CHRISTMAS JOYS!

We had a great Christmas Eve dinner complete with Chicken Alfredo(the kids fav) and Crab Legs(Ryan and my fav..the kids actually ate them this year which I was glad for and not, less for Ryan and I). I told the kids that I wanted them to look nice for dinner, and Caleb and Max came out with shirts and ties..Caleb even did his hair and it was slicked down with gel. So funny. Sam and Noah thought their shirts were nice enough. We had a great time and after dinner I asked who was ready to open their Christmas pajamas...... Everyone was ready.

This is at 6:15 a.m. Emma is wondering why we woke her up and Mara is livid because I put a rubber band in her hair to keep it out of her face. Sam and Noah woke up at 3:48 and turned on the computer to find out what time it was. They claim they laid awake until 6:00a.m. Noah got a watch, so now he is the time keeper! He loves the watch, and keeps time of everything now...how long it takes me to make something, or get to the car, or drive somewhere...

Emma was loving all the wrappers and boxes!

Santa brought Emma a new high chair! Yeah for her and mom. Now she can't crawl out onto the counter and scare her mom to death.

The kids got a wii from Ryan's parents, and Rock band from my parents! They were so excited they screamed like little girls-they have played it all day.

Mara got a little table and chairs and the kids set up her tea set and had breakfast in the living room. An absolute NO NO any other day! All stops are pulled for Christmas

Mara got hair glitter and thought Emma needed some in her hair.

What a disaster! I really have cleaned up a lot, but you'd never know it! I really don't like the eternal wreck that Christmas leaves your house in, but it is so fun for the kids! Hope you all had a great Christmas too!

~Family Home Evening Nativity~

Family Home Evening tonight, we did the nativity! It was so much fun. Sam organized it all, assigned all the parts, and found all the costumes. Ryan says he's just like me! Whatever, I think it's a good thing. He likes to organize games and plays and all that...great for me. Mary and Joseph riding the donkey...I wasn't really sitting on Sam, he just had to make that face like he was getting crushed.
The Shephards and then later the wisemen.

Baby Jesus in Emma form. Don't ask me what I have on my head, notice the grinning donkey in the background. Caleb made the perfect Joseph, he is always so kind and caring and considerate of his sisters, so it was a perfect part for him.

Baby Jesus wouldn't lay down in the manger. What a stink, she is too young to be standing up!

Caleb with the "animal" ears on. He makes me giggle when he does that face and says..."what!"

Mara! What can I say! She was supposed to be Mary but refused. She wanted to be the Roman solider. I am still wondering about her. She likes girly, but with all those brothers, she likes to be like them as well.

Max the Shephard!

Sam as "Samuel the Lamanite" luckily we had ran out of aluminum foil and we only had enough for two stones. Caleb had Sam's new bow...with no arrows, so Sam was never hit. At the end, the kids sang the verse of the song that they had to sing for sacrament meeting, even Mara knew the words.

Mewwey Cwrissmass!

3 Days until Emma's first Christmas!

Celebrating Sam's Birthday!

Sam with his "haul" he got a bow! He would now just like it to get above zero so that he could actually go outside and shoot it. He went out with Ryan on Saturday and they set up the target in the barn thinking that it might be warmer, but after a couple shots each, they were back inside. It is just bitter cold and it cuts right through you.

Me and Sam at 3D... those dimples just kill me! LOVE 'EM!

We try to take the kids out for dinner just by themselves for their birthday, but since we were just leaving Noah to tend, we decided to take Emma with us. We had a great time at 3D eating mongolian BBQ! Sam decided it was his new favorite.

I was just finishing wrapping up Sam's presents when Mara came in and had to help! I had nothing left to wrap, but that didn't stop her. She found a scrap of paper and asked for a piece of tape and wrapped up the phone. Just as Sam was unwrapping the first present (an i-pod shuffle from YiaYia and Papou) the phone rang! I quickly threw the package to Sam and said "quick open this one and answer the phone! We all got quite a laugh out of that one. Funny Mara!

Happy Happy Sam, ELEVEN!

Oh! how I love this kid!

Such a cute personality! He is forever thinking that life is a game, and he is out to win!

Always a loving brother who is more than happy to help out and hold the babies!

