The MacDonald's

Halloween is definitely our favorite holiday!  So we decided to have another Halloween party at the MacDonald's House this year!  We started 2 weeks early by decorating each room.  It was a lot of work but soooo much fun!  The entry was adorned with this gigantic bat (thanks Costco), that hung from the ceiling.  Then you entered through a darkened black curtain to the bat cave.  The hallway was filled with flying bats and black crepe paper.  The dining room was the pumpkin room, hanging from the ceiling was jackolanterns and autumn leaves.  The living room became the craft area for the kids, the family room was the Ghost Hotel room, and the kitchen/kitchen nook was strung from one side of the room to the other with spiderwebs and very large spiders.  The backyard we strung with white lights and hung apples for bobbing.  Everyone brought their favorite dessert or appetizer and like always (with mormon functions) there was waaaay too muc...

They're growing up so fast!

Here's a fun story to read, adapted just for BOYS. Just replace the word Foot in the story with fart. I know it's grose, but Our kids laughed their heads off. Just in case you don't have the storybook, here's the words already changed. of course it's a lot more fun with the pictures. Left Fart, Left Fart Right Fart, Right Fart in the morning Fart at night left fart, left fart, left fart, right wet fart, dry fart, low fart, high fart front fart, back fart red fart, black fart left fart, right fart, fart, fart, fart how many, many farts you meet slow fart, quick fart, trick fart, sick fart up fart, down fart, here come clown fart small fart, big fart, here come pig fart his fart, her fart, fuzzy fur fart in the house and on the street, how many, many farts you meet. up in the air fart, over the chair fart more and more farts, twenty four farts here come more and more and more farts left fart, right fart, fart, fart, fart.. oh how many farts you meet

Make a Smilebox scrapbook What a Crazy week it's been! It started off with Social Services calling and telling us that the kid's mom and dad were relinquishing their rights on Thursday, but only on the 2 older ones and not on Lana. Then that afternoon John came home to tell me that he had been cut back (this would be the 2nd time). We have made the first cut back work, I'm not quite sure how we're going to make the 2nd cut back work as we are now officially 60% less then we were originally making. 5 days later the Bishop came to our home and released me from my RS Prez calling, 4 days later John was released from 1st Counselor in Elder's Quorum. So after many days of thinking, "what does this all mean?" we have come to the conclusion that we are in need of a much needed mini vacation. Jaidyn has been watching the old Mary Kate and Ashley Movies and has recently taken up a huge liking to mysteries, more specifically mystery solving. So this was her mystery ...

We started 0ur Saturday insanely early, 3:30 a.m. to be exact. Luis, Luhani and Lana were having a hard time figuring it all out, I seriously think they thought we were completely off our rocker. After a quick stop at 7-11 for some waters and juice, we caught the 4:30 bus to the Reno Balloon races. It was still very dark out and we managed to work our way right smack dab in the middle of all the balloons to watch the Dawn Patrol. The kids loved it! Jaidyn especially, we have taken her a few years back but she really enjoyed it a lot more this year. Grandma, Grandpa, Kaelin and Trent showed up shortly after Dawn patrol. Tired kiddos It was a very long day! After the balloon races the family went home and took naps, while I went to our ward Super Saturday. We had such a fun day!

Here is the 64# of pears and 50# of peaches, plus 32# of pears and 25# of peaches for grandma Sharon, we are planning on canning on Tuesday. I think we'll have our work cut out for us, but I can't wait. I love to can, it's so much fun and this time I get to teach my Mother-In-Law (who's never canned) how to do it. I'm sure she's going to be addicted as well. Here are the recipes we're going to be using.. Pear recipes Peach recipes (this one's coming soon) Happy Canning!

Kaelan and Trent The Whole crew! We have been enjoying Wednesday Movie Nights at the Grand Sierra Hotel. The kids love swimming for a few hours, then it's off to get hot dogs, soda's and all you can eat popcorn. We snuggle up with blankets on the grass and watched Beetlejuice. Hopefully they'll have them again next year, we had so much fun!

John's Great Aunt Joanne was in town over the weekend, so we went to Truckee to have a bbq and spend the day with her and Grandma and Grandpa Gaston. It was a beautiful day! We took the kids to the pool for a quick swim. Lana was loving it! She was so relaxed and kept kicking her feet and getting really excited. Luhani wasn't too keen on the idea at first but then she got use to it and started to really enjoy it as well, and Luis and Jaidyn were like little fish swimming around all over the place, and having a great time. Then we came back to the house and started with the BBQ. Grandpa made some excellent BBQ chicken, we also had macaroni salad, baked beans, veggies with dip, ginger cookies, lemon bars and carrot cake cupcakes. After dinner the kids went in the back and played with the ride on toys. Grandma and Grandpa's backyard has a very large slope, so Luis and Jaidyn would haul their ride on's up the hill and race to the bottom it was quite entertaining as Luis wo...

Last week we went to court AGAIN for Luis and Luhani. Pretty much the same thing as last time but an interesting thing happened. While we were out in the waiting area, their birth mom approached me and asked if she could attend Luis' first day of school. Seeing how Luis is picked up by the bus at our home I told her that it probably was not possible. As I was talking to her the District Attorney interrupted and began talking about having a meeting with John and I about possible adoption. Birth mom was kind of taken back, reality still hasn't set in for her. There was a big part of me that felt really horrible and sad for her. I can't imagine what it would feel like to have your children taken away and to know that someone else was possibly going to be raising them. That following Monday we met with the District Attorney in her office and she informed us of our legal rights as well as the children's and birth parents. We talked about the possibility of adopting o...

Today my boyfriend turns 25! Can you believe that? Actually he's slightly a little bit older but what does that matter any way! It's hard to believe that I have known him for 18 years! I have to say he definitely gets better with age, when I first met him (he must have been about 7 years old, given the age he is now and the fact that I've known him for so long) he was so cute with his jet black hair and almost shylike personality (I know, you're saying John Shy? but it's true!). He cornered me at the front of a Tower Records store and hit me with a few lines, and we have been best buds ever since! He amazed me with his musical knowlege, name a song, lyric or group name and he could tell you pretty much everything about it and still today anyone who knows him well, knows that he LOVES music, all kinds. He has an entire hard drive dedicated to music and if there's something you want or have been looking for I guarantee he's either got it or can find it for...

I've finally gotten around to posting our pictures. Make a Smilebox scrapbook