Party it up!

Well... The boys were sick around Sam's real birthday & then Halloween happened, so he never really got a real party. so! Last weekend we decided to invite whoever could make it, & make it happen!!!
Of course, there were party hats & balloons!
He got sooo many cars, trucks, planes, helicopters.. you name it!!! & 2 awesome alphabet fun toys & this fishing game that he LOVES!!

I seriously love how all the kids just hover!! It makes me laugh.
Cynthia was able to come.. whom my boys LOVE to death.. oh yeah... I do more :)
The Rapiers made too!
Sam wanted a dinosaur cake.. here is my impromptu dinosaur.
Aunt Nancie & the Dillards also came to share our fun!
& Sam's Grandma Johnson & Great Grandma Labor!! & Uncle Justin, Tommy & Aunt Tiffany & David all made it too!
The truck fun begins..


Grandpa Johnson came too.
Sean smoked an amazing pork shoulder & made some REALLY good bbq sauce to top it off. There was food.. cake.. ice cream.. everything to make a birthday official :)

David, Amelie, Joe
Thanx everyone for helping make Sam's birthday so much fun!!!

more of the rest

We had so many Halloween activities this year.. I wanted to blog the rest of our fun!! In no particular order...

Saturday we joined my sister in law & nephew for a fun Fall festival at Freestone Park. They had 3 different stages of bands, lots of vendors, & pretty much every bouncy-type house you could dream of. The boys bounced the night away!!!
David the skeleton...

the skeleton, the indian, the pumpkin.. good times :)
me & Tiff

On Thursday night we went over to Sean's mom's house for our annual pumpkin carving, Halloween party. The boys painted their pumpkins.. & got the pain pretty much EVERYWHERE!!!
Joey took his usual stance of clinging to my leg & whining... ( poor baby has been teething & sick the past month :( )
Sean working on his masterpiece.



Grandma Johnson bought an awesome pumpkin pinata for the boys to try to break into .. 1 more year of this & I think they will get it open without Sean ripping part of it open for them!

Joe even went for it.. pretty much the cutest thing ever!!


Sean, a paint covered Sam, & Tiff
even Lady went for the candy after it came out!
this years masterpieces....
l to rt top- Justin, Shannon, Caio
l to rt bottom- Tiff, Julia, Sean
mine.. thank you very much :)

The weather today is pushing us into the fall direction :)

so it begins

Did you know that I am surrounded by boys? Its true.
Last night I stopped by Fry's to get a rotisserie chicken for dinner, on my way home from work. I thought- I can eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch.
We sat down to eat our meat & veggies... & in a matter of minutes this is what was left.
Joe would just loudly grunt until I gave him more. Then while I was feeding him, Sam would say- more chicken momma!! I'm pretty sure they ate more of it than I did. I think I may have to get more than one from now on, cause Sam kept asking for more, even when I was picking any scrap pieces off the bones. My boys are 14 months old & 3 years old & I'm already thinking about the insane loads of food I'm going to be buying in the next 15 years. Secretly though... I love it :)

Give me something good to eat!!!

Our Halloween season has been AWESOME!!! I had to work today, but I printed off some Halloween color pages for the boys to do while Cynthia watched them today & also left the Halloween sponge shapes in the gelatin capsules that expand when in water for them to do too. My friend at work covered my last patient so I could come home & get the boys ready :)
Our ward party was tonight & it was really great!! We had it at a nearby elementary school & it was a ward/community party. Chili cook off, bounce house jumping, water tank dunking, trunk or treat fun time :) So many people in the community came out & it was great!!!




I switched it up tonight & joined Sammy in some indian unity :)

Sean didn't have a costume.. although at the last minute acted like he wished he did.. & of course, likes to act annoyed at me taking pictures. He did that stinky face on purpose! Stinky!!!!

Sean made an AWESOME chili that, i think actually won, but we left early. When we came back after it was over, someone told us they thought his won.. I wouldn't be surprised :) He is a great cook!!!
After the ward party, we went to Sean's mom's neighborhood & trick or treated for a block. When one lady answered the door Sam said.. chocolate milk!! You can always tell what Sam is thinking.. no holding back :) He kept trying to walk into peoples houses too. Oh well.. I guess trick or treating etiquette is a learned thing!
After more trick or treating, we went to my mom & dad's to trick or treat one last house. The boys showed off.. & then we headed home.
Joe.. amazingly enough, did not fall asleep on the way home & is grabbing my hands as I type this.




We carved our pumpkings 5 days ago, so they were looking pretty sad by tonight!
we lit our mickey pumpkin in the house & settled down for the night!
the boys made out like bandits!! The cookie jar is now overflowing with candy & we even got some fun toys too!
Happy Halloween!!!!!

It's Halloween time!!!

Yesterday I had to go into work for a few hours of computer training.. sounds like fun, huh?!
When I woke up.. I found this-
pretty much the cutest thing ever :)
After work, Sean & I took the boys to Dewitt stables, in Mesa, for some fall fun.
Both boys got to ride a pony! I was surprised Joe sat through it! He was ready to get off by the end though.

Sammy was a pro!

He also got to ride a little "train" pulled by a "tractor". When he went out to get in, he went for the flatbed of the John Deer. He was a little disappointed that wasn't what he was riding in!

While Sammy rode the train, Sean & Joe wandered the hay maze.

Then we moved to the bounce house. Sean threw Sammy in through the little door flap & he sat there for a good 3 minutes, watching all the rest of the kids bounce. I'm not sure if he thought he had to wait a turn. We finally had to threaten to take him out before he got up & jumped. When he did though.. he LOVED it :)

2 happy boys!
one BEAUTIFUL Sammy :)


So, after the trying on of many costumes.. we settled on indian for Sammy & pumpkin for Joey. We went to the Dillard's annual Halloween party last night & it was AMAZING!! The food was so great & the decorations were the CUTEST!!! Way to go Dillard fam!! Props to Rock for his awesome costume.. & whichever parent helped do his makeup!
Here is Sean & Sam getting ready...


the feather lasted about 5 minutes. Sam told us he didn't like it so it is lost now. Figures... ! The headband lasted about 3 minutes at the party. You should have seen the fight I put up to get face paint on. "mommy.. make up is for girls!!" "Sam.. this is paint, not makeup". Hard to convince a 3 year old. Oh well.. it kinda made it there!

My mom was kind enough to buy Joey a little horsie costume. That lasted about 10 minutes before the constant whining began. I realized it was a little too hot for him & it was too small for Sam, so the horsie will have to make some other little boy cute, another year. Luckily, Sammy's pumpkin costume from last year was readily available.
He made one, adorable pumpkin!!!
Since my boss went to Egypt earlier this year & brought me back a remnant of the culture.. I couldn't let it go to waste :)
2 parties down.. 1 more to go !! Happy Halloween :)