Happy Halloween

What are you going to be for Halloween night? A witch or a goblin or a ghost?
Well, we were a Vampire family. Anyone for a bite?
The kids didn't have school on Friday, so we dressed up and visited my work, to see everyone who had dressed up. The kids did a little trick or treating there. Aren't we scary?

But oh so cute.

After that, we headed home to carve pumpkins. Gracie worked hard on her pumpkin. It had a really thick skin. Woo eee!

Yes, those are pumpkin guts on TJ's spoon! No, he did not dig them out himself! TJ still wouldn't clean out his own pumpkin this year. He made faces and tried hard not to gag. But it makes a good picture.

TJ's friend was there while we were doing pumpkins. Lucky for TJ, Jaden didn't mind sticking his hands in the pumpkin. So Jaden cleaned the pumpkin while TJ looked on in disgust. LOL

The it was time to carve. Gracie made her own kitty design, and got right to work.

TJ used a bat design. We taped it on and both boys started cutting.

The finished product! A cat and a bunch of bats in the moon. Gracie had a light that changed colors and TJ's light was a strobe. They looked awesome, but I didn't even attempt pictures of that this time.

After that, we got hair cuts and then did the main street parade. Basically, kids line up and go down main street and back up, while businesses hand out candy. We got 1 block in an hour and said forget it. It was crappy candy anyway.

Saturday, we headed to the local Corn Maze! This is a yearly tradition. Afterward, we always stop at the Bluebell store and get a hand dipped ice cream cone. Here is Gracie in the corn bin, pretending to be a scarecrow.

Here they are on the Cow Train. They're getting almost to big for it.

And we always take a picture in the old wagon. This year they had the wagon decorated with corn stalks and a pumpkin. Such cuties!

They have a little maze set up with bales of hay, and a big slide. Here is TJ above the entrance.

In the maze....lost, but smiling and having fun, we stop for a photo. Okay we weren't really lost. We knew right where we were. We even got eaten by a dinosaur.....you'll see what I mean later.

We took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch, to see if any pumpkins survived the snow. We found a couple little ones, which is good enough.

Gracie buried in the corn bin.

TJ buried in the corn bin.

Here is the aerial view of the maze...see the dinosaur? We were in it's mouth...we climbed on it's back...and we escaped!

Great fun! Halloween night we trick or treated and the kids got WAY TOO MUCH candy. But we had a fun time. Hope you did too!

Gracie is a WINNER

Today was the day! The kids went back to school, and I went back to work. When I took Gracie in to get a late slip, yes we were late, we had a little surprise. The school had a contest to design school t-shirt designs. Lo and behold, my little artist won. There were 2 designs that won. And Gracie's was one of them! Way to go Gracie! I am so proud of you. Gracie just loves art. So here she is in front of the display of the t-shirts made up. I think she was a little shocked. She didn't say much.

And a close up of the t-shirt design.

I think I will have to purchase one for myself, so I can brag! ;)

Shopping Fun

When the flu had left our home for good, we were all just a little nuts from being cooped up in our house for a week. So the kids and I headed to Walmart for some essentials. However, while we were there we had a little fun checking out all the Halloween stuff.
Gracie:

TJ:

Swine Flu Shots

As you read previously, TJ had the swine flu. Since me and the kids have asthma, we are at high risk for complications with the swine flu. TJ and Gracie are doing really well with their asthma and I am hoping they are both out growing it for now. However, mine is terrible. So, the doctor wanted us to get vaccinated. On Tuesday, Gracie and I did just that. Now, for me, going to the doctors office during sicky season, is just not happening unless absolutely necessary. So, I really wasn't looking forward to this. But, we took precautions. Gracie and I wore masks, so we didn't breathe in any more sicky germs than we had to. And we didn't touch a thing. I had a tissue in my had to open doors and we used Hand Sanitizer a lot. Paranoid? Maybe, but unless you have had an asthma attack and been unable to breath freely for a good length of time, it's probably hard for you to understand my paranoia. It is SCARY! Needless to say, we were so cute in our masks, that we had to take pictures. No make up, disheveled hair...oh we look great!

Clay Shooting Tournament

On the 10th of October, Tony and I went to a shooting tournament that HOSCO (the company Tony's truck is leased onto) was doing. I have never shot at clay pigeons before. It was SO fun. They had 6 throwers, and 5 of these V shaped shooting spots. So, 5 people would be up. And you would each stand in one of the V's. Then you would have a designated thrower to shoot from. Then we would rotate to the next V, and shoot off that one. Tony's friend Jaycen Ostler rode with us. We had a ton of fun. Tony took 3rd place. I hit 3...count 'em...3...clay pigeons. It was great. My shoulder felt like hamburger after the 30 rounds I shot, but I really enjoyed it.
Here is Tony in one of the V's.

And Jaycen:

Swine H1N1 hits home

We have been home, cooped up for a week. TJ came down with a fever on Saturday night, and it didn't break until Wednesday night. I was so happy when it did break. He ran a fever of about 102.5 and he was coughing and sneezing. Otherwise, he was fine. He wanted to play, and was upset that I was making him rest. Monday I called and the doctor guaranteed me that he had the swine flu. Gracie and I were vaccinated the next day. Since the 3 of us have Asthma, we are high risk. OUCH! Is all I can say. Just like the normal flu shot.

All in all, we are doing great now. TJ is still coughing, but doing much better. We have been cooped up in this house since Sunday and all 3 of us were ready to go crazy. So today we went for a drive. It was nice to get out. I've aired my house out and sprayed it down with Lysol. So, now to carry on. Back to work and school Monday.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

2009 Hunt

Tony and TJ did most of the hunting this year. Gracie and I had a few girls nights. And Tony and TJ left a lot at 5 am, before Gracie and I left for school & work. They saw a few animals, but didn't get anything. I have 2 tags. So, we are still hunting, but here are some pictures, thus far. TJ on the 4 wheeler:

TJ at a cliff, with a view.

What a handsome hunter.

And apparently they saw a Moose!

Gracie and I did go with them for opening Elk. We all went up Farmcreek and camped for the night. Here we are driving around looking for a place to "hike". Gracie:

TJ and Arrow are exhausted. Arrow is always sleeping, but TJ and Tony had gotten up early and already hiked a couple hours. Apparently TJ was worn out.

And here are my boys ready to go Hunting.