Finally updating

Wow, I guess it's been nearly a month since I last updated! Shame on me- I really get annoyed when people don't update their blogs and now I find myself in that same category.

Braquel is busy doing all the senior things. She had some senior portraits done by my fabulous sister-in-law, Robin! They turned out great! I've tried uploading them three or four times to post, but they never seem to upload...(I am about ready to trade in my new computer...I am so frustrated with it!) We ordered her cap and gown and all that good stuff. It's really starting to hit me that we are losing her. All she wants for Christmas is things that she will need for her own place. I keep telling her that she is a bad daughter for wanting to leave us, but she keeps telling me that it's part of life and I'll survive. I guess it means we've done a good job raising her, she's independent and ready to be on her own, but it's killing me! I don't even remember life without her. I don't even want to think about our family without her here with us every day.

Mikayla made the freshman basketball team so we've been getting her to Declo every morning by 5:50 am! Not an easy task for anyone that knows me! I've had a screaming headache for three straight days and I'm sure it's from the lack of sleep. I can't go back to bed when I get home because I'm afraid I won't get up to get Treven to school on time! Anyway- she has her first game on the 17th in Gooding. I'm going to try to go watch and maybe Lindsay will be cheering so we can see her, too!

Chelsey has been babysitting up a storm! Seems like she's always got someone here or she is going somewhere. She is determined to be Ellie's favorite sister so she stays busy playing with her and loving on her. Even when it's someone else's job to stay up with her until I get home, it's usually Chelsey that stays with her. Ellie will reach for Chelsey over most everyone else. She loves her so much!

Treven already hates to go to school. The boy just wants to play all stinkin' day and night! He barely gets through the door and wants to know if he can go play with his friends! He's such a sweet boy, though. He is so quick with that cute smile and deep dimple that it just melts his mommy's heart.

Ellie has learned so many new things. She says da-da all the time. She has learned to clap and she rolls everywhere now. She ends up in the weirdest of places! We took her to Kiddie Kandids at the mall and had some pictures done, but I have to say they really didn't capture her personality very well. I kind of feel like I wasted my money because I have better pics on my camera. We are having her dedicated this Sunday at church. I bought her a beautiful long white dress with lots of emboidery on it. She's going to look like a little angel.

Gary took the girls hunting most of last month. They all three ended up getting their deers. He's been cutting meat and smoking jerky for two weeks straight, I swear! It's nice to be done with it and knowing there is meat in the freezer. Braquel and Mikayla aren't too sure they want to go next year, Mikayla just cried and cried when she saw Gary gutting the deer. They both have pretty tender hearts and it really bothered them to watch an animal die. Braquel shot hers and it didn't die right away. She didn't have the heart to shoot it again, so she made Gary finish it off so it didn't suffer anymore. Keven told her it was a good thing she was hunting with her dad because if she goes with him, she has to gut her own deer. Dad just knows he has to do the really gross stuff (getting the fish off the hook, gutting deer, etc.) It comes with the dadddy territory!

I was really busy doing Halloween stuff. A couple of gals and I planned Albion's first Trunk-or-Treat. We took 5 days to throw the whole thing together, but it turned out great. We figure we served about 100 people dinner. People were really involved and came dressed up and had their trunks decorated. We even had several businesses donate for the cause so we can make next years bigger and better. I also was asked to do Treven's school party. There are roughly 25 kids in his school. I brought in sliced apples with caramel dip, juice, and dirt pudding cups with gummy worms. We played a Monster Mash game (everyone ties a balloon to their ankle and you try to pop everyone else's balloon without them popping yours first) and I had six paper bags with various foods that represented body parts. The kids had to feel the food and guess what the food was and what body part it was supposed to be. I laughed and laughed at their reactions!
We had cooked spaghetti for intestines, pretzels for bones, popcorn kernals for teeth, a dried apricot for skin, peeled grapes for eyeballs, and the best of all- smooshed bananas for brains! They all were just sickened when they reached in that bag!!!

I'm glad October is over and I am anxious for Thanksgiving. I have been so blessed in my life and I really like taking some time to focus on my blessing before the craziness of Christmas starts in. I am looking forward to the annual sister shopping trip. I'm about halfway done with my shopping and I plan to really trim the rest of the list up that day. It sure takes the stress out to be close to done!