Kesslyn's Costume Parade & Carving Pumpkins For FHE

 Yesterday I got to go to Kesslyn's preschool class for their costume parade and to hand out some goodies to all the little kids! It was so fun to see everything that went on...

 ...and when I say "everything that went on," it was actually a bunch of screaming and crying little kids that wanted their moms as soon as they saw them!!! The little ones were trying to sing some of their Halloween songs for the parents, but the only one doing any of the singing was Miss April!!!

Kesslyn was one of the only happy ones, and with her hands on her cheeks she seemed to be looking around at all of the little kids crying as if to say, "Dude, what's wrong with you??" ;)  ;)

 After all of the kids went around the room "trick-or-treating to the parents, they seemed much happier, and it was time for them to go play and for the parents to leave. 

My little "darling deer" Kesslyn was happy and all smiles!

 Also, last night for our Family Home Evening, we invited Tiffany, Colby, and Xaxton over to carve pumpkins and eat pizza. The missionaries ended up dropping by too and it was a fun night. :)

 Everyone worked hard at their carving skills, and we ended up with some great masterpieces!

 Kesslyn and her daddy worked on cleaning out the pumpkin, and then her and I carved a little princess crown onto a "happy" jack-o-lantern face. :)

 And here are the finished products...Xaxton's said "CREEPY"...

 Dallin's started out as Spider Man, but with a few too many cuts it quickly became "The Bat Cave." :)

(And yes, his pumpkin is pretty much big enough to fit his whole head in!!! :)

 Gavin's was a Bat flying out of his cave...

 Kambriella's was Witches Shoes thanks to the help of Colby...;)

 And a Princess Jack-o-Lantern for the Little Princess!

Happy Halloween!!! 

Tonight is the big night for trick-or-treating and spooky fun...BOO!!! :)

Happy Birthday Clint!

 This weekend was a fun one with the Trickett family Halloween party and Clint's birthday celebration!

We took the kids to Roy for the party on Saturday and then had fun visiting with everyone and watching the kids play games. Clint and I had more fun in store though because we were leaving the kids overnight with Grandma and Grandpa and heading out to the JAZZ/ LAKER game!

 I've said it a million times and I'll say it again...it doesn't matter WHAT it is that we are doing together, I just really like being with him!!! HE is my favorite!!! :)

We watched the game and then went home to a quiet house where we enjoyed time alone without interruptions...a RARE commodity when you are the parents of 6 children! ;)

We even got to sleep in on Sunday morning which was an even MORE rare occasion for us! It was a 5th Sunday (which meant no early meetings for either of us) AND Clint's birthday AND we had no kids!!! 

 Clint's dad brought the kids home to us though just in time to have a bite of lunch, get their hair combed, and make it to church for the Primary Program! Kesslyn was feeling a little grumpy and needed a nap, but instead she held onto her blanky and her daddy and did just fine. :)

 After church was over we went home and had dinner together before Clint had to run off to meetings.

The kids and I made him some cookies while he was gone and then pampered him with massages when he got home. :)

 The boys each took a foot, Kambriella took his back, and Kesslyn was in charge of his hands and arms. ;)

They used lotion with their massage and gave him some much needed TLC for his gift, along with a new pair of cozy slippers for his soft feet to slip into after his massage. :)

 I got an Ice~Cream cake from Coldstone that fit him perfectly because he loves ice-cream so much! ;)

He closed his eyes and made a wish...;)

(Even though all of his wishes have already come true...the day he married me!  ;)  ;)

 He blew out his candles and we all ate his cake together. 

I love spending time with him, because he's my favorite!

Happy Birthday my sweetie birthday boy!

 (And Dallin wanted a picture with his dad on his birthday. ;)

2 of my sweet boys. ;)

1 lucky mama. :)

Darling Deer Won Reflections!

 This awesome little 8 year old came home from school yesterday with a medal around her neck!

So surprised I asked her "What's this??"

"I won Reflections mom!!!"

...and then Gavin chimes in, "Ya mom she's moving on!"

Usually when the kids win ANY form of award for Reflections they notify the parents so they can be present when they get their award, so I was completely shocked to see this because I hadn't heard anything from the school. All of my other kids had won some form of "runner up" type award and I had been there, so I felt kind of bad that she had won this and I wasn't there...but really I had NO idea! But at the same time I was just so happy and excited that she had won! 

