Halloween Happens

This is one holiday that we spend hours thinking about all year and yet it isn't something we actually really care about, with the exception of dressing up in costumes, well and I guess that we all really like getting candy. I decided that no matter how much the kids have talked about "what they were going to be this year" I was not going to put forth any great effort on creating costumes. That was a really good choice for me and it opened up an new avenue of creativity for the kids, and they created their costumes for the most part.

This was for the trunk-or-treat at the church where we had yummy soup and desserts and a costume parade before the actual trunk-or-treating part.

Bella even dressed up her grits for breakfast!

Zach came home from school with another impromptu costume idea 

and that all I needed to do was to apply a little make up, so I succumbed. 

We had a nice brief stop over at our downtown business trick-or-treating event, and I have to say they always have a good turnout- so much so that we only did one side of the street. 

Following that Zach and Kaija hooked up with their friends to go trick-or-treating, that will probably the last of that sort, but they had a great time and came home with their bags full- just what we needed!

Bella passed out candy with her good friend Abbey- (her mom Kathy painted their faces).

And that was enough fun for this year; I am certain that they have the cogs turning in their brains to get the plan fest on for next year! Oh well, I just can't complain when creativity abounds and everyone wants to play dress ups- who doesn't want to do that from time to time?

Zachary is Beyond 15

Happiness for some is 15! Joseph and I wish that we were more like Zach during our high school experience- he just embraces it and loves this time of his life and everyone who knows him at all, knows what a great sense of humor he has. We laugh together every day and I am so thankful for that!

He asked for some pretty random stuff for his birthday and that made shopping fun!

1 bag of caramels all to himself
A Very swirly straw- you know the loopy kind
A licensed blanket with sleeves- also known as a snuggie
A thermos
Some orange converse shoes
His very own pair of cargo pants
A pair of tall moccasins
One of those extended arm grabbing thingys
A large feather
Teeth Whiteners
A small ocarina (little flute type thing)
A kilt

 Finally, he has a "licensed blanket with sleeves" a.k.a. Snuggie- that is the look of joy, and I don't think a day has gone by where he hasn't used it!

He made good use of his angry bird items and mustachio!

He has a fetish with mullets and had to share that bit of goodness with his impressionable little brother!

We celebrated his birthday on many occasions since Joseph was traveling on his actual birthday. So I had some good mom/son time and got take out from our local Thai restaurant, which we ate at Cave Hollow Park. It was nice and quiet and we just took a little "hike", better known as a walk, up the trail to  the carved faces and the cave. Unfortunately the carvings have been damaged over the years and the ferny hair was receded already. But alas, Zach can make any moment funny- he has a spontaneous zeal which keeps us on our toes, or as the case may be, rolling on the floor clutching our sides and wiping tears from laughing so hard!

Here is a perfect example of a moment when breathing was difficult between hilarious fits of laughter! I hope that everyone has this book and tape at their local library it is entitled Learn Mountain Clogging and if you want a stomach workout read it with Zach!

Not only is he amusing, but he is practical- he asked for some very useful items, so along with the snuggie, he now has a thermos, which is his pride and joy. He polishes it and enjoys the fact that he can put ramen noodles in it in the morning with hot water and by lunch they are cooked and ready for his eating pleasures! 

I love out of the ordinary requests, it is always an outside of the box experience with him!

Here is one of his recent art projects for school- he didn't just want to do 2 eggs and a spoon, he used my curvy spoon and cracked one of the eggs to make it more interesting. The picture isn't an accurate depiction of the original but you get the idea.

We just adore Zach and all of his fun qualities, can't wait for the birthday list next year!

Someone wants to be like his dad!!

From time to time we will have random organ parts hanging out around our house, I do some wiring periodically and Joseph always has things that he is working on; but it is something that magnetically draws Spencer. He knows when there are projects around and he wants to participate.

He also likes to sleep with his dad, and be held by him whenever he is around. He also loves to sit share Joe's breakfast with him.

During all of our remodeling frenzy, (which is a never ending phase in our lives) he wants to be right in the middle of it, doing what we are doing and using the tools that we are using. He loves tools!!!

He tries to heft heavy objects like his daddy!

And he isn't against driving, standing, or climbing on any organ parts that he finds. We are just finding it a challenge keeping his fingers out of electrical outlets, and keeping plugs out of his mouth or nose, as was the case today, not to mention keeping him from plugging the cords into the electrical outlets. 

He is one handy little lad and he really loves his dad!!

The Journey Home (from Summer Vacation)

We had to shorten our trip so that we could go back home with Joseph; it worked out perfectly though, especially since Barb hooked us up with a night at the Worldmark at Estes Park, CO.  Which just happens to be only an hour away from Greeley.

The downtown area was a lot of fun, and the carmel apples were delicious!!

Hiking at Jenny Lake

A Family picture-hoping to motivate myself to get some real ones taken, it has shamefully been 5, nearly 6 years since we had one- it is about time!

Zach and Kaija on top of the world

The kids really loved being able to go hiking- we would love to be able to do more of that! 

This was the hike where Eli said that it was really fun but it was "retiring"! 

I think I could do some retiring there- it is so gorgeous!!

The kids couldn't pass up the opportunity!

So we were going to stay for a night at the home of the Adams family (who were the heaven sent friends that took Joe under their wing while he was in Greeley), it just so happens that our 2 day stay turned out to be closer to a week, and they wouldn't hear of us get a hotel. A family of 7 is quite a brood to take on, and we are so grateful for their kindness to our family!

I helped Joe some at the church mostly cleaning and tuning- well let me rephrase that, Joe tuned- I held keys! But during the moments that I wasn't at the church helping him the rest of us were playing... a lot!

We went bowling

And to the Cozy Cow Dairy to watch them milk cows, 

and to eat delicious ice cream, and drink yummy chocolate milk.

We went swimming at the pool (twice),

And swimming at the lake!

The organ did turn out beautifully and sounds amazing!

We had such a marvelous trip together, on the way home we stopped in Lawrence KS and watched the last Harry Potter movie- the timing didn't work out for any of the other locations along the way. 

It was really fun though to run into one of his old professors (Charles Hoag) and his family at the theater, Joe had recently been thinking about him and it was just wonderful for them to catch up briefly on all the happenings of life that had taken place during the last 10 years. 

As always, vacation was never long enough and we were certainly not ready for it to end!

Back Tracking to Summer Vacation

Wow- time is racing by and I just have to get caught up before anything else slips by!!

We were able to be there to celebrate Grandma Nielsen's 60th birthday. We went to play ultimate frisbee over at Abby and Randy's- all of the pictures were lame, but it was fun to have everyone together, and we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

I think there was a round of cards going every night.

Then we were off to Bear Lake for the 50 year Reunion...

Spencer was in heaven- he loved the sand and water combination. 

There was a lot of wave running going on and Zach really enjoyed the fact that he eventually got to drive the machine, Kaija didn't care for them much, which was surprising- though she didn't ever actually drive it. That would surely change her mind!

Zach and Eli spent some time buried in the sand- the skeleton feature cracked me up.

We were so glad that Joseph could join us on this part of the trip- he was busy, busy, busy building the organ and was ready for a break!!

We love Bear Lake, it is one of those special places full of nostalgia, 

and it was nice to relax with the family!