This is Halloween

Has it seriously been almost a month since I last posted? Crazy.

Josh has been hard at work this month, between his job and School. Thank goodness, this is finals week!!! WAHOO!!! He has a test on Saturday, and then we are free, FREE as the wind!! (Okay, at least for two weeks, until the next term begins. . . ) We'll put up with the business-- there are only a couple of more classes to go, and he's finished with his Bachelors!

We're really getting excited for a family vacation that is coming up-- On October 11, we're flying to San Diego for a week of fun and (hopefully!) SUN!!! We've been planning this trip for SO long, it felt like it would never come. Now, the excitement has set in, and Ben asks every day if tomorrow is the day we get to go in the plane. We're going to go to Disneyland, and I'm REALLY excited because it will be decked out for Halloween!! From what I hear, the Haunted Mansion is made up into a "Nightmare Before Christmas" theme, which I am REALLY excited to see!! I love the Nightmare Before Christmas-- particularly the music. GO DANNY ELFMAN!!! :o)

I bought Claire her first pair of shoes today-- some that I fell in love with about two months ago, and finally broke down and bought today for two reasons. 1. It was the last pair in the store. 2. They were on sale. Anyway, Claire hates them. I'm sure she'll get used to them-- we probably should have bought her shoes earlier! I think she hates the idea of having a shoe on her foot more than she hates the shoes themselves. Maybe she has my taste, and really likes them. . . Somewhere deep, deep down inside of her. . .

I'm also very excited for Halloween this year!! I loved trick-or-treating with my little spider last year. Yes, that is chocolate and caramel on his teeth. That was the first time we took him trick-or-treating, but we're really excited to go again! Maybe this year he'll learn to only grab one piece of candy, instead of taking as many as he could before people would take the bowl away from him . . . :o)

But, I think my favorite costume of all for Ben was his first Halloween-- A bag of Wonder Bread.

We haven't bought this year's costumes yet, but we're searching for that one perfect one for each of the kids. I'm sure they will turn up soon. . .

Until next week (or maybe two, or seven or four), Take care all!!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

It is truly amazing what changes can take place over such a short time! This year alone, Josh has changed jobs, both of us have changed positions at work. The kids have grown so much!! Our friends and family situations have changed. It's just incredible!

Claire is now crawling, and picking up speed quickly!! She has already started trying to pull herself up to various objects-- chairs, boxes, our couches, the fireplace (I guess it's time to put our blanket back to cover the rough edges of the hearth stone again. . .), etc. I love how different it has been to watch both Ben and Claire develop. At the age that Claire is, Ben was already a climber! The same day he started crawling, he began mounting objects. His favorite was the rail across the top of the stairs. He would climb up to a standing position on the bottom of the rail, and play with Josh-- that was his favorite thing to do! Ahhh, how things change.

Ben has begun once again to pass the point where Josh and I can fool him into doing/thinking what we want or need him to do/think. In the past, Josh and I have avoided giving Ben soda by telling him it would make him sick, and it is only good for Mommy and Daddy. Those days are over. Today, during Sacrament meeting, he and Claire were sharing a sippy cup with water in it. Ben told me, very matter-of-factly, "Mom, this ony good for me and Cwaire. Not for you and dad. This make you sick." I could have died with laughter just then. It was a very close call!!

I was just reviewing our blog postings, and realizing the changes that have come even just since the beginning of the blog itself!! I hope y'all aren't bored by my ranting and raving, but I do enjoy doing it. It has become a great release to me, and who knows-- maybe some day I'll come up with something that's really worth writing about!! :o) Stay tuned!