Still Waiting ...

I thought I'd post a quick update for those that are anxiously awaiting baby news. As the title says, we're still waiting for the arrival of this little bundle of joy. I was due last week, Feb. 11, but due dates really don't mean much for me. That's why it is really called an "expected delivery date" - it's just an estimate. I've always gone past the due date except for the 2 times the doctor induced me early (two days early or on my due date) due to medical concerns. We just always look at the due date and plan on 2 more weeks. Kinda depressing, I know.

Holiday Highlights

The Family

Thanksgiving weekend with the Freestones for Steven's mission farewell and to see him dance in The Nutcracker.

Favorite gift! (Ready for sparring in Tae Kwon Do)

Hanging out with cousins.

Family Home Evening at Temple Square with JoDee, Alex and family

and Maryle and Jared and family.

First sips of hot cocoa. Yummy!

Happiness is ...

Tubby Time!!

Adult Supervision Required

Mr. Jeppson at Hidden Hollow Elementary School has an interesting way of teaching his students about ancient Egyptian culture. He invites parents to his class to make mummies out of his students. I spent 2 hours at school wrapping J2 with packing tape - 3 layers for each part of his body. The trick is to keep the tape loose AND to wrap the first layer of tape with the sticky side out.

We finished his arms and legs at school. We finished his torso, head and taped it all together at home. It was kind of weird to wrap his head.

Even though his mouth wasn't covered, he looked like he had a plastic bag over his head!

Cutting it off wasn't as easy as it looks, either.

Halloween Hauntings

It seems like we celebrated Halloween the entire month of October. The official parties started Tuesday, October 19, when the young men and young women in our ward went around doing service for several families in costumes.

We had our annual ward Chili Cook-off and Trunk -or-Treat on Friday, October 22.

This year, several of the kids made their own costumes: L came up with an Alice costume. J1 made herself into Strawberry Shortcake. J2 decided to wear a cape with his Sunday clothes and be a vampire. A1 said he was a geek ... and he found the most mismatched clothes possible to make himself into a geek. Z and A2 found costumes in our costume trunk ... Z was a pirate and A2 was a witch.

Lil' Miss wore my favorite toddler costume. She was a ghost.

The kids enjoyed Halloween parties at school on Friday, October 29. Then we hurried to Don's office to go Trick or Treating there. Don's group dressed as hill billies and decorated appropriately ... including homemade moonshine and an outhouse where the kids reached into a toilet for their candy.

All the kids in the area did their Trick-or-Treating on Saturday, October 30. Alice and Strawberry Shortcake handed out the candy while the younger kids went out candy collecting.

Lil' Miss just enjoyed the candy.

What's Halloween without carving pumpkins?!

Yes! I'm a GEEK!!

I dare you to call me "4 eyes"!

Fall Harvest

L, J1 and I planted a garden last spring as a Young Women Personal Progress Value Project. It has been quite a learning adventure for us. We discovered that seeds that are at least 10 years old aren't any good - and some seeds that were only a year old didn't grow either. We learned tomatoes don't need a lot of water, pumpkins need a lot of space, one zucchini plant really is enough and many more little tidbits of information that will help make future gardens even more successful than this year's.

We have 4 large pumpkins to make into jack-o-lanterns.

We've enjoyed lots of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini and yellow squash. We've had a few red, yellow, orange and green peppers and some carrots.