all hallow's eve

This year we recycled costumes. See?

Halloween 2010

Halloween 2011

 Hurray for not needing to make or buy anything this year!



Halloween 2012 

The following pics were taken at 'Boo Central', the university's annual Halloween carnival. Student groups from around campus participate by running booths with games, exhibits, and activities of all kinds. For example, the chemistry club makes stuff that oozes or explodes. As you can see below, the biology majors like to bring in deadly snakes for the youngins to handle. Jaclyn wouldn't even touch the python.

We carved our pumpkins a few nights ago. I'd show you what they look like all lit up but the crap tealight candles I bought at Freddy's won't stay lit for more than 5 sec. Boo!! 

 

They're never too young to learn to carve a pumpkin.



"the zombie phase"

I don't know about you, but when I'm in the throes of the newborn phase, I feel like the walking dead. You wake up in the morning You've been up since 3 am with the baby and it's now 6 am and you figure, hey. The older ones will be up in 30 minutes, I guess I'm up for the day. Your head is in a cloud and you sort of feel like this kid....as you're driving the kids to school. Or chopping onions with a sharp knife. Is this real life?!?
To put it another way, when you have a newborn, your life is like a moving train whizzing past you and you are the hobo running alongside trying desperately to board it. Life doesn't slow down just because you are a wee bit tired and need a nap. You just get up, put one groggy foot in front of the other, and try not to put the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge. (I just did that a few days ago.)
Anyway, here's a snippet of what's been going on around here, whether or not I've been conscious for all of it.

we found a praying mantis in the back yard.

 we played cowgirl for rodeo weekend.

 we watched the rodeo parade...all 2.5 hours of it.

 

we had a birthday!!

 

we hiked Manastash Ridge for the 1st time. let's just say that my kids would have made AWFUL pioneer children. {Ramsey children complained as they walked, and walked, walked...} Don't be deceived by those pretty smiles!

we made plenty of time for snuggles. thanks for the photo bomb, Jayden.

we napped in closets...

 

...and in toy bins...

...and on shoulders.

 

(btw, this was the time when I went the entire day before realizing that I had my shirt on backwards!! Can you tell?)

we started school!!

 

we snuggled with great grandma Ault

 

we remembered great grandpa Wallace V. Ault, who passed away June 1. we held a small family memorial in my parent's back yard.

my mom, Jayden, my bro Dylan

my dad, my bro Derek holding Jenna

This was taken right as Jenna was filling her pants. Nothing like a healthy blowout to add some lighthearted humor to a memorial service. ;-)

we celebrated all the September birthdays! Jayden turned 4. My grandma turned 90! Joanna turned 7.

 

 

we went to Percival Landing

we celebrated a birthday!

 

we held a car show on mommy's bed!

She is blessed

Sent to this earth;
You were saved through the ages for this day
and time;
Child of great worth,
Child of promise, daughter of the Divine.
Pure and holy in a little, white dress.
You were held in a circle and you were blessed.
And the Father looked down,
And the angels surrounded that place;
They knew the truth, all that you could do;
And you will, too, if you have eyes to see,
What heaven sees in you...

~ by Doug Walker from "What Heaven Sees In You"

Jenna is such a joy! She is content almost always and full of smiles to remind me how blessed I truly am. Speaking of being blessed, she was blessed.  By her father. Held in a circle and blessed to be a peacemaker and a beacon of light to those around her. To be a rock of unwavering faith and to possess a countenance that can calm hostile situations.  Oh what these little children will have to endure in their lifetimes.  As a mother it makes me shudder to think. 
But for now I can and will hold them close to me and love on them as much as I can!

My mother made the dress, which all 3 girls wore for their blessings.  My mother-in-law crocheted the afghan that all 4 kids were wrapped in on their blessing day.  And a loving and giving God made those adorable little feet and toes for me to admire for hours on end every day. 


(can you tell I'm feeling really sentimental today!)

Male Ingenuity

See this? This is the essence of male ingenuity.

 

As new homeowners we recently encountered our very first problem that needed fixing. See that open air vent on the wall? That's our outtake vent. The filter needed to be changed so I asked Josh to take care of it. We don't own a ladder yet, so Josh stared at the vent and shrugged his shoulders. How was he going to reach it? Well lucky for Josh, his 4 yr old sidekick Jayden was nearby, carefully observing the dilemma. Jayden disappears into the girls' bedroom for a minute and comes out with their bunkbed ladder! "Here dad, use this ladder!" Initially Josh smiled and said, "Thank you, son, but this ladder isn't quite long enough to reach that high." 

But the gears were a 'turnin' in their heads...I could see them turning from across the room! Josh got the purple bin to stand the ladder on, and Jayden thought to get a dining room chair to put it on. And before I knew it, these boys had a ladder that could reach the air vent!

Oh, and I don't know if you can tell, but those are Josh's slippers hung on each side of the ladder so the wall wouldn't get scuffed up. ;-)

I was so impressed at their collaboration; especially on Jayden's part. He's a little problem solver! I'm also pretty amazed that Josh didn't fall and break his face on that ladder.

I'm livin'the dream

 

'nuf said.