carving pumpkins

We carved the three pumpkins Aubrey and I had picked up from Hayy-Vee at the beginning to the month last Saturday night.  As you can see the kids arent really excited to clean out the "guts".  I think I ended up doing pretty much all of the work on these three.   We did decide to clean off some pumpkin seeds and roast them at home.  The boys had tried these at school and church and I hadn't had any for years so I thought we would try them.  Pretty easy to do and turned out well.  Needless to day my hand was pretty sore and tired after carving three big pumpkins while the kids watched a movie!  Oh well - it is just once a year and they loved the final produce!

final products
a witch flying, a kitty face, tigerhawk

pumpkins we carved at the fall fun day last week Sunday
a bat, a funny pig face, yellow angry bird - don't judge these were all free hand!

Happy Halloween

This year we had a Pella football player, a Hawkeye football player, and Tangled princess.  The boys really wanted to be Mario and Luigi but I couldn't see spending $40 for a cheap costume.  They were happy enough to football players.  Hayden has been a Hawkeye player several years but Nile had not so he was happy to be one this year.  Hayden got a cool Pella jersey with Rozenboom on the back for Christmas so this worked perfect for his costume.  Aubrey could hardly wait to wear her princess dress.  She actually wore it all day around the house a few days before Trick or Treating. 

the kids at the Halloween party at our bank

kids by all our jack o lanterns

so hard to get them to all look and smile!!

Fall Festival 2012





Every year one of the local churches in town hosts a family fall festival at a local farm.  It is tons of fun for the kids and FREE!!  We love to go every year.  This year it looked like Jeremy would actually be able to join us since there was an away game on the Saturday it was scheduled for.....but then it rained!  So instead of having the festival last weekend we enjoyed a family day at home watching the rain and a Hawkeye victory!  So today I took all three kiddos out to the farm with Grammie to help out and we had a great time.  This was the first year I let Aubrey paint her own pumpkin and she LOVED that!  It is very colorful!  Nile attempted painting a face on his pumpkin and Hayden painted IOWA HAWKEYES on his.  They also have lots of fun games to play and things to play with.  Aubrey loved the train ride and playing in the soy beans.  Hayden had fun running around with a school friend.  Nile saw 5 kids from his kindergarten class.  It is a great event for families to come and just have fun together.  Hopefully next year we will all get to go together as a family!!

 

Aubrey painting her pumpkin







 

 

 

Nile painting his pumpkin



Hayden painting his pumpkin with friend Cashen



Aubrey and Nile playing in the soy beans



Nile launching a little pumpkin



Time for a train ride!



everyone on the hayrack ride

Gloomy days

Days like this make me LOVE being a SAHM.  Not that I dont appreciate the fact that I get to stay home with my kids everyday but when it is dark and rainy outside it is nice to be able to hang at home and do whatever Aubrey and I want.  Today we all slept in so we had to drive the boys to school but I guess we all needed that extra sleep so it worked out fine.  Aubrey and I came home to make some banana muffins with some old bananas.  We got those mixed up and in the oven and I decided to throw a roast in the crockpot for supper.  It wasnt the planned meal on the schedule but that is ok.  I like to get a little crazy once in a while ;-).  Got the roast and potatoes cooking and decided a loaf of homemade bread would go great with supper so that is now doing its thing in the bread machine!  I love when these cooking moods strike!  Now if I could just get in the mood to clean the house we would be set!  Aubrey is happily playing with the Ipad while I blog so maybe I should take advantage of this time! 

Update on school:
I have been taking classes at Iowa for 5 semesters now.  My two classes for this fall are going great!  I am actually really far ahead in my self paced class.  I have until December 7 to finish the class but I have all the assignments turned in and just have to take my final test.  I am planning to get that done next week.  The second class is instructor paced so I cant work ahead too much but there is no test and not too many assignments.  More online discussions and such.  Not sure what I will be taking this coming spring.  I dont want to take too much since we will be gone for two weeks the end of February and beginning of March.

