Oh, October, You Were Lovely

This October we were blessed with beautiful weather, the opportunity to work on friendships, and a lot of fun ispired by my new favorite website-Pinterest. I mean, candy corn cupcakes, come on? That's awesome. And accordian folded pumpkins and cats, the girl loved it even if I never did actually hang them up. I saved them for next year so all is well. Free Fall decorations, yay!



These kids, I love these kids. We've been doing a writing co-op for several years now and they bring me so much joy with their writing, their spunk and their ability to turn anything into a joke. They share my love of sugar and for that I am eternally grateful.

October wouldn't be complete without a trip to the corn maze. The kids probably know the maze by heart but that's not the point. The point is to see their friends, have a good, clean time and make memories. I like that. Who doesn't love a good sunburst and a sumbrero, I mean really.

Doin' it High School Musical style! And thank you, Mrs. Hamilton for adding your amazing artistic eye to anything and everything. I never would have thought to have them jump. Love it.

OK, so the real reason I was willing to schlepp my kids out Livemore to roam around dead corn arranged in a confusing manor was really so I could have tea with two of my favorite people. Have you ever had tea in a corn maze parking lot? No? Well you should. It's so much fun. So out of context and different. The other moms couldn't resist so we shared our extra chairs and goodies and let them in on our time together. They probably needed to make a memory too.

I love them. That is all.

Oh, and I love everything about this. Tea in a beautiful teacup, crocheting, folding chairs in a parking lot, surrounded by friends and the strange yet amusing sound of the rushing freeway next to us. It worked, trust me.

The sun started to set and I couldn't resist trying to capture it on film so I could remember this moment as special.


Oh, it was good.

Do I really need to say more about this? I don't think so. It's pretty self explanatory.

The next week we carved our pumpkins early in the morning because that's what the girl wanted to do and she had waited patiently for me to agree to this activity. I don't really enjoy it but the kids seem to love it. The boys have had years of pumpkin carving but this little one hasn't. Sometimes the last kid gets the short end of the stick if you know what I mean but I am determined to give her memories just like I did for my boys. She will remember this, I know she will.

Thanks to a handy dandy pumpkin carving tool all the kids were able to easily carve their own pumpkins. Love.

Oh, and the best part, they also cleaned out their own pumpkins. I don't know why it has taken me this long to figure out that using rubber gloves makes this procedure so much more bearable. Cleaning out a pumpkin rates right up there with cleaning a toilet and I think I would rather clean a toilet.

Oh, so cute.

Gross, but so happy it was done so easily and I didn't have to do it.

And now, for dressing up and gathering candy. Breanna has an obsession with cats so she was a leopard and she even did research on the difference between a cheetah and a leopard. Bryan was a Disneyland tourist and Justin dressed up like his small group leader who is also named Justin. He loved it.

Marcus was able to trick-or-treat for the first time. We're a little embarrassed that he's 15 and has never gone but oh well. He went with a huge group of other teenagers and they had a blast.

And of course, to end a perfect night on the last day of October I looked up and this is what I saw. So magical.

A Family Dance

These two crack me up, make smile and encourage me that young love still exists. Dressed as Finn and Fionna, they headed to the family dance that our homeschool group hosted. This was the second one of the year and we were excited. With the added element of Halloween it promised to be a night of fun. Even our bundle of joy had a good time decorating and getting ready for the dance. He loves a good laugh.

These boys had fun just being boys and hanging out.

I couldn't get enough pictures of the two below and now I know how paparazzi feel. You must get the shot and it doesn't even matter if they see me.

She doesn't even flinch when she sees me with my telephoto lense and it's aimed right at her. No, she politely poses and then I love here even more, if that's possible.

Oh, my word, she is cute.

Back to decorating...this guy freaked me out but I decided to name him and make it less scary, his name is Harry and he has a wife named Kerri.
After all the decorating, the kids fueled up with pizza and drinks before the dance began. Can I just say, I loved all their costumes, so fun, so conservative, so youthful. A breath of fresh air after dealing with what has been offered in the department stores and Halloween stores.

DJ Bryan and Convict Hamilton helped put the finishing touches on the music and lighting and we were so thankful to have the dads involved in this event.


