Happy Birthday Mindy!

Today I am high jacking Mindy's Blog to wish her a Happy Birthday.  Anyone that knows Mindy, knows how special she is.   She is the most beautiful person both inside and out.  I love showing people our family picture because the first thing they say is "Wow, you got lucky!" I really did get lucky. Not only is she a knock out, on the inside she is the most caring, nurturing, and sweet person I know.  She lives to be a mom.  While many moms will find reasons to take a break from their kids, there is no place she would rather be than home loving her 5 kids.   She devotes everything to our family.  Cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry for a family of seven is no easy task, but she handles it, and would love to do it for one or two more. She truly is one of a Kind.  She adds an element to family gatherings that no one else does.  With her bold questions, her ability to tell retell a story with more detail than the person who actually experienced the story, and her childlike taste buds.  Things are always more fun with Mindy.  Everyone in my family loves her so much, we are so lucky to have her in our family.  She is an awesome wife, mother, sister, sister in law, daughter, daughter in law, and friend.  Happy 34th Birthday Mindy.

Halloween Stuff

I can't just skip over Halloween. Every year it gets a little more crazy and I am just now starting to realize why my Mom only gave us a few choices of what we could be for Halloween....a pumpkin, clown or a witch.

Simon: pirate, Dennis the Menace, Mario. Maxwell: Ninja. Benson: Secret Agent. Annabelle: MorTiiicia. Brigham: Chubby Robot 

                                                   
                                                           Pumpkin Carving and stabbing

 Beetle made an Awesome Mr. Wilson, I on the other hand was supposed to be Mrs. Wilson and ended up looking like a sick person with blue eyebrows. When Phyllis saw me she said " Mindy honey....what....are...what are you?

Roxanne, Jonny, and Millie's costume's were pretty Awesome.

                                                   
                                                          Michelle, Roman, and Bayliss

Benson took his costume very seriously this year. He and his friends at school play secret agents at recess, they call themselves "American Cheese". Benson came up with his costume all on his own, he told me that all he needed for his costume was a hat, sunglasses and a saxophone. I don't know why the saxophone but in his mind maybe that just makes the secret agent look more secret. Obviously we couldn't come up with a saxophone but he was still pretty satisfied with his costume. I loved that he was making this face throughout the entire night.

Dennis the Menace and Mr. Wilson

So sad I didn't get any pictures of the other costumes! Every body looked really good.

                                               I really love an excuse to put my boys in tights.

                                                       

                     Charles Farley was looking good in my Dad's leather jacket from High School.

                                                                  GANGNAM STYLE!

                                             
                                                 Brig was so cute trick or treating this year.

These guys were more into strangers Halloween decor than they were trick or treating.

Can you believe this candy only lasted us about 3 days? Except for a bunch of Milky Ways, that I ended up throwing out. I was going to be a good parent and ration it, but then I just kind of gave up on that idea.

November

It has only been a couple of months since I hiked from Grove Creek to Battle Creek. It was like a completely different hike.

                                                 
                       Still pretty, but a different kind of pretty. It's officially November! What a great month.

I love it when we make it to this part of the hike. The climb is over and we usually run through this meadow. It is so Beautiful!

 Just a Cowboy, his Horse and Dog. I am pretty sure he was scrambling some eggs, the smell of them was making me wish I had eaten breakfast before I left instead of a bunch of Halloween candy.

                                                                   
                                                                      Indian Springs

                                         

                                                           
                                                                  Such a pretty day!

Battle Creek has changed too! A heavy rainstorm made all sorts of new streams and waterfalls.

                 
                            Everything was looking pretty dead but there was still a little bit of color left.

                                                          I am so blessed to live here!