Halloween 2012

Before I start with the Halloween festivities, I wanted to recap Eva's very first Primary Program.  (Where the kids do a program for church services.)  I wish I would have taken a camera with me.  Holy cow.  It was so cute.  She stood right in the front and covered up all of the littler Sunbeams behind her.  She was very... er... excited?  (cough...hyper and crazy.)  She would jump up and down, grin out into the crowd, sway wildly to the music.  The best was when they sang "Choose the Right."  She belted out the chorus so loudly that she drowned out the entire primary.  Then she would mumble the verse and belt out the chorus again.  It was pretty funny.  And she had her part memorized, "My ears are reverent when they listen."  Again, wish I had a picture.

We visited a ward last week and it was their primary program.  Eva cried and whined the entire time b/c I wouldn't let her go up to the stand.  They opened with "Wise Man" and then repeated it later in the program.  When Sophie heard it she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Oh no! Not again!!!" 

On to Halloween.  This year I decided to let Sophie wear her costume all week.  She wore it for 8 days straight.  Why not, right?  She's pretty much obsessed with Minnie Mouse.  She still asks me daily if she can wear this dress.

The creative hair-do is to keep her ears on in case you were wondering. 

Cute little high heels I made from some old plastic princess heels and Minnie Slippers.  That was the extent of my Halloween craftiness. 

Here is my cute little Cinderella.  Complete with Cinderella heels, of course.  We had about 4 different parties on 4 different days so these costumes had a fun ride. 

Here's Sophie with her new little best friend, Lucy.  She was Minnie too!  They were so cute that day!  I love it. 

And here we are at the ward party.  Devin was a professional soccer player and I was a Beverly Hills Housewife.  It was one of those awkward costumes where you're not really sure if the person dressed up.  Yeah, I'm not very good at the costume thing. 

Eva's preschool class for her class party. 

Jack-o-lantern. 

The costume was looking a little rough by day 8. 

She was pretty much a mess by the time Trick-or-treating came around. 

And Eva was over it.  But they held it together long enough to fill my candy coffers.  Thanks, girls!!

Apple Orchard, Pumpkin Patch and the End of the World

 I know.  I know.  Seriously.  Shame on me.  I've been a terrible blogger lately.  It has been a busy couple of months for us between the election, photography gigs and kids.  I just keep thinking, "I only have TWO kids."  I can't imagine what things would be like with more.  But I do feel a little bad for my lack of journaling.  I do wish I would record more of the weird things my kids do like Eva climbing into bed with us every morning at 5 AM and sniffing until we kick her out or Sophie trying to pry up my fingernails when she sits on my lap.  I could go on.  But before I get to the normal pics and such I do want to record a couple things for future reference.  1. When my kids look back 20 years from now and everything is in the crapper they will know that yes, I did see this as the tipping point for America.  I'm sorry.  I did everything I could to prevent it and my cell phone bill will prove that.  2.  Girls can serve missions at 19!!!  I'm so excited about this.  For me it means a much better chance that my girls will serve and we're starting to prepare now!  Woo-hoo!  (Eva thinks she is going to serve a mission in Mexico and often asks me to teach her Spanish words.)  Alright, enough of that.  Time for the first round of fall photos.

Since my $50 preschool didn't work out very well for me last year (she hated it) I bit the bullet and put her in a real (ten times more expensive) one.  They had to drag her out of the car kicking and screaming for the first couple weeks but the tuition was non-refundable so that was that.  Now she loves it. 

 Eva's always saying, "Sophie is my best friend."  They really do have a great time together.  Especially when they're both prancing around the neighborhood in gymnastics leotards.  Don't you wish you could too? 

 Every fall we take a trip to Charlottesville to the apple orchard.  It is a beautiful place on a mountain top with 360 degree views and who wouldn't want apple cider doughnuts for lunch?

 My kids hate me.  When I have a camera in my hand. 

 We also had the chance to go to the pumpkin patch with Eva's preschool class.  It was fun.... but... it was also the field trip that never ended.  Hayride to the patch, pick the pumpkin, hayride back, walk to the giant ball, chase it around a field, watch piggies race, eat a snack, launch apple cores into a field, play in corn box, race rubber duckies, plant a pumpkin seed...  Whew!

 This was taken while I was trying out the light at a park before a bbq we had with friend.  I love this pic of Eva and her little sis trotting along behind her. 

This is Soph.  Yes, she dresses herself, picks out the clothes and puts them on.  Yes, I do try.  She is the most stubborn thing when it comes to her clothes.  She will scream and rip off her clothes if I ever manage to wrestle her into something else.  ("No wike it!") Black pants, every day.  They make her so happy.  She squeals, "Black pants!!!" in the morning when she sees them.  Tiana or Minnie Mouse shirt.  Some sort of tutu.  Sparkly Toms that are 3 sizes to big.  Pigtails pulled out. But she lets me tickle her and smother her with kisses whenever I want to I'm not complaining. 

 Trip to the Botanical gardens with friends Rex, Amelia and Theo.  If I had an iPhone I would have taken a cool Instagram pic of the moms.  That's the only way to do it now.

 A rare pic of myself with a child while trying out a tripod.  Novelty has since worn off. 

 Super-hero poses with Rex and Brody at Maymont Park. 

 Sophie, Lily and Eva.