Pumpkin Carving 101

Last night we did some pumpkin carving with the kids. Sammy and Nicholas actually enjoyed it this year. The rest of the night and this morning Nicholas kept saying, "Pumpkin carving was the best!!" They both picked out what they wanted their faces to look like. I took over Parker's and did my first "cool" design. It was a lot of fun and I love that our kids are getting old enough to enjoy these types of things. Tomorrow is cookie decorating.....wish me luck!

Sammy's pumpkin

Nick's pumpkin

The back of Parker's pumpkin

All 3 of them with their pumpkins.

Weekend with Dad and Cousins

This past weekend Luke took Nicholas and Sammy to Arizona for a family wedding. I tried talking him into taking Parker but that wasn't happening. They stayed with Luke's brothers family and the kids had the best time. Sammy is pretty much surrounded by boys. She has all brothers, all boy cousins on my side, and then she pretty much has boys surrounding her on Luke's side. There is one girl cousin that is a year older than Sammy. So needless to say Sammy was so excited to play with girl cousins. Here are some pictures of their fun filled weekend.

Having fun doing a craft

Gwen and Ashley had to miss their Trunk or Treat because of the wedding so they did their own at their house. Yes my daughter is the one with the scraggly hair.

Showing some sibling love

I am so glad the kids were able to go and get to know their AZ cousins more. Sammy was in heaven with all the girls and girl things to play with. Thanks Adam and Symone for having them there.

Pumpkin Patch

I was looking through pictures and realized I forgot to make a post about our trip to the pumpkin patch. We went a couple weeks ago when it was still 90 degrees but it was the only day I could get all 3 kids to go at the same time and still get the playgroup price. Every year I realize how ghetto Vegas pumpkin patches are. I never thought that growing up but after living in Utah and then moving back here it makes me realize that a pumpkin patch in a casino parking lot is not the norm. Oh well the kids had fun and that's all that matters. Our playgroup was pretty big and it was hard to get great pictures because it was mass chaos.

This has got to be one of the worst pictures of all 3 ever taken. Nicholas and Parker both look like they are trying to squeeze something out and Sammy has both pumpkins in the right places, if you know what I mean. :)

Enjoying her swing ride

Nicholas was so excited because he got to be in the front and ring the bell

I am not a big fan of petting zoos. It's just gross and I feel itchy all over. Not to mention I was wearing flip flops and there was rabbit poop everywhere. Parker is my only child who loves animals. Yes he started kissing the bunny and don't worry i disinfected his mouth pretty good. Nicholas wouldn't even set foot in the area. Sammy did, which surprised me but then a goat thought she had food and was chasing her and that didn't go over too well.

He's home!!

My youngest brother Andrew came home from his mission on Friday October 16, 2009. I was so excited because this was my first time being able to be at the airport for a missionary. I couldn't be there for my other brother Adam because 10 days later I was coming home to get married. It was so much fun and emotional. Although as everyone's eyes were getting teary I was too busy making sure Parker didn't get lost somewhere. Nicholas remembers Andrew the most and was so excited. He stood by the stairs with his sign really high for a long time. Now whenever we wake up he asks when we will see Uncle Andrew. Sammy didn't want anything to do with him, which didn't surprise me one bit. She is having issues with boys or men lately. Parker was just excited to have another buddy to wrestle and play with. We are so excited to have him home. I'm sure South Carolina will miss him though. We had a fun/stressful weekend. I agreed to sing at his Homecoming(why oh why did i do that?). I was a nervous mess because I haven't sung a solo, duet, or anything similar in 9 years. Not to mention I am 8 months pregnant so trying to breathe right was a challenge. Oh well, it over and that's all that matters. Welcome Andrew Zockoll!! We are so proud of you!! Now all we need is to get this boy some dates. Anyone know any single ladies??

Isn't he handsome?

Nicholas holding his sign high and proud. He wrote the whole thing himself. Just in case you can't tell what it says "Andrew I Love U"(except the love is a heart).

Parker and his masterpiece

The whole group. This is the only picture I have with Sammy because she refused to take any kind of picture the whole time.

Fun with the grandparents cont....

During this time of year my parents pool is too cold to really swim in so they usually turn the pool heater on. Unfortunately it broke and the kids were very sad that they couldn't go in the hot tub while they were there. My mom decided to let them have fun in her bath. They ended up having a ton of fun in all these bubbles. I guess Sammy was really hyper that night and being very very silly.

In these next few picture they were pretending to be Santa Clause. Honestly, Sammy's face scares me a little but it also shows her spastic personality she has.

Nicky's is a little blurry but you get the point.

And this guy i just want to eat up because he is soooo cute and looks the most like Santa with his pop belly and white hair.

Grandparents+Kids-Parents=FUN

The kids had a lot of fun with my parents when Luke and I were gone last weekend. The first night they were there they watched Monsters Inc. outside. They were all bundled up and each got their own cup of popcorn. Even cousin Jack was there to enjoy the fun. Sammy never sits through a whole movie and my mom said she sat there and didn't say a word through the whole thing. Looks like we will have to do this a couple more times before it gets too cold.

Our Getaway

It was just the two of us.

All alone without any little ones. It was so much fun to be alone and do whatever we wanted on OUR time. We ate A LOT, went to the beach, and we might have done a little of this:

We also splurged and pampered ourselves to a Spa. Luke got his very first massage and LOVED it! I got a full hour spa pedicure. It was heavenly, and just what I needed. We also went to a Padres game and stayed out really late. It had been a long time since we have been able to go to a baseball game and actually able to stay for the whole game. I love baseball games, brings back great memories of when I was younger and going to the Dodger games.

We only had 48 hours but it was perfect and I think it was the perfect amount of time for my parents who were watching the kids. When we picked them up my mom commented on how she didn't even take a shower until 4 that afternoon. I think she forgot how much work little kids are. I know the kids had a ton of fun because every time we called none of them wanted to talk to us. Most Moms would be sad but it made me happy that they were having enough fun to not miss us. Parker even decided to kind of potty train.

This last picture is for my sister Amber. Whenever we would go to a Dodgers games we would want to sit in center field so we could get a good view of the players butts. Especially Brett Butler(remember Amber?). Anyways they had this cut out of a player and I had to pretend to pinch his butt.

This trip was just what we needed before baby #4 comes. Now it's back to life...back to reality......