BOOO!!!!

Yummy treats (my personal favorite was the peanut M&M's ...that is why the bag is half empty in the pic!)

Not by Popularity....by TWINS!

So here is the story. The twins took down our Ghost (the one that is colored green). So while it was down we got our first knock...BOOO! Treats & candy! While we are checking out our loot...Knock...Knock...BOO! More treats...yummy A Big bag of Peanut M&M's!!!

Hint: If you want to get hit by the Phanotm Ghost twice...three times...just hang the pic low! Hmmm I might have to remember this trick next year!

I LOVE FALL

Fall is here & it is beautiful. I grew up in Southern CA & then in Hawaii...And I don't remember fall being like this. All the trees have turned yellow, orange, red, purple...Breathtaking! We have had a fun yet busy fall. It hasn't really even rained this fall. (I am sure this is a fluke). We have enjoyed bike rides, walks, carving pumpkins, pumpkin patches, Halloween Parties...and even Dinner in a Pumpkin (thanks to John who is always so adventurous!)

It was so warm this year that the pumkins we carved didn't last until Halloween. They started to MOLD inside...they looked so disgusting that we threw them away a couple days ago...so we just have they ones we didn't carve this year! (But I would take fungus filled pumpkins & good weather over beautifully carved pumpkins in the cold! We never had this happen in Utah!) I guess this long warm fall does have a draw back...MOLDY PUMPKINS!!!

Soccer is OVER!!!!

It has been a great season! The boys have all improved & the coachs were great.

But let me tell all my Utah friends! You have it made, soccer is cheap there! (In Utah you get a nice jersey,shorts, socks, a trophy and a memory mate- picture with team & your player...for $30 bucks total for the season!) Oregon is like $75...you get a T-shirt, sockes, but no shorts, no trophy, no picture...we had to buy the same thing we usually get free in UT..but it was $10 here! And the buy our kid his own trophy! Man Oregon is way more pricey for EVERYTHING!!! (I knowI shouldn't complain because my freinds that moved here from Cali love it here because it is way cheaper than there!) Crazy...why the price difference in sports... I have no idea...who pockets all the $????

My Ring

I finally feel like I am a married woman again!

So back when we were moving, I threw some laundry in the laundry shoot and my ring got caught on the door...I immediately looked down and my DIAMOND was missing! I looked on the floor...then searched in the laundry room. No luck! Panic...I searched off & on all day long (as I was in & out of the house running here & there...just another crazy day in the life of Nichole.) Finally took a minute to pray...searched again through the laundry...piece by piece...searched all the nook & crannies...and a little teeny tiny jewel was sitting on the floor...close to the drain!!!! Scary how thousands of dollars could go down the drain like that! I was shocked that I found it! Prayers are truely answered.

So fast foward...I sent it to the Jewlers who designed it 11 years ago! What a joke...owner died...son & daughter-in-law now do it! I sent off my ring & literally dozens of phone calls later...and run around...lies like they called & left a message on my home phone & cell phone...etc. how they are remodeling, they are busy & crazy with their personal life (I mean detail about the kids & remodeling) Anyway after nearly having to threaten them I received my RING...2 months later! (I should have taken it locally and gotten it reset in a few days!!) Anyway I no longer have to get the looks of a "single mom raising with 5 on her own" or weird guys at the grocery store that ask 'if we know eachother?" I am so glad to be married again!

Another Busy Day

These are the girls with their cute jean purses!!!

And these are our "Button Cookies"...a big kick off to to our Button Incentive Program! So I get to be in Activity Days which is one of the best callings ever. (Even better than YW...because it is only during the week and only twice a month...so Sundays I get to fo to R.S. which I Luv!!! And at this age you don't have to worry about the girls...they are all pretty good at his age & so excited!) Anyway we decided to make a jean bag/purse so they could put their cute 3 ring binder in it that we made a few weeks ago. So 2 weeks ago we helped all the girls cut off their jeans sew them up...then braid three strips to make a cute handle...really easy because you just pull it through a little "X' hole and tie the end into knot...no sewing the handle on at all!!! So today was the 2nd part of our activity. We told them about our cute button incentive plan!!! So everytime they achieve a goal they have set..they get a certain colored button to sew onto their bag! Today everyone got a purple one because they had all sewed their bag 2 weeks ago! But some of the other girls got oodles of buttons for the goals that they have already achieved! I think in total we will give out 31 buttons to each girl by the time they move on to YW's!!! ?I think this is going to be really motivating. Makena came home today, went & sat with her scriptures on the front lawn & read...then she came in & made a weekly chart on things she wanted improve at...one for esch day! (I love how she is so self motivated!!! She has been trying alot more lately. She can usually tell when I am running around the house trying to get things done..like getting everyone in the car and she says "What can I do to help you mom?" (Sweet huh...but this can be a complete contrast to her split personality...oh yeah...she is my daughter!!!) Can I say that I think we have some really cool leaders over Activity days. Everyone has contributed alot...but I'll tell you something that Christy W. will be the next YW Pres!!! She is so fun & creative. It has been really fun bouncing ideas off of her...and sinse she is 2 doors down we do alot of running back & forth!! Christy you are way cool!

