Trunk(?) or Treat

We attended our ward's Trunk or Treat last night. Which I kind of think is a silly name (I was going to say a dumb name, but when I re-read it, it sounded too harsh...I know, I should be less senstive...I'll work on that). So, the kid is asking for a trunk or a treat? What is the trunk option? Sounds scary...and illegal.

Anyway, I never really enjoy taking the kids to these things because it seems like more work than it's worth, but I do it for the sake of the memories. Their memories, not mine. It's so dark and they can't tell who other people are in their costumes, etc. I'm sure once they get a little older it will be better. Mike had to meet us there because he had to leave work a little late and when I saw him walking up I said to the girls, "Oh, someone's coming to get you!" And then when Mike grabbed Sydney to pick her up from behind, she freaked out! Poor thing. We scared the crap out of her. She was crying, but she was also excited to tell her Daddy (once she realized it was him) about her candy. Then, just a couple of minutes later, she got caught up in a family and kept getting hit in the head with someone's candy bag and couldn't see and had another little breakdown.

Once Kathryn got the hang of it, she was pretty excited to go see what was in the next trunk. She would get her candy and then give this excited throaty giggle.

After the 'treating', we went inside for the games. Sydney is supposed to be tossing that beanbag through a hole, but she thought it would be more efficient just to walk up and put it in! Of course, silly grown ups!

Kathryn dutifully participating in the cupcake walk, even though she doesn't really like cupcakes. She just wanted to try everything! Her daddy took care of that cupcake for her.

Young Women Evening of Excellence

This last Wednesday was our Young Women's Evening of Excellence. It was so fun to go and see our girl's accomplishments. It was also so fun to watch the slideshow of pictures of the girls. They are all so sweet and silly.

My Friend Amanda!

My friend Amanda and her kiddos came to visit us today, all the way from Texas! They were here to be with David (husband/daddy) who is in Missouri temporarily for business. Amanda and I met while we were students at Texas A&M University. It was so nice to chat & catch up while our kids played together.

Love you Amanda!

Halloween fun...it's kind of tiring!

So, I really like to take advantage of fun things that my community sponsers, but sometimes, I try to cram too much into a day. On Friday there was supposed to be a Halloween party at a local park, but when we got there, it has been postponed due to rain (although it wasn't raining at the moment, but had earlier in the day). Anyway, Kathryn fell asleep on the way to the park, and again on the way home! I took these pictures in the dark, and the camera did a weird flash thing before I took the picture, so that's why Sydney's face looks like that.

Then, on Saturday, Mike took Kathryn to our local Make A Difference day community service project and I took Sydney with me to the gym. After that, while Sydney was napping, I took Kathryn to a local mall where they were having Trick-or-Treating, pumpkin painting, and hayrides. Here she is before we left, dressed up in her pirate costume. That's the cutest & sweetest pirate I've ever seen!

Cute Outfits

So, after our long discussion about picture taking, I asked them to let me take a picture of them in their new outfits (from Grandma Daly, thanks!), and they were very cooperative! We're still working on Sydney's smile.

Halloween Cookies

Today we were invited over to our friend's house to decorate Halloween cookies. (Thanks Justus family!) I didn't tell the girls what we were doing until we got there, so they were pretty surprised.

They both did a really good job and were surprisingly focused.

Sydney's cookies are the ones on top and Kathryn's are on bottom. The cookies tasted fabulous! I made Chris give me the recipe and (fingers crossed) I'm going to try to make them. For some reason, I don't usually make a good sugar cookie, but, we'll see!

BTW, I, too, was wearing a Halloween shirt (more cheesiness, I know, maybe I'm just a cheesy person!). I had Chris take our picture, but Kathryn wasn't cooperating and kept hiding behind me and putting her hands over her face. I don't know why, but that irritated me so much! We had a long (probably too long) talk about it, with me trying to figure out why she didn't want to just stand there and smile for the 2 seconds that it would take to take the picture! She finally said, "Mom, I don't know what to say!" And then I felt bad. Ohhh...mom guilt.

