Today We Give Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I didn't take many pictures, though, so this post may be a little wordy.  We started by going to Grandma and Grandpa Bennion's to visit for a bit.  We got the kids to hold still for a millisecond to get some pictures (not really).

 We did get a train ride in.  Choo!  Choo!

After that, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Yo-Yo's house for dinner.  The kids scattered immediately due to all the kids running around.  It was impossible to get pictures.  After that, we had hoped to hook up with Grandma Sherrie, but alas she had to work today.  We were bummed we couldn't see her. We hope to see her tomorrow.  So we went to my Grandma and Grandpa Orr's for a little slice of pie.

We had a great time spending time with our family today and we are so thankful that they are all a part of our lives.  For those of you that we did not get to see today, please know that we were thinking of you, missing you and wishing you were with us.  We are blessed to be part of a wonderful extended family who lives so close by.  What would we do without you?  Lots of hugs and kisses from all of us.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Harry Potter Halloween

I have successfully brainwashed Izzypop into liking Harry Potter.  Someday she will love it as much as I do.  But, needless to say, I was ecstatic when she said she wanted to be Hermione for Halloween.....I may have suggested it, mind you, but the point is, I did not force her :).  We started the day off by taking Iz to her school Halloween parade.  We met up with Ginny and Dorothy there and made the rounds.

After school, the first stop was Grandma June's for the reveal of Harry himself and that horrid Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter, complete with Quick Quill.

We had a great time talking with the Grandmas and Grandpa...and always love the hugs!

Wingardium Leviosa!

The next stop was Grandpa and Grandma Orr's.  Where Skeeto did some more major spell casting.....

EXPELLIARMUS!!!!

 

There we also met up with Professor Trelawney who made sure to insult Hermione. :)

Then it was on to the important stuff: Trick-or-Treating with Grandma Sherrie!  Izzypop got into it this year.  We took our cauldrons and went out for some loot. 

It wasn't quite the quality of Honeydukes, but we didn't complain. Last stop, Hogwarts.

All in all, it was a wonderful Halloween.  The kids had a riot and I would be lying if I said that getting to dress my little ones up as characters from one of my favorite stories didn't have anything to do with it.  I also probably felt the holiday spirit due to all the work my mom and I put into my costume (thanks Mom).  I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was a teenager.  It was worth it.  Except, for the last time,

 I AM NOT EFFIE TRINKET!

Punkin Carving

We have been super busy around here.  We forced ourselves to make time for some major pumpkin carving today.  Izzypop was old enough to do a lot of her pumpkin by herself.  I helped Skeeto make a Harry Potter pumpkin.

"EWWWW!!! GROSS!!!!!" was the theme for tonight.

Sure love these two rugrats!

Jellystone Vacation

We just spent a week in Island Park, ID with Grandma and Grandpa Orr.  It was awesome.  We spent a lot of time in the pool this year.  The kids had a riot.

Even Poppa Yo-Yo got into the action and got into the pool.  He and Izzypop had some nail biting races all ending in a win for Iz, to which she replied, "It doesn't matter if you win, Poppa.  It only matters if you had fun."

Skeeto invented his own swim stroke.  It's called "the washing machine."

In addition to swimming, we spent a lot of time in the condo just snacking and watching "Buth and Woowey" (Buzz and Woody)

And then spent some amazing days in the park.

We saw some amazing scenery and more wildlife than last year.

The elk in Mammoth were amazing.  They were bugling back and forth and we got closer than I've ever been before.

It's the first time I've seen big horn sheep in the park...I think that might be my favorite moment from Jellystone this year along with seeing the arch in Gardner where Roosevelt dedicated the park.  Again another first for me, alas, I didn't get any pictures.

We had a great time with the grandmas and grandpas.  Many thanks to them for such great memories.  I can't believe it's over already.  Back to work, I guess.

That Feels Better

You Try To Raise Your Kids Right...

....and then something like this happens.

Sigh.

Izzypop went to a BYU game with a friend today and came back all decked out like this.  She said "They didn't have any Utes stuff there."  LOL!  At least she was trying to CTR!

Well, It FINALLY Happened

That's right, after nearly two years of praying for a loose tooth -- ever since the day her best preschool friend, Maggie, lost her first tooth -- Izzypop is finally preparing for a visit from the tooth fairy tonight.  She is happy as a clam.

It definitely made her day better.  She has been sick all last night and today.  Both Izzypop and Skeeto are sick, so I stayed home from work today to quarantine these two little Petri dishes.  Poppa Bennion was kind enough to come up for an hour or so to allow me to get to the store.  While I was gone, he taught Izzypop the subtle art of loose tooth removal...grab it with a tissue and yank it out!  And this brave little girlie did it!  She wouldn't let Poppa do it, mind you, but she did the dirty work herself.  And "it didn't even hurt!"  Congrats Izzypop on your first missing tooth!

 

Update:  The Tooth Fairy found her way to Izzypop's pillow and left her a dollar with a note written in fairy dust on it!  She came busting into our room at 3 in the morning to tell us all about it after she had woken up to go to the bathroom. :)