Tanner is just like his dad...thoughtful!

This is my kid who is so tender hearted & sweet. His prayers always melt my heart because he is sincerely concerned about people in our family & others in the world and always remembers to thank Heavenly Father for our "good bodies" & a "good house"...I don't know where he came up with this! (I just have to remind myself of how sweet he is when I find his shoes in the middle of the entry way after schoo lor his backpack & lunchbox on the kitchen table. He is improving though.) He reminds me of his dad. Tonight Iasked him to wash the table & chairs off after dinner and he said "Sure"...no complaints! Don't get me wrong he does have his complaints here & there...but he is often pretty good about doing his work with good cheer! I hope he ends up being like his dad...kind, caring, thoughtful, respectful!

This past week he walks in with a stack of folded papers.Each paper was addressed to a different person:

1) To Melio, You are the best little sister ever you are fast.

2) To Cortoer, You are the best bruther ever I like to play ball with you.

3) To Kiali, You like to catch bugs with me.

4) To Makena you are the best big sister ever.

4) To Dad, You are the best Dad you spend time with me and are thotful (thoughtful).

5) To Mom, You are the best mom ever you are taltin (talented).

Tagged...6 Quirky things about me

Thanks Rachel...these things are so hard. Rules: 6 UNSPECTACULAR QUIRKS about yourself...then tag 6 fellow bloggers: 1. I love the smell of clean kids, clean house, clean sheets, etc!!! My nose is the best nose ever!!! John thinks I should work for the police station as a blood hound. So now that I have 5 little kiddos...I can't be my little perfectionist. I use to have a little mini anxiety attack if anyone stopped by my house unannounced & there were a few toys on the floor. But one of my BFF, Missy, taught me to not stress about it because everyone knows you have to LIVE! I am much better...but it still drives me crazy to have a cluttered or messy house. Just give me a 5 min.warning to do a quick run through and I will enjoy chatting much more than worrying about some toy on the floor or a few dishes in the sink. The twins have been very humbling in this aspect. 2. I am a terrible liar. If & when I try...I think they can see right through me...and then I have so much quilt that I wasn't honest that I usually leak out the truth. Especially if it face to face. So if you ask me to do something I will always say "yes"...I am a huge people pleaser. For example: If you ask me to watch your kids...I will usually say yes...even if I was going to run errands that day or try to get something done. I will put everything aside to help somone out especially if it is easy like watching your kids...I amthe queen of procrastinating my errands....so any excuse to not do it 3. I hate debt...when John & I got married I was thrilled that he had no school loans!!! Until I found out he had an $800 balance on a credit card....I couldn't handle it...I immediately went & payed it off. Well fast forward to 11years later...I would LOVE to owe only $800. I just have to laugh now because student loans are way more than that!!! He he he. That should have taught me! 4. When I get ready in the morning I have a bazarre routine. After the shower I have to lather lotion all over, brush teeth & then while the lotion is drying I do make up while hair is twisted in a towel! THEN brush hair out ...blow dry & style. (If we are at someone elses house my routine is messed up a little & it takes me so much longer) 5. I am not shy at all, I can just start talking to someone at the store... as if we have known eachother forever. This has been helpful with moving as many times as we have...it doesn't take me long to jump in & get to know people. 6. I am obsessed with home decor & crafts. I have been known to spend way too much time & money at these kind of stores. I am a craft addict! And I usually buy way too much of this kind of junk & then never get around to completing the project...I guess being the mom of 5 busy kids can do that to you! I have alot of little projects I would like to do...some I have already started...but then life moves in & takes over & before you know it, your project is on the back burner. Family first, right? So those are 6 bazarr things about me...and plenty more from where they came from. Now it is your turn to share your quirks. I tag whoever feels like exposing the true them.

What else do you do on a Sunday afternoon?...

