Happy Halloween!

This year my dad picked out the girls Halloween costumes... Jena was a rose and Taylor went as a Stargazer Lilly. They looked so sweet as they ran house to house in search of candy (or at least Jena ran house to house). This was the first year we did more trick or treating than the trunk or treat at our church. There is an area near us that seems to be the Halloween hub. Everyone fully decorates their homes and I heard that some spend up to $500 in candy (it's good we don't live on that street). We figured we had to check it. We were amazed with all the lights, decorations, police on horseback and the amount of people that were everywhere. One house was decorated to look as if it was an Old Western Saloon. You could barely see the house in the background. Others had spooky scenes from movies, but I couldn't tell you which ones (even not so scary movies are scary to me). Taylor just looked around with amazement at the commotion as Jena followed the crowds of people up to each house. On a quieter street Jena knocked on a door and after a fast "trick or treat" she said "where's the candy!" I guess she got the point of what the whole dressing up, decorating and running around was really about the CANDY!

Our Little Flowers

Jena the Rose

and Taylor the Lilly!

Little Lolli Ghosts!

I loved making these as a kid, so when Taylor was napping I started to gather the supplies.  Jena loves cooking or doing crafts with me, so when the scissors, ribbon, markers, tissues and suckers starting showing up she got really curious.  After the first ghost she was hooked and it took about ten later until she decided she wanted to eat the candy instead of keep decorating it.  Here are two of the ghosts she drew herself.  She was so excited to show her daddy what fun we had today.

No Longer in Denial

Last Sunday we dressed the girls and headed off to church.  Taylor loves to run around the halls and that's when I finally noticed it.  Though the dress still fit her around, it was not working at all lengthwise.  Not only was it too short, but even the waistline was in the wrong position.  So today,  I dragged out the next bin of clothes and with reluctance removed all the littler baby clothes from her drawers and only filled them with the 18-24 month size.  It's a good thing that adults don't have clothes that match their age, because who knows what size I would still be wearing around :)  I guess because she's still so little, it's hard to think of her as nearing 2 years old.  Time sure flies quickly!

Jena really wanted her picture taken!

A Nature Adventure

This month in Joy School Jena has been learning about nature.  They have learned about animals, plants, rocks... everything basic.  Today they took a trip to a local farm/pumpkin patch to feed some animals and see lots of food that grows on a farm.  We tried to take them through a corn maze to find a giant pyramid of hay, but after a few minutes we were just glad we could find the entrance again.  The kids loved the goats, cows and ponies the most.  There were a few drama moments, but all the kids loved the animals and playing on this wooden train.  If it would cool down just a little we probably wouldn't have been so tired and dirty after our little adventure.

Who Me?

We love this picture because it truly shows how far Taylor will go to get something she wants.  The clever girl actually discovered that if the chair was too far away, she could always climb in the bay window (behind her in the picture) and then get on the desk.  Needless to say, the desk is now removed from this location, but its just a matter of time until she finds another way...

You Know It's Bad When...

So the other day I was talking with Jena and she asked me what I like to do.  I said I like to sew.  To which she replied, "You don't like to sew, you like to clean, clean, clean."  So apparently she doesn't see the dust, crumbs, stains and cat hair flurries, but her mother doing something she really "likes" to do.  I wonder what else made her list of my favorite things to do :)

Santa Barbara Zoo

For a smaller zoo the Santa Barbara Zoo is awesome.  Almost all the animals are close and easy to see.  For instance, every time we go we have seen the Lions right behind the glass.  We can visit all the animals we want in a few hours.  There are lots and lots of kids, so it's not like ours are the only loud and crazy ones... and many more reasons.  It is truly one of our favorite things to do as a family.  This time we managed to make the otter feeding.  It was very cool to see them hold on the the fish and chomp away.  They are brothers and one didn't like to eat the fish heads, so his brother would come over and finish the job.  Here are a few more pictures and places at the zoo that we really like...

Taylor found a friend

Riding Along

Where's Jena

This is Jena's absolute favorite thing about the zoo... feeding the giraffes!

Where's Taylor Now?

Not that I want anyone to see my closet, but when I saw this little girl and how thrilled she was to be in another clever spot... I couldn't resist.  If there is a small place that's new and potentially exciting that's where little Taylor will be.  What can I say besides, That's our girl!

Mystery in the Manor

At first one might think, sure it seems like a normal fireplace. Typical workmanship, typical location, typical cleanliness (at least I thought it wasn't too bad). But on closer inspection, one might think, if it's not time to be used or cleaned (since apparently it doesn't get cleaned that often) then why is it currently open. And if one looks even closer they might discover a mark from the culprit just outside the fireplace.

How about another piece of debris from the scene and a closer look at the mark left behind?

So, who could be the culprit of this mystery? And what could this person be doing in the open fireplace? And the conclusion of this story... or if you know our second child it is probably not that big of a mystery...

Verdict... Taylor IN the Fireplace with the Sippy Cup

Why... Why not... Just curious!?!

Conference Weekend in San Diego

We took a little road trip down to San Diego to watch General Conference and enjoy time with the Grandma Sue and Grandpa. We spent the first half of the day listening to the Prophet and other leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and then we spent the afternoons and evenings playing on wiggle racers, watching cartoons, sewing and eating yummy food. On Saturday the four youngest cousins got so dirty that they all got tossed into a bubble bath and they loved every minute of it. We had such a fun time with all the family and even managed to get a few spiritual moments in there too. Here are a few other cute pictures from the weekend.

Maddie and Tay on their favorite wheels

Four rascals in the tub!