Busy Halloween

It is easy as a full-time mom to feel like I don't "accomplish" anything all day, so every once in a while I like to write down everything I do in a day, just to remind myself what a superwoman I really am!

Monday, October 31st:
Get up long before dawn (especially since we haven't had Daylight Savings yet)
Exercise with Mark
Make bed
Make breakfast (protein shakes & toast)
Get 3 kids dressed, hair done, teeth brushed
Help them make beds, straighten rooms
Empty dishwasher
Make lunches for Jackson & Bennett
Read scriptures/family prayer
Wash dishes
Wipe down kids' bathroom
Walk Bennett to bus stop
Shower/get dressed
Listen to scriptures
Read YW Lesson for Sunday (guest teacher, no calling yet)
Vacuum upstairs
Clean master & office bathrooms
Dust bedroom
Return emails
Make menu for week (using recipes from Pinterest -- see, not a waste of time!)
Supervise kids as play outside
Change kids' clothes and clean up dirt after playing outside
Go grocery shopping with two kids in tow, in car-cart where they could get themselves in & out! Manage not to buy anything extra for them but bubble gum & green beans. :-)
Go to library, pay $20 in late fees, pick out books
Attempt to feed two over-tired kids lunch unsuccessfully
Put Paxton down for a nap amid screaming protests, practically a wrestling match
Put Sarah down for quiet time movie
Put groceries away
Empty dishwasher again
Eat nutritious lunch
Shop for gifts for Gustavo & Silvia to take to Costa Rica (Yahoo!)
Answer emails
Vacuum & sweep main floor
Wash lunch dishes
Empty out old food in frig
Gather laundry
Start laundry
Read stories to kids
Get after school snacks
Get Halloween costumes on
Do face paint
Help Paxton paint picture
Clean up paints
Deal with Paxton's tantrum about paints being cleaned up
Pack bag of coats, shoes & other necessaries for trick or treating
Put out Halloween candy for trick or treaters
Double stroller into back of car
Go to Williams for mummy hot dogs & soup (hurray for not having to cook! Thank you.)
Happily stay with Natalie and hold the dog while she answers the door and while the dads take the kids trick or treating
Get all the kids home without major tears
Bath 3 kids & put to bed with Mark's help
Lay out kids' clothes for next day
Clean kitchen & floors with Mark's help
Supervise Jackson's homework
Get ready for bed
Purchase gifts for Gustavo & Silvia online
Make this list
Fall asleep totally exhausted but happy with my busy life.
(I didn't even mention that I navigated endless requests for more Halloween candy all day long. I will be so glad when it is gone.)

Halloween Photos:

 Ward Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-Off

Star Wars Family

(Yoda refused to wear his ears)

 In our trunk

 Halloween Trick or Treating with the Williams

Jonah the Gnome & Paxton as Woody

 Is there a difference between boys and girls? Hmmm.

 Natalie's cute mummy dogs.

Great night for trick or treating.

Long Awaited Update

I can't believe I have not posted anything since May. Ridiculous! It just goes to show how ridiculously busy and stressful our summer was. But in the end, it was wonderful. I think I'll share a few highlights for the record:

After a fantastic Jackson reunion in Sunriver (no photos of my own, waiting on my parents' charity), we celebrated my birthday with a picnic at the waterfront with the Friess family.

 Bennett lost his first tooth!

The kids all had a great time at the Gunson Family Reunion.

Brent & Kim came -- just weeks before their wedding. We were so happy to have them with us.

The Gunson Reunion is a true celebration of bacon and all meat.

 

Robert stole the show with an awesome dance routine with Brent & Kim.

After a few weeks of packing to move, we headed to Utah. 

We attended Asher's baby blessing and then Brent & Kim's wedding.

 With the Green clan.

 At the wedding dinner.

 Grandkids happily enduring the heat as they waited for the bridge & groom.

 Uncle John entertained everyone with stories.

I just love this shot.

 

Two days after we got home from Utah, we moved!

 We love our new home!

 The kids love their new whirlpool bathtub.

Bennett celebrated his 6th birthday two days after we moved in.

 We got our old home ready for the renters to move in. 

We got to enjoy the finished basement for about 2 hours!

 Our first family party to celebrate Bennett, Myah and Caden's birthdays.

 The boys went to go visit Great-Grandpa John.

 

Paxton & Sarah were terribly allergic to a plant in our backyard. 

Thankfully, I think Grandpa Bob got it all out!

Much of the family participated in the Hood to Coast. Lots of pictures were taken but they must be on Mark's computer because I can't find them.

The Williams family moved to Tualatin. Yahoo! We are so thrilled to have them so close to us.

 The boys visited with Grandpa John.

 Jackson started 7th grade at Lake Oswego Junior High.

 Bennett is in 1st grade at Uplands Elementary.

 Sarah started preschool at Dove Christian Preschool.

 Yesterday a big group of us went to celebrate Grandpa John's 88th birthday in Junction City.

 The kids played Red Light, Green Light in the backyard.

Lots more happened this summer, but that is a decent recap. We love our new home and are glad we live close enough to still keep in touch with old friends. One of these days maybe I'll write down some of the funny stories from this summer, like Sarah leaving a mess for the construction workers...