Lights at Temple Square...Check

Every year, we try to take our kids to see the lights.  This year, we had our family pictures taken in Salt Lake and decided to go to the lights while we were there.  It was super crowded!  But hey, the lights were pretty! We were there with all of the other Chandler families, and it was tricky to keep us all together.  What with all of the separately timed bathroom trips, lost children, lost husbands, and such.  But we were there, we saw the lights, and now we're done for the year.  

Check!

Ryan refused to walk the entire night.  He was attached to Tony and WAS NOT going to let go.  I'm pretty sure daddy didn't mind!

I had to snap this picture quick.  These kids were on the move!

Seriously, the world's two most compatable, bestest cousins!

It was COLD!  Dad took us to get hot chocolate and doughnuts afterward.  No one complained.

Merry Christmas from Temple Square! 

One Little Indian

Happy Thanksgiving from one little Indian!

 

Jace's Drums

My Jace has become quite the drummer.  Tony plays the drums and was talking to a co-worker from a previous job a couple of years ago about it.  This friend said that he had a drum set he didn't want and offered to just give it to us.  It was awesome!  We've had it in our basement now for over two years and have loved having it.  Then...the co-worked tracked down Tony's e-mail at his current job and sent a message.  He decided he wanted the drum set back!  Okay???!  So goodbye drum set!  Jace was seriously bummed!  So the morning the guy was supposed to pick up the drum set, Jace woke me up and asked me to record him playing his drums....for the last time.  Oh, he was so sad!  Obviously I didn't hold the phone the right direction for the camcorder, and I have no idea how to fix it.  So just tilt your head.  Sorry!

Grandma Time

This little one got to have a Girl's Night Out with Grandma Smith and her cousin Ellery.  She was beside herself with excitement all day!  We went shopping and bought a new sweater, just for the occasion.  We put on make up.  We put on her jewelry.  And we packed her bags for an awesome night at grandmas.  

Thanks Grandma!

Terrors

Our little neighborhood is a dead end street.  A dead end street filled with boys.  And my daughter.  Poor, poor Erica.  Actually, next door, we have two of the sweetest girls.  One is 3 1/2 years older than Erica, the other 2 1/2 years younger.  They still all play well, but it would be nice to have someone even closer.  But yeah, only 3 girls on the entire street.  Ryan is the lucky one.  We only have 8 houses in our subdivision, and 3 of us have boys the same age.  Almost.  Actually Ryan will be going to school the year before the others because of the August deadline, but it's still fun to have buddies at home.  These three are definitely buds!

This summer, we went to see the outdoor movie at the park across the street during Lehi Round Up.  These boys loved it and decided they wanted to go again the next week.  They got their shoes on, went outside, and crossed main street to get there.  During rush hour!  Without us knowing!  

A truck slammed on his brakes, barely missing them all, and brought them down our street trying to find out who they belonged to.  It was a truly terrifying moment!  These little boys, because they have so much freedom roaming from one house to the other, are so hard to keep track of.  

This moment gave me a much needed reminder to keep them safer!  I went to the other mom's houses and talked to them, asking if they could make sure that when they noticed the boys leaving their house, to make sure they got to another house and not out to Main Street.  It worked for a while, but really, when all of the kids were around and opening and shutting doors with all of the other kids from the neighborhood, it became impossible for us.  So we just had to have a big, and especially terrifying discussion about the BIG ROAD!  Hopefully I have sufficiently scarred Ryan for life about Main street and he'll never go back!

And one more cute thing about this little guy. If you know my boys, you know they like to dress up.  In everything.  All day.  And change it.  Over and over and over.  Tony was taking some much needed R&R watching some TV and Ryan came and plopped down on his lap.  After just looking at him thinking he was cute, I finally decided that he needed to remember  exactly how awesome his dress up skills were!

Yup!  A Power Ranger with night vision goggles.  Doesn't everyone wear that?

The Best Family Night Ice Cream Run Ever

We sometimes have to be a little spontaneous when we haven't come up with a Family Home Evening lesson.  This time, it was a trip to Arctic Circle for ice cream cones.  It ended up being our best ice cream trip yet.  

We had the restaurant all to ourselves almost the entire time, so we totally took advantage of it.  Tony started telling jokes and the kids loved it!  It's a blurry picture but at least it captured Kent's and Erica's reaction to the punch line.

This picture just does not do justice to the amount of ice cream on this kid's face.  COVERED!

I was trying to get Jace to take a picture with me with him smiling in it.  This is as good as it got!  

It was a great night!  I highly recommend taking your kids to get ice cream in a deserted restaurant.

Treat or Treat

Yup!  Not one trick at all.  Just treats.  Who gives out tricks anyway??  

Tony had to be out of town up until Halloween, so he missed our annual pumpkin carving and caramel apple night the Monday before Halloween, but Michael and Kayla came and made it so fun....and much easier for me.  I think I might have died trying to do all of the pumpkins and apples by myself.

Our school has a costume parade on Halloween.  Ryan and I waited in the cafeteria for the other kids.  He wore this mask ALL DAY!

First was my karate kid!

Then the evil scientist (who only smiles in candid shots)

And then the beautiful witch.

That night we went to the ward "Trunk or Treat" which was great.  Especially the chili!

Then because we are like little energizer bunnies, we kept going and decided to go trick or treating through the neighborhood.

We had a lot of fun this Halloween because everyone understood what was going on.  I didn't have to ask anyone to say "trick or treat" or "thank you."  

After we had all of the candy sorted out and had given mom her mandatory toostie roll, we took a quick picture by their pumpkins!  

Happy Halloween!