Halloween things

Here's a decoration I made for my wall. It was supposed to be cooler--on a banner or something, but I got tired of it, so I just put it up with tape.

I love this! Soo cute!

My little ladybugs together.
Ethne Bug--isn't that the cutest costume ever?!

Hazel.

Jethro- Motocross Racer.

And yes, another one of Ethne cause GOSH she's soooooo adorable!

The pumpkin that Brett carved. A dirt-bike riding skeleton. It's his original design. I'm always so impressed with his creativity.

Me (but not tonight, just some other time the costume box was out.)

Kami, Ana, and Elena when they were at our house this past weekend. What a fabulous-looking coven of witches.

The post you've all been waiting for.

And now....da da da DAAAAA-----the post you've all been waiting for. MEET WYATT.

Okay, so maybe you haven't ALL been waiting for it, but that's probably only because you don't all know Wyatt. If you did, you probably would have been waiting for it too. And it's not that Wyatt is more special than anyone else in my family, it's just that he has a lot of good stories. So settle in, grab a snack. I give you Wyatt.

• Wyatt is next in line right after me. Two and a half years after me. Which gives us the dubious relationship of me sometimes thinking he's such a great guy and so fun to hang out with (to this day I can NOT sit by him in church, cause I always start laughing my head off and seriously can't stop myself....it's bad), and wanting to kick him in the head as hard as I can. Although, I'm happy to say I haven't felt the latter way for a great many years (maybe that's because I haven't lived close by him in several years... ;) ).


• Wyatt is a crazy awesome guy. I don't even know where to start on his craziness. He's very inventive, always scheming or coming up with random ideas. Like at our reunion this summer, he was the one to make the rope-swing in the tree (while we were camping) that all the grandkids took turns swinging on, and also to blow up the air mattress to play with in the lake. I said to mom how Wyatt always has ideas, and she said, "Yeah, I'm glad that now it's ideas of fun things to do with the kids instead of crazy ways to get in trouble." :)


• So, the best days for me and Wyatt were when we lived in Willard, and we formed this little "club" of just him and I that we called the Country Kids. In Willard we lived up a bit on the side of a mountain, so to be Country Kids we had to do all kinds of brave things. Like we went up to the gravel pits once, and climbed up to the top of the enormous piles of gravel, and we had to jump down the steep side. Or we had to cross a really high fallen log. Or, once (actually this was after we'd moved to Ogden) we had to jump from the roof of our house to the tree branch, and then swing to the ground. I remember sitting on the roof for a LONG time at that one, waiting and waiting to get up the guts to do it. But we had to, you see, because if one of us didn't do it, we were then a City Slicker. And that was intolerable. It was really funny this summer at the reunion when the boys were jumping from the cliff and we came over and they were trying to convince us to jump too--he said, "Are you a Country Kid or a City Slicker?" So what could I do? I'd rather break my neck than be a City Slicker. (I know you can't see us very well in this picture, but trust me it was very high and very scary.)


• He really likes learning about animals. When we were little he loved to watch National Geographic videos and Marty Stauffer videos. He also liked to pretend he was a dog. He pretended he was a dog for several years. He would race around on his hands and knees everywhere. It became very natural for him. Once, when we were washing our hands after coming in from playing outside, the water was really hot and burned him. Instead of yelling "aaah" or "owww" or something like that, he said, "Ruff!!!"
• After he got married he got some kind of weird lizard to have as a pet.
  
  
• The man loves cheese. In all forms. One time I came across a quote that said, 'Poets are mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese' and I thought of him.
  
• --This is a picture of Wyatt and Derek right after we bikked (bicked? anyway shaved) their heads.
  
• When we were young we used to get up in the middle of the night and do stuff. Mostly eat treats and watch t.v. One night we were watching t.v. (it was a very hilarious episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show) and eating popsicles and we heard my dad start coming down the stairs, so we ran as fast as we could behind the door in the laundry room. But we left the t.v. on, so obviously we got caught and spanked I think and sent to bed. Good times.


