Our Halloween 2012

Karlee  -  Halloween 2012

This year Karlee really enjoyed Halloween - Yay!. When asked we asked Karlee awhile ago what she wanted to be for Halloween she took no time at all deciding. She wanted to be Cinderella!!!. So we got busy coming up with a costume and it was a lot of fun. Karlee wanted her costume to have a tutu so here is she is in all her glory.

Cinderella

On Tuesday night we carved our pumpkins. We love doing pumpkins - Halloween just wouldn't be the same without have some creatively carved pumpkins. Karlee and I cleaned out the pumpkins while Rob was at work, Karlee loved picking out all the seeds. She took this task very seriously that not one pumpkin seed would fall into the garbage. 

Our sweet pumpkin cleaner up'er.

We all picked a design and Rob worked his magic. He amazes me - and we got so many compliments for our trick of treaters. Bet you can't guess which pumpkin is Karlee's. 

Werewolf (Rob) - Silly pumpkin face (Heather) - Cinderella (Karlee)

Halloween hit on school day - so she got to have a super fun Halloween party. Everyone came all dressed up in their cute costumes. They did lots of fun Halloween themed centers, sang super cute songs.

Preschool Halloween party

Karlee got to take some Halloween treats to share with her classmates. We got pudding cups and colored ghost faces on each one. Karlee was super excited to hand them out.

Boo! Pudding cup Preschool treats.

Karlee was super excited when she saw her dad get home early from work so he could take her trick or treating.  (No pictures taken of them together - darn it!!!) Rob just loves Halloween looking at everyone's costumes, so we were glad that he was able to not miss out this year. 

Enjoying her some of her loot. - Such a happy girl!

Who doesn't love Pumpkin Seeds?

This year with our dinner in a pumpkin and our 3 jack-o-lanterns we had lots and lots of pumpkin seeds. While cleaning out all these pumpkins and all the seeds it made me think of the first time Rob and I celebrated our first Halloween together. When I told him we needed to save the seeds, and he thought I was crazy. I thought he was crazy that he had never saved the seeds and that he was totally missing out. haha.  So anyways - ya this year we had lots and lots of seeds - we decided to try a new recipe. We stuck with our traditional recipe (the one I grew up with my mom and dad making) and then I found this one that looked super yummy. Looks like we have another favorite. Karlee loves them too, she's been snacking on them all day.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dry
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/2 ounce olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl combine all ingredients until seed are coated well. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake until toasted and slightly browned, about 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Watch carefully to avoid burning as all ovens vary on cook times. Remove from oven, and let cool before serving.

Be-witched!

We made it so bring on Halloween!!! We made it to Gardner Village to search for all these creative 'adorable witches'. Rob has worked almost every Saturday this month so it didn't look like we would make it this year. But there was No School Monday so we invited my sister Monica and her kids, and we went without him. He was bummed so we'll definitely have to plan things better next year. 

Witch taking pet frogs for a buggy ride.

We walked around Gardner Village on a Witch Hunt to find all the silly witches this year. 

Paige, Trenton, Karlee and Sadie.

We decided that it was time for a seat and found the perfect spot. Look at this cute witch, and don't you just love her giant over-sized spider.

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The witch pedaling on her bicycle was Karlee's favorite witch this year - I would have to agree. All these witches are amazing!!! Until next year.

Witch pedaling away on her bike

Dinner in a Pumpkin.

Dinner in a Pumpkin. Anyone???

While living in Kentucky we were introduced to 'Dinner in a Pumpkin' by some friends and ever since we have always talked about doing it (making it a tradition). Its been several years since then but for Sunday dinner we gave it a go. It was super super easy and super super yummy. We liked it so much that we will most likely make this an October tradition.

Karlee was my little helper. She loved to clean out the seed from these little pumpkins.

Here is the recipe we used:

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery or water chestnuts

1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 cup cooked rice

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 medium pumpkin or small sugar pumpkins (3-4)

Cut off the top of a pumpkin and clean the insides out. Brown your meat in a large skillet with the onions and celery (water chestnuts). While the meat mixture is browning cook your rice according to it’s package directions. In large bowl mix meat mixture, rice, soup, soy sauce and brown sugar. Spoon into pumpkin and replace the lid. Set the pumpkin on a cookie sheet to capture any spills. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour or until pumpkin insides are soft. Leave the lid on the pumpkin while it is baking to hold in the heat.

Happy Birthday Rob!!!

Happy Birthday!

We love the month of October in our household for lots of reasons: football season going strong, cool crisp air, Halloween costumes and decorations, but the BEST thing that happens in October is Rob's Birthday!!!! This guy loves to celebrate his birthday and so do we.

German Chocolate cake.

Rob requested a German Chocolate cake this year for his birthday - and he said it taste amazing. Karlee did a great job picking out the birthday candles. Pretty good job!

Opening Presents 

Karlee was super super excited for her dad to get home from work (she had to wait until 8:30 pm). She told him he had to first blow out the burning candles, and then it was time to open his birthday presents. Rob had lots of Karlee help while attempting to open each present. Karlee did a great job.

Go BYU, Go Cougars!!!

For Rob's birthday (from my parents) this year he got a BYU flag, and a BYU cookbook. Seriously how could any of us compete with that. Karlee and I got him a BYU hat and a Football video game. Rob said that he had a GREAT birthday - but is sad that his birthday is over. haha.

We love Rob and are so glad that he is in our family! - Lucky Us!

How lucky am I ?

I am so blessed.  This morning I was cleaning up my room - making my bed when I was surprised with a sweet little ''Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty" from this AMAZING little girl. Karlee had all her "friends" with her some barely hanging on by an arm. haha. We decided to stop making the bed and instead climb back in and snuggle a bit. Pretty good way to start my day. Life is pretty wonderful and I am so blessed.

Women's Conference in Page - AMAZING!!!

Karlee and I just got back from a wonderful few days down in Page, visiting Grandma and Papa and also helping out my mom by doing a Party Planning booth at her Women's Conference.

Me and my booth: Celebrate, Party Planning made Easy.

The booth was a lot of fun to put together. I highlighted 4 parties and then made a display for making the Holidays fun. The parties that I highlighted were Angry Birds, a Camping theme, a Favorites Things party, and a Cupcake party. 

Angry Birds Party

Camping Themed Party

Favorite Things Party

Cupcake Party

Here are the pictures of all the things I gathered for 'Making the Holidays a fun time to celebrate:

Valentine's Day - - - St. Patrick's Day - - - Easter

4th of July - - - Halloween

Thanksgiving - - - New Years Eve

Christmas

For each of the parties that I displayed there was an amazing flyer that highlighted the fun activities that happened at each party. I had a great source, my sister Monica, who has put together many fun and amazing parties, made a flyer for every party that she has done along with a couple others. She put them on her scrapbook blog here.

This Women's Conference was by far the BEST conference I have ever been to. My mom did an AMAZING job and had amazing people working with her that helped to make it what it was. There were 19 booths containing all different things. My mom had a blog made for this and there really are some pretty great things on this blog - so I’ll share  PAGE AZ Women’s Conference.

They did an amazing service project that I think was certainly ''Led by our Heavenly Father''. They sewed newborn burial clothing. The dresses and little boy suits were so beautiful. So much time was put into this project and it was a huge success.

Newborn Burial Clothing - Service Project.

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While my mom and I were busy at the Women's Conference Karlee got to go to the park with Papa. This girl was super excited to hit a park and mostly to spend time with her Papa.