Cuteness alert: I couldn't take enough pictures of them and they were willing. Just scroll down quickly if you get bored, I didn't.








The disco ball really made the dance complete. My incredibly talented and creative friend made this dance stand out against the rest. She added her touch of excellence to the event and it was very evident. Disco ball, lights, more lights, streamers, cobwebs, banners, balloons, more lights..it was all pretty magical.

I still love the costumes. There were so few that were scary and it's reassuring to see people come to a Halloween event without the intent to scare those around them. Although I do not enjoy dressing up myself, I like when other people do it, especially if it's entertaining or creative. Maybe, just maybe, I'll dress up next year. I may need to start thinking of my costume now though because I don't like to do it last minute and feel unprepared.

So, with the music going and the crowd gathering, they were the first on the dance floor and it was sweet.
Here is my amazing friend and one of the best costumes I have ever seen at a Halloween party. A lovely Christmas tree handing out glow sticks to the cutest ghost ever. So sweet. Oh, and that's an angry bird in the back.

The Christmas tree and convict were so cute out on the dance floor.

Again with the boys being boys. So cool, even if some of the facial hair is drawn on with a sharpee.

I think the addition of the Christmas tree makes them even cooler, don't you think?
But seriously, this event is such a reminder of why we do what we do. It's so refreshing to see a group of kids of all ages and walks of life to come together, dance in a wholesome way, allowing for the individuality of each other, the acceptance of all and the space for those who don't want to participate. I am thankful for people who are willing to give of their time and resources to provide a safe place for kids to be kids and for the whole family to be together. Next time though, let's learn the dance moves to Thriller so we can break out in dance together. Wouldn't that be fun?

Goodbye Summer, You Were Good To Us

It was a great summer, probably the best I've ever had. We traveled, went to the beach and the pool, saw friends, worked on projects, relaxed, did what we love to do. We almost don't want to say goodbye though, but we know we must. Fall is on it's way. The days are getting shorter and busier, the evenings cooler.

It's time to gear up for Fall and the winter months, school too, so we wrap ourselves in the memories of summer to get us through the long days and months that are to come.

But we still want to float in the feeling of summer, relaxing, just being, not something we can do a lot of once Fall arrives. We want to hang onto the good times and the fun we had, the memories we made.

But as we pile on the responsibilities of the upcoming season, we still wring out as much fun of what is left of summer. Just one more trip to the pool, just one more day of doing nothing, just one more movie...

And now we're ready to take the plunge into this next season and all that it has in store for us.
Hold on, cause it's gonna be a wild ride, and take notice when you see the stop sign, that gentle warning that you may be doing a little too much.
Summer is now behind us, a memory, but a good one.
As we carry the load of the new schoolyear and the upcoming holidays, it'll be ok, because we have each other and that's what matters.

And as we take one last look back to the memories we made, the times we had, we know that what's ahead will be good too, we'll learn, explore, discover, enjoy what is to come.

Sometimes we need a little push though.
Ready, Set, Go!!!

We Will Never Forget-It Was Your Birthday First

I have so many great friends and one of them has an extra special birthday, September 11th. Some would be upset that I compare it to that very dark day in American history but my point is, it was her birthday first and if we let that day overshadow everything else, they win. Some would argue that by just mearly comparing it, they win. I beg to differ. Her birthday is made even more significant now. Things were put in perspective that day.

She is kind, caring, considerate, creative, oh so smart, and full of love. She is a dear friend and I am honored to celebrate her birthday with her.


She motivates me to get sewing, get creating, make it happen. Her knitting skills are like none I've ever seen and she was one of the two people who taught me how to knit. I love when we all sit in my studio, or one of their living rooms and we get our handwork out and start working. It feels so old fashioned, so warm, so comforting.

After working all day on my studio, sewing, cleaning, organizing, painting, decorating, a space was created. A space where we could come together, be ourselves, and enjoy the very precious time we have together.

Without these two, I would not be the person I am today. They have supported me, taught me, laughed with me and at me, loved me, encouraged me, challenged me. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

Happy Birthday, Lauri!