Jack-O-Lantern FUN!!

We, as most people in America do, carved our pumpkins!! I guess I was feeling a little Martha-ish when I decided we would not be doing any traditional pumpkins this year!! We (James, Dorothy, and I) all got a pumpkin. We decided to let Preston team with Daddy due to his lack of interest. We each picked out a pattern and carved away!!! Well, I can't say they turned out great; I am just hoping that you can tell what each one was intended to be. We had fun doing it, but next year, I think I will stick to the trusty Jack-O-Lantern face triangle eyes and nose with a big smile. At least when it comes out crooked people think you artistic!! :):)

Let the fun begin!!

Preston unsure of what he's supposed to be doing!
So
he decided to attack and then eat the pumpkin!

Our finished products........

Dorothy's Bat!!

Daddy and Preston's monster!!

My kitty sitting by a pumpkin with a spider fiasco!!

What fun!!!!

Trunk-or-Treat!!

As usual, we attended our ward's Trunk-or-Treat! I think this is the best way for kids to go trick-or-treating because it's so much easier to walk from car to car than house to house!! It was pretty chilly. I was a little worried Dorothy's costume would need some long underwear underneath to keep her warm, but the sun came out and warmed it up just enough. I was relieved because as some of you know, I made Dorothy's costume and wanted it to have every advantage there was at looking normal!! I know some of you are worried because I did not use the pattern.... So don't look too close!! Here are the pictures of my little Dorothy from Wizard of Oz and my little Giraffe!!!! After Trunk-or-Treat we went to Papa Murphy's and got a Jack-O-Lantern pizza for dinner!! Dorothy could barely wait for it to cook to eat!!!! More Halloween fun to come (Dorothy will get her use out of that costume!)

First winter storm!!!

This is absolutely crazy!!!! On Saturday it was a wonderful day in the mid 70's!! Perfect day, in fact I snapped a few pictures of the kids in front of our house. Oddly enough, I also snapped a picture of the tree in front of our house. I thought it was weird that none of the leaves on this particular tree were changing when all the other ones in the neighborhood were!!! Luckily too, because it makes for a great before and after shot!! The next morning, I woke up after only 3 hours of sleep (thanks Heidi, and Kelly for recommending Twilight; I finished the second book today!) to a winter wonderland!! I absolutely love the first snow storm of the season, but I was, well.... anticipating one in mid-November! We dressed as warm as we could for church and left a half hour early. I was worried about all those idiots that still think they can drive the same when the roads are horrible!! Today, it almost all melted so I guess our snow storm was short lived!!!

Hanging out in the warm weather!!

Before and after shots!










































Burr it's sooooo cold!!!

The Children's museum.....

James and I decided to get a membership to the museum here since it is incredible!!! We decided to take the kids on Saturday and let them play!!! They had a great time because there is just sooo many fun things to do!!!!

Fireman and shopper!

Future UTES basketball player!!

Future Picasso!!

Working in the garden
and
playing in the pond!

Tagged???

Alright, I think I am supposed to write six things about myself most people don't know.

1. I cannot punctuate! I do not know how to form a proper sentence. I am now embarrassed for writing that. Every time I write a blog, James MUST proofread it!! (Yes it is true, I have corrected 14 things up to this point in this blog. -James) What can I say, I went to Caldwell High School.......

2. I am jack of all trades and master of none! All of my life, I have been able do do almost anything I want (except sports), but I am not really and I mean REALLY good at anything. Example... Piano- I can play the hymns pretty well. Singing- I am good in a choir. Sewing- I can make a simple quilt. Scrapbooking- my pages are all cute but not teach-a-class worthy. Baking- things always taste OK, but no one is asking for the recipe! I don't mind this, in-fact I think I prefer to be this way. I know I can accomplish anything as long as it's not TOO hard! :)

3. I hate hate hate sports!!! Not watching them, just participating!! I will not play any sports of any kind if I have any choice in the matter!! I ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS get hit in the head with the ball!! James can attest to this fact!! I was a cheerleader in High School and well, prefer to be on the side lines "cheering" all you athletes on!!!

4. I am a closet lover of church pop!! I know... very juvenile!! I love to listen to EFY cd's, I even like a little Michael Mclean and Janice Kapp Perry!! I have loved this kind of music since I was a child. I remember very well once being asked by my brother what my favorite song was and I replied "The Light Within". He and my siblings all laughed for about a minute before they realized I was serious. They all said their favorite song was "Bust a move!"

5. I have paranoia!! I find it very difficult to sleep.... I am like my Mother and hear every little sound in the house and then in my mind decide someone is in our house and is coming upstairs to kill me!! I know that sounds crazy but well when your house has been robbed and the only thing taken was your dirty underwear among the many and I mean many crazy things that have happened to you I believe it's somewhat justified!!