It snowed again this morning! Sam was glad because he'd been praying for snow on his birthday and his prayer was answered! I was hoping I could post some pictures of Sam as a baby, but I don't have a scanner, and so I will just have to post some of my favorites of him! How blessed I am to have such a great kid as a good example to the others. Sam is inately good and I love his innocence! He is so fun to tease, and dishes it right back out. It seems like only yesterday that I was so young and unknowing about all that life was about to dish me as I held that sweet little baby and realized he was mine. I had never been happier! I remember that first Christmas with Sam just six days old and realizing how much love you could have for someone and catching just a glimpse of really how Mary must have felt holding her firstborn and knowing that His life would be so hard! I am sure she must have felt the feelings we all feel as parents of wanting to shield our little ones from all the trials of the world, but knowing that it is what all must pass through. I am so grateful for her enduring strength and her example of motherhood. Oh how I wish I could be as good a mother as all the good examples I have around me. I am so frateful for this time of year that allows me to reflect on the BIRTH of our loving Saviour and all that his life means to me and my eternal family.

The kids have found a new favorite pasttime! That is Caleb driving and Max and Noah getting pulled around on the sled. I remember being a kid and driving on our three-wheeler through our backyard and thinking it was the greatest thing ever. On Saturday, it was so so cold and blowy

(-14 with the windchill) and the kids wanted to go out. We couldn't get the 4-wheeler started, so I thought they would be inside in a flash, but they dug snowcaves and stayed out for almost an hour. Record time with that temperature. I was so nervous that they would get hypothermia that I kept checking on them and they were just having a grand old time. All the boys. We had them bundled up really good though, with scarves around their face, so only their eyes were poking out.

I was cold enough inside, but Mara insisted that she go out. After 10 minutes of getting her bundled, she lasted 3 minutes. We froze all weekend. Our poor animals are really cold. I now know what cold means, and any digit below zero is not just below zero like I used to think! There is a huge diffrence between -10 and -30. I now also know that just because you bring your shoes inside after walking in the snow, it doesn't garantee that they won't be frozen to the kitchen floor when you go to get them. BURRR!!!

What A Weeeeeeek!

I don't really have any cute pictures to post seeing as how I keep forgetting my camera, but this last week has been one that I don't EVER care to remember. I feel like all I have done is run from one event to another! The kids had their Christmas programs at school, which I was totally thankful they still called Christmas programs instead of "Holiday Programs" They sang Hanukkah songs and snow songs though, so as not to "offend". They did such a good job. Caleb's grade sang "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" poor kid, this would be the third year he has sung that and meant it. I'm beginning to wonder if that kids teeth will ever come in. Noah was, of course, ticked off that I made him wear a button-up shirt, but he got over it, and actually had a smile on while he performed. He got sent home a letter saying that he needs to be assessed for the accellerated program, apparently he gets his work done too fast, gets 100% on it and spends most of the day reading in class because he is done. I knew he read a lot at school because he tells me all the books he's read that I don't see him reading at home. When I asked him if he wanted to do it he gave me a very enthusiastic "YES!" Since he doesn't get too excited about much, I figure he must be as bored as his teacher thinks he is. I am excited for him and that opportunity. He won't have to go to a special school or anything, he will just get pulled out of class once a day and given harder work at a faster pace. Sam played the french horn for the band concert yesterday, and did such a good job. There are only two french horns and for the performance that they did for the school, the other horn player wasn't there, so he had to do a solo in front of the whole school, and he did awesome his teacher said. After the performance they did for the parents, his music teacher said that Sam has real talent, and that she was totally impressed at how much he had learned in such a short time. Caleb and Max just finished up soccor, when they first started, they were wandering aimlessly and never got in contact with the ball much, but by the time they finished, they were really good players. They both got more agressive and started to pay attention and understand what was going on. There last game was really a good game, and they played awesome. It helps to have such a great coach!
My first semester is over, thank goodness! Ryan spent most of the week in Chicago, and it was really hard to be alone with the kids and try to get to all their events and finish my school work. Him being gone totally made me appreciate all that he does to help with the kids and house and animals. I am so glad I have him. He got home last night and we ran from one party to another, and came home and crashed. My plan was to go into town to finish my last Biology test, but we woke up in the middle of the night to blowing wind inside our house(the new windows help, but there is still a draft from our garage and attic that really feels like wind blowing in our house.) and the windows covered with snow. The sun room is full of snow and the garage door blew open and the garage is full. Ryan went out and the chicken door had blown open and they were full of snow and the barn was covered in snow as well as the goats. Sam was out there with him and said that the cobwebs in the barn were covered with snow and so there were strands of snow crisscrossing all over the barn. The weather report on the internet says that it is -7 with the windchill, rest assured, it is WRONG! Our temperature gage outside says-30! that is more like it. It is freezing. I won't be going into town for anything today. Not with 3 foot snow drifts blowing wind and snow and ice. I think I will be curling up by the fire in my pajamas drinking some hot chocolate stirred with a candy cane and topped with whipped cream, and relaxing from the awful crazy busy week that I had! Oh, and I will try to get in the Christmas mood since It doesn't feel like Christmas yet to me since I have been so consumed with school work!