The theme for Reflections was "Within Reach" and it was up to the kids to choose what they would do to be creative in presenting the theme in some form of art in their own way...Kambriella chose to make a big poster with all of these individual pictures that she had drawn about things that she dreams of, like riding horses, learning to cook, visiting New York, dancing ballet, being HAPPY :), etc. then she cut the pictures she had drawn out in the shapes of clouds and glued them onto silver stars cut out from tin foil and then glued onto her black poster. Then in sparkly glitter paint she wrote, 

"When I Reach For the Stars, My Dreams Are Within Reach.

She's going to make those dreams come true too, I just know it!

 Then, it was time for her to go to the church to practice for the Primary Program that will be this Sunday! She also had a Halloween party at her dance studio right after that, so we decided to do her make up for her costume before she went so she could be all ready to go...she is a "Darling Deer," and probably THE most Darling Deer I've ever seen!!! Oh my gosh I think she looks so much like Kierra in these pictures!!!

 When I took her outside to take her pictures, out of NOWHERE came a real live deer bounding directly around us!!! I WAS IN SHOCK!!! Her and I both could have reached our arms right out to touch it if it wouldn't have happened so fast!!! Kambriella's first reaction was, "MOM!!! I THINK SANTA IS WATCHING US!!!" I told her I thought she was EXACTLY right! On the same day that she wins her award, we got our Christmas lights put up on the house, SHE is a deer, and we SEE a deer in our own yard!!?? Santa most definitely HAS to be watching!!!

 It was such a fun day and Kambriella was just so happy! I was glad that she loved her costume because we hadn't ever tried to paint her face like a deer before but she kept on saying, "Oh my goodness mom, I just can't stop looking at myself in the mirror because it's just SO CUTE!!!" I couldn't stop laughing at her! ;)

She had a blast at her party and TONIGHT is Grandma Trickett's Halloween party that I know she's going to love too...Then tomorrow is Clint's birthday and then it will be Halloween!!! Fun and happy times ahead...but WHERE does the time go??? I wish I could push pause, but it's just so fleeting. I'm truly trying my hardest to cherish all of these times because they make me sooo happy, my kids are so happy, and we feel so loved. Happy Weekend! :)

Cookies and Kids

 Yesterday Kesslyn and I spent the day in the kitchen making dinner and dessert to take to a sweet family in our ward. I got the dinner going and then headed into full blown holiday mode with our "gingerbread feeling" of  wearing our aprons and listening to Christmas music while we made M&M cookies. :) It was THE BEST! :)

 Kesslyn kept poking her finger into the dough after each time we mixed in a new ingredient saying, "Mmmm!"

 But when it was time to add the M&M's she got very serious and was TOTALLY FOCUSED on what she was doing...

 I'm not sure if she was focused more on the color placement or on the amount she was adding...;)  ;)

 ...or simply on NOT eating all of the M&M's...

 But wherever her little mind was, she was having a GREAT time...and so was I! :)

We were VERY excited to have a yummy treat to give to Daddy too. :)

 At one point I went over to the drawer to get a spoon, opened the drawer and found this...

 I chuckled to myself and finally realized what she had been busy doing all the time I was fixing the dinner in the crock pot earlier...;) She had been rearranging the silver ware drawer!!!

 What a good little helper I have!!!

After I put Kesslyn down for a nap I invited my friend Sheri to come over and visit with me in the kitchen while I made some homemade rolls too...It was a good change of scene for her to come over and talk about life and how she is coping with the loss she has been experiencing. It was a good visit and I was glad to have her in my home.

As the kids all began arriving home from school, I said goodbye to Sheri and started in on the kids different activities...Kambriella was off to piano lessons, Dallin was off to his Millennial Choir rehearsal, and Gavin took a plate of cookies and walked over to his Sunday school teacher's house where they went with a couple of other friends to the Draper temple to perform baptisms for the dead. He LOVES going to the temple! What a sweet boy. :)

 Then it was time to go to Kambriella's 3rd Grade program which was titled a 

"Frightfully Fantastic Fashion Show" all about the kids and Halloween.

Kambriella was Hermione Granger from Harry Potter...and this girl ROCKED:)

 She said her part, led a dance, and got to jump off the stage as a "spider pig"...It was fun. :)

I loved watching her perform...and just like the award she got at dance...she was really BORN for the stage! And funny thing is...the Dracula directly behind her  is Tyson Dibble and I'm pretty sure his mom and I are going to try and have an arranged marriage between the two! ;)

I just LOVE Mindy and her family and SOMEHOW we have got to make our families connect.;)

 I mean c'mon, everyone know's that a good husband has to be able to make you laugh, right??