• Once after I had just gone to USU for college my mom and dad came to visit and they told me this story. Mom was missing one of her great big tupperware bowls. Now my mom is one who knows if a single cup is missing, so obviously her distress was great. She looked everywhere, called everyone in the ward that she thought she could have possibly lent it to, checked the church, everything. No bowl. It continued to vex her for many months. Finally, one day when Ethan and Wyatt had got into a fight, Ethan got back at Wyatt by telling Mom that he knew where her tupperware bowl was. It was a turtle house in the backyard treehouse-place, with a door CUT into it. Needless to say, mom was furious and Ethan enjoyed his payback.
  
• Wyatt wanted to be a mountain man when he grew up. He liked playing just with his dog. He liked going out after a snowstorm because he said no one else was around. What a loner!



• When he was young he had a very bad temper. He threw rocks at us when he got mad, just like Arliss on Old Yeller. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Arliss on Old Yeller. No one liked babysitting him, as it usually involved tying him up so he'd stay inside, or locking all the doors so he'd stay outside.


• --This is a random picture of him balancing cans of tuna on his head.


• He had a dog named Dolly who saved him from being suffocated in silage once, and pulled him around either on a skateboard or a sled. He was famous for it. When we first moved to a new place, we went to school and people would say, "Oh, you have a brother with the dog who pulls him on a skateboard." Dolly would also climb trees or catch rodents or snakes or do anything else dogly possible that Wyatt would tell him to.


• One time in Willard, someone in Kami's class said, "I just saw your brother in the office with a policeman." He had lit a fire in the playground. Another time he just left school and walked to Willard Bay. This was when he was in first grade I think?

He likes to cook but with flair. One time I came in and he was trying to crack eggs by throwing them against the ceiling.

• One time Wyatt was out riding his bike and had Dolly along with him and he had taken his toy guns with him. Somebody saw him and for some strange reason thought that they were real guns so they called the police. When Wyatt saw the police car he thought they were going to get after him about not having his dog on a leash so he took off and pedaled home as fast as he could. He came running into the house and promptly went downstairs, and a police car immediately pulled into our driveway. This was the night of an open-house we were having after Derek had just got home from his mission, and my mom frantically said to my dad, "Make them go away before anybody gets here!"
• He broke both of his arms one time when I was babysitting.
• We used to go to the duck pond at Weber State and chase the ducks forever trying to catch them.
• Once, we had a bunch of youth from the whole stake over at our house and a bunch of us were taking turns on the rope swing in our backyard which swung out over a river. I took my turn but somehow wrecked and hit my leg a good whack against some tree stumps. It hurt pretty fierce, but so as not to seem wussy I didn't say anything and jumped back on and swung out again. As we were all walking in Wyatt whispered to me that he was impressed with my non-wussiness (I don't actually remember what term he used, but that was the gist). I was so proud. :)


• Kami said that one time she got home from her CNA shift, Wyatt and his friend were awake putting on wet suits and acting crazy, and they convinced her to go bridge jumping with them. This was at 3:00 in the morning.
  
• Now he is a fantastic hubby and dad to Lindsay, (his wife Lindsay, not his sister Lindsay) and his two girls Haylie and Cassidy. Lindsay says some of the things she loves about Wyatt are: his bod-ay (yes, that is how she said it), his smile and eyes and laugh, how great he is with the kids, and that he is clean-around the house and the van (good thing you didn't marry me for that one, Lindsay). He is working hard at school right now and when he has free time, he likes to play football and ride horses (at the same time, apparently.)


• I love you Wyatt!!

Sneak Peak

So, I got to go out and pretend I was a photographer tonight. It was lots of fun--with a family I really like. I was quite nervous cause I wanted them to like them...but since they are cute a lot turned out good! Lucky for us the weather cooperated, too. Yesterday was freezing, but not too bad today.

Super Sam!!!
Okay, this is hilarious. I had to show these two pics because it was sooooo funny. I told them to smooch and then Ginger started laughing so hard, so Loren was like, "shhhh, focus" but as you can see, Ginger just kept laughing. Hee hee. So funny. (They did manage to kiss later, by the way.)

I thought this was so cute. I decided I like taking couple pictures. Maybe if I were to become a world-famous photographer that's what I would specialize in.
See, I told you they managed to kiss (and I had to post it, of course!).