Arrow of Light!

I am so bummed that I forgot the camera, but Sam got his Webelos, Faith in God and Arrow of Light tonight at scouts! It was such a neat ceremony that they had for him! I was totally touched and the reality of just how old he is getting hit me full force! Wow, I will have an eleven year old. He is turning into such a good kid who is so fun to talk to and do things with. I love being with him, and hope that his wanting to be with his friends more than wanting to be with me will not come anytime soon! I miss him when he is at school, and am so thankful for him! They had a bridging ceremony where he crossed over into Boy Scouts! My little man is growing up. It is so fun to see the kids grow and become their own little people!

~*Emma Causes a Christmas Laugh*~

We were reading books last night around the Christmas tree, when Emma reached up to grab an ornament off the tree. It wouldn't give, and so it made the branch bounce up and down when she let go. She immediately started bobbing her head up and down. It made Caleb laugh so hard, and between the two of them, we all started laughing. I only caught it really good once on the video, but she just kept doing it over and over. Oh! how I love little babies and the joy they bring to your otherwise mundane existance. It's a good thing I have so many babies so that my life is rarely mundane!

What's fun about winter!

I couldn't leave that depressing post up, so I had to post what is so fun about winter! The kids love the snow, and can't wait to get home from school so they can play in it. The problem here is that we don't get much snow at once. The "good" thing is it's so cold that even a skiff stays for days(that is a problem for one who is now frightened to drive on snow covered roads) Today Sam and Noah took the sled and pulled Mara all over the yard. She was in heaven and it kept her outside for longer that the usual 3 minutes and now I'm cold so let me in.

Kind Of A Dramatic Way To Get A New Car!

We had our first snowfall of the year and I am now one of the stupid people who got into car accidents when the first snow flew. I hate being one of those statistics. GREAT! I will just count my blessings that we are all okay and that everyone was in their seatbelts and we all had coats and warm shoes on because it was freezing. And I am truly thankful for that tree. It really wanted a make-out session with my van. The reason I am so thankful for the tree is because I could feel us starting to roll when all of a sudden, the tree stopped us. At first I thought that Max was hurt because he was freaking out and screaming and trying desperately to get out of his seatbelt. It turns out that he was just so hysterical because he heard the airbags pop, and smelt that awful smell, and thought that our car was going to blow up. That would be my fault for letting him watch too much T.V..

I couldn't find my cell phone, I thought maybe it had flown, but then remembered convienently leaving it by the side of my bed. The road was not a busy one, so when I saw a car coming I jumped out and flagged it down, leaving my kids crying in the car. The really nice man let me use his cell phone to call 911 who proceded to ask a million questions. I kept telling the person we were fine and that I needed to get back to my kids who were screaming in the car, but she just kept asking how to get to where I was. I know the phone had a GPS, and she could have pulled it up, I couldn't leave the guys car because his cell phone was plugged into his cigarette lighter. Thankfully my neighbor came by and took Max and Mara with him so that I could fill out all the paper work and everything.

Ryan came and rescued his damsel in distress, and the tow truck hauled our spoiled goods away. Ryan just said "That was a dramatic way to get a new car." truth be told, I really liked that car. Dangit!

Add an Injury.

I thought that we had all escaped the car accident without injury, but where the air bag exploded on my arm, it is quite sore. You can't see too well, but that is bruising all up my arm from my wrist up to above my elbow. I had it x-rayed just to make sure it wasn't broken. Thankfully it's not. Just really swollen. Max ended up with a seatbelt mark on the side of his neck, but everyone it fine. Thank goodness for prayers that are said each day that we will be safe.

