Happy Halloween!

We sure know how to have some fun, let me tell you!

Friday was class room parties, Harvest party at school and a haunted house....Saturday was 2 soccer games in the rain, pumpkin carving and a Halloween party (at our house!), Sunday was a lazy morning and then dinner and trick or treating with friends.....you will be exhausted by the end of this post, just so you know....

The Harvest Party at school was put on by the PTC which I am a board member of (secretary and treasurer). So I did not have to work a booth, but I was a runner and a crazy one at that! We had a great turn out and everyone had a great time. So success!!!!
After the party my friend Kim and I decided to take the kids to a haunted house....good idea? Sure why not!!!

This is Kim and I, not a great quality photo, but we look good so I had to post!

Lucy being brave and posing with Chucky! Yes that is a real person in that picture!


Caymus being brave also...we had a good 20+ min wait before we could go through the HH, that was a good thing. It gave all the kids a chance to get used to the scary guys in masks trying (and succeeding) to scare us.


All the brave kiddos! Karsen - the inmate, Trevan - the camo ninja, Caymus - the pirate, Chucky, Lucy - the cowgirl, Jaci - the witch

Just so you know, we did all make it out alive....you probably already gussed that since I am writing this post, but let me tell you it was a close call! We could only go in groups up to 4 people....there were 7 of us....so I took my 2 and Jaci and Kim took Karsen and Trevan....I had Jaci on my back and one kid on each arm....they all screamed the ENTIRE time! I, being the amazing mom I am, laughed the ENTIRE time.....Needless to say my kids slept with me that night.


My pumpkins carving pumpkins. Love them so much!


I was a hippie for our party. Funny thing is I wore my moms old original hippie skirt and sweatshirt.........I wore this skirt in High School all the time. Yes I was that cool!

So Saturday night we had our first Halloween party. The kids and I had been looking forward to this for a good month and a half. We decorated the house up pretty well and had loads of food. Had some of our very favorite people here to party down with us too!


Miss Jaci the most beautiful witch I have ever seen!


Lt J Dangle even showed up!!! Who called Reno 911???? Bob was a great sport, he only hand cuffed the willing......


Raine and Kim

Robby and Kim - brother/sister love, but not in a creepy back woods kinda way.
Pops - he tried to kiss me and he lost his teeth....


Paulette the geisha. She looks amazing!!!!

Now I am really wishing I took pictures of everyone who came, but at least I remember to take my camera out at all!!!
We had a great time and I think this will be a yearly tradition. So much fun!!!

Sunday we headed back out, had dinner at the truck driver Pops and geisha Paulettes house, then trick or treated around the neighborhood. Good times for sure. Great weather too!


I busted out my army gear.....

Lucy and Caymus the Pirate and Cowgirl!

CrAzY KiDz!!! Karsen, Caymus and Lucy

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

OUR NEW HOUSE!!!

The end of August I bought a house! We have been busy packing, moving, unpacking, cleaning, painting, building, tearing out landscape.......anyway here are some photos of the process!


The house - Picture from the real estate listing.


Me right after I got the keys.....yeah I was a little happy.....


Lucy getting busy painting her room


Caymus working on his "Sky" in his room

My folks made it down and gave us some much needed help and wisdom in the yard.....We made an herb garden right off the back deck....


Lucy's room all painted.....she kinda has a thing for polka dots!


Caymus has a cool motorbike track on his walls now....we just need to find some wall decals of dirt bikes!


Yea rocking the tool belt.....



My dad and I tearing out some trees. NOT an easy job, but we did it and it looks great!



Come-along and pick ax came in real handy for this job!


The front of the house 3 weeks after moving in....we are making progress!


The kids and I in front of our sweet new home......My mom has named it "Cherish house".

Lummi Life

After a whole week of the kids and grandma all alone while Grandpa and I were off working our tails off....funny cause you just saw the conference blog and know the truth......we came back home and rescued her! And then Tio Reid came down too! So we had a great weekend on the island!

Reid is cleaning out his storage unit and I tagged along for some good times. Lots of memories as he dug through boxes.....some good laughs too. Here he is modeling some of Dads old ski gear....