Isn't this cute??? Makena was so jazzed after sewing our jean purse at activity days that Makena made this one for Kialil (isn't that sweet?) Tanner is suppose to get a pillow but I think that may be next Sunday! I love the braided handle

In Utah we always went to Gma's for a big Sunday dinner. Now that we are in Oregon...we feel like we have so much time on our hands. We have been enjoying dinners with Joe,Stacy, & the cousins, making pies, cinnamon rolls, family walks through the neighborhood & bike trails....except now we can add sewing to the list! Oh did I say take a nap....Sunday naps are heaven.

Funny thing was on conference Sunday we made about 8 plates of cinnamon rolls to deliver to friends in the ward & we literally couldn't get rid of these fresh hot out of the oven... yummy..ooowweyyy...goooeyyyy mouth watering...melt in your mouth beautiful cinnamon rolls. A ton of people must of hit the road after conference or something because hardly anyone was home...oh yeah maybe they have FAMILY here!!! (Or maybe they just ditched conference & went tothe beach!!!)

Funny side note: Makena insisted on pulling the rolls in the wagon...I of course didn't want her to because I knew she would get sick of it after about 5 or 10 min & we would get stuck pulling it! She was a trooper for most of the time but Daddy of course came to her rescue as he always does & pulled it for her because it was "loud & giving her a headache when the wheels went over the sidewalk....ba BUMP...ba BUMP..ba BUMP" (hmmm mom always knows best...why do they never listen!!! I just wanted to say"I told you so"....but I bit my tongue!)

Sunday Pictures

Family pictures are always such a chore...so this time we just grabbed all the kids after church & sat them down for a quick picture. The babies were so tired & past due for naps. These of course are the pictures that turned out somewhat (minus our red vampire eyes). Don't be deceived...the other pictures were of Malia pulling her dress up...or Carter making a run for it!

This one especially...she is so fast & wild!!!

Pumpkin Patch

Bauman Farms is more than just a pumpkin patch!!! You can spend all day here. My law school girlfriends & I use to bring the kids here. This place brings back LOTs of memories! This year my Christy W. & Amy R. went with us!

This is their new hay maze/pirate ship....very COOL! This fort, teepee, & wagon wasn't here years ago. How cool is this...I think it is a permanent structure...and it has a bunch of slides that shoot off in a bunch of directions!LOVE BIRDS!

My little indians! Carter was sad to get off the Jumping Pillow Wahoo ZipLine

Hayride Heaven

Yummy apple cider donuts! The kids hay maze! B ig Swings in the barn

Pumpkin Checkers! Wahooo....The corn pit! The babies LOVED this slide...they kept running to the BIG STEEP STAIRS...pretty scary...but they LOVED it! Nobody wanted to and & pose after 4 hrs. of playing.We were all pooped AGAIN after a long day of playing! Christy had to rush back for a Bday party that they were missing and all 3 of us moms were planning on going to the Ward Newleywed Game Night! Time to get home & cleaned up for Date Night!!!

She is 9!!!

Wow time flies... I can't believe how tall she is getting! We have pictures from last year & she looks so small. Where has the time gone? I have mixed feelings about her growing up so fast.

I gave Makena the option to take a bunch of girlfriends out for ice cream or do something else??? (This is her odd B-day "9" so we don't do a big freind party...next year!) But I was open to almost anything! This is what she chose: Pumpkin Patch with her cousins!!! She even gave up the whole going to a Freaky Fright Night with the cousins to just have pizza at home! She is so simple sometimes (She is the kid who always reminds me at the store to "just get what is on the list" & "mom do we really need that?" or "don't we have some of that"...I have no idea because John never says anything about what I buy? She is so simple I LOVE IT! I have no idea who or where she gets this from?) Makena has been the best help with the babies...lately she has been amazing! She has gotten them dressed in the mornings, changed diapers, put them down for naps, and much more...wihtout even being asked. She is just one step ahead of me somedays! We LOVE her! She is a great kid & the biggest helper for her mom & dad! I LOVE that she is a little book worm...she reads all the time. A little smarty pants!

The hay ride..notice that Kiali brought her baby doll & car seat (She tried to pawn it off on me until I remembered...I didn't bring the babies so I COULD enjoy Makena!)Megan invited Tanner over & then offered (almost insisted/begged) to have me leave the twins with her. That may be the last time she ever offers that! So felt empty handed...just me & the older girls...no babies in arms to tote around! Wow what a weird feeling. It was nice to just be with my girls...a little one on one time (or 2?)

Aren't they a cute family! We LOVE living by them. Our kids play almost everyday! Makena even wrote a story at school about Lucy & how she loves to play with her everday! We couldn't be more excited to have them close by!