Halloween SPOILER...

I still haven't been shown (not discounting the possibility, I am just not savvy enough to figure it out on my own) how to upload pictures, and I am dying to share all my cute events! I just can't resist a LEAK about Halloween costumes though!

Kaeleigh has designed her own costume this year. The only thing she had to purchase was some tights for $2.50! Those are my favorite costumes. I couldn't help but have to buy her the cauldron for trick or treating...just $1! She wins for the cutest, cheapest costume-and she will look darling! She calls her masterpiece a "DIVA WITCH".

Carson is going to be a PIRATE..."AAARRGH"! He was a pirate last year, and he wanted to be one again....meaning, I had to go get him the one thing that would have made his costume perfect last year...A PARROT. No, it doesn't talk-that would have been awesome, and would have cost a whole lot more too! I found him a hook for one of his hands and was "deciding" on it in the store, but when I got home it was in my bag, so apparently I decided without knowing. Good thing it was only $2. It's the little things that add up though and that is the reason I was hesitating...oh well. At least he'll be cute!

Now for my favorite...I will have not 1, but 2, little TRAIN ENGINEERS. Let's keep it short and just say that it was meant to be seeing as I just happened upon Ashlyn's matching dress....just wait for pictures (I hope...fingers crossed!) I don't know what I am more excited for...the cute outfits, or the sweet ride I am creating for my munchkins. All I know is that it better be good!

For a good cause

Last night we were able to put door hangers on our neighbors doors for Prop 102 for Family Night. We have felt that it is important for our children to feel involved in the effort of trying to preserve marriage. They were so cute riding their scooters and doing good work. They didn't complain as we walked to 98 homes. When we were done, the kids had us pile our hands like they do at Carson's t-ball games and cheer "YES on 102!" We took the kids to the park before heading home for our root beer floats. We talked to them about how some day they may look back and be excited that they were a part of such an important moment in history.

As important as this is, I am growing weary of all the animosity that comes with elections. I am feeling all the yuck of Prop 8 in CA since I have family there, and then prop 102 here. Then there is the whole McCain/Obama crud that I just can't wait until it is over. Thank goodness for a DVR. At least I don't have to watch the ads on TV.

Life goes on

We are still alive! I have been missing keeping up on my blog reading and posting. Our computer crashed and we actually ended up having to buy a new one. We are now owners of a nifty little lap top. We are so behind the rest of the world when it comes to technology! Prepare yourself for some major posting...if I can figure the photo download thing out on the new toy. We have had a busy little while and have enjoyed some really fun stuff with the family. It's late and I need to be able to get the kiddos ready for church in the morning, so sometime soon, look for some cute photos! Can I just say real quick that if you haven't seen HSM3 yet, it's a must see...better than 1 AND 2! Kaeleigh was ready to see it again at the next showing...we did frozen yogurt instead~

Deegan started Preschool

We officially ended fall break by heading back to school Monday. Deegan got to go too! He endured his first week of preschool. He cried when Mommy left every day, but enjoyed his activities eventually...he got to race worms his first week of school! He will go M-Th, for 3 hours. He will be working very hard on his speech and social behaviors. (Yeah for Mom and Deegan!)

Deegan started his day just as always...with his best friends, the Little Einsteins!

Practicing a little independence...helping Ashlyn.

What does Ashlyn think about having alone time with Mom?

Traditions

My sister, Jenny, got me thinking more about something I have really been thinking about lately. It is great to have fun and play around with the kids. I hope they will look back on their childhood and remember feelings they had (hopefully only the good ones), but I want them to have good memories of things or events...traditions!

My mother made the best cinnamon rolls growing up. I remember any time it snowed (rare in Apple Valley, CA) Mom would make cinnamon rolls. Well, living in Phoenix, AZ...we do it when it rains...still rare, but Monsoon season works me every year! It really should be classified to winter rain, but how can you tell a child "no" when they use the "tradition" card on you?

Saturday was a beautiful day. Our high was 83 degrees and overcast all day with a beautiful breeze. Wouldn't you know that Kaeleigh caught all those 20 sprinkles that dropped from the sky and mandated the cinnamon roll tradition. I had been craving them, so I was happy to oblige.

Here are some of the traditions we had when I was growing up:

~We would go out to Bob's Big Boy on the FIRST RAINY MONDAY NIGHT of the SEASON for FHE.

~Getting ice cream at Thrifty's on the Saturday of General Conference. (We didn't get it on TV where we lived and HAD to go to the church bldg. We got a scoop for every session on Saturday we went to...bribery!)

~Going on "TURNS" with Grandma and Grandpa Larkin (spending a couple days with them without parents...usually alone unless we wanted to bring a sibling. We NEVER forgot whose TURN it was!)

(some holiday traditions...)
~Making Halloween pumpkin cookies with Grandma Faylor...with candy corn faces.

~Every Christmas season, the girl cousins would help decorate Grandma and Grandpa Faylor's christmas tree (w/ Gma) while the boy cousins would hang the lights outside (w/ Gpa)!

~Driving to Christmas lights in Chino and walking through the neighborhood filled with lights.

