Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween 2011

Wow...I wonder how many blog posts will have "that" creative title?!! HA  Oh, well...it's late and my brain is not quite functioning on full capacity...so..Halloween it is :)

Heritage Family Festival, Sunday, Oct 30, 2011
With Paige being our little red-head, I knew immediately what I'd like for her to be for Halloween this year...PEBBLES FLINTSTONE!!  My grandfather, JD Samuels, always watched the Flintstones...it's a memory that I have of him that I'll never forget.  He didn't care of kids were around or not, he loved the comedy that was portrayed in the cartoon....and he would cackle. Wow...just sitting here....I can  hear his laughter!!
So....now that I had Pebbles' costume chosen...and I knew we had volunteered to do a trunk at "Trunk r Treat"...who better for me to be, than WILMA! I tried to get Jamie to be Fred...but that wasn't going to happen.  But hey...he did wear an orange shirt...does that count?!  ok...sure ;)  I"m sure it wasn't a conscious thought when he wore the shirt...but we'll give him credit anyway!!
Marci wanted to be Taylor Swift...and the costume kinda "fell together" by great friends giving us this and that...and by the time we got to the event...well...it kinda "fell apart".  You see, Marci is her own person, with her own way of thinking...wardrobe is always an issue.  And so this night was like any other...the dress was scratchy...the wig was REALLY scratchy...the Guitar had "Barbie" written on it, which in her eyes was deemed as "babyish"...and I didn't EVEN mention her wearing SOCKS with the boots.  Heaven forbid!  "Socks" is a dirty word in our house...she has always always hated socks.  In fact, when "flip flop weather" is over, I cringe! haha  But...as I look back to how I sweated Trace's 1st Halloween, when he screamed over the monkey outfit, and made for a horrible night, I have learned to pick my battles...and well...Taylor Swift ended up looking like a glorified Marci in a dress and boots...but that was jusssst fine :)
Trace said he was "too old" for Halloween this year...but at the last minute, his friend talked him into wearing some military gear.  And who was he to argue over a way to get free candy...so he obliged!
We teamed up with friends, Mandi Cruz and her son Harrison...aka "Betty and Bam Bam" Rubble to create a "Bedrock" trunk.  Trace made our signs for us that said "The Flintstones" and "The Rubbles"...he was so proud of himself and I was proud to have them as part of our trunk...even IF the
"Flintstones" wasn't spelled correctly.  Hey, again...don't sweat the small stuff, right? :)
So...Heritage Church bought $1K worth of candy and it was gone within the first 45 minutes.  They went and got more...and we still ran out!  We ended up shutting down Bedrock an hour early.  It was guesstimated that there were 2000 people on our campus!! What an outreach to our community!  We must pray that the environment we created, full of fun, will entice them to visit our church, if they don't have a church family!

Taylor Swift


Pebbles Flintstone



Wilma let her hair down! haha  Actually, you can't tell it, but I put red die in it...it just didn't take well!  and Since I'm no good at hair...I was waiting on a friend to do my "up-do" at church ;)

THIS is my "glorified Marci" that I was referring to above...and her friend,  Allie Forand!  Aren't they gorgeous?!

...and here's the "up-do"...I can honestly say I've never had my hair in a bun before...but there's a 1st time for everything, eh?



Betty and BamBam :)

I adore their expressions...



Mandi (aka Betty) carved this "Yabba Dabba DOO" pumpkin...how creative! 

yabba dabba BOO.... ya'll know I'm a sucker for  play on words and puns...so this was SO down my alley!

Here's FRED...in his modern stone age attire :)

Can you see the LINES of people down the row of trunks...they were as far as the eye could see!

Betty is manning our trunk!

This is our "Small Group"...they set up a trunk too...they outdid themselves...they were the "Fishers of Men"...and set up a boat and tents and a campfire out of carved pumkins.  It was more rocking than Bedrock!! ;)

Look at the campfire...is that not awesome?!

Judy and Craig

Craig had a fishing line attached to some candy and when kids would bend down to pick it up, he would reel in the line...it was funny each and every time...it never got old!