Emma Emma Emma!

While waiting for the tow truck, Emma was so restless and my arm was hurting from holding her, so I just stuck her up in the window and she was happy as a lark. Until I put her in her carseat and she screamed for about 10 minutes.

Giving Thanks

I have been Pondering lately about life and how funny it's twists and turns are. It is amazing to me just how much our attitudes effect all that goes on around us. I have come to realize as of late just how great life can be no matter what we are going through, if our attitude is good. Just the other day, I was really frustrated because I had a lot of homework to get done and the stress of all that has to be done was really getting to me at that particular moment, and the kids would not go to bed. It seemed like everyone had all these needs that had to all me met right then. I was so anxious for them to just get to bed, and I was crabby! I finally thought that I had them all to sleep and Mara woke up Emma with her crying. It was just the last straw. I got mad and used harsh words and unkind actions and swept her upstairs to my bed and said "don't get out again." When I went back down to do some more work, needless to say, I felt awful. I couldn't even concentrate on what I needed to do. I finally admitted that I was being a brat and went upstairs to apologize. She so willingly forgave me and said "will you say prayers with me." Make me feel like a louse. It is really hard to say prayers when you know that you are in the wrong and have hurt the feelings of one of Heavenly Father's sweet children. So in light of the fact that I had just been hurtful, I felt it really hard to then pray with Mara and ask for blessings that I didn't feel that I deserved, so I just gave thanks instead. My whole attitude of having too much to do, and feeling like I was in too deep, gave way to me seeing just how much I am able to accomplish with the help that he gives me. How grateful I am to know that when I do make a mistake I can always try harder and be forgiven as I am learning and growning. What a great time of year to focus on our blessings! And just how much we are watched over and protected and helped on our journey here. I just wanted to list a few of the most important things that I am thankful for. First, Family, what greater tool could we have been given to make it through this life than family? What a great plan that we get to be in a family to help lift us up when we fall, and to know us intimately, know our faults and struggles and still love us, to encourage us and help us endure those times that we don't think we can. I am so grateful to my little family, Ryan is so supportive of everything that I want to do. He is always so thoughtful to ask, "what do you need me to do tonight?" he is so helpful and willing to help with dinner or the kids when I am up to my eyballs in other things that need to be done. He is so understanding, and is such a good listening ear when I just need to "vent" I love him emincely. I truly love each one of my children. This morning we were saying prayers, and Max was still asleep and I just couldn't get over how much of a hole it left in our family to have just one missing. I don't know what I would do without each one of them. I am so grateful for our extended family as well. We are so lucky to have Ryan's great family, his parents are always willing to help us and are great to come and spoil the kids, and his siblings are such great people that I am lucky to get to call them in-laws. I so appreciate their friendship and their consideration with our family. My Parents are so great, and I realize that I am so much who I am because of them. How interesting it has been to me as I see my mom's family, all the cousins and their babies and families, and I see how much we look alike, and what traits and mannerism that we have that are similar. We truly are a product of our families. Next Nature, There is nothing like getting out in nature with my family to remind me of the simple pleasures of life. When we get to take time to be entertained by what was created for us, there is a quiet peace that comes, that doesn't come at any other time. I have been so grateful that since we have moved to Montana we have had so many more experiences with our kids that involve being outside, enjoying nature and working the land. There is a feeling of drawing closer to our creator that comes when we are out in nature that you can't get anywhere else, and I have loved being able to share that with our kids. And Lastly, Our Savior, where would I be without him? I am so grateful that he loved me enough to willingly, and that is the key, willingly sacrifice his life for me so that I can forever enjoy my family and live eternally with my Father in Heaven someday. I so look forward to the time when I will see Christ again, and pray that in all my struggles that I can endure to the end and live worthy to stand in his presence and feel of his love for all. I am so grateful for his example of christ-like love, and hope that I will more fully be able to have that for all men.

Favorite Pictures

One of my friends had on her blog her favorite pictures of all of her kids. I thought that was such a great ideas that I decided to post all of mine. This is my favorite picture of Sam. Up at my grandpa's farm, we had a family get-to-gether for memorial day, and the boys all had to pee. They had no idea that I was taking there picture until Sam looked aroung and saw me. He was so embarrassed I thought it was so funny! I know that I am demented, but I think this was so funny, all of them lined up to pee.