And he's already totally good at that AND making her smile...:)

I think HE was born for the stage too!!! ;)

(His mom and I have a running list of their childhood pics together...

you know, for the wedding video. ;)

It was pretty much an awesome day and now with it being Friday, I am ready for an awesome weekend too...Happy Friday! :)

Family, a Gift That Lasts Forever

 The family picture that warmly greets visitors that come to our home has finally been updated! :)

(C'mon! The last one was ONLY 6 years old. ;)

But seriously...THIS sight makes me sooooo happy!

This is MY family. And I love them so much. AND it makes me so happy to look at this picture multiple times a day as I walk through the house. As I do so, I feel like I'm being smiled at and "hugged" from a distance by each individual in the picture even though Kierra and Riley are in Colorado, and Carew is in Italy. They are so special to me...my "Gift that lasts FOREVER." 

 The weather was so beautiful yesterday too, and I was able to get outside and weed the flower beds and rake up a few leaves. It was so fun to have all of the kids join me out there too...I LOVE it when we are all together outside in the fresh air surrounded by all of the bounty and beauty of the earth. I always feel so happy and feel so much of Heavenly Father's love.

 The kids had fun playing Frisbee, basketball, riding bikes, and catering to Miss Kesslyn's wants...like CHEESE BALLS! ;) 

She calls them "MINE." :)

 It was a good day. :)

I even got in a bit of Christmas shopping (TRYING to get ahead), friendly visits and service, and a few innings of the world series cuddled up with my hubby.

Grateful. Abundant. Thankful.

That is how I feel. :)

Kambriella's Halloween Decorating

 As each of my girls have grown up watching their mother do what mothers do,  it has been so fun for me to see their personalities come alive, and what things they "pick up on" or "catch on to"...

I'm happy to say,  that their"eye" for decorating is one of those fun things!!!❤

 My heart about melted when I saw how Kambriella had taken some of my Halloween decorations and decorated her own room!!! Not only was it cute,  but it was REALLY cute and also sentimental with the pictures of her and her sister Kierra as one of the main focal points! Not only did she create a "beautiful space," but she also gave it meaning and purpose...I was simply in love when I saw this!!! Her prayer rock and Christ statue put it over the top and it was special and beautiful, not only to me, but to HER because SHE was the one that chose it!!!

Now... if only I could get her to clean her room like that...🤔🤣

The Colosseum and Pizza!

I love these 2 pictures that Anziano Trickett sent to me...2 things that are authentic to Italy...

The COLOSSEUM, and PIZZA!!! 

This kid is soooo lucky!!! (And I'm so happy for him! ;)

(And we actually ended up ordering Pizzeria Limone take out for dinner tonight because Carew's picture looked sooooo good! We just HAD to get pizza!!! :)

Wow Carew, you are living your dreams! Now go out and get 'em! :)

At the Cabin!

 Our long break from school and work over the UEA holiday last weekend was SOOO ENJOYABLE!!!

We took a trip to Fairview to our new cabin property and broke it in just right! :)

 We got there just as it was getting dark and so we headed inside, stoked the fire, and made dinner.

Everyone was excited for this new adventure and I can tell that it is going to be the beginning of some very good memory making time with my family! I can't wait to share it with everyone!!!

 The rooms are all furnished with beds, and this little room with butterflies on the walls and 2 little flower bed spreads seemed to be perfectly prepared for my two littlest angels. Kesslyn was a big girl and slept in the big bed and only fell out about 3 times per night. ;) It didn't seem to bother her much though because every time I would go in to check on her I would find her sleeping on the floor and would have to pick her up and put her back in bed. :)

 I was excited for morning to come so that I could sit in the front room and look out the picture window at the sunrise...This is what I saw as I sat there in the dark, looking out the window, and sipping on my hot pumpkin spiced cider. ;)

I LOVED watching the sky change as it got lighter and lighter...

 The property right next to us doesn't have any structures on it, just land with cows grazing...

We did meet the owner though because it was the opening weekend of the deer hunt and him and his sons in law were there camping out. They are from Riverton too and we actually had a lot of things in common. They were very friendly and welcoming... 

