CADDYWUMPUS

Check out this blog - She is having daily holiday giveaways!!
http://dejalarsen.blogspot.com/
Including one from
http://PoshPrincessCouture.etsy.com

GO LAUREN!!

Lauren's blog is broken - So I am going to comment on my own for her =) I think you should all go and read what she wrote - IT"S GREAT!! http://thetowersfamily.blogspot.com/
AMEN SISTA!!!

Dad's Getting Married

So I stole this picture off of Kennah's blog. For those of you who talk to me and not to Kennah (Karen) I thought it would be easier if I posted about the wedding as well. My dad is finally getting married again. They have decided to get married Thanksgiving weekend in Utah. I am not looking forward to piling into the car and making the eight hour drive but I am looking forward to meeting all of my new step siblings and step nieces and nephews - our family is going from 4 kids to 9 and from 5 grandkids to 16. WOW - holidays should be interesting. My mom kept things mild when she remarried - only adding 2 more kids to our four - much more our pace =) It's weird getting step siblings and step parents in my thirties - It's not like it would have been had either of them remarried when we were kids - Back then we wanted tons and tons of kids - we thought it would be cool to be like the Brady Bunch - Now it doesn't matter if we like who they marry or their kids - All that matters is that each of my parents are happy. Like I told Marlene (Dad's bride to be) I don't care if she turns out to be a step-monster - I don't have to live with her, all that matters is that Dad's happy. =)

Happy Halloween

SOOOO this is for you Kennah - I know I promised that I would post yesterday but it just didn't happen =) The boys had a great time picking out Halloween costumes this year. We decided to look online before we braved the Halloween store - I really didn't feel like wondering aimlessly through the store. I told them that they were going to have to decide on costumes before we got to the store. While we were looking online at Star Wars costumes - Obi-Won Kabobi - as Keaton likes to call him - Keaton busted out with " I think I just want to be John McCain" I said "Huh??? Why do you want to be John McCain?" (Not knowing that he even knew who was running for president) He responded with "Cause I don't like Obama" I asked "Why?" He replied " Cause he wants to raise gas prices" I asked " Who told you that?" He replied " Nickelodeon" There you have it!! The power of television.

So the boys finally decided on costumes - man boy costumes are tough if you don't want to be something dark or gory. Keaton decided on a policeman "Cause the costume came with a whistle" and Tanner decided on a caveman - he saw the wig at the Halloween store and we came home and made the outfit based on that. Luckily it was pretty warm here this year because he was fighting me tooth and nail about having to wear a long sleeve shirt with his costume.

Before we bought our house we used to trick or treat every year with our bestest friends, the Hiatts. This past summer they lost their home to a fire and are currently renting. We felt it fitting to trick or treat together like old times this year. Man the kids have grown and multiplied. When we started doing this we only had Tanner and some of the couples weren't even married or didn't have any kids yet. We had a great time. Thanks to Missy and Todd for throwing another awesome party in true Hiatt fashion!! Here are some picks of all of the kids.

Here are a few snap shots from trick or treating.

And for those of you really wanting to feel old. Here is a picture of Madison and Taylor. (The flower girls from our wedding) I took this picture after Tay got home from cheering at a football game and before she disappeared to a party. I had to track Maddy down out front with her friends. It's hard to catch these two in the same place these days.

Keaton's Birthdaty

Okay - So I am a lagger - I am going to do a few posts right now - One that I should have done about a month ago =)

Keaton turned the big 6 at the beginning of October. He was soooo excited. We had a family party a few days before his birthday. He couldn't wait for everyone to come and bring him presents. Aunt Laurie, Uncle Chad, Annelise and Alexander got him a Sponge Bob skateboard. I think he finally enjoys the wood floors =)

Thanks Aunt Laurie!!

Grandpa Shed got him a really cool Transformer set. He and Tanner disappeared to his room to play before everyone was even gone. Aunt Kennah and Uncle Adam sent cool Transformer stuff from Utah - but we couldn't get a picture with them because well... they were in Utah =) Uncle Aaron, Aund Ducky and Aiden sent 2000 Wii points - but we didn't get any pictures with them beacause well... they are in Oregon. Grandma Becky and Grandpa John got him more Transformer stuff and some clothes - we didn't get any pictures with them because I am a slacker =)

He loved all of the presents but his "most special" present was from his Uncle E. A few years ago Uncle E and Keaton made pancakes together for the first time. This was something that Keaton found to be very special and always asks Uncle if they can make pancakes if he is at his house in the early morning hours. This is extra special because Uncle E lets him flip the pancakes all by himself. Uncle E knew that this was special to Keaton and made his birthday extra special by getting Keaton his very own griddle and Costco size bag of pancake mix. A big thank you to Uncle E, Aunt Coco and Trayce -AKA Chuck - Who carried around that 10 lb bag of pancake mix all evening =)

Here are a few pictures from the morning of Keaton's actual birthday. We got up extra early and made pancakes before school. He was so excited. Funny story - When he arrived to Campus Club that morning they were making pancakes and offered him some. He told them "No thanks, I already had some on my "OWN" griddle." They thought it was so cute they had to tell me the story- they thought that he was implying that his mom made him pancakes and that they were better than Campus Club pancakes. I had to explain the whole story about him and Uncle E and that he really had had pancakes on his "OWN" griddle. =)

Now and Then

So I was cleaning house today and came accross this picture and I just had to share. I had it blown up out of a Magic Mountian key chain a few years back. I know that Lauren and Jill will really get a kick out of it =) As I sat and stared at it I realized that it was taken 16 years ago - HOLY COW!! Where have the years gone?? Don't ya just love Phil's crooked hat and tight rolled jeans??!! =)

I am adding a recent picture that Tanner took at while we were in Pismo this summer - Man - how times have changed!!!

Friday Night Football

So Friday was Keaton's birthday. He was super excited - as I mentioned earlier this week =) We decided that we would go to the High School Fooball game, as a family, on Friday night. I mean hey - it was number 1 playing number 2 - we had to go. Besides that Tanner's whole team was going and he was getting in for free. They were going to sit as a team. We arrived at 6:45 to drop Tanner off with his teammates - he quickly wanted nothing to do with us. We left him there and headed to the game. When we finally decided where we were going to sit we realized that we were sitting 1 row below the Martins. Keaton was so excited - He hadn't seen Justin in a while. Then the DiFuria's arrived- This is Keaton's bestest buddy Nick's family. So Keaton was feeling like he was having a pretty special birthday. Phil bought Keaton a foam finger on our way into the game- I knew things would get crazy with that finger. Once his friends saw that he had one they quickly talked their parents into getting one too. They had a great time!! We had a great family night out. Phil watched the game, I critiqued the cheerleaders, Keaton played with his buddies, and Tanner wandered with his friends and pretended that we didn't exist =)