Daniel made the kids "fish" for their own candy

THere's Patti and her son, Michael

Paige and her friend Paizley took a stroll around the festival

 I was REALLY keeping my fingers crossed that since we'd done the Fall Festival last night, the kids wouldn't beg to go "Trick OR Treating"...well...I was wrong.  We've not been in several years, b/c usually the Fall Fest falls on Halloween night and we use that as an alternative.  So, after work tonight, I got the kids ready and we went around to a few houses in the neighborhood.  We got home, bathed and Marci was in bed by 7:30...does that tell you how long we stayed out?  Marci lost her other front tooth tonight...so all she wants for Christmas is her 2 front teeth.   :)  The tooth fairy is on her way...better get to bed myself!
Trace really didn't want his picture taken...I promised him I wouldn't post it on facebook...but I didn't promise I would n't blog about it! :)

Trace and his friend, Ty

"Trick or Treat"...

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Marci's Spirit Award

Oops...this is slightly out of order...but I couldn't leave THIS out! :)  Marci won the Spirit Award on Saturday at the game.  She got to wear the "Spirit Mum" for  Half of the Game!  Each girl will get to wear it before the season is over...it makes each of them feel special!


                          ...and I must brag on Trace...he made these "D" "Fence" signs for the girls! :)
                                        Allie Forand holds us the Fence...in DeFense :)  Allie was the
                    winner of the Spirit Award for the other Half of the game!! Gooooo Longhorns!

sweet sleepy baby...

We got home late Friday night...and had to get up early on Saturday morning for a cheer game.  After the game, Marci had cheer practice.  Paige usually just rolls with the punches...we managed to get a nap....actually TWO naps in before our next activity.  Marci was invited to a Sleepover Birthday Party to celebrate Allie Forand's 8th Birthday!  It was a SPA party...complete with making your lotion, doing nails, make up, karaoke, and even TENTS in the backyard!  I stayed to help with the girl's spa treatment...and saw first-hand what a blast they had.  Again...Paige rolled with the punches...she had on her PJ's too...and the girls all loved "babysitting" her while I was busy doing nails :)
So...we got home a little later than Paige's bedtime...but she was out by 9:15.  I rely on her to be my alarm clock on the weekends...well, let me just say, we didn't make the 9:30 church service today, because she was still snoozing....she finally woke up at 10:30.  In just enough time for us to swing by to get Marci and make it to the 11:00 service.  By 2:00, she was ready for another nap.  I couldn't resist snapping a picture of this sweet sleepin' angel! :)
          She loves her Sippy Cup...even when it's Empty...she holds on tight!  Her  hair is crazy...especially after bedtime/naptime!  She loves her lovey blankets too! ;)  and look at those sweet pouty lips! This child brings extreme happiness to my life!

Spring Hill Bear Football

Our nephew, Hunter Clayton, is a SENIOR this year!  We  have always loved to go watch him at sports, but this year, time has slipped by us...and we hadn't been able to get to ONE of the games.  So..this being the last home game, we decided to make a mad dash.  It was also Senior night, where each Senior gets recognized with their parents on the field.  It was a nice recognition!...even though we got there by the skin of our teeth, to hear his name called out as we were getting out of the vehicle. :)  We got to see many old friends and visit, while I attempted to watch the game.  I've decided I'm a tad bit ADD...and well, football just doesn't keep my attention very well.  I try..I really do...but ...SQUIRREL! LOL

                                                   Grandmom...Marci and Paige


                                                        marci and alli
                                                                uncle russell

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Paige's Pumpkin Adventure

T
This is Paige's 1st Halloween!!  We took these pictures at H and N Landscaping.  They have so many different varieties of pumpkins!  I didn't even know there were so many different varieties and color of pumpkins!  Just another amazing thing in God's creation!

My beautiful Marci!

Love this picture!


...and sometimes we have to use Cheerios to bribe sitting still! :)





Yep-....we painted her hiney to look like a pumpkin...does that make me crazy?! LOL  It was a "Pinterest" idea that I just HAD to take advantage of copying, since Paige is just at the right age to make it happen :)

that is one of the sweetest hineys that I've ever seen! :)