halloween 09

black cat mallory, ipod silhouette dude megan, ipod isaac, and power ranger eli

getting ready for the big night out

m & i were gone after one picture

free candy waits for no one

especially camera wielding moms

fall goings on

after replanting thousands (i swear, not an exaggeration) of bulbs for next spring and tearing apart our playroom to make a normal family room (translation for the kids: finally breaking down and getting a tv) we had some time to get all fallish. a few of the highlights...

activity #1: having our first go at making doughnuts to spook the neighbors (side note: time consuming project, especially without a doughnut cutter...but fun and yummy nonetheless)

activity #2: a visit to the witches at gardner village with eli's playgroup

activity #3: enjoying the great weather by biking around the lake and stopping at all the parks on the way

activity #4: an afternoon spent at the new mcdonald's in the district to check out their new playplace and enjoy some fries

other activities, not pictured: walk to the local pumpkin patch, numerous nights of games with the neighbor kids, canning, canning and more canning (peaches, pears, applesauce and pie filling, grape and plum juice, tomatoes, salsa, and spaghetti sauce, and raspberry jam), throwing together "reflections" projects, playing volleyball with the young women, ward chile cook-off, and finishing up the fall soccer season.

whew! what an october!!

we've arrived!!!!

i just had to post about our most recent milestone. 10 1/2 yr. old megs has officially become our resident babysitter. last weekend, matt and i had a halloween party to be at and i was contemplating on which sitter to use. when i asked megs who she would want to come over she told me she thought she could do it. i've used her before for runs to the store and errands but never a full blown put-the-kids-to-bed, don't let anyone get maimed, lets avoid a 911 call type of job. since we were just going to be in the neighborhood, we gave her the nod and 5.5 hours of FREE, free time later, she had all the little ones fed and down (a feat not all our normal sitters have yet to accomplish), dishes done, and house picked up (well, semi picked up). we have been waiting for this day for YEARS, i tell you, YEARS!!!!

it was like a dream come true. the $40 that would have been spent on a sitter is staying put. matt and i have been planning all week what to do with our new found freedom.

so far...

early morning temple trip

run to walmart to start christmas shopping (gone for a while)

temple again tonight

night out this weekend

the list will continue

on and on

until she goes away to college and

poof

eli is11...practically an adult.

are you counting the $$$$ in savings?

cha-ching!