a mullet and a gypsie

Wow what a weekend! Every year at Halloween we pack in the parties til we're all pretty partied out (dead tired)! It started with Ali's last weekend, then the ward trunk-or-treat (which I missed, but Tyler took all the kids too), then the school classroom parties, then Cortinafest, then grandma's neighborhood block party, then our adult costume party, then carving pumpkins ... and the real Halloween is still to come tomorrow! Do we have it in us?!



Lots of fun to be had and good laughs shared this time of year. Last night with our friends were some of the best. Tyler is a hoot, I love that I married him. I cracked up looking at him walking through Albertson's in his mullet and hockey shirt holding our pumpkins with pride, so thankful that wasn't the real man I married. Mine is much more handsome.









Claire's birthay is this week too - so the parties HAVE to continue! Can't miss the opportunity to celebrate such a special girl in our family. So many blessings.

Week in California

I'm wrapping up my week in California, still lying in bed in my flannel pjs and thinking about all the people I love who've I gotten to spend time with. And who I get to fly home to and see this afternoon.

The best part of this vacation has been the chance to see how some of my loved ones live. I've loved stepping away from my own world into theirs to see their homes, children, schedules, habits and towns. Everybody lives an interesting and wonderful life!

Jana was also on vacation away from her family and it was great to see that her man, like mine, was home carrying the weight and doing a great job with the kids (we'd both get pics and messages on our phones which was fun). Each morning and night she and I would be on the phone telling kids we love them and hearing from our men that all was well despite our absence! We loved getting to sleep in and bop in and out of the car child and car seat free. It's really nice to get out on our own. I love her and so appreciate time together with my Jana!


Deedee is living the good life as a new mama. Her darling girl is sweet and precious and dare I say easy. She is on a great little schedule and came along on all our outings without a fuss. DeeDee's home is relaxing, I loved the calm feeling and the sunny patio out back. One morning we walked a few minutes to downtown Campbell, a charming tree lined street with fun shops and good food, and I kept thinking DeeDee is in a perfect place for her. Honestly, these people live in a vacation destination.





One day we drove a half hour to Santa Cruz to the beach. We met up with DeeDee's big sister Michelle and her beautiful daughter. They were fun to catch up with and learn from too. So fun to see how differently, yet similarly we live all spread out across this country now. Again, I felt like they are in a perfect town for them and I loved how gorgeous the air, weather and beach was!







Jana left to go home a day before me. I got to stay and visit with my aunt, uncle and cousins who live about 10 minutes from DeeDee. I've visited here with them several times in my life, back when I was a kid and came to see grandma, when I was in 8th and 10th grades with my friends, and then with Tyler right after we got married. It had been 11 year since I was here and lots has changed but so much is the same!

We went by kristin's church where I used to be a visitor in primary to plan for her halloween party this weekend, drove by grandma Goesch's old house and by my mom's high school. Then we shopped at a cute candy store in down town Los Gatos. Kristin has lived in this area all her life and I'm not sure she's got reason enough to ever move! Such a cool place.

For dinner we met up with Joe, Sam and Tanya at one of their favorite pizza joints. It was good. I went to see Tanya's apartment with her afterward, and again, loved getting a glimpse into the way she lives. A quiet, neat place all her own. White couches, white down bedding, candles.... I was struck by the idea of living alone, sleeping when and how long you want, doing what you want when and how.... a far cry from my life... ;)






I feel so rested and renewed after these days away from my house. I think it is important for me to step away from life like this once in a while to reflect upon the way I'm doing things and my relationships. I come away from my time with a greater appreciation for how sweet life is and how blessed we all are. I have new ideas and fresh ways of thinking.

I'm looking forward to hugging my sweet husband and holding my cute baby and welcoming the gang on bikes home from school this afternoon. The chaos will unfold around me in minutes as I pull goodies from my suitcase and hear everyone talk about the last few days all at once. I'll get busy making dinner and thinking about the tasks ahead, but I'll know I'm home, that I've been missed and that I'm right where I should be.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

No pics, just words

I haven't taken many pictures this week, so none to share. But I have some things to say.

#1- I am going to California next Monday to visit my BFFs from high school. One lives there and one is flying in from Seattle and I absolutely cannot wait to spend time with them! It is going to be a treat!

#2- My sweet darling Claire was originally going to come with me on my trip but I have lovingly uninvited her. She will be one year old soon and is no longer such a mild little thing. She has developed an age appropriate opinion and a bit of an attitude to get it across....so restaurants, movie theaters, adult conversations...things of that sort aren't her cup of tea.
She gets to stay here with grandma and daddy and the other kids, and I will have my longest time away from her...I know I'll miss her and would love to show her off, but it's for the best! ;)

#3- Monday night at dinner I about jumped out the kitchen window. I made delicious enchiladas which my kids hated and refused. I was frustrated at their pinky-ness after putting effort into dinner and always hearing, "Ugh...umm..what is this?" Tyler wisely inquired about the amount of snacking that was happening after school. He glanced into the pantry and noticed a grand variety of delicious kid foods and said, "Anne, I hate to say this but I think you're shooting yourself in the foot." He was right. There is no lock on the pantry and these kids are not babies, they can get food themselves and they DO! So, when everyone scattered after we ate (I force fed them!) I got a big storage container and raided the pantry. All that's left on the shelves now: oatmeal, rice crispies, and dinner making stuff. All week I have been controlling and monitoring so much better what and when they are eating and IT'S WORKING! The last two nights they have actually said things like "that's smells so good!" and eaten without a fight. Can I get a BOO-YA?! I owe the light bulb moment all to daddy.

#4- I had co-op here this afternoon and babysat eight 3-5 year olds. They were cute. At one point we played an "act like you're an animal" game. I'd throw out an animal name and they'd bounce or crawl or slither around the room. One of the little boys suggested "scorpion!" and I thought "only in Arizona"....and then we I saw all these little kids crawling around with one leg bent up with their foot by their bottom, flipping it back and forth to sting each other!, I thought "this is crazy! Definitely only an animal kids would play in Arizona!" Another funny moment came when I eaves dropped on two kids playing house and a 3 year old girl said to the boy, "just text my mom! Did you text my mom?!" It is amazing what little sponges children are!

So that's all. Ali is having a haunted-ginger-bread-house-making party tonight, we are excited to go. I'm sure it will be darling and the food will be delicious. I'm hungry! (and so are my kids!) ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fall Break FUN!

This past week was fall break. The kids were out of school and we were busy busy busy having a good time with friends and family! Since Ashley kicked off the week with her baptism, we were lucky to have Zach and Katie and their kids and Nana and Poppi here to play with us. And Maddie joined in the fun this weekend!
Here we are with the family at Rawhide last Saturday night. It was beautiful outside and fun to be in cowboy town for a couple hours.




We couldn't resist an afternoon at chuck-e-cheese with the cousins. This place never gets old for the kids.



Then we went to a pumpkin patch, fall festival. It was hot as it always is in mid-October when you really want it to be crisp and cool, but there was still a good time to be found and some cute pics to be taken of baby's 1st pumpkin patch.







Fortunatly for us, the adults/ladies got away a lot too! We had lunch at chipotle, Rosas and Sauce this week, went to Happy Feet a time (or two!), and saw a couple movies - Moneyball which was good and The Best Year which was disappointing but funny at times, "birds, birds, birds, bird is the word..."



We are blessed and lucky to have spent this week with the kids out of school with all our family visiting. We packed our days and made lots of good memories. And I think we are all nice and ready for things to settle back into a routine again - sign of a great vacation.