair person is CRAZY......lots of preparation and meetings and fun planning. It is a great calling. It is going to be so fun this year we are doing it inside, decorating doors and rooms, luckily I had Ben save me Target's Halloween decorations from last year, so it is going to be really cute, for being held in a church. We are having soup, rolls, desserts, games, contests. I have a great group to work with.

Ben had a meeting at work the other day, they let him know he was voted the Executive who has made the biggest difference in the district. RIGHT ON BEN.... all that time does pay off. They gave him a few movie passes and a dinner gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse!! a nice present we will use for our anniversary....they still wanted him to go to STL(Store manager) interviews in December, but Ben is not up for it, he is very confused if that is the job her REALLY wants, so, I guess, we we'll wait and see what he decides. I know it is a HUGE responsibility so I think he wants to be 110% ready to take that on. My opinion (like I wouldn't give it) is that he is already doing that job, other than a few more meetings and maybe a few more emails, he runs that store the majority of the time, he does have a great boss, but Ben pulls a lot of the weight.

So life in the flying world is very boring a few trips to Durango, and a few to Twin falls. I might do a few to Eugene next month and have to stop by and see the Hutchins, it might be late at night, but I miss all you peeps far away.

I hope all is well.... andrea and company

Stand by...........

This weekend we had the pleasure of having Gary and Jon come down and visit us. Gary brought Allie and Jon brought some of his peeps (girls).

Gary and Allie flew down from Calgary, because they were bumped off two flights out of Edmonton, they fortunately made the last flight of the night out of Calgary.
Jon made his 2nd flight by the skin of his teeth, two people didn't want to split up so he barely made it.

Today on the other hand trying to get home Jon has been on stand by all day since 8:30 this morning and Gary and Allie since 2:00 pm. Don't know if they are going to make it out tonight.

We had a great time, Cooper warmed up really fast to both of them and they were perfect entertainment for a few days.

Alivia and Jon had a word war going on. Livi overheard one of Jon's friends say that he had a lot of nerve and Alivia came upstairs as I was making dinner and said. "mom my uncle Jon has a lot of nerve" I died laughing. It was so funny.

So Livi kept telling Jon that he had a lot of nerve and he would call her onions.

So I met Allie, she is very nice and friendly which I appreciated, unlike Jon's friends:)

We took Gary and Allie to lunch today and Gary ordered Country fried steak, which he said, he has never had.

WHAT???? it looked good at first until Gary got a hold of it.

It was horrible weather here this weekend but today was great.
We put out some of the Halloween decor and made Halloween ghosts and hung them outside so they can blow in the wind.

The kids are getting over some colds, teeth and molars. Other than that, Ben hasn't had a day off in I think going on 18 days now. So he is tired and hungry.

Excited for Halloween, we(activities committee) are planning our neighborhood/ward activity. It is going to be so much fun. Alivia is going to be Tinkerbell, Cooper- Peter pan and Bauer, probably a chicken. You thought I was going to say Captain hook. Nope need to use old costumes and save some cash.

Send pictures soon

Scrapbook Expo

CRAZY, with a capital "K"
o'm'gosh.....I went to the scrap book expo today with some friends , and first it was so FUN. Second, the craziest place, and third, the best deals in town.

Needless to say, I am now going to learn how to digital scrapbook. If any of you want a preview, visit my friends blog. Fassio family she is a pro, and I am hooked. I just need to learn the ropes so I can post soon.

I hope I can go again in April. And if anyone is interested in flying in to go with me. I will save you a buddy pass, to go.

All is well here. Getting Chilly. Gary and Jon are coming down next week, excited to see them and kind of excited to meet Allison. Okay I am excited and I won't mention a WORD about marriage. (word:)

Hope all is well, more posts to come. Please take my survey. Will try to update it frequently......

Family reunion

I don't know if you can see these pictures well. We were able to take some great pictures. Unfortunately, we were using a new camera that is a 35mm, I know ancient.

But what I love to point out is the picture of Papa Whidden, we all know him as the human pretzel. I thought it was cute Cooper was taking on some if his similarities.

These were taken in a small town in Canada, about 3 hours north of Vancouver.

It was fun to see Ben's extended family, that I don't know very well. It was also fun to hear Gary's wedding plans:) and play all day with Carter and Haley.

Number 4

So yes this is a picture of baby number four.
This was about 3 weeks ago at my doctors office in West Jordan.
At the time of the appointment I was ten weeks and a day, so just about 13 weeks pregnant.

I personally think it looks like a girl :)
But the official due date(s) is somewhere between march 26 and the 31st.

Feeling much better now, not so good there for a few weeks, especially at night. Just in time for all of my night stand up trips. Quite a few times I felt so sick driving in, I would have to have the a/c on full blast the entire way.

All is well, the kids do not know yet, we will tell them in a couple weeks when it is a little more obvious.