So we were a little slow this year in getting pumpkins carved and didn’t even buy them until Halloween day. Josh went to the store and bought (almost the last ones) them and came home and we carved away!!! Rachel was very concerned that we might not do it and that was just not acceptable.
Rachel cleaning out the inside of her pumpkin
- Sarah carving her first pumpkin
posing with the inflatable witch
I sure love this beautiful princess!!
Pierce, Ella, Sarah, and Rachel getting ready to go trick-or-treating
Rachel and Gina
My friend Tania, came over with her family and their daughter Gina went trick-or-treating with the girls. What a fun night!! I love Halloween and so do my girls. Sarah continues to tell me ‘I love trick-or-treating, dress a Minnie, get candy’ sometimes the comments are so random but she really did love Halloween.
We had fun this year for halloween, Sarah was old enough to really enjoy the night. She just LOVED getting to dress up as Minnie Mouse. Of course, Rachel was the most beautiful snow princess ever!!!
We had a fun night at our ward halloween party, playing carnival games and then trick or treating around the building to the different classrooms. This year Rachel really wasn’t into the games, she kept asking me ‘when do we get to go trick or treating’. Patience is something that takes a while to learn!
Minnie and the Snow Princess
Rachel the Snow Princess
Sarah dressed as her favorite character, Minnie
So the gloves Sarah has on crack me up, they were HUGE!! They came with this 3T costume and would probably been big on Rachel. Sarah loved them and wanted to wear them the entire time!
Sarah fishing for prizes
Rachel fishing for prizes
I never understood why my girls think that puppets belong on both hands and feet. I love my crazy girls. Rachel actually captured this picture in her camera but it just cracks me up so I had to put it on the blog. One day I will explain to my girls that puppets are really just for hands.
October was a scary month, the Swine Flu was sweeping threw Rachel’s school. Each week Rachel had 4-5 kids (out of 19) out sick. Almost everyone we know with school age kids got the flu and it was tough. Rachel, who has never really been sick before, got very sick. She had temps at 103 degrees for three days straight, we were giving her tylenol and motrin around the clock and nothing would bring down her fever. It just wouldn’t drop no matter what we did. Rachel was so upset when she had to stay home from school that she started to cry. It just warms a mother’s heart when a child loves learning. Rachel stayed on the couch for a solid 4 days, it was tough seeing her so sick.
Sick Rachel
Of course, as soon as Rachel was better Sarah got sick. Lucky for us Sarah only had a fever for 2 days straight. It was still around 103 degrees but didn’t last as long. Sarah did seem to feel bad for days after her fever passed, it was a long week. Josh and I were fortunate that we were able to stay healthy but having the girls sick is so hard, especially when nothing you do seems to help. Glad we are all healthy now.
Sick Sarah
The Elder’s Quorum at our church help a Family Pinewood Derby. Josh bought a kit for him and the girls. It was a fun experience. Rachel helped Josh design the cars and figure out which style of cars to make. I helped the girls paint their cars and that was fun, Rachel did a great job and had a beautiful pink car with purple windows. Sarah’s car was very interesting, she wanted to paint it by herself, or in Sarah’s language ‘I do it by my yelf’. She did a great job and painted the entire car by herself.
The night was fun and our cars were not very fast. The girls’ cars were the two slowest that night but they didn’t care, they had a great time and were still very proud.
Sarah's, Rachel's and Josh's cars
I do have to take credit for Sarah’s convertible, I told Josh it would be really cool if she could have a seat in her car to put some of her people in. Josh then took the idea and here is the finished product. Don’t you just love her paint job?
During Balloon Fiesta it is so fun to watch the balloons from our house every morning. Some mornings the balloons are far away and other mornings they are above our house.
balloons from our house
Every year we take the girls to the Balloon Fiesta for the special shapes balloon glow. It takes place at night and the balloons inflate but don’t take off. Instead they stay on the ground and once it gets dark they turn their burners on and ‘glow’. It is so fun to be right next to the balloons, feeling the heat of their fire.
Sarah was running circles around us as we sat on the grass and ate our dinner. She loved being free to run around on the huge grass field. 
Rachel posing with the Storm Trooper
They had Storm Troopers on guard by the Darth Vader Balloon. We had to convince Rachel to take a picture with one, she was a little nervous. 
The Bees are my favorite balloons!
me and my girls
Watch them glow
One of the best parts of living in Albuquerque is the Balloon Fiesta! It is awesome to have a solid week when the sky is just filed to with balloons. The day before Balloon Fiesta officially starts the city sponsor’s what is called Albuquerque Aloft, which is when Balloons take off from various schools around town. Rachel’s school is one of the lucky schools that gets to participate. I had the joy of showing up at 5:30 in the morning to help the PTA hand out Breakfast burritoes to those people who ordered them. My hands were so frozen that I couldn’t bend my fingers. Josh brought the girls up a while later to eat breakfast and watch the balloons inflate and take off!!
watching the balloons inflate
Rachel watching the balloons inflate
Mommy and Sarah
It is so fun to stand right next to a balloon right as they are taking off and then watch them disappear right above you.
And there the balloons go, flying over Rachel’s school.