Dad hooked me up with some tools....tool belt, skill saw, jig saw, his old (really really old) tool box loaded with tools. All this so I can get busy on our new house....stay tuned for more info on that one.....I think if I just strut around in this tool belt I will have handy boys lined up at my door wanting to help! he he he


Reid and I were on the loose.....bandito burrito and brass knuckles!!!!


This is what happens when you leave your phone un-attended......
My chicka! Such a beauty!
And a total goof ball! Her and mom are peas in a pod!
This lady is awesome! I love her so much!


Having some fun on the beach! These are some cool climbing rocks!


Crazy animals wanted to get in the car with me! I let them......and didn't regret it for a second! They may be wild, but they are mine!!!

Calgary Conference

We pulled off another conference!!! Some days I just dont know how we do it. But someone has to provide the refining community with amazing training and conferences!!!

Big Bear strutting his stuff in the Exhibit hall!


I had to add this because all the other pictures I added are of us playing dress up.....This is David, he works for a very large company and is a very good friend. We are having a serious conversation, trust me. Cant you tell by the look on his face that what I am saying is really important? I think so......good guy.


Everyone who went to the shoot out dinner.....actually this is almost everyone who came to the conference! We really had a great turn out! Oh and it did not rain!!!


Marlea the Red and Juniper Jane! Look out Oilsands, we are here for the coke drum....



And it looks like we were successful in steeling it!!!


Our awesome team with some outlaws......I really dig my job!!!

Family Camp

Way back over labor day weekend I packed up the kids and the dog and went camping for the weekend. My moms family has had a camp out every year for almost as long as I can remember. Its been 5 years since the last time I went, so I was due! There were only about 35 of us there....we have out grown any "real" campground. My Aunt has a connection with some folks who have property along the river, they keep up a nice private "camp" fully equipt with porta pottys, large tents, bbqs, fire pits, water.....Awesome place!!!
Lucy with the only other girl cousin! So adorable!


I am rocking the campground. I am not sure how much they loved having me around! I apparently laugh really loud and a lot.....and I think my red hair throws them off!!!


My girl! She is such a character!!! And she was really into playing Apples to Apples!!!


Caymus pretty much played on this bike all weekend! Next year I will bring his! He built jumps and caught air for 3 days solid!


This is our "family camp" picture. This year the Aunts had a great idea to take family pictures in front of our "homes". Very funny and a great memory to look back on!

Mom and Dads "house". Very sweet arnt they? The funny part is, they were the first in the family way back when to have a moter home......They have come full circle with the whole tent thing!!!


Moose got off his bike long enough to play in the river a little. Doesn't that look fun? I bet it was but that water was about 45 degrees!!!



Lucy got a ride with Uncle Ray on the antique 3 wheeler. She had a blast and begged anyone who would listen to take her for a ride!


Learned how to play dutch blitz, fun game. We played because we are dutch.....funny though the point of the game is to get rid of cards not hoard them...that doesn't sound very dutch to me!

Had a great time and bonded with some family I havent seen in ages. I will be back from now on if they like it or not!!!

First Day Of School!!!!

You got it! First day back! I am proud to introduce my 2nd grader Miss Lucy and my 1st grader Mr Caymus!!!










Both kids were so excited to get back to school. They love it and I am so glad. Its not just for the social part either, they really enjoy learning.
After school I got the full report on how much fun they had, they love their teachers, they both have several friends in class and they are so happy!!! Thats all a mama can ask for is happy kids!

Corn Festival!!!

Saturday was the Aumsville Corn Festival. Think small country town good old fashioned fun.
This marked my first 5k as well. It was a fun run and that's just what it was, fun. I did not train, and I had a horrible cold. But really it was fun. I ended up chatting it up some parents I know from school and we all kinda ran it together. I placed 3rd outta my age group....30-39. And my time was 26.57. So now I have a bench mark for all the future runs I will be doing!


After my run, we met up with our friends Tulah and Stephanie for the parade and festival. Good times were had by all!




And that really was the end of summer.........Glad we went out with a bang and had one heck of a good time! This has been an amazingly busy summer, but we sure did live it up!!!