6. I am not allowed to watch infomercials!! I am one of those people that gets sucked into buying something if I watch the infomercial long enough!! I don't know why, but the longer I watch, the more I know I must own that product!! Examples.... Ab doer, Windsor Pilates, proactive (good purchase), lint cleaner among many others!!

7. Ok encore!! I just thought of the one I could not remember and now cannot decide which one to get rid of for this so I am doing seven!! I love a bargain. I know it seems strange coming from me! I will search on the internet for hours and I mean hours to find something even two dollars cheaper!! I love when I get a good deal like last year when I got $200 Kenneth Cole Reaction boots for $7.00 thanks to Zappos and their price matching plus an extra 10% policy! James thinks all the online stores with this policy have red flagged me because everytime I can I WILL price match any item!!

Alright, I do not have too many friends in the blogging world so I will tag Jessica or Adam (or both??), Heather, Amber, and Laura. (Hopefully at least one or two of you will do it!!)

Budding Photographer!!

Alright, so I have been blogging a lot lately!! Well, Preston is now 6 months and usually like the crazy Mother that I am I take him to get his pictures taken at kiddie kandids and spend a ridiculous amount of money. But I thought... I have a professional camera why don't I go and take the kids' pictures???? So I did. Here are Preston's 6 month old pictures...... (of course Dorothy is in them. She can't stand to let me take a picture of Preston alone!!)

The greatest show on earth??

On Saturday we went to the circus!! As a child I always wanted to be a tight rope walker! (I know a circus performer is only one step up from a carny!) So to vicariously live my dream I insisted we go! We somehow managed to get front row seats!! My only complaint is that the cotton candy (which I LOVE!) was $12.00 yes twelve dollars; no, I did not confuse the decimals!! Highway robbery!! So unfortunately, I did not get any. James was in awe at how many parents would pay the exorbitant prices for circus junk. I watched longingly at the tight rope walkers dreaming of the day I could perform, Dorothy danced to the music and kept asking "what is that smell?" every time the elephants came out, and Preston sat watched the show and then fell asleep. I guess the three rings of entertainment were not enough for a 6 month old! All in all we had a wonderful time but I still want my cotton candy!

"Mommy what is that smell?"

"Here take a picture for your souvenir"

I am addicted to "The Hills"

O.K. for those of you who have not yet been sucked into the TV show "The Hills" you can disregard this post! I don't know what it is about that show but it is my favorite show on earth! I eagerly await each week for a new episode in which after watching I tell James for a half hour how much I can't stand Spencer Pratt and how Heidi has totally changed! Also, why Whitney should get a bigger role, how much I love Lauren and why is Audrina dating the loser Justin-Bobby?? Who would have thought that "reality" tv could be sooooo great?? My next goal is to Netflix Laguna Beach !!! I love you LC!!

The skeletons in our closet!!!

Every year I get Dorothy Halloween pajamas and I usually try to get ones that glow in the dark! This year I found matching jammies for the kids that also glow in the dark!! So here they are our little skeletons!!! I also posted a picture of Preston pulling himself up. I don't know what to do... this kid is only 6 months old, he should barely be sitting up right now!! ahhhhhh I can only blame his aunt Dickens for this!!

Naughty naughty naughty!!!

Sunday lazy Sunday!!!

I love conference Sunday!! I have so many good memories of it growing up!! My Mom would always go all out and make some fancy breakfast and lunch!! Now as an adult I love it for different reasons... Hearing all of the talks, thinking about what I need to do to be better in my life, and spending quality time in my pajama's all day!! James made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and manicotti for lunch (in keeping with Mickelsen family tradition of big meals). Dorothy loved watching the choir sing and yelling "Grandma Grandma" at the screen every time she spotted her Grandma Thomas in the choir!
We spent the rest of the day putting toys on one side of the room and cheering at Preston to go and get them (he has recently learned to crawl in the silliest way!) Then we lit the fireplace and watched the fire! For some reason fires mesmerize me! It is really cold outside and a perfect day to sit home in your pajamas watch conference, drink hot cocoa and warm up by the fire... Oh how I love fall!!!!!




















Lazy day in front of the fire!

Preston and his crazy way to crawl!!!

A fall festival!

Saturday we bolted in between sessions of conference to a fall festival! It was only a few miles down the street so it made for the perfect break! It was at an old farm right in Denver that is still working! They had a million things to do... you could ride a carriage, go on a hay ride, play in a pumpkin patch, there were lots of childrens games and crafts to do, you could pan for gold, meet mountain men, make your own scarecrow, and of course there was lots of yummy food!!!
We played around in the pumpkin patch, panned for gold, "walked"on stilts, met some mountain men, raced in potato sacks, and ate! They had real carmel apples that they dipped right in front of you! We also enjoyed fresh apple cider!! We had a really good time and even made it back in time for the 2:00 session!!


Potato sack race!

Trying to walk on stilts!

Panning for gold (We found some - fools gold, that is.)

Pumpkin patch play!!