 Then I began to hear little children waking, and came in the room to find Kesslyn snuggling up to Kambriella...:)

 Everyone was up early and ready to go exploring! 

 The boys felt like they hit the jackpot when they found a real hunting bow and quiver full of arrows left for us in the garage!

 We all went out on the back deck and took turns shooting...

 We even tried to let little Kesslyn take a turn, but it was kind of hard for her. :)

Dallin was the one I think that loved it the most...

 I felt so happy watching Clint... It was so rewarding to see him enjoying something that has been a part of the fruits of all of his hard work...

 After we were done shooting for a while we decided to go for a walk around the property line to see just what we had bought!

 Right out back of the house is a covered area that was used for storing hay. We want to pour cement and make it into a big covered pavilion for the family to gather in the summers for meals, games, etc.

 We will probably have to remove all of the horse gates since we won't have animals...that would have been so fun to get horses, but we would never be able to take care of them since we won't be there often enough for that...

 As we began walking out on the property we came across a lot of flat ground with lots of fallen trees and dead wood that will eventually need to be cleared away...We talked about and dreamed of what we want to do...a shooting range, a fire pit, the pavilion...maybe a tree house and zip lines??

 It's fun to dream...:)

  As we got further and further away from the house, the trees started to get thicker. At one point I turned around to look back at the house and it was no where in sight...

As we approached the back fence line we found the gate that we will need to get permission to go through to get to the irrigation ditch where the kids all want to go fishing...That will probably have to come next year though because winter is fast approaching here...

 Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees...

 ..the kids all loved playing in them...:)

We continued our walk now heading north along the fence line...

 There's a total of about 10 acres which seems like just the right amount for growing and exploring without getting too lost. ;)

 The biggest and tallest trees seemed to be more on the north side of the property, probably because the water source is over there. There is a small creek that runs right along that side of the property...

 We HAD to take a picture next to this perfect little evergreen tree! The kids picked it out and named it "our Christmas tree!" (But of course we WON"T be cutting it down. ;)

 So much of what we were doing made me feel like a kid again...going here literally took me back in time about 30 years!

 The wind was blowing slightly and all of the leaves that were left on the trees would come swirling down to the ground...

 The kids danced around in circles trying their hardest to catch them as they would come swirling down...

 Kambriella found a walking stick and some feathers...

 ...and then we found the part of the creek that jets over onto our property! It's just a small bend, but it was still soooo fun to see and explore! :)

 This seems like it will be a perfect little spot for the kids to splash in and collect frogs in the summertime...

 I LOVE the idea of children running around and playing OUTSIDE!!! Disconnecting from the world in all of the right ways...We had no cell service, no T.V. and it was perfect. :)

 As we reached the cabin again, everyone headed off in different directions...some to the bow and arrow, some to the pile of wood and tall grass, some to the kitchen for a snack, and some to the bathroom...;)

 I went to the front deck and took a picture of the driveway leading up to the cabin, and then, we got to work! We began de-junking and moving furniture around, cleaning, wiping down, vacuuming, and scrubbing...

 We sat down for a minute to take a little break and looked out the picture window again to see some dark clouds moving in...it hailed! But only for a minute...

 We prepared this room to be a family room/theater room with new couches that we brought up in our trailer...Now we just need to go get a big screen  T.V. and DVD player so we can watch movies at night when we can't do much outside...

 I love everything about this room! The wood burning stove reminds me of growing up in Alaska, and I love the little brick arches for storing firewood...If you look closely you can see a skull of a buffalo on the left counter top...and Yes, that's the buffalo hide on the floor! The chairs that we kept in that room are so old fashioned and full of character, and the chair and ottoman by the counter are so much like the ones we had when I was a little girl growing up in Alaska! They just HAD to stay! :)

 The basement of the cabin has no heat source other than the wood burning stove, so Clint kept that going while we worked. 

On Saturday morning, Clint's dad showed up with their two foreign exchange students to help do some work on the outside. There were trees too close to the house that had to come down, wood piles to move, and grass to mow...

 Thank goodness for chainsaws and elbow grease..and family...and cabins...and traditions, and memories, and FUN times with family!!!

Now...to think of a name for the place!? It's got to have a good name that we can affectionately refer to when we talk about it, and it has to sound as good as it makes me feel going there...hmmm...

Everyone is putting their thinking caps on and we will have a vote later to decide what it will be! :)

All I can say, ONCE again...I'm just soooo grateful!!! :)