Halloween

Halloween this year was so fun.  This whole fall season has been fun with Archer.  He has really started to notice everything and is understanding the different holidays.

Since he is older I decided to make it a goal to make sure that he has fun and hopefully starts making memories.  I don't want him getting older and looking back and thinking my parents are so lame.

To start off the Halloween day we carved pumkins.  For some reason I didn't think that Archer would like this very much, but boy was I wrong.  He loved scooping the guts and stabbing them in the bowl.  Over and over he kept saying "ewww guts". 

 Since Dustin takes his pumkin carving seriously I was in charge of carving my pumpkin and Archer's.  I am not very good at this particular craft but they could have turned out worse.  I asked Archer what he wanted his pumkins face to look like and he glared and frowned and said, "a mad mad face like this".  This kid cracks me up.

Archer's, mine, and Dustin's pumkins.

When we asked Archer what he wanted to be for Halloween we didn't get a real answer, so we chose for him.  He love's Toy Story so we picked Woody.  Easy costume that would not be complicated or itchy for him.  If you can't tell by the pictures his hat was his favorite part.  By the time Halloween was actually here, it was so deformed from him pulling it on his head and stepping on it but he didn't seem to mind and I thought it added character. 

We went up to my sister Heather's work to trick-or-treat at her office which was so much fun.  That seemed to be good enough for Archer.  The rest of the night he just wanted to pass out candy.  I have a feeling next year will be different.

 Dustin and I this year got to go to a kid free Halloween party! (thank you dad for babysitting)  It was with our friends Katy and Taylor Wilson, Dustin's sisters Davi, Devon, and D'laney and her fiance Judd.  It was so much fun.  It was costume of course, we had an old couple, some blimpz, and a cat burglur and a kitty cat.  Dustin and I were a disco diva and her sugar daddy.

  We had great food, Minute to win it games, and just a great time.  I am so grateful for great friends and family that we get to spend time with.

 

Whatcha doin?

I have not blogged in months, literally months.  So instead of trying to say what we have been doing I am just going to post a million pictures and give a little description.  That way this post doesn't turn into a novel but for my journal I will know what these pictures mean later on.

Archer and I tried to enjoy the last remaining warm days of summer and fall before it started to get cold.  He loves popsicles and playing in this tree in the front yard.  I love having free entertainment for him.

Archer has finally really taken an interest in feeding himself.  I am really grateful for this.  I never thought this day would come.  It is so nice except for the fact that we have a lot more messes to clean up.

We went to my parent's house one day and all of a sudden there was a moose in the front yard.  Archer thought it was so cool and has been talking about it ever since.

Since Dustin has been graduated, he has been able to spend so much more time with us.  I am not the only one who has been loving this, Archer has been reaping the benifits also like getting awesome forts like this.

I turned 25 this year.  This is the first year that I felt old on and after my birthday.  It was a little depressing, but I look at my little family and I am so grateful that I am getting older and my life is changing.

Dustin had a meeting in Utah one weekend and Archer and I went down to join him.  There were good parts and not so good parts like no sleep and getting lost, but while Dustin was in his meetings Archer and I went to this childrens museum.  He had a lot of fun and really loved looking at all the different displays.

Archer has really turned into my little helper, whether it is cooking, cleaning, or taking out the garbage.  He wants to be right by me and helping with whatever he can.

Archer built his first snowman!!  We woke up to a ton of perfect snowman snow and when Dustin came home he helped Archer build an awesome one.  He was so excited and really concerned when it got warm and started melting.

I realized a couple weeks ago that I have very few pictures with me in them and have made a decision to try harder to get more pictures with Dustin and Archer.  Life is too short and I want to have pictures that my kids can look back at and remember me by. 

 

Birthday times 3!

August was a way fun month for us.  We have had a reunion with Dustin's family and Archers 2nd birthday.  For the reunion this year we headed up to Missula Montana to a cabin.  It was so very pretty and so fun to be with all of Dustin's family (minus D'laney :( ).  We had volleyball tournements (my arms have bruises to show how awesomes Dustin's sisters are), decorated sugar cookie people like each other, played lots of games including minute to win it, had a polar plunge, had a birthday party for Archer and Destry, and just enjoyed hanging out together.  I'm so grateful that I married into such a wonderful family were I feel so comfortable.

Archer also turned 2 this month (sob sob).  I do not know where the time has flown.  I can't lie I got teary thinking about how fast he is growing.  I don't know what we did before he came into our lives.  He is so smart and observant, and saying he likes cars or anything with wheels would be an understatement.  Everything that we see he asks to touch it and ride it.  He remembers the words to most songs that he hears and sings along with them where ever we are.  He has officially entered the why stage and loves to jump even though he only gets about a 1/2 inch off the ground.  Dustin and I decided this year to simplify since Archer is already super spoiled.  But somehow that didn't happen.  Archer got 3 birthday parties this year, one in Missula with the Killian's, one on his actual birthday with us, and one at my parent's house with the Hall's ( with the amazing cake that Dustin decorated).  He was in birthday heaven.  We walked around at home wearing orange exercise cones on our head singing "happy birthday to Archer" for a week straight.  And we had lots of practise blowing out candles.  He is quite the little boy and I'm so grateful to have him in my life!

 

 

 

 

So behind...

So I actually thought that I was getting the hang of this blogging business and that I was doing ok but its been over a month so I guess maybe not so much.  O well at least I'm trying.  We have had quite the eventful month.  First was the 4th of July.  We spent the day with family and friends going to the Rexburg parade which was way better than last years, then we spent the day hanging out, playing games, BBQing it up, and cooling off in the kiddie pools and slip and slides.  Then to finish off the day we went to the Menan fireworks.  This was probably the one of my favorite parts of the day because Archer kept ooooing and awwwing at the first and it was hilarious or maybe we were just tired.  All in all it was a great day! 

Then on the 20th Dustin graduated from BYU-Idaho!!!!  I am so proud of him.  This is such a huge accomplishment and he has worked so hard and sacrificed so much and it finally paid off.  He didn't want to walk but he did for me.  I just wanted a picture but I teared up during one of the programs.  I am married to an amazing man who is such a hard worker!! 

 In celebration of Dustin graduating he chose to go to the zoo.  We have been looking forward to this for months.  Dustin and I love the zoo and we were both so excited to take Archer and see his reaction.  It was well worth the wait, Archer loved it.  He laughed and laughed and ran from exhibit to exhibit.  His favorite part was the monkeys he thought they were so funny. 

After we went to the little amusment park by the zoo and had a picnic and let the kids ride some rides.  I'm suprised Archer didn't die from excitment, he could hardly wait to ride the train and airplanes. 

 Archer is also growing like a weed.  He is going to be 2 in like 3 weeks!!  Where has the time gone.  He is my little buddy.  He talks NON-STOP.  Everything is either, "I don't like it", or "good idea".  He loves anything with wheels and wants to touch or ride everything.  I look back on the last two years and wonder what I did before him.  I think Dustin and our lives were pretty boring. :)

Summer time!

 Oh what do you do in the summer time when all the world is green? 

We play on the porch,

and swim in the pool,

and ride the nice horse's,

and turn our tongue blue,

and play at the park,

and take a bubble bath when it's bedtime! 

Is that what you do?  So do I!!