Allison's Baptism

Allison celebrated her 8th birthday back in September and then had the privilege of being baptized in October (on Austin's birthday).  She was so excited about being baptized especially about it being on Austin's birthday.  I don't know if Austin was.  Although he loves his sister so he didn't say anything.

It was a special day and we are so grateful that so many of our family were able to be there with us.  My sister Gail came all the way from Illinois and even dislocated her knee while on the airplane trip over.  But she never complained and we were so grateful that she could make it.

Allison with her daddy.  Asher is so funny.  When he saw them in their baptism clothes he said, "Its like karate...hi-ya, hi-ya, hi-ya."  Haha...I am not sure where he learned about karate but he was right. :)

All of our family that could make it.  Chris had four siblings and their families that could not be there.

 Allison and her daddy.

Our little family!

I think Allison actually got more gifts than Austin did on his birthday.  :(   Emma, who is Allison's best friend and cousin gave her this cute frame for her baptism along with a few other cute things.

Here is Allison on her birthday.  She picked this cake for me to make off pinterest.  Despite that fact that I messed up on this cake it still tasted awesome!

I can't believe she is 8!  It seems like just yesterday I was rocking her on the couch late into the night while watching Sweet Home Alabama.  That movie will always remind me of her as a colicky infant...not in a bad way but in a sweet, bonding kind of way.  She has grown up to be every mother's dream child.  No! She is not perfect but every single one of her teachers since Kindergarten has told me that she is one of their favorites...if that tells you anything! :)  We are so glad she is part of our family.  We love you Allie!

Halloween

I love Halloween...but more and more lately, I feel so overwhelmed by everything we have to do that sometimes these things just end up becoming one more thing on the "to do list"...one more thing we just have to "get through"... just one more thing to make me feel bad about not doing everything it seems like everyone else is doing around me.  I am sad about that.  Hopefully my kids didn't feel that from us.  Hopefully, it was just as magical as it has always been for them.  It seemed like it was.   Hopefully.

Regardless, here is our Halloween in pictures. :)

First, came pumpkin carving.  We let the kids go completely solo this year.  They drew their own faces and Chris cut them out exactly like they drew them.  I really liked them!  Each pumpkin came out fitting each child exactly.   Austin even did the cutting of his own this year.  He is getting so old.

Austins was Star Wars.  (He is back on the Star Wars phase again...which is good because if I heard another thing about Auto bots, I was going to scream.;))

 It was hilarious watching them clean them out.  You can kind of tell by their faces in this picture that they thought it was disgusting and couldn't believe that we were making them do it.

Asher picked out this hideous looking pumpkin.  He wanted it.  He put it in the cart.  He was so proud of it. He showed everyone who came to our house that, that was his pumpkin.  But I wasn't sure what we were going to do with it.  I figured we could maybe paint it black or something.  When it came time to paint it, he said he wanted it green (he LOVES green right now.)  I started to think it looked like a frog so we painted on some eyes and it became a frog pumpkin.  He loved it, so I guess that is all that matters.  :)  You can kind of see the finished product in the third picture down.  

 School Halloween Carnival
This is the only picture that wasn't blurry from the school carnival.  That rest were taken inside so the all came out blurry.  :(

DeMille Family Carnival
Chris's cousin threw a big family Halloween Carnival.  She is awesome.  The kids had fun and loved it. Here is my beautiful little Indian Princess.  She had to throw princess at the end of it because, well, ya know, she is totally girly girl.

Austin was Link (from Zelda) again.  I told him that he had to be because the costume would only fit him one more year and his Obi-Won would fit him again next year (I hope).  Luckily, he didn't fight me about it. Good boy! 

Asher was batman.  Allison was supposed to be a Monarch Butterfly but she broke her wings and when I told her I would fix them for the next night she said, "No, that is OK.   I will just be mother nature."  So, I guess that is what she is.  Funny girl!

 Asher kept yelling for Chris to take his picture so here he is.

 Halloween Night
This was our Halloween Dinner.  I made these last year too.  The kids loved them and asked for them again this year.  This time I took a picture. :)

The kids begged me to take their picture like this...they thought they were so clever.  I am glad they remind me to take their pictures because otherwise I would probably have a lot less pictures.  And then I couldn't look back at them and smile. :)