This year for our Blue and Gold Banquet, we had a fun theme, "Happy 100th Birthday, BSA". That means we got to plan a big birthday party. It was a lot of fun. We had dinner, an awesome slideshow, awards, funny skits and of course cake and ice cream. I thought the night went well and it seemed that everyone enjoyed themselves.
Enjoy the slideshow.
Today we celebrated Clarissa and Abby's birthday. I can't believe another year has gone by. It seems like yesterday that the girls we just babies and we were going through the life with a one year old and preemie. The girls love ladybugs so this year it was decided to have a Ladybug themed party. The girls and I had so much fun making the invitations and once they had given them to their friends, the day could not come fast enough!
Clarissa was able to have 4 of her friends over while Abby had 3 over. We had started a tradition when the boys were younger that until they were six years old, they would get as many friends invited to their party as they were turning. This has worked out really well and so we followed that tradition with the girls. The girls had a lot of with their friends while they made a ladybug bookmark, ladybug mini magnet and decorated their own "ladybug" cupcake. I don't think they resembeled ladybugs at all when they were finished, but the girls sure had a lot of fun eating all the frosting they could and the M&M's. We then opened up the gifts. All the girls had fun watching to see what fin things were given. Clarissa and Abby are so lucky to have such great friends to spend their special day with. Thank you Katie, Clara, Kimberely, Maya, Aliya, Anika & Kordula for coming! Below are some fun pictures of the afternoon's actvities.
This year we were blessed to have Grandpa and Grandma Rogers come to our home for Thanksgiving. Matt and Grandpa went up north to start on the cabin so we didn't hold Thanksgiving until Sunday. It was really enjoyable to have them for the holiday. I think this is the first time they were able spend it with us in our home. Grandpa, thanks for much for all the hard work you put into the cabin while you were here. Grandma, thanks for all the fun memories you created with the kids making candy with them. We have been very blessed this year with all that we have been able to accomplish.
While Matt and Grandpa Rogers was up north working on the cabin, we were all home making delicious Christmas goodies with Grandma Rogers. They love carmel and chocolate covered pretzels!! They made some fun memories with Grandma!
Well another year has gone by and it was time to make the costumes. Last October, Matt and the kids decided what we should be for Halloween and the idea was talked about all year long. About the end of August, I decided I had better get started with the costumes so it wouldn't be so stressful. I was really stressing over sewing the satin material and wanted to get it out of the way early. I set down and worked on the dress for Clarissa for a few days and took it at a pace that I could enjoy it. I was excited when it was done since I defined this particular costume as a huge stepping stone in my sewing abilites. I have made pj pants for the kids for the past 12 years, halloween costumes for the boys that seemed to be pretty easy and tried my hand at making skirts and matching applique shirts for the girls. After finishing the dress I took a break since I had my parents coming in so Matt and I could go to Mackinac Island.
There was this really neat thing that happened with the other costumes. I went to Jo-ann's to buy the material and while waiting in the cutting line, I meet this really neat lady. She asked what I was making with all the different colors of fleece. In talking with her, I learned that she wanted to make the same costumes because she had 7 daycare children. After us talking some more, she informed me that I had talked her into making the costumes for her daycare kids. Before I left the store, her and I planned on getting together to work on the rest of the costumes. Boy was I relieved!! I was wondering how I was going to make the kids costumes without patterns and little did I know that Heavenly Father would put this lady in my path at the store. After my little vacation with Matt, I went over to her house and she had already made a pattern for all the parts we needed. She is AMAZING!! In the 5 hours I was in her house, we talked and got to know each other. We both kept mentioning what a blessing it was to have run into each other. A little lesson for both of us in listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. She does not share my same religious background, but she strongly felt that the Holy Ghost prompted her to go to the store that evening at 8:30 when she is normally bringing her day to a close. The same goes for me. I am usually in the middle of putting kids to bed and going to bed myself at that time of evening.
Long story short, the kids loved their costumes! We went to our church ward pary on Friday night and our family tied with another one for the Family Theme catergory. Many people asked how Clarissa ended up being the Princess instead of Abby and our answer was, "We will reuse these costumes in a couple years when Abby will fit into the dress."
The only thing that did not happen was the kids didn't get to go Trick or Treating on Saturday. Matt and the boys headed up North to work on the cabin to meet a deadline and didn't get back until 8:30 p.m. The silver lining is that the kids don't have that much candy to eat. Yeah!!!
We hope that everyone had a great Halloween with their cute kiddos and have a great fall.
I love this time of year and because of that, I make sure we take an annual family picture, much to the chagrin of my family. I know when they are older and they look back in their scrapbooks they will appreciate it and will be glad I kept up the tradition. I also know that all pictures are not created equal, especially when there are 8 people in them. At least it was taken, right?!
The Wild Hair Do
