Wesley's Birthday Party

Wesley's 3rd birthday is this Thursday (Nov.12), so today we had a party for him. All of his friends were there and you couldn't find a happier kid (up until the past-naptime-meltdown!). It was a pirate birthday with games, lunch, cupcakes, and pirate accessories galore. The kids seemed to have a great time, while us moms always enjoy eachothers company.

I'm not quite sure what was so funny, but most of lunch time was spent laughing instead of eating!

This game was like pin the tail on the donkey, but instead each kid tries to put their treasure chest on the 'x'. Wesley was right on!

Truly, we have the best friends! It's really a blessing to have friends that I love with kids that Wesley loves.

After all the activites Wesley opened his gifts and then couldn't wait to tear into the packages and get everything out. My mistake...this is the result... Wesley 'hiding' in a cubby with his new toys to protect them from the touch of any other kid. Hence, the beginning of the meltdown. I guess one kid can only handle so much fun. The party ended shortly after. :)

I must say the party was a success. Even Jack joined in the fun (he LOVES these balloons!). Thank you, thank you everyone for coming and making Wesley's day.

And just because I think they are too cute, I'm throwing in this picture from church yesterday. Seriously, cute.

Happy Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year with trick or treat fun at Grandpa and Grandma Curtis' and back in our neighborhood. And with two kids that aren't especially big on candy yet, Brad and I really are rolling in the sweet stuff.

Even Grandpa was dressed in his Halloween best!

(Can you believe this is his pilot uniform that still fits after like 18 years?!)

Happy Halloween!

Our Pumpkins and Party

This weekend we started decorating and carving our pumpkins. I saw this idea online to paint pumpkins and, while it didn't turn out as great as I hoped, Wesley had a lot of fun doing it. This year was also the first we've carved pumpkins with him, but of course he wouldn't have anything to do with the slimy insides. We had a great night and I think Brad did a pretty good job.

Today was our Halloween party at playgroup... here are the highlights...

two dragons, one lion, Peter Pan, the cutest lady pirate, the most handsome skeleton (my sweet Jack), a very furry Elmo (my funny Wesley), and one grumpy bag of bones.

The boys dressed their mommy up as a mummy!

Wesley broke into the pinata!

And on top of all that, we decorated goodie bags, frosted cookies, put monster faces on pumpkins and danced to some spooky music. Good times.

These are our pumpkins, aren't they cute?

(And in case you noticed, the boys did get a bit of a trim last night, maybe too dramatic.)

Finally, it's come to my attention that I have neglected to post a single picture of my ever expanding belly (clearly on purpose), so here it is at almost 30 weeks.

The Scarecrow Festival

I would apologize for posting more Halloween activities, but I warned you at the beginnng of the month and there's still more to come. So here is our day at the Scarecrow Festival. Jack had his first real experience in a bouncy house and he loved it. Wesley and I rode around a racetrack on a bike, maybe too much of a workout for me? We took the little train around the festival twice with a driver who went a little faster than you would have expected (and you should have seen Ava cuddle up next to Wesley like they were on a date, so cute). And of course, more, more, and more pumpkins.

Barnyard Boo

Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point... pony rides (as always and still Wesley's favorite activity), sword fighting with balloons, cookie decorating, potion brewing, and hours of fun with great friends. What more can I say?

Pumpkin Picking

We went to the pumpkin patch on Tuesday night and were there only about 10 minutes before the rain hit. Too bad, but we did pick out our few pumpkins and Wesley didn't seem to think the rain was putting a damper on anything. Wesley was still so proud of his pumpkin when we got home, he made me take a picture of him immediately, again rain and all.

Fall

I love the fall, however short it may be. And if you've ever lived in Salt Lake you'll know Fall isn't so much a season as it is a few short weeks. Finally, the hot summer is over, but not yet the freezing winter.

This past week my family was in town and we spent a few days at a cabin in Midway. It was heaven. We relaxed, looked through charming shops, walked down Main Street in Park City, and had a great time together. It was the perfect getaway, even if it wasn't SanDiego.

I also love the month of October, specifically, because of all the fun activities I can do with my kids. I'm in a playgroup with some of my friends from my old ward in Draper and every Monday we get together to do something fun with the kids. Last October, we did everything Halloween we could think of and it was the most fun. So this year we're doing it all again... Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point, the pumpkin patch and games at The Scarecrow Festival, even a Halloween party just for the kids. But our first activity is one of my favorites... visiting the witches at Gardner Village. If you've never been there, you really should see it. So. Much. Fun. Anyway, we had a great morning. Wesley was so excited to wear his sorcerer costume, but ended up only wearing the hat for the first five minutes. At least I got one picture. Even Jack had a great time running through the grass and laughing at the excitement as he was dogpiled by Wesley and Ava. I love playgroup.

And because I'm sure Jack will look the same for the next few months, I should explain now, we're not abusing the poor kid. He's trying to quicken his step to more of a run and is falling down constantly. Everyday he has a new bump or scratch. Although, I'll admit, the scrape below was not an accident but an intentional injury caused by the remote, really caused by Wesley, after Jack unwittingly turned off the TV. Never mess with a kid and his favorite show. And this was Jack's birthday. Bummer.

Anyway, Happy Fall!

Jack's Party

Happy Birthday Jack! OK, we are celebrating a few days early. His birthday isn't until Tuesday, but we decided to have his party Saturday night. There was a little cake and a lot of family. So here are our highlights...

Jack actually ate his cake and I know this may not seem like a big deal to most people, but after Wesley's first birthday we felt a little ripped off. Wesley touched the icing with one finger, wiped it on Brad's shirt, and wanted nothing else to do with it, so we totally missed out on the big, messy, dig in tradition. We were delighted that Jack did the opposite! And he truly did make a BIG mess!

After a quick wardrobe change, he opened presents (upon presents, upon presents). THANK YOU everyone!

It was a great night! And now my baby is ONE, well almost.