Sugar + Candy = Halloween

Candy corn sugar cookies!

Stephen eating cotton candy at our ward/community "Boo Bash" I think he likes it.

A lot.

Really really a lot.

Yes, he was VERY hyper after this...you can see it in his eyes.

 

Boston didn't get cotton candy.

He got over it.

Stephen, Boston, Talan, and Atley, getting ready to trick-or-treat.  This picture cracks me up - Boston is the only one looking at the camera with a real smile.  Stephen and Atley are "cheesing" it and Talan is about to take off running.

I am sorry, but I think Boston is way too cute for his own britches!

Not a big fan of myself in this picture...but it is me and my babe!

The California Cousins Visit

My brother, Aaron, and his family came to Arizona to visit a week or two ago.  It was fun to see them and for the little cousins to re-kindle their friendships.  Okay, in Boston and Jeremiah's case they are still trying to grab each others' faces, but they still liked spending time together.  We spent most days and many evenings of their visit over at the Quist home so we could get maximum together time.  Here are some attempts at getting all the grandkids together in one picture...if you have ever attempted it you know how it goes....

Stephen, Boston, Anna, Jeremiah

Boston, Anna and Jeremiah

For the record, at 6 months Boston weighed 22 lbs 10 oz and Jeremiah weighed 22 lbs 11 oz.  They carry their weight in different places - Boston has the thighs and Jeremiah has the belly, though they are both super chubby all over!

Anna and Stephen on the wagon ride.  They used to ride in this wagon when they were so little - apparently they enjoy it as much now as they did then!

It was so fun to see Aaron and Rebecca too.  We really wish they could live closer so we could see them more often.  We miss them already!

My New Blog

I have been busy, very, very busy.  I made a new blog to sell handmade nursing covers.  I have made several covers as gifts in the past and have had several people ask if I sell them, so I thought - "hey why not?"  I have been working like a maniac on my new blog site for the past several days trying to get it working the way I want.  Almost every minute was surprisingly fun.  (Minus the two days I spent stewing over those stinking Paypal buttons).  I really enjoyed the creative aspect of the whole thing.  Trying to come up with ideas of ways to make things work, expanding my small skill base of computer programming (still very basic), taking pictures (still very novice), editing pictures, sewing, shopping for fabric.  This project has given me something to create.  Elder Uchtdorf talked about creativity bringing happiness last year in the General Relief Society Conference.  Click here if you want to read it again.  It really has brought enjoyment to my life.  I don't really expect a lot out of it.  I am not looking to make handfuls of money...would be nice though....  I am just glad that I had so much fun working on it! 

So, now that that is all explained, on to the really fun stuff!  I am doing a free nursing cover giveaway in a shameless advertising effort.  And besides, I have always wanted to do it just for fun!  Go to Covers by Camilla for the details - check out the site and enter to win!  Ha ha, yes, I used my full first name, Camilla, because it sounds fancier, you know? :)You can enter up to four times if you help me spread the word.  Enter even if you have no need for a nursing cover right now, you can always save it for later or give it as a gift.  Like they say in the medicine adds all the time, "if you are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant!" 

Jack's Gotta Go

This actually happend last week - only three days after we carved him...he is already long gone.  But it applies to now because this is how my brain feels right now.  Mushy and fuzzy...and white? It has been a LONG day.   

Oh, and in case you were wondering.  The photo shoot was fine on Monday.  "Sam" didn't say anything about what we were wearing.  We were all in blue (is purple blue?) shirts and khaki pants.  Scott hated what he had to wear.  I have no idea if we will like the pictures or not!  I know I should be more assertive in these situations and stand up for myself.  I had all of these smart things worked out in my head to say so Sam would know what I thought about being sent away on Friday.  Of course, I didn't say a word - typical for me.

GRRRRR

My mom acquired some professional photography gift cards and gave them as a gift to my brother and I to have our little families' pictures taken.  I spent the whole week hunting for the perfect clothing for my little family.  This was very stressful and intensive work.  Just this morning I found the last items to finish up the perfect coordinating color scheme.

Our photo shoot was scheduled for 5:00 PM.  I know - not ideal - but with Scott having work and school everyday we didn't have much of a choice.  Of course Stephen decided to throw a huge tantrum as we were getting ready to leave - he was totally uncooperative. Scott was late getting home from work, and I was still frantically trying to get everyone dressed by myself at the time we were supposed to be heading out the door.  Finally, only 10 minutes behind schedule, we left.  I was not too happy about the stress but we managed to hold it together because I knew that in a while the whole thing would be over and we would have some family pictures to show for it.

We showed up at "Sam's" house for our photo shoot - he has a studio in his basement.  After walking all the way through his house and down the stairs Sam looked at us for a minute and asked me if I only brought a skirt to wear.  "Yup."  He didn't seem too thrilled about that.  Then he said that he thought our clothes were going to clash.  "Those stripes on the baby's shirt will look terrible with the stripes on dad's shirt."  Uhhhhhh... Boston's shirt had a nice green stripe that matched perfectly the color of Scott's green and white striped shirt (very subtle stripes - from a distance it looked solid).  Sam wanted to have Boston wear only his plain blue undershirt onesie for the pictures.  It is stained and too small so I vetoed that idea.  Sam just kept looking at all of us and finally he said, "how about you guys come back on Monday?"  SAY WHAT??? (That was in my head).  Sam insisted that we would not be happy with the way the pictures looked.  I was ticked - TICKED! I am still so mad just thinking about it.  After all of that planning and stress and running around to all of those stores I couldn't believe that he would refuse to take our pictures in what were wearing.

Sam said that we all needed to be wearing the same color.  I don't know much about photography so I am sure that he knows what he is talking about when it comes to what looks good.  I know that he is trying to give us the best pictures he can.  I know that he just wants us to be pleased with the results.  But SERIOUSLY - what photographer tells you to go home and change because they don't like what you are wearing???  Hey, I picked out the clothes - maybe they would look terrible in the pictures but wouldn't that be my problem?  If it is that important to all be wearing the SAME color, shouldn't he have told me that when I made the appointment?  I felt so stupid because five minutes before I felt that we all looked so nice and then in a blink of an eye we suddenly were not appropriate for family pictures.  Is my taste really that bad?  The other part that ticks me off is that I have to pull together more outfits for Monday and now that we have worn the new clothes we can't return them to get something else that matches better.  I am so done with the whole thing.  That is all.

*If you are wondering why we don't go with another photographer - it is a long and complicated story that I can't explain on my blog.  I don't want to tarnish this man's reputation, but let's just say I won't be reccomending him to my friends.  No, I will not be posting pictures of the original outfits I choose.  I don't want to know anyone else's opinion on whether or not they match.

Carving Pumpkins

 This is Sunday evening at Grandma Smith's house.  Is it cheating to wear gloves to clean out the pumpkins?  Our pumpkin was filled with extra weird stuff - the seeds had started to sprout!  I am pretty sure Scott made this same exact face as he carved pumkins two years ago with the Quists.  It must be his pumpkin carving face.  Maybe he is trying to get inspired?  Boston got involved by sucking on a permanent marker (lid on) while watching with mild interest.  I think carving pumpkins is really an adult activity.  But, that said, Stephen really liked his "silly" (never scarry) pumpkin when it was finished. 

This year and two years ago...scarry, isn't it?

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