The Lost Year

This year will forever be known as my lost year. I was so focused with teaching and Michelangelo kept the camera at his studio so I wasn't able to take as many pictures as I would have liked during the year. So some pictures are borrowed and some events are not recorded with pictures. I think I got most of the important ones though. Here is my attempt at a quick catch up.

In the spring Monkey turns 8 and Bug turns 5!

 For my Dad's Birthday we went on a Penguin Excursion at The Living Planet Aquarium

. This penguin laid beneath Bug's feet for most of the visit and kept all the other penguins at bay. It was pretty funny.

 I took the girls to our Friend's campout this summer all by myself. Michelangelo had to work and I was pretty proud of myself for pulling it off. It was also nice to know there were plenty of friends around to help if I needed it. We had a lot of fun.

 For my side of the family's extend family reunion we went to Cove Fort and Bryce Canyon. It was beautiful! I love being with my family.

 All the girls started school. I started teaching for my first full year. Monkey started 3rd grade in the Spectrum program. Bug started Kindergarten. Boo started Daycare at the High School. They take great care of her and she gets to be with her sister for part of the day.

I began the school year with my own class of 2nd graders. They are the cutest people in the world. I love being their teacher!

 Monkey and Michelangelo entered the State Fair. This was Monkey's first time.

 Michelangelo won the Grand Prize award and First place in the Professional Sculpture category! In other art related news; Michelangelo made a strippling warrior sculpture to go along with the 2000 young men that marched in the Bountiful Handcart Days Parade. It was so popular Deseret Book has started selling them in their store. He also continues to receive orders from all over the country for his Native American Lacrosse pieces. Things are going really well for him.

 We spent alot of time on the Soccer Fields this year with both Monkey and Bug playing Soccer. Monkey is getting pretty good! Bug is starting to get the hang of it and loves making new friends each game. Boo loves to play games on the sidelines.

Boo and I had our Birthdays. Boo turned 3. I am 10 times that plus a year. Boo loved blowing out the candles but got a little confused when everyone sang Happy Birthday to Mommy as well.

Thanks giving was wonderful. Monkey was in the school musical, "Annie", and she and Bug were also in a singing group called the Gingerbread Kids. Monkey had 5 or 6 solos depending on which night it was and Bug kept us laughing withe her antics. She finally figured out that if she wants a solo next year she has to sing all the time this year. Needles to say the last two performances were much improved. Lets just hope she gets a solo next year.

Christmas was wonderful! The girls were so cute together and we had a grand time with family. I may post more about this later.

I got a camera for Christmas so hopefully I will be better at posting. My goal is once a month.

Photo taken by Amy Carlston at http://serve-sunshine.blogspot.com

 Despite being a lost year 2012 was a great year. I am so excited for 2013!

halloween a week late

Last week was my birthday. I love birthdays, and this was especially good because trick or treating happened the day before so I didn't have to worry about getting my kids out the door and celebrate. We could do it seperately.
My future son-in-law and his family stopped to by to say hello. Their dad is an engineer, so the jelly fish lights up. I was pretty impressed.

I know that joke is getting old, but how fun would that be if that really came true. Such a cute family.
Then we went trunk or treating with my parents. Trunk or treating is when a group lines their cars up so the kids can come to one place and not have to go door to door. It's very efficient, which is why I love it.

And if it weren't for my sister in law we wouldn't have as great of pictures as these. The ones I got were frightening.

Bug was Raggedy Ann and won an award for most original costume at the trunk or treat. Lala was a leopard on Saturday and a pumpkin on Sunday. Monkey was Juliet and I dressed up to fit her time period. I felt like Drew Berrymore on Ever After when she rescues the gardener and has to dress up like a noble.
The next day we celebrated my birthday.

I'm not a big fan of cake, so my cute mom got me a chocolate pie. It was delicious! We had to light and blow out candles fast. I didn't want wax in the chocolate.
 Then we went to my family's annual Halloween Party. But instead of my cousins the 5 little pigs, some of the cast from Toy Story, the Ipod shadows, M&M's, cougar fans plus a referee, a tree, super mom and dad, milk and cookies, salt and pepper, and the Tooth Fairy showed up! It's a good thing we all got along so well!

Back: Toy Soldier (homemade I might add, amazing!), Jesse and Woody, dancing pig, golfer pig, oak tree, Super Dad, Super Mom, cookies, milk, the Wicked Witch, an airline passenger, pumpkin. Front row: Juliet, Tooth Fairy (with bags for fairy dust, coins and teeth. too cute.), Raggedy Ann, Ipod shadows, Piggy that went wee, wee,all the way home, football player, Green M&M, Red M&M, Cougar fan, salt and pepper. Laying down: Cougar referee.

since the pumpkin was looking away here's a better shot.

I love my family so much. They are such good sports and so creative. My cousins in New Mexico drove up and surprised us. We missed the rest of the family that wasn't able to be there, but I always love seeing the pictures that show up later.
The Halloween Party is always so much fun, I just hope we didn't scare away the two significant others that were there. We always do a short little video with plot and sound effects that include all cousins in costume. And this year we had food and a game to include the uncles. We turned our uncles into mummies. Only two people were allowed from each family and there was a time limit. My Dad is my favorite.

Here are the little girls hanging out. I am so grateful that they are getting to know their cousins.
I hope everyone's Halloween was as fantastic as mine was. I'm so excited for November and being 29. It's going to be a good year (I hope).
Mmwah!

It's Halloween!

There's lots of fun on Halloween!
Mr. Call and I opted out of costumes this year, taking on the roles of proud parents instead. But the girls still needed to celebrate. They had been so excited for their costumes, until the big night came and Bug decided she didn't like being dressed up. And I may be the meanest mom ever, but this picture is so expressive I can't help but post it.Here is the best picture we have of the two girls in their costumes.
Can anyone teach me how to get rid of the glare in this picture? I tried my best with my limited knowledge.
It only took Bug one door for her to realize that she was going to get treats, and then she was a very happy, very excited penguin.
Here's my kangaroo showing me her early loot.
Trick or Treat!
Both girls were troopers never complaining about being tired. They probably could've done more, but momma was done.
It was so fun to see the penguin waddle as fast as she could to get to the next door and keep up with sis.
The loot and happy girls.
Another picture of the baby penguin. I just can't get enough.
Every year my extended family has a Halloween party. I look forward to it all year long. Everyone in costume gets to be a star and participate in that years skit. It's video taped to be seen later. It's quite entertaining. This years story was a lot of fun as always and this is definitely the cutest lobster bisque I have ever seen.
My cousins are the greatest.
(Back row: Robin and Batman, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Flapper, Funky Chicken, Punk, Goth, Farmer with Lobster. 2nd row: Gangster, Energizer Bunny, Penguin, Michael Jackson, Sierra, Cooper, Cook, 50' girl, Baby Penguin. Kneeling: Snow princess and Kangaroo).
Thanks family for the fun times and thanks Mom and Dad for hosting. It was great!