Halloween 2011

Gabe has been excited for Halloween for literally 6 months. Every day he would tell me what he was going to be (usually something different everyday) and what I could be and what Brad could be (again something different every day). I was getting nervous with all of his indecisiveness about a costume until a week before Halloween when he finally decided that this year he wanted to be the black Spiderman aka Venom.

We ordered his costume online and everyday he waited and waited with great anticipation for it to arrive in the mail. Once it did arrive, he didn't have to be wearing it constantly but he did like to take it with us pretty much everywhere we went and he always had to have it in his backpack when he went to school.

We went to the annual trick or treating extravaganza at Brad's office on the Thursday before Halloween. Then we went to our ward trunk or treat on the Saturday night and then finally on Halloween day Gabe got to go to a Halloween party at Brad's Uncle Terry and Aunty Cerena's house. On Halloween night, he had a blast answering the door and handing out the candy to all the kids who came by. The door bell would ring and he would sprint from the back of the house to the front to open the door. Brad and I were forbidden from answering the door all night.

He had a blast this year and is already planning for Halloween next year.

We just love our little Spiderman.

When we first got to Brad's office he was being a little coy...just like Mum and Dad he doesn't like all the attention


Warming up


There we go



Brad's whole office really goes all out for Halloween...it's pretty neat.


The upper management of the company were all dressed as Garden gnomes.



Gabe and his little friend Jaxon who is 3 months YOUNGER than Gabe. This photo cracks me up. Jaxon is SO huge. Brad and Jaxon's Daddy John carpool together.



We also had my niece Payton (Jarom's baby) with us. She wasn't too sure about allot of the costumes and decorations but she is always happy if uncle Brad is holding her.




The little Lion


Look at those eyes. She is a cutie just like her Daddy!

Weekend project

In an attempt to add refurbishing wood furniture to my list of skills and talents this past weekend I finished this little beauty. I had been needing a distraction, something to get my mind of "stuff" and this seemed to help. The ONLY good thing that comes from your parents getting divorced is some of the unwanted items I have inherited. A BBQ and this table. I had been holding on to this table for some time knowing that I didn't have a need for it but not wanting to get rid of it. I knew it had potential. I had been waiting for the right people to give it to at the right time. My brother Jarom and his wife who are just starting out moved across the street from us about a month ago. They have been adjusting to new jobs, new schools, new place, new schedules etc. I have been so impressed with their efforts and their willingness to want to do what is right that I decided they were worthy recipients. My sister in law had wanted the table to be dark, so with that in mind I got working. I gave it to them last night and it was so fun to see how excited they were. I am happy with the way it turned out and even happier that it has a new home with them in their apartment.

Before I have to say electric sanders like the one in the picture are one of man's greatest inventions. I LOVED this thing!


After I had sanded it down and filled in the cracks and imperfections


Sanded and ready for staining



Stain coat...check!


After two coats of stain it's ready for it's new home

Speechless

My sister in law Shanna recently took some family pictures of us when she was in town and I cannot stop looking at this one of my baby. When he smiles his eyes light up in a way I've never seen in anyone else before. Just looking at this photo makes the rest of the world melt away and I feel two things HAPPY and so very BLESSED. This little man makes all that life has to throw at us worth it. I still have to pinch myself most days... to think that I get to be his Mum! I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Thanks Shanna! You did a fantastic job!

The BIG 4!

This past Thursday my baby turned the big 4! Because we only have one and we love that one SO much we decided this year to celebrate Gabe's birthday week. Why not, right?! We tried to do something fun every day to celebrate his coming birthday. We had a blast.

This year Gabe looked forward to his birthday for a couple of months before hand. He would say "When is my birthday coming Mum?...it's not coming." He gave us a very detailed and specific list of what he would like and of course we spoiled him rotten. The night before his birthday Brad and I were up wrapping presents and half way through Brad looked at me and said "Do you think you went a little overboard?" I was disgusted by this, um, me? Go overboard? For my son's birthday? NEVER! =)

We kicked it off the Sunday before with Nana Sandy and Papa Clark. After our family dinner, we did presents and had Oreo (Gabe's fave) cupcakes with Oreo frosting. Nana and Papa bought Gabe his first big boy bike which he was excited about and some other neat gifts. Nana Sandy has the pics from this which I will have to post when I get them.

