Tagged

So I got tagged about 10 years ago and I'm just now getting around to doing it. I guess I'm supposed to write 6 facts about myself and then get other people to do the same thing.........but I think the tag might have stopped here. I'm not sure if I know 6 people to send it to. I feel like I'm not good about writing about myself because I always just think that nobody would really be that interested..............so if your're not, feel free to skip this part and look at the pictures of my cute kids :).
1. I love country music. It started in college because a lot of my roomates liked it so I heard it a lot. Right now it's pretty much the only station we listen to. In the car I can hear Maddy in the back singing along because she knows most of the words. I think part of the reason I like it so much is that most of the songs are about good things and are pretty family friendly. There are the occasional songs with bad language or inappropriate subject matter, but for the most part they are good. We also listen to a lot of Dora the Explorer songs and princess songs.......those are the only kid cds we have.
2. I like to watch TV at night after the kids go to bed. I wish I didn't so much because it's mostly just a waste of time and I could be doing a lot of more useful things. I've tried really hard to not get sucked into any of the new shows that came out this fall so I don't add anymore shows to those I already like. But despite my best efforts I got pulled into watching Chuck.......it's a pretty good show. I'm going to try and cut back so I can do other stuff like read a book or update our blog more than once a month.
3. Right now I love to eat anything pumpkin. If you ask Sam he will probably tell you that he's sick of pumpkin because it's always around lately. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin chocolate cake, pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting.........but not pumpkin pie. For some reason I don't like pumpkin pie.
4. There is a book club in the ward here and I think I might try to go sometime. This isn't really something that I would normally do. Not because I don't like books or that I don't like to read but I usually end up avoiding activities where I'm going to have to talk to people in a big group. I"m not very good at talking to people so maybe this will be good for me. The next book they are reading is Crime and Punishment........which is a little intimidating. But I think I'm going to try it. I could watch less tv and read Crime and Punishment.
5. I love to watch Maddy and Mason when they are playing together nicely and they think no one is looking.
6. I dont really like to drive. I especially don't like driving on the freeway. I always get nervous.......I think it's the merging part or the driving really fast part???? Whenever I have to drive somewhere I will always check to see if there is a way I can get there without taking the highway. And I will hardly ever make a left hand turn on a busy road. I'll always turn right and then flip around.......this is thanks to a car accident I caused making a left hand turn on a busy road when I was 17.

Happy Halloween!

Maddy and Mason had a good time trick-or-treating. We had only been out maybe 15 minutes and we went past a scary house with loud music and flashing lights. I asked Maddy if she wanted to go to that house and she said, "No, that's a dance party." I'm not sure where she heard that. After the scary house Maddy had had enough and said she didn't want to trick or treat anymore. I didn't think a kid would ever say that........but I guess Maddy would.
Maddy was Sleeping Beauty and she insisted that Mason was Prince Philip. Mason didn't mind except for the tights.......he wasn't excited about those at all.

Mason got to eat a lolipop while we were out walking and he was a huge sticky mess by the time we got back. As you can see he was pretty happy about it.
Everybody sat outside and helped pass out candy.

FHE Halloween Party

We had a family home evening halloween party on Monday. We ate spaghetti and "eye balls" for dinner and had some really yummy chocolate pumpkin cake for dessert. Maddy and Mason got to help carve the pumpkin.
Here's the recipe for the cake because it was really good.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. pumpkin
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients. Combine pumpkin, milk and vanilla. Alternate adding flour mixture and pumpkin mixture to butter. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Yum!!!

If you want to know what real pumpkin tastes like you can ask Mason because he tried to eat it about 10 times.

Spooky Halloween Stuff

There's a house in our neighborhood that has a good idea for Halloween decorations. It looks like their house has been taken over by giant spiders.

This is Maddy's spooky face while she's looking at the spiders.

Maddy's First Day of Preschool

Maddy started going to preschool this month. She goes once a week and really loves it. Last week they got to go on a field trip to a farm and pick out a pumpkin.

Another Trip to the Zoo

We got a zoo pass this year so we've been a bunch of times. There is a little petting zoo and Mason thought it was really great to get to pet a goat.......mostly he just hit the goat in the face but luckily they are used to that and nobody got head-butted.

Maddy is giving the monkey a ride somewhere.

Utah Trip

We got to go out to Utah for a week in August. It was fun to see everyone and Maddy and Mason had a good time getting spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa Kimball and Nana. Maddy already has it all figured out. If mom says you can't have an Oreo for breakfast, just go ask Nana and you'll get to have one. The kids both liked baby Grant, especially when he'd smile at them. We went to Thanksgiving Point and the kids both had a good time looking at the farm animals.

The Biggest Cucumber in the World

We have a little garden in the backyard. This year we're growing tomatoes and cucumbers. We found this one hiding under all the leaves and it's huge. I kind of don't want to eat it because it's so cool looking......but I suppose we shouldn't waste it. So I guess this is a picture of the world's biggest cucumber and the world's biggest ham :)

Mason's First Birthday

Mason just had his first birthday. I can't believe he is already one. He had a good time making a mess eating cake and ice cream. I made him wear the party hat just for a little while because it looks so cute. You can see Maddy crying in the back ground in the last picture. She's mad that she had to let Mason play with the toy he got for his birthday.

Maddy's Picture

Maddy drew this picture. We thought it was really good. I especially like the little smiley faces.

So Tired

One night Maddy fell asleep on the floor like this while she was getting ready for bed. I guess she was really tired.

Mason

He likes to give things hugs.

This swimming suit is FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!

Maddy wanted me to take a picture of her jumping out of the curtains like that for some reason.........somebody likes the spotlight :)

We All Scream for Ice Cream

So apparently I'm a horrible blogger..........I think it's been 2 months or something since I put up the last pictures. Hopefully I can do a little better. Maddy and Mason both really like ice cream. Well, Mason just got to eat the cone but I don't think he minded all that much.

Swimming.......sort of

There's not really a pool we can go to around here so Maddy and Mason have to make do with this little blow up one on the back porch. It's been pretty hot the last few days so they have really liked being outside in the water.

Crazy Toast Eating Kid

Maddy had toast with blackberry jam for breakfast and she just looks really funny.

Memorial Day

On Memorial Day we went over to a park that had a little trail you could take down to the river. Maddy took off her shoes and got in but didn't stay long because she said it was too muddy. Too much mud has never stopped her before but I guess she can always change her mind. :)

Pictures

We had a cloudy day this last week so I thought I'd try to take some pictures outside. Maddy and Mason were not that excited about it........nobody would smile or cooperate in any way. But a few of them turned out pretty cute.

Maddy's First Birthday Party

Maddy got invited to her first birthday party. It was for a girl in her nursery class. It was at a little ice cream place and it had a fun indoor park. She had a hard time though with the concept that the presents were not for her.........but she finally was okay with it and was excited to give her friend the little color book she had picked out.

It Was Finally Spring For One Day

It was finally warm here for a week and then for the last two weeks it has been back to winter. But we got to go to the park a few times. Maddy and Mason both really like to swing. Mason sticks his tongue out like that the whole time he's swinging. He likes to leave the swing nice and wet and drooly for the next kid.