Cute little girl and daddy.

I thought this one was so funny.

And I thought this one was cool.

And now I'm going to bed, so good night!

Some pictures

I actually scrapbooked. It's a miracle--I've been meaning to scrap these pictures forever! Not that I did much--pretty much slapped on some stickers and called it done, but I like it. Kristi is my inspiration--always simple, always cute.

And here's some more pictures of Hazel in a hat. But these are much more recent.

These two are from the other day at Happy Hollow park. I wish the dumb garbage can wasn't in the picture. Oh well.
And here is my IRRESISTIBLE honey. Cute, no?

Fun things on the docket for today. I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post all about it.

Kitchen

I've been meaning to post these pics for some time now. Anyway, here they are. Before: (dark brown cupboards with ugly green 70's glass in them)

After: The top and bottom cupboard to the right of the oven were not there before. We used to just have a plastic set of drawers there that Brett hated. And even though it has a weird yellowish tinge to it in the picture, it's all white in real life.

Tripod

So, I got a tripod for my birthday. (I know, my birthday was a long time ago, but definitely better late than

never!) And so yesterday, I took it in the backyard and had Jethro push the button, and even somehow convinced Brett to be in some pictures with me. What a fun thing for me. :)

I really like kissing pictures (in case you've forgotten from this post). (I really like kissing too.)

Trying to think of something interesting to write....can't come up with anything...let's see what's in the good ol' Dad book that's on this shelf right next to the computer.

Aha. Here's a little questionnaire thingee that Dad filled out once when it was going around the rest of the family. Are you ready for this? (by the way, Lorie is my mom)

Living arrangements: Very satisfactory!!!!!!!!!

Favorite board game: When I am bored I like to make out--when I'm not bored I like to do that too!!!!!!

Favorite Magazine: Arabian Horse World

Favorite Smells: Lorie, Fresh bread, Lorie, Ham and beans on a cold day, Lorie, Fresh chocolate cake, Lorie, etc. etc.

Favorite sounds: Whispering in my ear, the absence of loud annoying music

Favorite tv show: Barney Miller

Worst feeling in the world: leaving

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? I'm sorry I can't answer this on a family questionnaire

Roller coast: scary or exciting? Nauseas

Favorite foods? YES!!!!!!!!!!!

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate--what is vanilla???????

Do you like to drive? No, I would rather park.

Storms: cool or scary? Very cozy!

If you could meet any person dead or alive who would it be? The person who invented neckties--I would strangle him and then stuff the body in some panty hose and hang him with a necktie.

Favorite drink? cold water

What is your zodiak sign? Love

Who is your favorite poet? Myself.

If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Lorie's personal slave.

Have you ever been in love? Well now! I have been in love, I am in love, and I will always be in love. Yes, yes, I do love that girl!

Favorite movies? Anne of Green Gables, Princess Bride, Sleepless in the Serengeti (or someplace like that)

What's your favorite color? Whatever Lorie is wearing

Are you a lefty or a righty? I can eat with either hand.

What's under your bed? An assassin, but so far he is so scared of me that no attempts have actually been made on my life

What is your favorite number? 2 --Me and ...you get my drift.

Who is the person that you sent this to that is most likely to return the e-mail? Probably everyone will return it because they won't want to read it.

Who is the person who is least likely to return it? Snow White -- she never returns my e-mails. I think those dwarfs check her mail!

Now you probably wonder, as I do, how I turned out only as weird as I did. ;)

FHE

Tonight for Family Home Evening we took the motorcycle to a dirtbike track and rode it. It started raining pretty good just as we got into the car to go, but we rode despite the muddiness, and it was really awesome. Brett took the kids on rides, went for a little spin himself, and then we locked the kids in the trunk of the car (I'm just kidding, the Mercedes doesn't have a trunk, just a back) and took me. We caught a little air, even though we didn't go too fast (cause of the mud). I felt like this:

And maybe the best Jethro quote of all time (said in all seriousness): "Mom, we're a totally different family now."
"Why?"
"Cause we've gone dirt biking."