On Monday Brad and I took Gabe and his cousin Andrew to see Kung Fu Panda at the Kaysville theatre. The boys loved the movie and spending some time together. Andrew gave Gabe a cool transformer and a neat nerf gun which he has had lots of fun playing with. I love watching those two cute boys together. It is hilarious to listen to them have their own little conversations. They loved having their own popcorn, sprite and nerds to eat. We will miss not having Andrew close by while they live in Elko, NV.
Andrew giving Gabe his present



I love Gabe's face in this one. He was so excited.


On Tuesday night after dinner, we went and got frozen yogurt at Yogotogo. Gabe loves that he can pick his own toppings!


Look at that hair! Haircuts coming up this week I think!


What fun is eating ice cream if you don't get some on your nose?


On Wednesday for school Gabe took some birthday cupcakes to share with his class mates. Spiderman cupcakes of course. It is a rule of the pre-school that any food brought in to share must be store bought or made in the pre-school kitchen. Since I had to work full time this past week store bought was cool with me. Gabe was so excited to take them to school and I just love this picture of him with his teacher Ms Cassie. He loves Ms Cassie and he loves school. He was thrilled to have the kids sing happy birthday to him.




Since my baby would rather eat beans, peas, carrots or pistachios than cake, this year I opted not to spend hours making and decorating a fancy cake. Instead, on Wednesday night Gabe and I had fun messing up the kitchen making some cupcakes. Gabe loves to bake with me so we had fun spending some time in the kitchen together. He requested white cupcakes and strawberry frosting. I don't even know that he ate one whole cupcake but he did love cracking the eggs, measuring the ingredients and of course frosting and decorating the cupcakes.





On the BIG day Daddy went into work a little later so that when we woke up we could do presents in bed. After presents we had pancakes for breakfast. Then after breakfast I took Gabe and his little cousin Payton to the zoo. Gabe was so excited to see the animals but especially the dinosaurs they had there for "Zoorasic park". This year Nana Trudy and Mike gave Gabe some money for his birthday. He was thrilled to have his own money. Lately Gabe has been interested in money. We have given him some little jobs around the house and he likes to do them, get paid and then put his money in his wallet. He was thrilled to be able to use some of his money from Nana Trudy to buy a toy dinosaur at the zoo. After the zoo we got some McDonald's for lunch and went home for nap time. After nap time Gabe and I went swimming at the Clearfield Aquatic Center. Gabe and I had a blast swimming together as it was a HOT day. Finally later that night we went out to dinner with Uncle Jarom, Aunty Bre and baby Payton to Sizzler (Gabe's choice). Gabe loves to have steak at Sizzler. It was so much fun to go with Uncle Jarom, Aunty Bre and baby Payton and they gave Gabe the coolest Dragon which he has loved playing with.

Opening presents


So excited! The pterdactyl he is holding was big on his wish list this year. When he opened it he said "A pteradactyl, exactly what I wanted!" We both laughed. It was worth the 3 stores I went to, and 6 stores I called trying to find it.


The Zoo!


The TREX! He was so excited to see the T-rex but wasn't too sure at first how close he wanted to get to it. After a while he walked right up to the fence, but then when he roared Gabe came running. I love these sequence shots of him running back towards me.




He wanted a picture on the lions


Gabe is so cute with Payton. While we were walking around the zoo, he was concerned that the sun was in her eyes so tried blocking it with blanket.


Baby Payton



My little lady killer! I can say it and I will my boy is GORGEOUS!
He went on the merry go round twice and loved it!

Serious catch up! San Diego in May

I have absolutely been slacking with my blogging lately. So much has been going on. I'm going to see how far back my memory takes me and work forward from there.

San Diego! At the end of May right before Brad's 30th b'day he had to take a week long business trip to San Diego. We thought it would be fun to meet him in San Diego half way through the week and spend some time together, enjoy Brad's birthday and some lovely San Diego sunshine. We had such a fun time. We swam all day, enjoyed some tasty meals, went for some nice drives and spent a day at Sea World.

Sea World had a brand new whale show starting the day we went to Sea World and it was really neat to get to see it. We all enjoyed it.


It is so incredible to see such large and heavy animals jump out of the water like they do.


Gabe was fascinated by the "Nemo" fish

Watching the seals

The polar bears were also very cool


The Sea Lion show was our favorite. We laughed hysterically through the whole show. Sea World was worth it just to see this show.



There was a really neat shallow pool filled with star fish that the kids could touch, feel and pick up briefly. Gabe absolutely loved being able to touch the star fish



You looking at me?


Enjoying the rides