I love this picture of Noah, because it totally captures his personallity! He is such a funny kid. And that pose it just him! Sam's pose here is totally him as well.

This is Caleb's smile. One day we hope to be able to say that we miss this toothless grin, but since he has had it for three years now, we wonder if teeth will ever appear. He can always light up a room with his smile.

Max got this cowboy outfit from my parents for his third birthday and he still wears it all the time. He loves to be a cowboy, and I think that this started it all. I love the innocent look on his face. This, of course was taken before he got attitude, but I am learning to love the attitude, and cute sense of humor that he is developing. It is fun to look back and see things that have shaped who they have become.

This picture of Mara before she was even walking I have always loved. Oh, how much fun it is to dress a girl especially after four boys. I lvoed the bows and shoes and flowers! She was always so good to just let me do her all up! what a good sport. I am afraid that won't last for too much longer, she already has an opinion about clothes and hair. Oh....!

I love this picture of Emma. They only stay looking newborn for such a short time. I love the little wrinkled, loose skin and that smell of a newborn is like nothing else in this world. Emma looks so awake which is rare for a new one, I have just always loved this picture of her. I wonder if I will ever not want to have a newborn/baby in my home?

`/Funny/` Sam Tricks!

Sam thought this was so funny one morning while getting ready for school, he discovered that he has a singing sideburn. I am glad he is so easily entertained!

Definitely a Product of Four Older Brothers!

Three things happened yesterday that proved to me, Mara is definitely going to be influenced greatly by her older brothers. We were playing with playdough, and she got her cookie cutter stuck clear down in her thick piece of playdough and she says "I can't get this ssupid ssing out." She most certainly didn't hear that from me...That would be Max influenced.Then in the afternoon Mara got the last rice cake and Max wanted some. Trying to remind her to be nice I said,"Mara, why don't you share a piece with Max." Looking at him and then at her rice cake she broke a small piece off and trying to sound convincing hands it to him and says "here, this is big!" Do you think that one has been tried on her a time or two?

She was walking down the hall after prayers just before going to bed and she says "hey Noah, give me a wedgie." Who asks for a wedgie?

This one I saved for last because I am still in shock that my little princess would say this. Someone tooted at breakfast and Mara said Em's was that you, and Max said it wasn't me. Mara said it wasn't me. Then she got these big eyes of her's and looked down at her eggs and said "it's my eggs...see there is it's bum right there." I did not teach her any of these things. It has to be her older brothers.

Reverse Beaver!

Stinkin' Cute is all I can say! I love this little one! She is truly a joy! She has started to recognize music, and starts dancing if she hears it at all. She does this little head bop that makes me giggle!

I love it when babies get their two bottom teeth in and they have a "reverse beaver". That's what we call it. Their two little teethers poking out of the bottom. I love love love it! Just thought I'd show off Emma's. She is so fun. I tell her everyday! I wonder if she knows just how much I love her?

I Hate to Complain but....

I have totally been bugged about what happened to me the other day, and I am hoping that if I vent, I will finally be able to get over it. So if you'd rather not read...just don't, I am warning you right now that what follows is not uplifting or inspiring. I hesitate to write about it, but I am doing it to remind myself to always go out of my way to help others.
So I had to go to Sam's Club with my youngest three...not a big deal I do it all the time. I had to get six 40 lb bags of water softner salt this time though. I usually send Ryan for them, or get them when I don't have Emma strapped on my front, but I had to have them (our water is the worst). I had already loaded the cart full of other things that I needed to feed our family of eight, and I had diapers and a bunch of big boxes of stuff. Max and Mara had already gotten kicked out of the cart, so they were walking.I got to the salt and could already see that I had a dilemma on my hands. I couldn't lift the bags and put them on the bottom of the cart with Emma in her sling on me, so I had to take her off and put her on the floor(there really was no room in the cart). First of all sick, who puts their baby on the floor of Sam's Club? Only desperate women. (I did have her on her sling, so it was a little less gross) I was putting the bags on the bottom of the cart when a worker walked by... HuUuMmMm could have used some help, wasn't it obvious?? She didn't say one thing, just went right on her way. I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she was busy with other things, or helping another customer...maybe, but she was pretty nonchalant about it. I got Emma but back on me in her sling, and started pulling my now really heavy cart toward the front all the while trying to keep Max and Mara from running off. I check out with a lady who is highly annoyed that she can't put the items all into another cart as she scans them because she DOESN'T WANT TO MOVE THE SALT. Mara was really hungry and so was Max, and I was starved and just wanted to get out of there. As I pushed the cart, I accidentally knocked into Mara's head and she started bauling like she'd been run right over. I picked her up, and now was carrying Mara and Emma and pulling a obscenely heavy cart. I walked past two workers(one who was a cart guy), and both looked right at me and walked inside. I was livid. I probably passed 3 or 4 other men who could have helped, but didn't. I am not one who usually likes people to help me, I am really independent, and usually think I can do it all...by myself...but that day, I really needed help, even just someone to push the cart to my car. I don't know why it bothered me so much, I just left thinking what kind of world do we live in? I am sure there are tons of people who would surely help a woman pushing a really heavy cart right????Maybe it was just the day???Maybe it was just Montana??? I immediately called Ryan and said"If you ever see a woman who needs help pushing a cart, I don't care if you have to walk across the parking lot, I don't care if you're in a super hurry, you go out of your way to at least help her get to her car." Is it asking a lot to think a worker might help you out? I don't know, I am probably just being a big wanny!! What do you think?

