Happy 41st Hans!

The birthday dessert request, somehow turned into 3....

but of course I didn't mind....

it was for Hans!

Happy Birthday Love!

You are the best,

the best of the best!

We love and celebrate you always!

Chocolate Cream Pie ..... Key Lime Cheesecake ..... Banana Cream Pie

Super fun week!

So I have a group of college girlfriends that still try to get together once a month or so....

November was my turn....and I got into it.

Man did I get into it....

I was a bit of a freak show...

Quite embarrassing...

But I had the best week EVER!

I had such a blast baking,

and baking,

and baking!

It was a hoot!

So thanks ladies for giving me the opportunity, it may not ever happen again, but it sure was fun!

Here was the menu....

Notice the dessert paragraph, the idea was to be a dessert "taster's table,"

 I hung some Christmas lights just for festive fun! Silly but it made me smile.

I forgot to take a picture of the table before, but here it is after we had our tastes.....

Such a hoot....

The favorites were:

Key Lime Cheesecake

Raspberry Yogurt Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

All recipes can be found HERE.

Disclaimer: I didn't make the salted caramel brownies....I've been dying to try them, but they're from the Chocolate in Orem!

Gray's Eagle Scout Project

Gray and Hans worked hard and fast getting the project approved so they could have it completed in time for the BYU baseball team to take it down!

Here is the flier that went out...

 Gray had a lot of help from the guys in the ward, they are such awesome boys! 

Gray was so grateful for their help! (And so were we!)

We were hoping to get about 100 kits, we put together over 350! What a small little miracle of generosity and good will! Gray also received money donations and was able to buy a ton of vitamins for the children in the DR!  Thanks to the Eadys for their help and guidance and for the BYU baseball team for delivering the goods.  Now its on to the endless paperwork!  Way to go Gray, you're almost there!  Next up, driver's license!

Halloween Day

 

Tru as his teacher Mr. Jackman

 Karate Guy

 

Cute Cowgirl

 Cute Witch

 On their way to preschool.

 School parade.

 The real Mr. Jackman as Billy Bob

 Every year our dear friends Jeanette Hales Beckham and her sweet husband Ray prepare a haunted house.  We've never gone, but this year we met Hans' Mom for some fun!  Josie hated every minute of it. Cried the whole time (it lasted all of 30 seconds).  But at the end when you go into say hi, Ray marks your hand with an invisible marker that you can only see under blue light and then you get to pick a mini pumpkin out of a big pumpkin.  On the bottom of the mini pumpkin it has a number....Tru went first and got a 1. Jeanette ripped off a fresh new $1 bill.  Rock got the same.  Josie got a 3... 3 brand new $1 bills, she was thrilled.  What a fun way to start off Halloween night!

Halloween Dinner 2011

I have loved the last two Halloween dinners, because I was organized enough to do them on a Sunday.  And that's the way to do it, the only day there is enough time.  Every other day is too rushed.

So after church we put up my curtains and I got busy.  Threatening anyone who dared step into my kitchen.

When all the food was prepared, I told Hans to take everyone downstairs so I could take some photos of the food.  While they were down there, my Mom stopped by.  I made her hide behind the curtain with me and handed out the first dish.

Through the tiny slit in the curtain, Josie saw her and said totally casually,

"Hi Grandma."

So funny, we all laughed and laughed!

 

  

 Super fun tradition....even if the only thing Joise ate was the honeybutter web!

Josie's Party

Every time Josie goes to a birthday party (like at Chuck E Cheeses,  Nicklecade or Jump on It) she asks over and over if she can have HER birthday there too. I always say yes. Because a week is an eternity for that girl.

So you can imagine my surprise when she said she wanted a Halloween Party at our house....

and she stuck to the idea for the whole week, so we went for it!

Hans has all the pics on his camera...these are the 5 that I had, I'll post the rest when I get them.

 Luke as Dracula

 Ruby as a flapper.

 Josie as a witch.

 

Dash as a Top Gun pilot 

Cousin Twin Birthday

Josie and Luke were born the same day!

They are twin cousins!

So every year so far, we get together for lunch to celebrate.

This year, we picked one of the happiest places on earth...

Chick-fil-a!

 Cutest Sophie!

 Luke, Sophie and Tricia

Hooray for twin cousins!

October 26th Rocks!

Josie is 5!

We have a tradition of letting the birthday person get in our bed to recieve their presents!

Josie was so thrilled to get all of her "big eyed guys!"

The hedgehog was and is her prized possession!

 They are so tired before school!

Since Josie is the only one home with me from 8:30 on, I fed the older kids and let them slip out the door, then I let Josie pick where she wanted to have her birthday breakfast....

"The Owl Crepe Place"

That's not it's official name... I believe it's The Roll-Up.

But to be fair, there is an owl the size of a small house out front.

We were the only ones there and the girl serving was darling and made Josie feel very special!

 A big chocolate 5 on her nutella crepe,

and whipped cream and sprinkles!

Life is sweet!

 Hedgehog came too and watched the whole time.  I love it!

And we had to get a picture by the owl!

Happy Birthday baby girl!

5 is AWESOME!