Party! Party!

Why would three grown men be putting on lipstick? Here's why!

So when the Lorenzana's told us about their cool Halloween parties they had back east, and I told them how much I missed the ones our friends from NC, the Kneelands, threw, a party was soon in the works. They hosted it at their house and did most of the work. I just considered myself party support! It was a great mixer for the new ward!

We started off with a little food. We had soups for the main course. I made my yummy broccoli cheese (thanks Holly for giving me that recipe years ago), and Michelle's Mom made my baked potato soup. Michelle made a yummy chicken tortilla (that was my lunch today) and had made some extra desserts and appetizers, just in case. The guests brought desserts and appetizers, too, according to their last name. We had plenty of food!!!! (Monique, I need that dessert recipe for Thanksgiving by the way!!!) After eating, we took off on a picture scavenger hunt. Can you guess that getting a picture, of the guys putting on lipstick, was one of the items?? We were paired with the Kostenza's (sp?)(another new couple in the ward) and the Jensen's!! We had a fun time driving around, like mad people, trying to knock things off our list. We didn't win, but still had a fun time. We came back and a few played rock band, and then we watched every one's pictures and gave prizes for most original costume and funniest! Everyone did a great job with their costumes! Here are the pics of some of the costumes and few from "the hunt"!! Good times!

Our team members!!

Our team in Arizona paraphernalia

Our team jumping on a trampoline! Our team getting a picture with a Walmart Employee! She was having fun with it!

Our costume!

We were "the Jeff's" polygamist family! It was Ben's idea (surprise)! Marco had fun with it. He was the "Head Matriarch", I was the middle aged wife and Michelle was the young one. We called our selves wife 27, and wife 80-something!! Our name tags all said "Sister Jeff's". Some people dared us (Michelle and I), for money and dinners, to wear our costumes to church. If there wasn't the primary program today, I totally would have done it! We actually won funniest, but we forgot to tell them they couldn't vote for the host! We forfeited and gave the prize to the next winner!

Funniest Costume

Most Original

This was seriously the most original!! If you can't read the sign around their necks, he was Lehman Bros, and she was the Bailout Plan!! Classic!

One's my kids liked! The couldn't wait to see the pics!

Hunchback...if you couldn't figure it out!

This one is for my Dad!! AAADRIIIIAAAN!!

The one I thought was the funniest!

This guy came as his friend, who once upon a time worked at checker auto many years ago, and had a mullet! BTW his friend is the one who came as the Hulk!!

His wife came as a SW Airlines Mechanic! She had on an orginal jumpsuit!

Week in Review

Week in Review (AKA...LONG ENTRY)

So I stuck with it and went Hiking M, W, F! Friday was the hardest. My body didn't want to get out of bed, I was glad I did. The company is great, and I need the exercise. Getting up early is actually rejuvenating, although I'm dead by 2:00pm!!

Tuesday was Aubrie's Honor's Assembly. She was all giddy when she got up to accept her award, because Zachary Montez was there, too, and she always gets that way around him. Wednesday I had some Visiting Teaching to catch up on. Originally, I thought I would take the kids, but as it got closer, I realized that probably wasn't the best idea. Thanks ,Erin, for watching them last minute! It's so great to have good friends! Wednesday night was mutual and a meeting afterwards, so it was a long day!

Thursday Lorraine picked up Ethan for a day out with Grandma. She took him to Pump it Up, McDonalds, and then back to her house. I thought I had a lot to get done that day, but when I realized I was mostly caught up by the time Sophia woke up, I made an impromptu trip, with Michelle, to Hobby Lobby! Can I just say that place it AWESOME!!! First of all, I grew up with a Hobby Lobby close by, when I lived in Oklahoma. They were a dime a dozen out there. For some reason I don't remember them having so much cool stuff. Probably because I was a kid, and had not interest in decorating a house. Anyway, I found some great stuff for a great price and created some more "hanging" projects for Ben. One of his least favorite things!

Somewhere, in my week, I went to Paradise Bakery. I only mention it because Sophia was with me, and out of all things, ate my crumbly blue cheese salad. How weird is that? She wouldn't eat the cookies, but she would eat that! There is no figuring out that girl!

Friday we didn't have date night, because of the Halloween party on Saturday. We took the kids to Red Robin and to Best Buy (see prior post). We had a fun time. They came home and played their new games, and Ben and I relaxed on the couch, preparing for a busy Saturday.

Saturday morning started early with a 8:00 am baseball game. The kids hit really well, and Aubrie played first base and Boston was the catcher. Boston was killing me! He would not move from his spot, when he was catching. If the ball went past him, he would just let the umpire get it! Aubrie was all over first base. She hadsome awesome plays! Once, she got the ball and tagged the base, for an out, and then got knocked over by the boy running there. They still let him stay on base, even though they called him out. Coach pitch is weird that way. She was pretty upset about it, because she got pretty banged up from it. The second time he was up to bat, she got the ball and tagged the base and pointed at the boy, and yelled "YOUR OUT!" She was proud of herself. The rest of the game was entertaining, too. Aubrie's friend, Grace, was the "pitcher" and she was chasing players down with the ball, as they were coming towards home. She was giving us all a good laugh.

