HALLOWEEN!

 Despite things being different this Halloween with Emma gone in Utah and Covid changing everything - we still managed to do some usual Halloween traditions! 

The boys still wanted to frost Halloween sugar cookies with their cousins, but I hadn't gotten around to picking a date and luckily for me - Jenn asked about it and took the reigns this year. They hosted dinner and sugar cookie decorating. It was a sad turnout with only the our family, Nate's family and Jake's family. I made the boys all frost a couple of cookies, but mostly they just played basketball out front against each other and had the best cousin time! 

I heard about a Haunted Car Wash in Chandler so one Friday night I told Eli to invite the Jacksons and we will go hit it up. It wasn't really scary, but at least one time all of us would jump because the person came out of no where. They acted like tough guys, but secretly I know they enjoyed it. Afterwards we hit up circle K for treats and drinks and then they hung out playing whiffle ball, etc. 

We took the quick easy route this year and just ran to Frys and grabbed pumpkins for the boys to carve. They didn't seem to mind. We also ran to Dunkin Donuts to grab donuts so we could carry on the tradition of Hot Chocolate, donuts and pumpkin carving out back while watching Hocus Pocus - everyone in my house hates that movie, but me, but I still make them watch it once a year - tradition people, tradition! 

One Saturday night after a long day for everyone - when we were finally all home together at 9pm, we went out back and all watched Hubie Halloween together. The boys were cracking up at Adam Sandler and Jared and I loved watching them enjoy it and asking to rewind funny scenes over and over again. 

Ward trunk or treat was kind of a bust, but it didn't stop Tyler and Tyson from dressing up and running around and collecting candy! Eli jumped ship and went to Braxten's ward for their trunk or treat instead which was a wise decision. They had a youth flash mob and quite the party over there. Braxten dressed up as Trump and Eli and Jake were Trump supporters. It took Eli some convincing to wear the trump tank top without an under shirt on and to take the American Flag and wave it proudly at the party - but once he realized he was at a party full of Trump supporters and everyone complimenting him on his costumes - he rocked it loud and proud and asked to wear it out trick or treating. We told him no and that he needs to know his crowd - ha ha! He even started the ward Flash Mob with him waving the flag high in the air. Then he joined in and did the Thriller dance as best he could. That is something that I love about Eli - he has no qualms rocking it out on the dance floor! 

Emma went to a pumpkin carnival up in Salt Lake City with her co-worker from Sodalicious, Caroline. They ate apple cider donuts, watched pig races, corn maze, etc. She loved the escape from the normal weekly routine! Then that weekend She spent 3 days down in St. George with Maddie and all the Parrys. They went to see Thriller at Tuachan, had a "witches" lunch, etc. She had the best time and so grateful the Parrys are welcomed her like she was family! 

Halloween night the Parrys came over to our house and we grilled pizzas and then Steph and I took the twins out trick-or-treating for an hour. They came back with completely full lululemon bags filled with candy. They hit homes with candy cannons, ghost suckers hanging from trees, pvc pipe candy slides, etc. It was fun to watch the different creativity at each house. Then they came back and did their usual candy trading, etc. 

Eli ditched us again this year and went and hung out with the Jacksons. They like to roam the neighborhood and trick or treat a little, hang out at the park, etc. He was sad when we made him come home at 10pm. 

It was a good Halloween had by all! 

RANDOM OCTOBER HAPPENINGS!

 Jared and I leave for date night and find this on our camera - we got a good laugh out of the twins and their friends! School can be exhausting and these 2 crashed on the ground for a cat nap! These boys love to make charcuterie boards for everyone after church...it's their "special lunch" as they call it!

TACKLE FOOTBALL FOR THE TWINS!

 Ya I'm that mom! The one who makes their kids turn around during the game for a pic because I can't stand how stinkin cute they are in their football uniforms! Highlights of the season so far: Tyler getting an interception on defense to make it our ball! Tyson tackling a kid 3 times his size and bringing him to the ground - tiny but mighty! These boys worked hard this season. Sometimes they would even have to work on homeworking during practice when they were on a break. They never really complained and just did what needed to be done. This conversation between Tyler and Tyson cracks me up...I can hear Tyler and Tyson talking about the game today and Tyler is saying about how he almost did something in the game...Tyson says - "did you try your best?" Tyler says - "ya I almost passed out" Tyson then says - "but you didn't pass out so you didn't try your best, you need to pass out so we know you did your best!"

