Halloween!

All right...let me be honest. Not my favorite holiday, but we did have a good time this year with a knock out ward Halloween party, an awesome Halloween FHE and pumpkin carving night, more candy than we could count, fun school parties, and trick or treating through our neighborhood. Even this Halloween Scrooge had a pretty good time. 

Our family theme was Wizards! I was Dorothy, Mike the scarecrow, Pierce the tin man and Jace, Parker and James were different Wizards...the ones from Harry Potter :). 

As we got ready for the Halloween party and Jace thought his costume was too big/hot/itchy/annoying and refused to wear most of it, and Pierce would NOT keep his tin man hat on and Mike showed up to the party late from work, and I had to bring a huge thing of chili, condiments, candy, kids etc. to the church on my own, I remembered why it has never been my favorite holiday.

But, then we got to the party, Pierce was crazy cute, Mike made it and dressed up, the boys found friends, the ward members had awesome costumes, the food was good, the decor, games and stories amazing and the kids got more candy than anyone should, I changed my tune. It really was a fun holiday! But...still glad it's over.

Ward Party

Playing one of the many very cool games. Notice his costume almost entirely gone. 

All this candy just from the trunk or treat!

The party was really incredible. Tons of great games with prizes, spooky stories, just awesome.

Halloween FHE

We have found some great friends here who are tons of fun. The invited us over for a Halloween Family Night where we carved pumpkins, had a lesson about the "Holy Ghost" and then made ghost suckers and ate apple crisp together. It was an awesome night!

Singing Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam never gets old!!

 Class Parties

The boys all had awesome class parties and I was able to go to both James and Parker's. I love seeing my boys in their classrooms with their teachers and friends. Their Harry Potter costumes were a hit...especially with the older kids!

Halloween Night

These cute boys loved trick or treating in our neighborhood and in Wildwood. It was so fun this year to see their excitement as they traveled house to house. I totally remember that feeling. 

This little doll got left behind...much too cold for him, but he loved dumping the candy out of the bowl and putting it back in and was in heaven sucking on a sucker with the wrapper still on :).

Pierce is One!!

 This very special little man had his first birthday on September 24th. We just love him so much. In every way he has fully completed our family. My good camera has been in the shop, such a shame, but this guy looks good with any lens.

Though they rarely understand it is their birthday at 1, Pierce loved the singing and presents and new toys. I love little ones...so easily impressed and entertained. 

What he was not so excited about? The cake. We were all SO excited to watch him dig in and he just poked the frosting with his finger. We couldn't even force it down.

At his one year check up, he was in the 40th percentile for weight, right at 20 pounds and he was in the 70th percentile for height at 30.25 inches. His head has grown to the 75h percentile and he was looking oh so healthy. He is overall a really happy, easy going kid. He understands the things I'm telling him now (like, "No, no" or "go get your ball") and likes to play made up games with me.

He has some words (mom, dad, hot, hat, help, dog, all done, ball, no, more, car, vroom, bug, ba ba) and he loves saying animal sounds when we point to them like mooo, quack, baaa). (13 mo.)

A story worth telling. I put a little zip up fleece vest on him the other day and he just tugged at it and looked up at me and said, "Help. Help. Help." So cute, but I still made him wear it.

We love him more than we all thought possible and love celebrating every new milestone together. He was a crazy crawler, speedy fast, loved going up and down stairs, took his first steps a little before one, but just started really walking at 13.5 months. It's the cutest thing to watch and he is so proud. 

LOVES

books (and will sit still and read for as long as I will)

mom and dad equally

brothers (4pm is his favorite time of day)

naps (down to 1, happy to go down, but not super a long napper)

bottle (drinking whole milk)

binky (mostly just in bed)

some foods but not very many...not even a great snacker.

pulling stickers off everything

putting things in his mouth, but never swallows

putting objects in open toilets

being outside

crawling to the street

friends

wrestling

playing rough

singing

toys...every now and then

taking things out of boxes and putting them back in

playing in the kitchen cupboards

climbing everything

Cheese balls and eggs

water to drink and play in

showing us his belly button and finding ours

cars

getting excited

HATES

baby food, anything with the consistency of baby food

bananas

being fed

getting into his car seat (though he is an okay car rider)

when you put the gate up on the stairs or shut the door to the basement

sleeping through the night

teething

shots

getting his diaper changed

shopping carts

strollers

being buckled in (I swore my last child would like stuff like this...no such luck).

sitting quietly in church

when you take things out of his mouth

Pierce celebrating with his best buddy Cooper Tousa...Coop knows how to enjoy a piece of cake ;)

Spotlight on Pierce at 1

My favorite food is: grapes, pizza, spaghetti

My favorite sport is: ball chase

The best show on TV is:  crazy mom, I don't watch TV!

The coolest person in the world is:  my mom and dad, but my brothers are a close second

My best subject in school is: reading, I could literally read all day long

I'm really awesome at: smiling, people can't get enough of me

If I could change my name, it would be: Piecey, that's what my family calls me

If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go:  see my grandparents!

My favorite color is: everything

When I grow up I want to be: a doctor, mom says

My parents are too strict about: candy eating. I never get any.

My favorite song is: Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, Popcorn popping, Itsy bitsy spider

My favorite book is: Snuggle Puppy, Noah's Ark, The Very Busy Spider

3 words that describe me are: sweet, smart, likable

When I was little, I used to:  sit in one place

My favorite scripture story is: Jesus

My favorite primary song is: Jesus wants me for a sunbeam

My favorite season is: summer

The best snack ever is: nutrigrain bars

The food that makes me want to barf is: baby food

My best friend is: Cooper

If I had one wish it would be: to be able to keep up with my brothers

The best thing that has happened to me this year is:  I learned to walk, talk, laugh, everything!!

One thing I want to learn to do this year is:  run and talk even more!

One thing I need to work on: sitting in a shopping cart or stroller

The most important lesson I've learned this year is: my family loves me