After the game, the kids had practice at the Church for the primary program. Ben picked Ethan up early for his 12:00 game. When I went to pick up A & B, all the kids were outside running around in the sprinklers. They were all in their church clothes, because the practice was in the chapel. I wasn't too happy that Boston's leather shoes were soaking wet! The Presidency kept apologizing to me. I guess they are a little intimidated after I got a little upset with them for yanking Boston out of class for NOTHING the other week. Oh well! Anyway, I was over the sprinkler thing fast, (like I get over most things quickly) and spent some time talking with a good friend. Aubrie went home with her daughter for the day, and Boston came home with me. When I got home I put Sophia down, so it was just Boston and I. I got some things cleaned up around the house, and then I made the soup for the Halloween party. It was a busy, but productive day! The Halloween party was a blast. I'll make it it's own post. My was throat was feeling a little sore towards the end, and I knew that wasn't a good sign.

This morning I didn't want to get out of bed because I felt so lousy, but it was the Primary Program. Aubrie and Boston did well. They were singing all the songs and I could hear Aubrie's voice above the others. They also said their parts loud and clear! Aubrie was looking at Zarchary the whole time she said hers (also brought to my attention by someone else LOL) Ethan, on the other hand, just sat there the whole time. He wouldn't do his part, and he only sang bits and pieces of a few songs. He would do random things, like hit his head over and over, or pull himself forward and back on the wall. One of my YW said she was getting a kick out of watching him. Glad he entertained in some fashion. Sophia woke up sick today, too. So she was miserable at church, and she wanted to go up on the stand with the kids. So Ben and my Mom took turns with her in the hall. My Mom took her home after Sacrament.

Ben's lesson was really good today. It is every week. The spirit is always so strong in that room, and most of the women come out crying like babies. Unfortunately I'm not a pretty crier, so those who don't know me very well think there is something wrong. My good friends know I'm just the "spirit barometer!"

Today, I took a good nap and so did Ben. While Ben was napping, the kids decided they wanted to do service and pick up trash on our street. They put on my rubber kitchen gloves (that I never wear and have no idea where they came from) and went up and down the street. Their main objective was cigarette butts. It gave me a chance to talk to them about the Word of Wisdom and serving, too! I was happy they wanted to clean up the street. After our walk, Ben woke up and headed off to California. He is there to watch my brother do a installation, that he needs to learn for his business. The kids were great helpers, getting the house ready for the night. Aubrie bathed and put Sophia down, Ethan cleaned upstairs, and Boston emptied the dishwasher and picked up the downstairs. I need to look back on things like this when they are driving me insane. Now I'm here, typing, and Aubrie is asleep next to me, one thing she gets to look forward to when Ben is gone. It reminds me of when my own Dad would travel and I would sleep with my Mom. Things have come full circle! Red Robin Pics!

Sophia enjoying some cantaloupe. They messed up Boston's order and gave him some....good thing! Ethan getting serious about coloring! Boston and his corn dog! I looked over and found Boston scratching Sophia's back! I don't even think he realized he was doing it. He is just affectionate by nature. I LOVE that about him! He loves Sophia so much, and I know he is going to be a good protective big brother!

Best Buy Give away!

So, Friday, I get a call from Michelle asking me if I knew about the Best Buy Give Away. Apparently, they were giving kids, from our school district, 5 dollars for every A or E on their report card. Since Aubrie and Boston rocked their grades this quarter, they both ended up with 30 dollars, each, to spend. Boston decided on a DS game, and Aubrie wanted the Wii, Outdoor Games. That was 60 dollars, and so she knew the only way to get it was to convince Boston to go in on it with her. She tried all her lawyer persuasion skills, and Boston still would not budge. She started to get upset, and cry a little because she wanted it so bad. Honestly, I wanted it, too! I'm the one who found it, actually, and showed it to her. It has all types of cool activities, like snow boarding, jump roping, and so much more! check it out! Ben was getting a little upset that she was crying after she had just received 30 dollars for free (we'll for all her had work). I told him all it had on it, and I think he wanted it to. He yelled over to Aubrie, "does that have jump roping on it?" She said, "YA!" He told her that he wanted to try that and that he would pay for half if he could use it. SUCKER!!! She has him so wrapped around his little finger. She deserves it, though. She is such a great helper and a good girl, despite her "spiciness!" (is that even a word?) Anyway....THANKS BEST BUY!!!

We prefer to call it a "Manbag"

First of all, I'm sure Ben will not be very happy that I'm blogging this! It's just too funny to keep to ourselves! So I already told you about Ethan's desire to find a purse! Well, I didn't act fast enough in finding him something. The other day he was in Sophia's room and found one of Aubrie's old purses. He came running to me and said, "Look Mom! I found a purse!" Out of all the purses, he picks the bright purple one with "Bratz" type figures on it! I try to tell Ben he picked that one because there are cute girls on it! LOL He now keeps his chap stick, play phone, sunglasses, and cash in it, and keeps it around his bed post! So far he has taken it to Aubrie's Honors Assembly, Walmart (a few times), church this Sunday (but kept it in his church bag), and to Red Robin. That was the funniest to me. We were all walking to our table, and everyone was staring, as they normally do. Come one! It's not that uncommon to have four little kids, but for some reason we always get "the looks"! I like to think it's because they are so cute! Anyway, so picture this. We are following the hostess in this order...Ben holding Sophia, Me, Aubrie, Boston, and then Ethan at the tail end with his purse over his shoulder. That's when people took a second look and then got a huge smile on their face. I'm not the least bit embarrassed. Perhaps if he was a year older, I would be a little concerned. But right now he is just a little boy who wants to keep his things organized. :)

Ethan at Aubrie's school (thanks Michelle for taking the pic:)

Him sporting the "man bag" at Red Robin!