Finally . . . Halloween arrived! This is by far one of my most favorite days of the year. Halloween Eve was quite a chore trying to get two little kids to bed who were way too excited for Halloween in the morning. Edyn was so cute when I pulled out a couple of costumes for her to decide on for school and watched as she couldn't control her giddy emotions. It was truly a "kid in a candy store" moment and I really wish I had it on video. Ethan couldn't make up his mind so he picked one for school and wore the other one to bed. He really did! So Friday morning was probably the best morning ever for getting ready and getting to school on time. Total cooperation! So what did they end up being . . .
CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE
Edyn was, I think, the cutest witch ever and Ethan was a zombie. After they finshed school we headed down to our favorite spot for halloween, Hoboken, for the Ragamuffin parade. The kids scored tons of candy just walking past the little shoppes and then we wasted some time going out to eat while we waited for people to get back home for the REAL trick-or-treating to begin. Now this is my favorite part! I love how this town decorates their brown-stone walkups and love how the majority of them wait on their stoops to hand out their candy and even some of the families take their little halloween parties out to the sidewalks. Decorations were faaaabulous this year and there were some really adorable carved pumpkins. Hoboken did not disappoint this year! Oh, and being 60 degrees today was awesome (since it's been so wretched cold lately)! So here are some pictures of our Halloween Adventure this year. It will be really sad not to be here for it next year. So glad we made the most of our last one in Hoboken! Thank you Hoboken for 4 years of awesome Halloweens!
And the hubster turns 33 today! Hope you have a wonderful birthday today! Your little boy woke up this morning and asked where you were and after I told him that you had already left for school he pouted and said "I really wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday today!" I thought it was so cute that he had remembered and that it was the first thing he thought of as soon as he had got up this morning. We love you more than anything and are so thankful for all the things you do for us!
Couldn't resist! A couple of weeks ago Chad was doing some of his dental lab work for school and I just had to take a picture. I tried to do it secretly but as soon as he heard the click he looked up and asked "Your going to put that on your blog, aren't you?". Ummmmm, OF COURSE!
Oh, and thank you to everyone for your well wishes for getting better. I'm feeling better but still not my normal self. I guess I had a viral infection that turned into Reactive Airway Disease. So my lungs and body sure took a hit! So still trying not to do too much so a full recovery will come faster.
My brother is doing much better. He was transferred from ICU to the trauma unit in Calgary and then just a couple of days ago he was good enough to be transferred by ambulance from Calgary to Lethbridge so he could be closer to home. Thanks again everyone for your comments, phone calls, and acts of kindness! We really appreciated them!
I can't remember the last time I actually felt so crappy that I ended up in bed all day. Yup, did't get out of bed until about 3pm (well, except of course for a little bit around breakfast and lunchtime to feed the kids but as soon as I was done I headed right back to what felt like my deathzone). The best way to describe it is it really felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer and gave me a good whack upside the head. Oh, and then the dreadful dry cough I couldn't keep under control and the constant cold sweats - I hate those! My poor kids! Ethan was actually really cute and understanding as he would come in and check on me quite often and ask if I was ok and then say he was sorry that I felt so sick followed by a hug. All in all they were pretty well behaved and I think it was all due to me having no objection to them destroying the house today. That kept them pretty busy! LOL.
But I do have to say that I really have nothing to complain about. I found out early this morning that my brother, Ethan, took a fall last night and is currently in ICU. He was working on his house that he's building and I guess he fell a storey into the basement. He broke the T12 in his back, has internal bleeding in his brain and three fractures at the bottom of his skull (not the first time he's broken his back, and if you know my brother he's been through quite a lot in his life and he's really lucky to still be walking let alone still be with us). My SIL told me that he knows who people are but is still a little phased and doesn't make sense a lot of the time. They are waiting for another CT scan this evening to determine if the internal bleeding is still there or if it has subsided. I guess why I'm writing this is for all of those who know our family, especially Big Ethan, and those of you who don't, please keep him in your prayers. I'm just beside myself since I'm so far away from home and all I can do is wait patiently by the phone for updates. I just wish I could be there to show my support or just be there to help out in anyway that I can! Candace and especially Ethan we LOVE you and are definately praying for you! And darn it, quit doing this to us! **Said lovingly**
As part of the launch of Handbag Planet's website they are giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours on October 15th! Head on over there and enter to win! Time is running out!
Thanks Erica for this very prestigous award, I'm so flattered! Tee Hee. So here goes nothing:
Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others.