Well that is all for now.  Blessings to you all!
Allison

Nile's toothy adventure

Saturday night Nile woke up and came down to our bed complaining of a sore mouth.  We got him his water bottle and didn't think too much more about it.  He lay between us moaning and groaning so nobody got much sleep.  The next morning he said he had a sore in his mouth and we noticed that around one of his front teeth there was a lot of swelling but that tooth was only a tiny bit loose.  As the day went on the swelling got worse and he napped a little after some pain reliever.  Monday I brought him in to the dentist and they took an x-ray.  They noticed that his permanent tooth was coming in and pushing on the baby tooth but also the tooth was very large and would come in crooked if they didn't take out the three front baby teeth that were still in his mouth.  Poor Nile has inherited my small mouth and large teeth.  The dentist wiggled out a total of three teeth and Nile did great after an initial freak out and a bloody nose we got him calmed down and the dentist was able to do his work.  Nile was allowed to pick two prizes and two stickers from the treasure chest and then we headed to Wal-Mart for a new ninja turtle.  The tooth fairy also visited last night and left a little something too!

 

I know this is a terrible picture but it gives you an idea of the swelling and you can see a before shot with more teeth!

 

A day later when the swelling has gone down and he is feeling 100% better!

Looking like a jack-o-lantern just in time for Halloween!

Aubrey's new playhouse

I had an outdoor playhouse on Aubrey's birthday list for next year but you cant beat a good deal.  I happened to see this playhouse listed on facebook by a friend so we got it a little early!  After looking at the prices of a new one and the price for this one it was a no brainer!  She LOVES the fact that it is pink and wants to play outside in it all the time.  Luckily it has warmed up a little again right now and we have been able to enjoy it already.

 



Aubrey climbing through the window the night we brought it home

All three kiddos playing with the new playhouse

Mommy and Aubrey's Wednesday morning

Aubrey helping me make some muffins!

Playing Ipad while Mommy studies!

Hayden's bday party

Mario cake made by my SIL

Blowing out the candles

This took a while since they were trick candles that keep lighting up again!

Pinata time!

the whole group

 

This past Saturday we had a house full of wild 2nd grade boys!  And one Kindergartner!  They were loud and silly and had lots of fun.  We had cake and snacks, then presents and a pinata.  Hayden had a great weekend celebrating turning 8!!

Happy 8th Birthday Hayden

Well as hard as it is to believe I have been a mother for 8 years!  I know, I know - I dont look a day over 25 but it is true!  Heehee.  Even though Hayden wasnt planned by us he was certainly planned by God and he is such a blessing to our whole family!  It is amazing to watch him grow and learn.  The boys had school yesterday with an early out for the teachers.  I went and ate lunch with Hayden for his birthday and then we played at recess.  After Aubrey woke up from her nap Hayden opened his presents from us and played a little while before we headed to Applebees for supper.  He was allowed to pick where we went and since Culver's - his #1 pick hasnt opened yet we went to Applebees.  After supper and Hayden's birthday dessert shooter the boys headed to church and Aubrey and I hung out at home.
Friday Hayden has a birthday party to attend for a good friend from his old school and the Saturday is his "friend" party at our house.  Sunday he gets his first grown up Bible from the church and we are having the family party afterwards at our house again.  I should probably be cleaning the house but I am going to wait and do that tomorrow after Aubrey and I get a few groceries and run to the bank.  Here are a few picture of his opening presents yesterday.  I am sure I will have more to add after the two parties.

Nile lost his first baby tooth!

Yesterday Hayden's brushed his loose tooth right out of his mouth before school and this morning Nile pulled out his first loose tooth at breakfast.  I am not a fan of the loosing teeth phase so luckily the boys do ok on their own and they have Daddy if needed.  Nile was very excited to tell everyone at school about his new space in his mouth.  Just in time for a dentist visit later this week!  Guess that tooth fairy will be at our house two nights in a row!

October 1

Aubrey is ready for Halloween!

Cheese!

Two princess Tangle's!