Howling Good Time!

We have seriously been celebrating Halloween for 2 and a half weeks now!  What a fun time of year.  Seeing all of the trick-or-treaters out on Main Street today really almost made me feel like Christmas was in the air ... you know - that kinda giddy feeling?  haha.

Here are some photos of one of our Halloween Bashes a couple weeks back:

Cookie decorating:

Mmmmmmmmmm...

We pretty much had a pumpkin patch of pumpkins to carve ... one for each kiddo!

I just love this picture of Aaron and Ellie - digging out the guts with much gusto!  Krystal & Aeryn were happy to each have their own pumpkin to carve ... luckily our pumpkin patch grew exactly three pumpkins:  Large, Medium, and Small -- Krystal claimed the small one!

 

Some more of the Halloween Gang:

Tyler and Marissa teamed up to carve out our biggest pumpkin.  And here's Krystal just as pleased as can be with the pumpkin "just her size"!

 

Aaron was still pretty grossed out by the guts this year, but ...

... Krystal has come a long way from, "Huh?  I found a nut!"  She looooooves the pumpkin guts!  :)

Aaron and Marissa both decided to carve a cool pattern this year.  I'm not sure if the look on Aaron's face in this picture is because his pumpkin is so heavy or because he wants me to get on with the picture already!  The pumpkin turned out cool, huh?  He did an awesome job.

 

Krystal carved her own design ... the kissy face punkin - with ears!  And here's Marissa and Allison going to town on their professional pumpkin patterns.

 

It was SO MUCH FUN to light these all up!  Don't they look spectacular?

 

We love hangin' out with good friends!

ACTD Talent EXPO

ACTD had an okay turn out for the Expo.  We were hopin' for 50 kids - and got about 20 or 25.  Jers and Ty did an awesome job organizing and getting everything put together, and I think they put on a dang good show!

Thanks to Pepsi for helping us add some color to the walls.  :)

Channel 4 News ended up cancelling at the VERY last minute - but, here's the article the Daily Herald did.  Turned out good, 'cuz we didn't get any pictures of the BYU players - but, managed to get pictures of the rest ... and the Daily Herald only used pictures of the BYU players.  

I think everyone's favorite part was the Hopkido class.  I sure got a kick out of watching them participate in that.  ESPECIALLY my own daughter - Marissee.

They all really got into it!

 

Here's the lunch layout:

And "Formerly So" totally rocked the house.  They were seriously awesome ... and gave a lot of good pointers to the kids about finding themselves through music.  I loved it.

Here we are with the Pepsi Refresh representative.  She was fabulous, and really helped finalize the little details as we set up.

Whew!!  What a day.  I think ACTD really knocked it out of the park - and should have clients knocking ANY minute!!

$1.00 Make Overs

Krystal picked out an awesome $1.00 make up kit at the mall a few weeks back - and boy, we continue to get our dollars worth out of it!  M went to town on the girlies:

Green stripes for the Deeders.  Gotta love Krystal's focused tongue poking out while she holds Marissa's bangs out of the way.  :)  She was totally in heaven this night.

Krystal had her make up done at least 4 times.  Melynda finally had to tell her - "this is the LAST one, my dear!"  hahahaha ... oh man, I love this girl.

Annie Pie sure looks stylin' with her "smoky" eye and her "buzzing" eye.  She's just plain gorgeous.

This was Krystal's final make up job ... and her favorite - clear up through the eyebrows!! :D!  Oh - and she is very proudly holding up the make-up kit bargain she found.

Melynda really dug the black look ... and look how cool it looks on Miss!

What a fun girlie night!  Worth every single 100 pennies!

Friday Night Lights ... uhhhh ... Make that Saturday Morning Flags :)

Aaron managed to make it through his first football season during the month we were gone, so he missed several games and practices. But, he seemed to enjoy the times he was there!  I have to admit, I wasn't super excited about the whole "football" experience, and there were several times I wasn't sure about it AT ALL ... (like the first time Aaron got pushed - HARD - by another kid playing defense).  Totally surprised Aaron - nearly knocked him over - and brought tears to his eyes.  When Tyler explained to him that that was what he needed to do, Aaron told me he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.  I tell ya - we've got ourselves a football player!   hahahaha.  Nah - he got better and better as the season dragged on slipped by.  :)  And now - he cannot get ENOUGH football.  He plays it every recess - and constantly with the neighborhood boys.  And, even though these pics aren't super clear - I really love them. 

The huddle:

Aaron played Center almost every game.  Here he is snapping the ball.  He is AWESOME at it!  He planned a FHE/Obstacle Course for us one Monday where we had to snap a football.  I'm here to tell ya - it is MUCH harder than it looks!  I never was able to get a good snap with many tries.  Aaron's snaps were perfect or nearly perfect every single time.

Getting better at blocking (hopefully without hurting any feelings!  ;))

I loved how all the boys ran toward the guy with the ball ...

Looking pretty intimidating, if ya ask me!  haha.  So dang cute.

I like basketball season so much better (I know - what kind of mother AM I?)

Henry's Lake

We stayed at Island Park during our Yellowstone Trip ... which was just 10 minutes away from Henry's Lake. Tyler has many many wonderful memories with his grandpa at Henry's Lake, so going there was extra special for him. Tyler wrote the following:

Letter to Grandpa
by Tyler Jenson on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 7:29pm
Dear Grandpa Lundgren

I've been thinking a lot about you this past week. Last week I took my family to Yellowstone and I had many memories of you come flooding to my mind. Just about everywhere I looked I had a memory of you. We stayed in a place called Island Park, which is not far from a place filled with fond memories. Do you remember our trip to Henry's Lake? You took Derek and me. I must have been about 10 or 11, I think. That's where I caught my first fish. You took Derek and me out on a little fishing boat and you were so patient with me as I freaked out about touching a worm and gutting a fish. I felt you truly wanted to spend time with me and not that you had to.

I took my family to see Old Faithful and the hot pots. While I was there I had flashbacks of when we went there. With Derek and me in tow, you walked with us around the hot pots and waited with us to see Old Faithful.

On Sunday of last week we went to Henry's Lake and my kids and I had a contest to see who could skip a rock the farthest. That reminded me of the time you and I threw skipping rocks into the lake. I felt you watching me and smiling down on me. That day was Grandparent's Day. I cannot think of a better way to honor you than to be at Henry's lake with my family.

Thank you for creating so many good memories for me. My family thought I was a bit crazy because I often was teary eyed this trip when I thought of you. You are such a big piece of my life. I can't tell you how much you have influenced me. Thanks for being such a strong example. I miss you so much.

Love,

Tyler



We had a great time here at Henry's Lake together ... trying out the sling shots, skipping rocks, exploring, and visiting.

Hanna and Krystal spent the WHOLE time there collecting rocks and comparing/discussing the cool rocks they found.  :) 

 

 

Marissa's sling shot broke the first time she tried it, so she was pretty bummed.  James-boy broke a random branch to make her a new sling shot that worked like a charm!  Thanks, James-E!  Tyler showed off his spectacular rock skipping skills ...

 

... and the gramps showed off his awesome sling-shot skills!  He keeps us young - this dad of mine!

None of us wanted the trip to come to an end .... and, belieeeeeeeeve me .... getting back to reality stunk.  big time.  :)  So posting these memories a month late was quite rejuvenating for me!  Can't wait for our next big trip together ... we gotta get plannin'!