About mid-November Ben discovered how to boss us all around. I was busy getting dinner going and sat him in his chair and gave him a few snacks to keep him occupied. He kicked his leg up on the table and told us all off. He had his eyebrows down and his bossy voice barking at all of us. We just laughed at him which seemed to anger him even more. I decided I had to get it on video but the instant he saw the camera he was all smiles, which made the whole thing even more entertaining.

Halloween

Halloween was a bit of an adventure this year. The girls decided early on what they would be. Maile a cheerleader and Madalyn Supergirl. They nearly wore out their costumes before Halloween ever came, especially Madalyn. She was hilarious about her Supergirl persona. I am not kidding, when she puts on that costume she thinks she really is Supergirl and thinks she is invincible. :)

Halloween night ended up being a complete down pour. So Benny the Monkey opted to keep cozy in the car while Darin and the girls braved the weather.

Hitchin' a ride.

Notice the boots? Yes, came complete with the costume. And notice the prissy cheerleader hogging the umbrella? She's not prissy, she just doesn't want to get her hair wet.

The trio.

This is Maile, Lexi and Lydia at my mom's annual Halloween party. Maile LOVES these girls!!!

School parade. Isn't she cute?

Madalyn and Adrianne waiting eternally for the parade to start.

Supergirl in character. Notice the position of her hands. Left hand in a fist pointing upward as if she is about to take flight and the right on the hip ready for action.

Rah! Rah! Maile!!!!

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. The change of the seasons, the costumes, the candy, the excitement, but most of all it is the gateway to the Holidays that I love so much.

Mai, Mad and Aidan

Our little trooper, Ben, even with the sun in his eyes he's still content.

Kennadie, Maile, Madalyn and Holden. Don't get too close girls he might find out you like him. :)

Checking out the ducks. I have to say that I love how Maddy-boo is standing in this picture. She's just too stinking cute in those super tight jeggins and DC's :)

All packed in like sardines, or better yet, Mexicans. Albino Mexi's.

back; Mai, Mad, and Aidan with a booger in his eye.

front: Drex and Ken sharing a seat belt. Not sure how we'd explain that one to the officer.

We decided to head to Gardner Village over fall break with some of our buddies. I am not going to lie, it was a horrible idea. The place was packed to say the least and it was hot! If it hadn't been for the fabulous company and the people watching the whole day would have been a loss. Oh and the consolation stop at Smart Cookie made up for a bit of the madness at the village.

From the mouth of babes

One of my most favorite things about kids is when they say things that are almost correct, but not quite. Or they have the right idea only in expressed in a childs way. I venture to say this is my most favorite part of being a mom.

For example, Madalyn is really into the Star Spangled Banner, which being a lover of America and our freedoms I encourage 120%. Anytime we are out and about and see a flag (Macey's is a big one) Madalyn yells from the back seat "THERE'S THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER!" with gusto. I love it and every time I have to smile.

The girls are usually competing in almost every way. This I don't love, but I think they probably get it from me and since they look just like their dad I am going to relish in the idea that they have my charm (if that's what you want to call it :)). Anyway, they race every chance they get. They initiate the competition by one of them declaring "First one there is a rotten egg!" Gee, what a trophy!!

If any word ends with 'er' when Madalyn says it it ends with 'erg'...Decemberg, Septemberg, burrrg (ya know, cold).....And no, I don't correct her.

A while back I heard the song "Let them be Little" on the radio. I am not sure that that is even the name of the song nonetheless, the lyrics we so. I got all touched by the words, as dorky as it is, and couldn't help but think of how fast it is all going by. With it being Christmas I think we all get a bit nostalgic and reflect on Christmases from the past and I can hardly believe that this is Maile's 6th Christmas and that I am the one being Mrs. Clause and encouraging my kids to believe in Santa. That being said, I am letting my girls just be little for as long as they want.

Trip up the Canyon

I heart Fall!! The leaves, the air, the holidays around the bend. I love it all. It just wouldn't be fall without a trip or two up the canyon. There are a lot of things LOVE about Utah but the canyons is like #1 on the list. It's nice to be 10 min from the mountains. Tons of fun to be had....

I am pretty sure he's got a tooth coming since every picture I took of him he has his finger in his mouth. Our little old man loves to be strolled around where ever we go and for some reason he reminds us all of an old man in a wheelchair. Pretty cute,don't you think?

Our little posers! Of course Maile is quite forward about wanting to have her picture taken and then there's Mad who quietly poses and waits for someone to notice her. I just love her pose of choice, her back to us, as if she doesn't care if we notice.

1. 

Notice Mai is bundled up and freezing and Mad is stripped down to a t-shirt and as comfortable as if it were 70 degrees out.

Slowly, slowly making it to the river. (notice who's leading who?)

Farewell Fast Beater

After 7 long agonizing years we finally got rid of Fast Beater. We bought this car when we were expecting and shortly later we found out it had a bit of personality, to say the least. I have been aching to sell it since about the day we bought it.

When my nephew, Bryson, was little he called our car the "fast beater" because it was fast and beat all of the other cars. Not really, he just thought our car was cool, I guess. Nonetheless, the name stuck because of the irony involved and that it really was like a beater in a lot of ways.

Although I am happy it's gone I am a little sad too. We drove a lot of miles in that car (120K) and had a lot of memories while riding the fast beater. To name a few, that's the car all of our kids came home for the hospital in. 3 different hospitals, in 3 different cities but 1 smooth ride. :). Maile had a few imaginary friends, Bobo and Didi, that I always slammed the door on. How was I to know?? Oh and let's not forget Mai's booger collection. I know, my sweet dainty,pretty little Maile and a booger collection hardly sound right in the same sentence but yes, it's true. About 8 mos ago while giggling uncontrollably she told me that she has been sticking her boogs to the upholstery on her door. That is so gross!! She got to clean up her collection all on her own which I think cured her from trying that again. I guess I am glad she wasn't eating them..or am I? Madalyn was just always the happiest little rider ever. She loves to be on the go and always slept best in her car seat. Rather than a booger collection she chose to collect pony stickers all over her window that stuck to the tint on the windows. Can you say "Ghetto"? They never did come all of the way off.

Even after we got our new car the girls still liked the idea of riding in "dad's" car, but they would always comment on how stinky it was. Which after Darin started driving it, it did smell funny. I don't know why, but it did smell funny. I just hope it didn't smell so nice when I had it and I just didn't realize. :)

It's all in your head.

2 funny things Madalyn has on the brain.

1) Daddy saw you in the temple and he fell in love and then we went to church and then you went back to the " Timalogus"Temple to get married and you wore really cute shoes, huh?

She has some great details in her story they are just a little jumbled, like that Darin saw me in the temple and fell in love with me. Correction: it was love at first sight for him it just wasn't in the temple. And for the record, my shoes were cute they just aren't the 4 inch black heels she thinks they were. :)

2) Since she has "dropped out" of pre-school she keeps asking me why her other friend don't just drop off so she can play with them. It has taken me all weekend to figure out that "drop off" is "drop out" in her mind.