I Love Halloween!

Didn't stick...

But it sure was fun!

Acting Out

Those of you who have 11 year olds know, they act out. For Sierra's birthday party, we encouraged it! We invited all these divas over and they got to make up their very own play which I recorded and will use in the future to blackmail their parents. Hahaha.

These girls were so creative and cooperative and fun! They created a couple of wonderful (although surprisingly a bit violent!) plays and in the process created a wonderful birthday memory for Sierra.

Thank you divas!!

The little sisters didn't miss out on the action - they came up with the commercials.

Happy Birthday sweet Sierra!

Carmel

Our family loves carmel so much that we adopted a new pet named Carmel. Ok, that's not really why because then we'd have a chocolate lab for a pet, but this adorable, big, fat bunny is named Carmel and he is now ours. It's not a problem that we have a rabbit and a dog since the rabbit is as big as the dog.

Welcome Carmel!

Spoiled

For my birthday weekend, Alaska gave me the gift of weather - it was beautiful!! We definitely took advantage of it. I love family time!!

Canoeing one day...

Hiking the next...

And Alaska King crab legs for dinner. YUM!

It was so wonderful and then I remembered what we're celebrating - me getting old. Ugh. Here's to another year older!

Feelin' the Love

Happy Birthday to me! What an amazing family I have! What amazing friends I have! What an amazing husband I have! I felt so much love. Thank you!!

Me and my loot!

Lamenting

So it's almost my birthday. Ever since I was 15, I would be sad the day before my birthday thinking about the ending of whatever age I was. Can you imagine being sad about turning 16?! Crazy, I know. So maybe that's what this is, but as I was driving home from dropping off Karsten at preschool today I saw two moms with strollers out for a walk. I burst into tears. I don't even have sippy cups at my house anymore! My babies are big. Next year Karsten will start kindergarten and it's my turn to do whatever it is I am going to do. It's my time to put my schooling to work and light the world on fire with my skills and ideas and life experience. It's very exciting, right? And yet my heart is just breaking that my turn for diapers and binkies and library storytime is ending. I remember "those" moms looking at me with my three kiddos having gotten no sleep the night before, snot on my shoulder, and still waiting for a shower saying, "It goes quick! Enjoy it while you can!" It did go quick! Way too quick. Now I'm really freaking out about the people who have kids in college looking at me with my three kiddos who are talking back, have endless activities, and daily battles over hygiene with those same eyes as they say, "Enjoy it while you can - it'll go quick!"

Say it isn't so!

The Lion King

"Stunning."
Mindy Hymas, mom

"It was AWESOME! I loooved it!"
Skyla Hymas, 8

"The animal's movements were amazing! "
Sierra Hymas, 11


The reviews are in and Lion King tops the list! It was one fabulous girls' night.

Calvin & "Frobbes"

I don't know why because he can't possibly understand the humor, but Karsten is obsessed with these books. He has David and I read it to him. He has his sisters read it to him. He reads it by himself. He laughs at them. He calls Hobbes "Frobbes".

My worry is it's his training manual...

Art-Attack!

My son does not like to draw, color, doodle, or do anything that requires him to use a writing utensil. So you can imagine my happiness when the other day, he started coloring!!!!

My fridge is so happy!!

Fabulous Fall

The air is chilly and the leaves have changed. It's gorgeous!

Celebrating Sierra

Sierra is 11! It's hard to believe that she's getting that old and harder to believe that I've been a mom for 11 years. (Shouldn't I know more?!) We had a wonderful time celebrating her today!

She came home from school to have a package from her best friend in the whole world waiting for her, and what a package it was! Adri had sent her a "party in a box" complete with confetti, party hats, goody bags, and more. It was so cute and so much fun for ALL the kids to open. We sure miss those guys! Adri knit her a beautiful scarf (featured on the left) with a note attached that said, "I made you this scarf. It took a lot of time and a lot of yarn." It was so cute of her.

She also had packages from grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles too and the day was so busy she didn't even get to open her presents until 9:30! Talk about patience! But we were too busy playing frisbee golf (a family favorite) and eating pumpkin pancakes at her favorite restaurant, IHOP. YUM!

We are so lucky to have Sierra in our family! She is smart, funny, thoughtful, and strong! She's really turning into an independent and beautiful young lady and I am so proud of her! Thank you to friends and family for making her day so special!!

Frisbee Golf

I love these action shots!

Watch out - Skyla is MAD!

Nice throw Karsten!

The birthday girl makes it in!

This is serious business!