Kathryn's 4 Year Pictures

Here are Kathryn's birthday pictures. I know they're kind of cheesy (with the big white number), but I think it's cute and it's so fun to look back at 3,2,1, etc.) She was such a big girl for the pictures. Smiling and sitting still and of course, posing. She is wearing her new glittery jeans. (I kind of wish they made them in my size!) I have a ton of copies of the picture with the number 4, so if you want one, let me know!

Happy 8th Anniversary to us!

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary! Which means we have been dating and known each other for 11 years! Amazing. And we still would rather be with each other than with anyone else, at all times! Here are some fun memories of our wedding:
Can I just say (yes I can, because it's my blog!) that the expression on Mike's face is priceless and makes me get teary. I'm so glad that he was that happy to marry me!

Tagged

4 Things:

4 Jobs I have had:
1. With my mom at the local Education Service Center in Kilgore, TX
2. Jason's Deli
3. the parking department at Texas A&M University
4. Moss Adams, LLP

4 movies I have watched more then once
1. The Other Sister
2. Grease
3. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (NOT Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
4. Mary Poppins

4 TV Shows I watch(ed, we don't have cable any more)
1. Amazing Race
2. Ugly Betty
3. Martha
4. Show Me St. Louis

4 People who email me regularly
1. Amy Rhoades
2. my mom
3. Mike
4. Anisa Mears

4 favorite foods
1. Fajitas from Pappasitos
2. pizza
3. avocados
4. french fries
(I really love bacon too! My friend pointed out to me that I had forgotten to mention it, so I'm adding it! & I realized that I'd spelled #3 wrong, so I had to fix that!)

4 places I want to visit
1. New Zealand
2. New England
3. New York
4. all of Europe

4 things I look forward to in the next year
1. Mike completing more of his school and getting closer to being finished
2. family vacation (to where I don't know yet!)
3. a cruise (hopefully)
4. a new car!

4 things I like about my Hubby
1. He knows how to do almost everything! (Which can sometimes be annoying, but most of the time comes in handy!)
2. He understands me.
3. He motivates me to stay healthy.
4. He has encouraged me to do lots of new things.

4 Friends (Tag Your IT)
1. Allison Rasmussen
2. Lindsey Williams
3. Kate Nelson
4. Whoever hasn't done it and wants to... (I've run out of friends who haven't done it a bunch of times!)

Water Balloons at Grandma & Grandpa Daly's (9/29)

One afternoon I filled a bunch of water balloons and let the girls play with them. All they really like to do is throw them on the ground or squeeze them. For fun, I would give them one that hadn't been tied yet, but (for some reason) they always ended up shooting the water all over me! Look at that arm on Kathryn! Really, it's surprising, since we only have her lifting weights twice a week!

Children's Museum - Midland, Texas (9/30)

Here are some pictures from when we went to the Children's Museum in Midland, Texas, while we were visiting my dad & Dean. The girls LOVED playing in the pretend town.
This was supposed to be a veterinarian's office, but the girls decided that it was for their baby. (Or as Kathryn so cutely calls it, the pet-a-narian!)
Eating some good food at Burger King served by two very cute girls.
Buying groceries. (Probably arguing about what they want/need!)

Kathryn's Dora Scooter (9/15)

Kathryn's Grandma Karen gave her a Dora scooter for her birthday. Kathryn has wanted one for a very long time. Grandma was on top of things and shipped it very early, so we gave it to her early, so she could take advantage of the still-warm weather. (We gave it to her in the middle of September, a month before her birthday). Which might be confusing because they're all wearing fleeces in this picture, but it must have been a cool night or something.

When she first got on, she would take these teeny tiny pushes. But she got the hang of it quickly and is getting better every day.

Faust Park - Historical Village & the Park

After we rode the carousel, we walked around the Historic Village at Faust Park. Kathryn saw this rock and said, "Let's take a picture on this rock, and we can pose!"

They have a really nice playground with lots of fun, different play equipment. Both of the girls are very good climbers.

St. Louis Carousel at Faust Park

Today we took the girls to ride the Carousel at Faust Park. When we got there they were jackhammering some concrete and it was very loud! I couldn't get them to take their hands off of their ears to take a picture, so this is what we got.

Sydney loved riding her horse and didn't want me to touch her, even though I was supposed to keep a hand on her at all times (per carousel rules).

Kathryn chose one that didn't go up and down.

Nonnie & Sydney trying out the chair.