Carving Pumpkins

Every time now that I think about needing to write on my blog, I think about my friend Julianne. J you need to comment on here so I know you are still reading:)

It always seems like we haven't done much until I look at our pictures. Well there isn't a whole lot to do in my house right now so I should make my time useful and blog all that is going on in our lives right now.

I don't know if you ever do this but sometimes I really have to do something just because I am suppose to for the kids. I really didn't want to carve pumpkins because it seems that Chris and I do it and the kids sort of watch but we got the pumpkins and make jack-o-lanterns anyways. The kids loved it and were excited obviously by this picture.

Choose The Right

I posted this on facebook back on February 19th of this year but I don't think I ever posted it here. I want to put it here so that when I am reading this blog to know what to write in Allison's scrapbook album I will remember this little funny story about her.
 
I got the opportunity to teach the children in Primary the hymn Choose the Right. I must have said choose the right a lot. This evening while we were out delivering goodies Chris and I were talking about turning left and we hear Allison chirp up from the back, "No mommy, you can't eva (ever) turn left, you HAVE to Choose the Right!!" Chris and I burst out laughing. Hopefully she always Chooses the right...but not when she is driving:)

Making Cupcakes

I am really enjoying just having Allison at home during the day. Every once in awhile I will decide that we need to make something. We made chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes. She thoroughly enjoyed helping me unwrap the mini Reese Peanut Butter cups and we just had to do quality check along the way.

I have been having fun doing Allison's hair lately so here is one day.

I love her smiles!!

Quality Check

We had fun and ate too many calories but it is all worth it and we laughed and now I have pictures of our baking.

Bryan Police Department

I have been a den leader for almost two years now. It is really fun and I enjoy all the things that I get to do with the boys that I wouldn't normally have an opportunity to do. Up until this semester Matthew and Allison have always had to come with me every Wednesday since Chris had class Wednesday nights. With Matthew now being a little Tiger Cub, he can actually get something checked off in his book when he comes and does stuff with me at cub scouts. 

I have always wanted to go to a Police Station tour. We went to a Fire Station last year so I was very excited to go to the Police Station this year. Matthew came with us and got that checked off in his book.

Officer A was our guide and in the briefing room he let us see his bullet-proof vest. Not only that but I was surprised because their shirts look like they are all buttoned up but in fact there is just one button at the top and the rest is a zipper. Anyways, he let all the boys punch his vest. He told them it would be the only time the boys would be allowed to punch a police officer. Then he told them it was his turn to hit them back, hence the picture of him pretending to fight Matthew.

One thing in a police station I have always wanted to see, but obviously not that bad to actually break the law to get put in there, a holding cell. That is one solid, thick, heavy door.

Hopefully this is the only time these boys see an inside of a cell, unless they are with their cub scout or scout pack/troop.

This is the armor room. He obviously wouldn't let us go inside but we at least got to look inside.

As we were being told about how evidence is taken and treated, a police officer was taking care of some work that he was doing. This is actually a guy from our ward who happens to be a police officer and he was right at the end of his shift. His son was in our group and is actually the boy against the wall with red hair. Officer P showed us earlier that he had a piece of a car, that was involved in a hit a run, but it actually had a number on it that says who it belonged to that hit and ran. He was entering that car piece into the computer.

We were shown their fitness room and Matthew took a swing at this guy.

We got to go outside and see the motorcycles for those police officers and they got to go through a police car. Then we got to see the armor truck which was fun.

They all got goody bags and the sticker badge. It was really fun to tour the police station.

Our group

Camping...AGAIN!!!

We actually decided to go camping again. The last time we went camping was May of last year so we are thinking that this may be an annual event:) We just picked a weekend and it was a nice weekend. It was warm in the day but wasn't really cold at night. I was maybe a little over-prepared on this one and could barely fit everything we had in our mini, mini-van. I was so cold at night last time that I had every single blanket that we had right there with us.

We had a good time just going out and enjoying the weather. All of us even got in the water. I was probably the wimpiest of everybody but we were in there. The kids had a blast.

I love that these guys are old enough to be little people instead of babies or toddlers that you have to constantly watch. It was fun that they were more independent.

As usual Chris was able to get our fire started. He is a good one to have around. He in not a very outdoorsy type person but he can start a fire.

I LOVE hot dogs so it is such a good excuse to have hot dogs when we go camping. We had the long roasting sticks and it was still hot. We got them cooked though.

So a very weird thing about me is that I loved burnt hot dogs from a campfire. Chris and I have almost been married 10 years and he just learned this about me. My hot dogs were completely black on the outside and I just loved them. I talked about those hot dogs for days afterwards. They were SO yummy, but I know they don't sound appealing and I don't know why I like them.

When you go camping, of course you have to have s'mores. However when I was at the store getting the food to go I found those HUGE enormous marshmallows. I thought they would be even better then the just regular big ones but alas there was TOO much marshmallow. The regular big ones are just the right amount of yummy.

In the morning it was just a bit on the chilly side so that is why we have jackets on.

Matthew makes it look like it was a lot colder then it was.

It obviously wasn't cold enough to make Chris put any extra layers on. He was probably enjoying the cooler weather.

Eating breakfast

It was fun and the kids are asking when we are going to go again. Not for another year, my children, not for another year.

No more kisses:(

The day has come that I have always hoped wouldn't but knew it probably would. I walk Matthew to school and then right before he goes in the door I would give him a hug and kiss and vice versa and Allison as well. That is also where all the car riders would get dropped off and go in that door. Last week as we were walking by the side of the school headed to the front door Matthew stopped me and asked me if we could do our goodbye hugs and kisses there. I asked him if he was embarrassed and he said yes:( I don't like my little boy growing up. I guess I should be happy that he will still give me a hug and kiss on the side of school. I knew it would come but I was hoping that it wouldn't. :(