Carving Pumpkins

I keep thinking that just maybe this will be the year that Brody likes to touch pumpkin guts...um no! Luke and I tried but he just wouldn't do it! Luke didn't seem to mind too much because it meant more fun for him. Brods just sat there and watched Luke in horror as he gutted the pumpkins!

As you'll notice there are no after pictures of our pumpkins because Luke had an epic meltdown before it was time to actually carve them. It's rare lately that Luke has meltdowns but when he does look out! I have never really documented one of his meltdowns but I really should so I can show him someday! It took a few hours for him to calm down and then we finished but the pumpkins but by the time we were done I had zero patience left and taking pictures was last on my mind! 

Brody chose a cute traditional face which took about two minutes to carve. Luke, on the other hand, was determined to have a Bronco on his.  Of course there were no patterns so we were relying on my artistic talents which isn't much. By the time I was done I felt like it hardly resembled a Bronco but Luke was quite pleased with it which is all that matters!

Friend Halloween Party

We look forward to our friend Halloween party every year! This year Luke was more aware of things and kept asking me why we were always in charge of the Halloween party and why no one else did it. He's learning slowly that I love a fun party and I love love planning it! Mark probably doesn't like paying for it but I hope they appreciate it! 

I remember when I was little making homemade root beer and thinking it was the coolest thing ever! The kids thought the homemade root beer was the best part of the party I think. I probably didn't need to plan any of the games or activities. They loved crowding around the pumpkin and swirling their hands in the smoke! It was a lot of fun!

After dinner we did Play-doh mats and they were a blast! The kids created scary faces on the Halloween faces. The highlight though is always the pinata!!! It always amazes me how fast the candy and toys disappears once it's whacked open. I loved watching Brods process what was going on and then jump into action.

It was a fun night and we are lucky to have so many wonderful friends! I hope we are able to keep this tradition going for many years!

Breakfast with a Witch

One of my favorite traditions is Breakfast with a Witch! However, the boys have decided that it's their tradition to get sick for it. Last year was hand foot and mouth and this year they caught a stomach bug two days before. Luckily they were happy enough to go and enjoy the Halloween fun! This year the Petersen's joined us and it was more fun having a full group! 

I've been wanting to snap a quick pic of the boys in their costumes so I decided to multitask and do it right before the breakfast. Sadly, Brods wanted nothing to do with pictures. The picture of him pouting though has got to be one of my favorites though. It totally captures my little Brody and his master of the pout. No one can pout like my Brods and he just melts your heart when he does it. I can honestly say that I've been caught up in it before and handed over almost anything to him! Luke, however, has mastered how to put on a quick smile and get the pictures over with. He'll stand there and smile for hours while I try and get Brody just to look at the camera. Lukers is my best helper lately and I don't know what I would do without him!

Luke was chosen once again to go up and sing in the rat choir. When it was time to go up he grabbed his rat and I got ready to take his picture. Little did I know that Brody had followed him up on stage. He didn't seem one bit bothered by the fact that he was on stage and had no idea what he was doing. Brods just stood there and stared at everyone with his binky face! Oh I love him!

It was a lot more fun for Luke to have Jack there this year! They had a lot of fun dancing and meeting the witches after the show. Of course they found the toys for sale and picked out some swords!

Pumpkin Patch

Every year Mark is sure he's going to get out of going to the pumpkin patch and buy our pumpkins at the grocery store instead. These boys live for this outing and there's no getting out of it. They could hardly wait to get there and starting hunting for the perfect pumpkin.

Brody of course wanted every pumpkin whether it was rotten or not. He just couldn't figure out how to lift him. His little arms weren't quite big enough this year but he definitely tried. 

Luke found lots of great pumpkins but he wanted them all. Our cart quickly filled up with these two pumpkin hunters. In the past I've been able to sneak a few pumpkins out without them knowing but this year Luke was very aware and wondered where his pumpkins had gone. Luckily, he understood when I told him that he could only pick five pumpkins and he narrowed it down to his five favorites!

I am so in love with these little cowboys of mine! They make the holidays so much fun and now if I could only freeze time. I hate that they're growing up so fast...dang you time!

Haunted Gingerbread House

The boys had a blast doing this haunted gingerbread house for family home evening! Basically Luke decorated while Brods ate! When they first started Brody was into the decorating but he soon learned that the candy and frosting was better to eat. I don't think cared because it meant he could decorate without worrying about Brody messing up his plans.

I love how serious Luke takes these activities. He definitely thinks through things and tries to do his very best. I love to see his creativity and determination. 

We probably stayed up way too late on a school night but I don't care. I get so excited when Halloween arrives and I can't wait for all of our traditions, activities and parties. This was a perfect first activity and I can't wait for the rest of the month!

Fall Soccer

Luke is one of those kids that just loves sports and plays hard every game! He had a great Fall soccer season. This year he was the younger one on the team so he had to work a lot harder and I think Spring was a bit of a struggle but he really stepped up in the Fall. He worked hard and played tough every game.

Having Mark as his coach was a lot of fun for him! He thought it was pretty cool and had fun with Mark. It was also fun that his friend Izzy was on his team again this year. These two are crazy on the soccer field. I love that they don't care so much about the team winning but they want to win themselves. They will steal the ball from each other just to get the goal!

I had so much fun watching Lukers every game! He is a real athlete and loves to play! Luke is a lucky kid because he always had a big fan club there cheering for him. Grammy, Papa, Pat, Becca, Mitch, Rach or Grandma Tracy were there almost every game! Brods of course had a blast on the playground and hardly watched a second of the games but he was there at least!

Ring Bearers

Luke thought it was just about the coolest thing ever when Uncle Max and Aunt Maddie asked him and Brody to be the ring bearers at their wedding. Luke takes this kind of thing very serious and was so ready to accept the challenge. Brody on the other hand could have cared less about what he was doing and was more concerned that I wouldn't let him have his binky. 

During the dress rehearsal Luke did a great job and listened to every word the wedding planner told him. Brods just followed Luke and kept asking if we were done so he could have binky back! 

They were beyond handsome in their matching outfits the night of the wedding. It wasn't easy keeping them clean until the ceremony started. My biggest fear was losing the rings but we made sure they were tied down tight and an adult stayed with them until it was their turn to walk. Luke did an amazing job and remembered everything the wedding planner had told him. The smile on his face as he walked down the aisle made me want to burst...you could tell he felt very important and loved!

As soon as the ceremony started Brody started walking around and making faces at the audience. I quickly flashed him his binky and he came running down to sit with me. Luke continued on and did an amazing job!

It was such a fun night and not one thing was overlooked. It was such a gorgeous wedding and I am so glad we were able to be a part of it! We sure do love Uncle Max and Aunt Maddie and wish them all the best!