Autumn Gratitude

Benji and Ryelle take ring side seats & hand out pointers on carving the Bird

The anticipation...

Silly Sisterly Love.... It has been so fun to have Nanna and my 3 of my sisters move closer to us this fall. Here Charitie, Cortnie and Chelsie get goofy together before dinner. We hosted Thanksgiving for the 5th time in our marriage. It definitely gets easier the more you host. Thanks Familiy I love you all!

Families Supporting Adoption

Another great family supporting Adoption activity we went to in November was a free day at Boondocks. There were posters of waiting children through Utah Foster Care along the walls of the party room. We had free chili, milk or juice and donuts balloons, tokens for the games and free rides. The kids had a blast. It was fun to see how many families were gathered together who have been blessed in some way by adoption. Benji brought his friend A.J. and collected lots of tickets for their free prize at the end. What a blast. This is definitely one of Benjis favorite family activities. We went last year for his birthday and a few times after but never for free. Thanks Boondocks and Wendy's Daves Foundation For Adoption Props to you!

Family Supporting Adoption Walk

November is National Adoption month. To celebrate and bring awareness as a family we spent the Saturday at a Walk for Families Supporting Adoption. We met up with some friends and my 16 year old Sister Charitie & had a good time.

Adoptive families walked with signs stating who they were walking for a birth mom or child. Birthmothers & supporters were there too with signs as we walked around the park. After the walk the kids really enjoyed running after the orange candy shot out of a candy cannon. Then there was a drawing and we actually won two free meals to Cafe Rio one of our fave Utah Restaurants. It's so good!! Dans Favorite is the sweet pork salad smothered burrito or salad, mine is the veggie salad with black beans & house dressing.

Cannon Shooting Candy for the kids.

After the walk we were happy to find the leaves piled up so high we were able to indulge in one of our Fall family traditions of playing in the leaves together.

Benji was very excited to disappear in the leaves.

The feud begins...Game on Dad!

Benji -No leaves in my eyes!

Dan & Benji Decide to sneak up & get mom...

I love the Autumn leaves!

Twister

As a family we love to play games one new game played in our home this year was

Twister. Its pretty funny to watch Benji to try and reach the colored dots. We played it for family night one Monday per Benjamin's request.

Happy Birthday To Us!

Dans hot dancing moves!

I found cousin Ryelle a giant Winni the Pooh Bear..She is a huge fan and was instantly taken with him.

Having the Same Birthday in a marriage proposes interesting situations.

Who's Day is it really...

Who does the dishes?

Who cleans the house?

Who chooses what we do to celebrate?

Who arranges the celebrations?

Who make the cake?

My favorite advantage is there is only one cake and one set of candles so I am only as old as Dan.

As to the answer I will let you decide. I can tell you this year a good friend Karen brought us the giant cupcake for our birthday. Because last year she caught me making a double layer homemade German Chocolate cake on my birthday... And she said that should not happen again! Thanks Karen!

Trick or Treat 3 bags full!

Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat 3 Bags Full!!

Creeping and rolling on the grass like a real spider!

Aunt Deva Chelsie and Cousin Kitty Ryelle

The Trick or treaters

We had a fun filled Halloween!

Friday I took Benji to school all dressed up and stopped over to check out the kindergarten class before the School Halloween parade. I was hopping I could sneak in to help with the class or just be a part of it. His teacher is so nice she let me tag along and help out with the parade. The little kindergartners were easily turned around when they were parading through the classrooms so I stood at the doors and helped guide the wondering costumed cuties.

Cookie Decorating

The Sweetest Kindergarten Teacher Cat in the Hat & Spooky Spider

Then Benji played Halloween Bingo, decorated pumpkin cookie, and a played pictionary games. We packed ourselves in the car and headed off to Dads Halloween Office Trick or Treat party.

Here there was a major hold up as the office guys told him to take as many and what ever he liked...the choices the choices...

Note Benji is well aware that Mom and Dad are terrified of spiders-Dad more then mom-So when he saw this costumes he was thrilled to be the one thing he knew both of us had a phobia of. He would not be talked out of it-though Dad tried his best!

The Fam

Unfortunately Dad was detained on our arrival with a good thing –getting closer to closing a deal- So I blindly lead Benji around the office decorated mazes a Halloween fun. Here he timidly gathered his 1^st bag of candy. We met up with Dad snuck a photo and raced to the ward Trunk or Treat. Here we froze for 1 hour with friends outside while Benji got his 2^nd bag of candy.

The Freeze yourself out Trunk or Treat. Nana the tiger, Aunt Mahkalie the beautiful, Charitie the Cutest nerd, Kristen the Devil, Me the witch, Aunt Chelsie with Kitty Ryelle, Dracula AJ, Spooky Spider Benji, and Pumpkin Nelly(yes we dressed our dog). note she loved it no complaints! Really!

The next day Halloween we recouped (Mom was under the weather with a sinus and ear infection for the last 2 days) Then buoyed up, costumed up and hit the neighborhood (with great friends neighbors) about 5:30 pm 3^rd bag of candy. Benji was so excited by now there were no timid. No he was running up the house steps and rolling down the lawn to the next house. (Pictures at the top of the blog.)He was really acting out the “roll” of a spider and spent much of the time creeping and rolling on the grass. Then we headed on up to the cousins for the annual chili Halloween gathering. Phweey I am exhausted and Benji is still bouncing off the walls.