Fall Photo Shoot

Every year I try to get the family all cleaned and semi matching in an attempt to take some family pictures. This gong show of an event usually happens in June, however, due to an insanely busy summer, we never got around to it. Last week I was looking at the forecast and noticed this weekend it was going to be 60!!!!! I thought, welp, it is now or never! I dug through the kid's closets, found some clothes and waited for our window. Around 2, everyone was home, clean, rested and in a good mood. We threw on our fancy clothes and headed to our favorite picture spot. We were only there about 15 minuets but boy did we get some great pictures! I am regretting not attempting to get a full family picture but Brandon has a nasty mustache and I wouldn't rather not remember it. Just kidding.....kinda.

You may or may not be seeing some of these again in a month on the Christmas card!

Happy Halloween!

Growing up, my family was never super into Halloween, which is a good thing because the creepy houses still scare me! When I was in 3rd grade my parents announced that we would not be celebrating Halloween anymore, it was the year I was going to dress up like Pippy Longstocking, I was devastated. As an 8 year old I didn't understand or see the harm in dressing up and eating candy. A few years later my parents changed their stance but it was too late for me, I had officially entered the I am too cool to dress up age. Don't be sad for me, when I was 16 and handing out candy I finally realized my childhood dream. I dressed up like Pippy and it was awesome! I had wire braided into my hair so they stood out like hers and I rocked it! Any ways as an adult I know there is a lot of dark things associated with Halloween and I don't blame my parents for choosing not to celebrate. With our kids we really don't talk a whole lot about Halloween, rather focus more on the next day( all saints day) so we really just stick to the costume and candy side of things! 

We are HUGE fans of dress up year round and love all the discount dress up clothes after Halloween sales provide! When we pick out our costumes, we often think about if is something that we can play with year round! This year, like last year, Brandon took the kids to once upon a child to pick out their costumes, it is just so much more affordable this way. Brandon bought 5 or 6 costumes for the price of 1.5 in store new ones.  Samuel and Nicholas nailed their costumes as Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc. I couldn't have loved their costumes more if I tried. Annie was Ariel and Elias was Captain America Civil war. Benjamin was rocket raccoon and I was a worn out mom. haha get it. Ok, anyways we started off the day by visiting my parents and Brandon's mom at work. 5 kids gather candy quickly and we already had a huge haul before even going out in the neighborhood.

 After hitting up the grandparents, we came back, ate a quick dinner and painfully watched the clock until it was time to go! The weather was so warm this year, we really didn't have to do too much layering which made for a comfortable experience. Brandon, Mim and Uncle Jordan took the 5 kids out while Kellie and I manned the door. We had a lot of kids but significantly less than last year. I had a lot of candy left over!

 How cool is Uncle Jordan's costume. Puppy snapchat filter for the win

This rocket raccoon mask is so funny. I about fell over when Kellie opened the door wearing it. Good times had by all. 

Onto November!

Happy Birthday Brandon!

 Today Brandon turns 32! We met when he was just a fresh face 18 year old and I was a much older and more mature 21 year old. Ha, or so I pretend. We celebrated our first birthdays as a married couple the year we turned 22 and 25. I love a good trip down memory lane so here is a look back at our last decade of birthdays together.  

November 2006

 2007

 2008

 2009

 2010

 2011

 2012

 2013

 2014

2015

Wow...I was either pregnant or freshly not pregnant in a lot of those pictures! 

Over the last decade birthdays sure have changed a lot. They went from being all about us as adults to just regular days. Brandon may or may not admit it, but he really does enjoy a big deal being made about his birthday. Every year, we try to do that to the best of our ability, his favorite foods, awesome gifts from the kids, a nice gift from me etc etc. However this year poor Brandon is getting the shaft. He is working his normal shift ,sleep for 6 hours,wake, then a 6 hour overtime shift then going right back to working his regular shift. He is miserable sick with a cold but is going to go to work for 16 hours. What would make a man do this you ask? He is an amazing husband and father and knows Christmas for a family of 7 and 2 birthdays within a month of each other is not a cheap event. 

The kids and I may not be able to spoil Brandon today but we did what we could, an awesome rendition of Happy Birthday, Caribou( we have been doing home brew a lot more so this was a treat) before his overtime shift, homemade decorations, an immaculately cleaned house, seriously it looks like my mom or mother in law did it, not to brag, but I done good, and last but no least his favorite gluten free cookies that I left out as a surprise for him after work last night. It may not be the big hoopla from our youth, but it is perfect for this stage in our life. 

Happy Birthday to an incredibly hard working( he tries to be lazy but I don't let him much) husband and the most involved and active dad around! Oh and if you want to know how awesome he is, the man switched his schedule to let me sleep in last week....on daylight savings morning! If that isn't a keeper, I don't know what is( I may have not informed him of the fact that is was daylight savings but shhhhh). 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Brandon, we love you and appreciate the massive amount of hard work you do so I can stay home!

2016 clearly he is a very handsome man with that comb over and 80's stache. Don't get any ideas ladies, this one is mine.

October Cell Phone Pictures

From the looks of these pictures, it is hard to know it is even October. Beautiful weather and lots of outdoor fun! Here are last months cell phone pictures. 

 Benjamin and his giant tower of blocks. The kid is just too short or else I think he could have gone higher. 

 Neighborhood raking efforts

 Neighborhood capture the flag team assignments. We really do have a throwback kind of neighborhood. SO many kids, lots and lots of outdoor play until the streetlights come on, then in they go.

 I have no words for this picture......This is my husband people.

 Cheap entertainment at Sams club, at least it is for a good cause!

 Nicholas was pretty excited about Halloween

 The little's helping me with leaf collection for Benjamin's preschool assignment.

 Nicholas helping Annie with her spelling

 Nicholas LOVES the outside. We spend a couple hours outside every day and he just soaks it all up, even if he is sleeping

 Annie Elias and I decided to take a nice bike ride along the green way for recess one day. Joys of homeschooling!

 Dis is my otder and I him lobe me. 

Can this kid be any sweeter?

 Best buddies just enjoying some park sunshine at the end of October

Pure joy, this kid loves swinging.