Here are the questions: 1. Where is your cell phone? KITCHEN 2. Where is your significant other? NYU 3. Your hair color? BROWN 4. Your mother? LOVING 5. Your father? KIND 6. Your favorite thing? PINKBERRY 7. Your dream last night? FORGOT 8. Your dream/goal? SLIMMER 9. The room you're in? OFFICE 10. Your hobby? SEWING 11. Your fear? ELEPHANTMAN 12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? DEBTLESS 13. Where were you last night? BED 14. What you're not? SWIFT 15. One of your wish-list items? HUMMER 16. Where you grew up? CANADA 17. The last thing you did? GOODNIGHTKISS 18. What are you wearing? SWEATS 19. Your TV? UGLY 20. Your pet? NEVER 21. Your computer? STUPID 22. Your mood? TIRED 23. Missing someone? FAMILY 24. Your car? ANNOYING 25. Something you're not wearing? SOCKS 26. Favorite store? FABRIC 27. Your summer? BUSY 28. Love someone? FAMILY 29. Your favorite color? RED 30. When is the last time you laughed? AFTERNOON 31. Last time you cried? CHURCH
All I have to say is AMAZING! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Lion King to be as awesome as it was! The minute the curtain came up and the animals started to flood the stage my heart was pounding. I can't explain how but the show just immediately grabs you and pretty much doesn't let you go until the end. Well, even then you are still somewhat caught up in it as you mull over the magnificent things your eyes have beheld. For starters the costumes were insane! When the giraffes came out onto the stage for the first scene I swear my jaw dropped all the way to the floor and then it only got better from there. Besides the costumes the songs and voices were soooooo powerful! Seriously, I wanted to get up and start dancing and singing! LOL. Nathaniel Stampley was Mufasa and boy oh boy did he have an incredible voice! It was so powerful, which I guess is required for Mufasa, the role of a great King. He didn't disappoint! Derek Smith played the role of Scar and he was so amazingly nasty and was just so perfect for the part. He made you cringe every time he spoke as he plotted his way to ruling Pride Rock. But out of all the characters in the play my favorite was the role of Rafiki played by Tshidi Manye. If I would have been allowed I would have taken Rafiki home with me. Ethan loved her! He was so cute the way he giggled as a result of her presence on stage. We had a fabulous time and I think dates with just Ethan and I should be more often. Especially if it's broadway shows! Here's a few pics I took of Ethan before we headed into the show.
This picture was hilarious. I was waiting to take a picture of Ethan when all of a sudden this lady runs up to him right when I click to take the picture and his face was priceless. She scared him silly but he had a good laugh as she ran away.
Before Lion King started we were pretty early so we walked down the street and passed the theatre for "All My Sons". It was it's opening night and I guess Katie Holmes is in it. So I guess all the "Say NO to Scientology" freaks came out for the night to protest. I got a kick out of the sign "Free Katie, Keep Tom!". Honestly though, can't they think of a better way to spend their evening? Well, apparently not! But besides this and 4 half naked guys tryin to sell their calender (sorry I didn't get a pic for you! LOL.), New York City was pretty normal for the night. Awwww, we're going to miss this place when we move! Oh, and thank you NYU for your student discount tickets! We've sure appreciated you the last couple of weeks!
I'm pretty sure that no matter how much time goes by, whenever someone mentions the date September 11th, I'll always get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even though we weren't there to live through it, my heart aches for that awful day! I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the terrorist attacks were announced throughout the world and I remember the first time approaching the world trade center when we first moved here as tears quickly surfaced as I imagined the chaos and destruction and lost lives of that day. I will never comprehend the hatred of those who felt this horrific act was necessary.
This September 11th Chad and I were able to go into the city for a date. When we came home to pick up the kids from our friends we were so glad that we had made the decision to ride the ferry instead of taking the train. On the Southern tip of Manhattan were two beams of light shooting all the way up into the sky acting as a reminder to us all of where the two towers once stood and of those who had lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. It was an amazing sight and we couldn't take our eyes off of it. When we got the kids, and even though it was close to midnight, we decided to race home and grab our camera and head down to the waterfront and take some pictures as we knew that this was our last time to take advantage of this moment. It was an incredible sight to see and one that left us with lots to reflect on. Here's some of the pictures that Chad was able to take from the waterfront in Jersey City.
LOL. Not really but when you see these pictures of Edyn you'll agree with me that she sure knows how to get around in NYC and just how to look the part. I was removing pictures off of our camera and came across these two. I had totally forgotten that Chad had taken them. So here's our fashionable Edyn riding the train into Manhattan. Sunglasses and purse in hand are essential! Oh, and it cracks me up just how serious she is in this first one. I guess she's got places to go and things to see!
The day has arrived! Ethan and Edyn both started school today. With it being Edyn's first time to go to school full-time I found myself ancy most the day worrying about her and wondering if she was doing ok. I never thought I'd be one that cried when I dropped off a child for their first day but surprisingly it took everything in me to hold back a few tears as I left Edyn's classroom this morning. But really, I guess I had nothing to worry about. Her teacher mentioned that she did really well and cried just a tiny bit when they were asked to lay on their cots for a nap. She hasn't had a scheduled nap in forever so I really don't blame her, especially when there is toys in arms reach. LOL. When I picked both of them up they were completely drenched in sweat. No wonder! It was 90 degrees today, mixed with a ton of humidity, and there school has no air conditioning. Hmmmmm, summer doesn't really look like it's over! Oh well, they did look really cute in their uniforms, little beads of sweat on their noses and frazzled humid hair!
Tee Hee! One last thing . . . do you think I could fit Edyn in her Hello Kitty backpack? That thing is way too big!
Our family of four currently lives in Star, Idaho where Chad just opened his brand new Dental practice, in Nampa, called Bright Smiles. Ethan is in 2nd grade while Edyn is loving 1st grade. I keep busy being a mommy, a wife and dabbling here and there in sewing dolls, stitcheries and quilts. Stop on by our blog anytime, we are always up to something!