~Christmas caroling and delivering cinnamon rolls to family friends!!!

~Christmas eve...Faylor family togetherness. Dinner (potato casserole...mmm!), re-enacting the nativity (w/ costumes...fighting every year over who got to be Mary) and singing for Santa to come. He'd always bring us a gift and a candy cane every Christmas eve.

Now, for my family...I'm sure we Vehar's have more than these few, but I am struggling to think of them! The only few that jump out at me are:

~the first day of school we take our kids out to dinner (used to be ice cream, but Deegan can't do that now...PEANUTS!)

~We take our kids every summer to BYU. We buy them a new shirt at the BYU bookstore and walk the campus ("to familiarize them", as Ryan says). We take them with Greg Vehar (Ryan's Dad's cousin) through Legacy Hall and the kids love taking the tour year after year all the way through the locker room and exercise facility. They then get to play football in the Indoor Practice Facility. After that, we daringly risk Deegan's life at the BYU creamery. We started taking turns with someone sitting outside with Deegan...YES IT IS WORTH IT!

So, do me a favor and share with me...what are some of your favorite traditions...from growing up or some you do now with your kids...not necessarily holiday traditions only. I would like to find some really good ones to start with my family. It just doesn't seem like we have enough.

Carson, the artist

So I am recognizing a "phase" that I wasn't sure until now that there really must be such a thing. Kaeleigh went through it as well. I don't know what to call it, but it's when your kindergartner figures out how to draw any and everything. Carson goes through about 10-20 sheets of paper in a day! Whether it is making paper airplanes, drawing and cutting out swords and bow and arrows, or coloring dinosaurs, etc, Carson is always busy creating his newest design. Now he even illustrates his jokes on paper as he's telling the joke (which takes longer).


I posted about Carson's dedication to his Mommy...he is going to be the best hubby! Here's my latest favorite picture: I asked Carson the "who and what's" of the picture. He says it is a picture of he and I. I noticed the little squares and asked what they were-PRESENTS from Carson to Mom, of course (bow included!) I asked what was in the presents...he said, "one has a candy hearts in it and the other one has jewelry." I guarantee you Ryan had nothing to do with this...what a thoughtful little guy! Ryan saw how excited I got over the picture and had to comment that if only it were that easy...that he could just draw me whatever I wanted or he thought of then he could save money!


Check out those stars! I spent an evening practicing those with Carson and now they make a cameo in every picture.

What happens in Vegas...

...doesn't always have to stay in Vegas! So, my pictures aren't working, so I am posting my sister Jenny's post (her pictures turned out better too). Cheating, I know! Why re-do something that doesn't need re-doing? Anyhow, I thought her post was cute... Thanks Jen! (It's not copyrighted, hopefully...don't sue me, please!!!)


After spending all day at Disneyland with the kiddos, it was time for a girl's weekend. We left the next day and headed to...Las Vegas! Now don't get the wrong idea, we went to a Time Out For Women!!

We got there early in hopes that we could get good seats. (no assigned seats) Shannon was the only one that had been to one of these before, and warned us that these cute Mormon women can get pretty vicious when it comes to getting the seats they want. She told us that when the doors opened, we needed to be ready to run! No joke, we had to sprint!! Sounds so lame, I know, but I wasn't about to waste the time we had waited to be in the front of the line to let some crazy ladies out run me and take a better seat! Maybe that's just my competitive side coming out..it was kind of fun though!

Here we are waiting outside the Cashman Center...

The first night we were entertained by Jason Deere and his band. He wrote all the music for the "Joseph" and "Trek" albums. They were great, and even nicer in person. We were able to talk with them, take pictures, and they were signing every ones CD's.

With Jason...

Then we headed off to the Stratosphere, where they have a great 50's restaurant called Roxy's Diner where the waiters entertain you while you eat. We've made it a tradition to go when we are in Vegas.

The next day we woke up very early, trying to get at the front of the line again, and despite being there much later than we planned, we were still able to get great seats. We we entertained by Hilary Weeks. She is amazing. I thinks she should leave her music gig and become a stand up comic, she really is so hilarious!! We were also lucky to have Virginia Hinckley Pierce speak to us too. One of the ladies that were supposed to speak was sick, so she filled in. Kind of ironic, this conference was originally scheduled for February, but was rescheduled due to the passing of the Prophet. She was great and so friendly.

Even though the conference was canceled in Feb, we still went to Vegas since we had already booked our stay. We all laughed as Shannon devoured as many peanut butter treats as she could. (Her son is allergic to peanuts) Well, shortly after that trip we discovered that Porter has the same allergy, and I have since realized her torture. I must say that after months of no peanut paraphernalia in the house, the highlight of the trip, for me at least, was to have as many of these as I could.....

Isn't she cute? I just love my sisters and mom! We really do have so much fun together...especially when we can let our hair down and just be us, with no kiddos. I had a ton of fun with you gals...Jenny, someday you will figure out how to show your emotions with tears like the rest of us. Just don't keep laughing at us when we are in the middle of a "moment"!