Why Did We Not Do That A Year Ago????

We do not love our basement, but it's just that...a basement and as such it has gotten very neglected. We have spent so much time and money making our upstairs livable, that we haven't done much with the basement. Truly, we don't even know where to begin. I guess I shouldn't say we've done nothing, because I have painted the bathroom down there, and Sam and Noah's room, and the laundry room, and re-organized the storage room...wow! I guess I have done quite a bit down there, and let's not forget that as soon as we moved in I ripped off all the baseboards, they just have never gotten put back up. But as far as the family room goes, it will be a major undertaking, ripping off all the wood, and re-sheetrocking the whole room, let's just say it is way way down on the priority list. I have however wanted to take out the bar that was taking up so much space in that room. We are finding that we run out of room down there when we watch "family movies" as the kids call it, especially if we have visitor. So on Saturday, Ryan set to work on knocking it out. It only took an hour and the clean up was only hauling the wood out and vaccuming. Easy...Peazy!

The kids were excited to get some new wood for their "wild men" forts and I was excited for all the extra space. Not to mention that the "bar" got used oh....never! What good is a bar in our house? Ask the kids, they know exactly what a bar is for, to jump off of!

The result...Lots of extra space The couch fits were the bar was, a good thing since there is now a big hole in the carpet there. I brought in my trees that were decorating the garage to cover up the rest of the missing carpet. We brough down our love seat that was hanging out in the sun room, and even though it is mis-matched, it has provided another two seats down there. We fit comfortably now, and everyone has a seat for "family movies" and there is still lots of floor space to run around. Why did we not do this a year and a half ago?

Let The Trick-O-Treating Begin!

We had such a great time this year trick-or-treating, but after last year, it could only have gotten better. The weather was perfect, we didn't even need jackets, and a miracle of miracles occured, there was no wind--none! Amazing for Great Falls.

The kids were so excited to get dressed up. Sam and Noah both came up with their costumes all by themselves, and were quite excited about it. Noah is Huck Finn and we made his costume out of the Salvation Army pile. He was in heaven though, we ripped the shirt and got it all muddy, he thought that was great. Sam pulled out some of the hairs from his afro and glued them onto his chest. He thought he was so funny and everyone was grossed out by it. He loved every second of it. Ryan tried to convince Mara to be a dead princess and paint her face white with blood dripping all over. Her response to him was "No, I want to be beautiful" Wow, at two, she already knows what she wants. Emma was the cutest little sunflower ever, thanks to Ryan's sister Jamie who gave her the costume, and stole the show. Caleb was a Ninja and Max the hulk. We went to our church at 6:00 p.m for a trunk or treat, and even though I started at 4:30 to get everyone ready, we weren't any too early for the party. The kids got tons of candy at the church, and then we went through the neighborhood next to the church with our friends the Giles. It was Porter's birthday the next day, so Sam and Noah spent the night, and we went home to put the kids to bed. The kids thought is was so much fun to count their candy and trade, trade, trade. On Sunday, they asked if they could trade again. There's the whole crew! Taking up the whole front step. What a great Halloween!