ELI'S FIRST SACRAMENT TALK!

I still prefer life pre-COVID but I will say - every once in a while you find some silver lining to it. Today Eli gave his first talk in church and my parents were able to come, his sister up at school was able to watch him and my two sisters and their kids all gathered around in Utah together and watched him ❤️ So grateful the church shows them live right now! Love all the support for this kiddo! He did such a great job! 

FIRST DAY OF IN-PERSON SCHOOL!

 After 220 days these boys are FINALLY back to in-person school! HALLELUJAH!!!! Homeschool and online school is for the birds - get these boys outta here!! 8th grade & 7th grade! Heaven bless us all! Of course- 4 days from now we will discover that Eli was enrolled in the wrong math class and has spent 10 weeks in a 7th grade honors class! Still waiting for the Principal to email me back on that one!! The boys wanted blessings the night before so Jared gave them all one. They did REALLY good the first day and I didn't get any texts or calls. We are so proud of them! The twins made a meeting spot for lunch so they could meet up with each other and their friends - it was perfect! 

PERRY GETS THEIR STATE CHEER BANNERS!

 Thanks to covid, the state banners to hang up in the Perry gym were delayed! By the time they came in all the seniors are off now to their colleges....but at least we got a picture of them! Emma earned both of those banners!! So proud of her! 

ELI TURNS 14!

 We have been blessed with this old soul sweetest boy in our lives for 14 years!! He is smart, athletic but mostly I love how much he cares about others and their feelings ❤️ We love you Bubbas!! Sadly, his birthday was spent waking up at 6:15am to get in the car from the Newport, California and drive home really early so we could make it to the Dr Salek's office on time for their 2pm flu shot - mom of the year with the amazing birthday plans! ha ha! We did swing by and grab his free Dutch drink and free Sodalicious and Swig!  We opened his gifts and then for dinner he decided he wanted to pick up a bunch of sides form Joe's BBQ and then use Jared's new smoker for dinner. He loves helping Jared grill and smoke. Then in a couple of weeks he will have a birthday party with his friends at VIP Airsoft for 4 hours - which he did - and he loved! 

NEWPORT BEACH FOR FALL BREAK!

 Over the summer my friends asked me if we wanted to go with them to Newport Beach for fall break with a bunch of families. We said no because we had big plans to be up in Provo with Emma so the boys could see her, see her place and we could hang out - it would have been about a month and a half since she had left so it seemed like she would be due for a good bit of family time. Then as break got closer and closer and  Provo became the hot spot for Covid, we were feeling uneasy about staying at Ashley's and possibly getting her family sick, things were closed, not a whole bunch to do, plus if we stayed home we could attack are hideous year that needed a lot of work, so we just decided to cancel Provo - with Emma's approval. 

The day I flew out to surprise Emma when she needed me, it was so last minute and Jared was in a very important work meeting he couldn't get out of, so I called Kati and she took me to the airport and on the way she told me, you should just come to California with us. Adam can't come till Wednesday and you can share my room with me and my boys would love it. This actually seemed like the perfect solution. Jared could stay home and take care of the yard and all the people who were supposed to come and do work on it, I could take the boys for a much needed vacation for them and we still got to be with our friends. 

So we did! And I am so grateful we did. So grateful Kati talked me into it. We caravaned out to Newport with them on Sunday and came home Wednesday morning - which happened to be Eli's birthday. The kids had the GREATEST time! They just ran around for 3 days straight with 5 million kids they knew from our stake. Eli ran around with Braxten, Jake, Kate and a new friend and then the twins ran around with Mikey, Nash, August, and whoever else. They would just run from beach house to beach house, playing in the ocean all day, playing 9 square on the beach, surfing on their boogie boards down a sandhill into the ocean, boogie boarding, seaweed jump rope, riding in a red floating couch, Eli and his crew rode bikes to a donut shop one morning, the twins snuck off to August's beach house and played video games for a little bit, it was just back and forth all over and everyone LOVED IT!! I already said - we are going again next year!!!!