Happy Halloween!

The Williams' version of Despicable Me 2

Margo, Edith, Agnus, and the Minion

Thanks to Aunt Lissy for letting me borrow the yellow sweat shirt and by the overalls!

(Lissy's family was this costume a couple of years ago)

We surprised the girls the morning of Halloween (6:30) that we were going to IHOP to get free scary face pancakes.  It has turned into a family tradition!

(Derek dressed up for work as the villian in the Incredibles: Syndrome.)

We went to a Halloween carnival birthday party!  They had many fun activites for the kids!  We all had fun!

These girls miss the swing set in Omaha....we really need to get these girls some swings!

For our MOPS playgroup we went to a local pumpkin patch.  These girls loved the bounce houses!  This one had a slide that they couldn't get enough of it!

They had games for the kiddos.

Brinley is really into me taking her picture lately. It made me think that this time next year, she will be in school full day!  Soaking up my time with this big cutie!

I can't tell you how many times I tried to get Claire to look at me.  She was so into this scarecrow...ha ha.

There was a friendly haunted house!

We then went on a hayride! 

I have been trying to figure out how to get individual time with the kids and teach them homemaking skills.  Well I thought is was a great idea to have them each take a turn cooking with me.  I recently have been trying new recipes from a website called Mel's Kitchen and it has been awesome.  Well this meal Claire got a hold of the pepper and dumped almost a 1/4 c. into the recipe.  I did my best to save the meal, but it turned out to have a spice.  ha ha.  The meal was a hit. 

Brinley dressed up for her preschool Halloween Day!

For Halloween I was able to help out in Ashlyn's class.  It was fun to see her and then she got out of school early so her and I went on a special date!

I thought it would be fun to teach the girls about pomerganants.  We watched a youtube on how to open it and get the seeds.... well it turns out no one likes them but me.

Derek's staff made caramel apples and so they ate those instead. 

 She is growing up so fast!

We warmed up the pool this weekend and enjoyed swimming!  Brinley caught her first frog!

I started a new laundry system and the girls have to put carry their basket upstairs to put it away.  It was so awesome to see these girls help each other with their baskets without being asked.

I have been cracking down hard with the chores.  I felt like the girls were watching too much tv with me being super sick lately and it started effecting their moods and attitude.  So I started having the girls earn Netflix coupons that have them earn a show or movie. 

This is how this girl does the dishwasher with all the cups!

We had Brinley's friend Rebecca over with her mom and brother for a playdate.  They are in the same class at preschool and the teacher told me that they are the best of friends so we decided to have her over. They played together so well together and they have the same amount of energy!  After they played we made Halloween mummies (hot dog wrapped in a biscuit, pumpkin juice (fanta), and Halloween cookies.  They had a blast!

I love going on a walk with these cuties!  It is nice with the weather (sort-of) cooling off in the low 80's.

On our walk we saw our neighbors dog and the girls went crazy!

(I am glad that Derek and I are both on board to NOT having any pets!)

Another new recipe: minestrone soup and Outback bread! So delicious!!!

I love my shopping buddies!  

I love how they want to matchy matchy!  We love princesses!

I bought some green apples and we discovered that this girl will devour them!

She doesn't mind sour!

Thank you to many family members who would mail Ashlyn these BoxTops!

Claire and I get special time with Daddy when he comes home for lunch on Tuesdays.  The weather was so beautiful we laid the blanket out in the front yard and watched the clouds (one even took a nap aka Derek).

 

It has become our afternoon ritual to ride our toys outside with our neighbor friends.

We have really enjoyed our time with Daddy being home Thursdays and Fridays.  We went to the zoo park and we discovered a walking trail around the lake it was so beautiful.  It was one of those magical moments that you don't want to end.  Family is everything!  We miss Ashlyn when she is at school.

Found feathers! 

So these three follow me EVERYWHERE!  I was walking around the house and they would be my little ducklings.  I finally gave up my alone time and just sat down and said, "Scary faces!"  These girls make me laugh. I have to remind myself that I will be so lonely when they are all in school and soak up that time now!

I recently decided to start reading the 4 Gospels and finish before Christmas.  I bought this book and absolutely love it!  I am only in Matthew 7 and I have learned so much!  So it is like scripture format, but he includes Joseph Smith Translations, History background, Jesus the Christ by Talmage, and many other resources.  It has been fabulous!  

I want to get some more of his books in the future!

Yes that is my toe