Backpack, Backpack.....

Happy 81st Birthday Great-Grandpa Pratt! This morning Brayden and I made a cake for my Grandpa's B-day. Brayden decided blue frosting would be fantastic for him. He was determined to do all of it by himself! Grandma wasn't feeling well so she didn't want to expose us to her germs. She gave us some B-day hats and we partied in the car. I hope the blue cake was yummy!

The girls have new backpacks and they think they are the coolest kids in the world when they have them on. They insist on wearing them, but then take them off in two seconds and want help putting them back on. It's a fun game! Hopefully they'll be able to do it by themselves soon! They look so cute I couldn't resist posting these pics.

What Have You Done?
I saw this on a friend's blog and it looked like fun. If you want to play, just copy the post, and bold everything that you HAVE done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (duet with Bree W. in choir, I can't believe she agreed to do it w/ me! I am a HORRIBLE singer).
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (W/ Kym in Switzerland)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (Too expensive for our college budget!)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (in the park)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (unfortunately all too often in college, again horrible singer)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (hand in high school, back in college)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

Family traditions....

When Brayden was 3 months old we thought it would be a good idea to get our first family picture. All was well and good with one content baby boy. NOW, four years later with three kids, it's not quite the same. We still get our X-mas family picture, but it proves to be a bit more challenging. In a nutshell we had to make the attempt more than once. On the way there today Brayden asked, "If I do a good job and my sisters don't, do we have to go again?!" I sure as hell hope not, I was thinking, I didn't actually say that because I want him to think it is SO FUN to have pics. taken for an hour and a half with screaming kids!

After this morning we decided if two out of the three kids look ok, we'll buy it! We got one family picture, but none of the kids together. Brayden made goofy faces and the girls were on the run the entire time! (Sarah, I tried every bribery trick I know, it just wasn't happening. Maybe you can put your running shoes on and take some at some point). :) I snapped a few of the girls when we got home becuase I wanted a full body shot, it seriously took twenty minutes to get those dang tights on! They weren't real excited about them. (I don't blame them though). Brayden was more than done with pics. so he didn't want ANY more.

As for the hair..... I thought it looked better than it really does apparently. The flash brought out ALOT of red. Over lunch Kent and I were talking about what we were going to do tonight. He suggested, "Why don't we go get another box and try a new color?" Isn't he sweet? So, tomorrow I may be bald. I guess it's a good thing we're done with pics. red hair or not.

These are a couple of my favorites from the week.... Ellie is quite the fasion guru, here she and Dani are wearing Brayden's coats. Throughout the week she insisted on wearing his sunhat, and a winter hat and a bathrobe (Which she HAD to wear to Fred Meyer) and ONE sandal that is three sizes too big. I tell you, this girl has a definite opinion about EVERYTHING! (Just like her dad). Dani seems to be a little more laid back and go with the flow (like me?).

Dani girl.

Ellie with her hat of choice.

The decision is....

Lins, and anyone else who cares. I have decided to leave my hair as is. I have gotten used to it and/or it has faded some. Plus, I am too cheap to fork over the dough to fix it. Family pics. got rescheduled for this afternoon. We'll see how it goes....

Here's a pic.

Before

After

It is just a little more red than I was wanting. I don't know if it is permanent or semi-permanent. Who pays attention to those things? :) Pi, there is nothing wrong with being a red head, I'm just not used to it. :) AND my red hair is not pretty like yours!

Color choices

All right, so I have come to the realization (yet again) that I am horrible at picking out colors. For painting, decorating and now hair dye. I dyed my hair over the weekend, and I have been hoping it would tone down a little. I was hoping to get it back to a more natural brown shade. Well, not so much.... it is now a reddish, purplish. Having albino skin, this is not the most flattering shade. For the first few days Kent just looked at me and would chuckle, while saying, "You have red hair." Everytime I look in the mirror it is still a shock. Does anyone know how long I have to wait to dye it again? I don't want my hair to fall out, but we have family pics. on Monday. Any suggestions? Maybe I will post a pic... I have to have Kent take one.

Trick-or-Treat....

We went trick-or-treating at a church carnival this year. It was a fun day because Brayden knew what to expect, and he woke up with his eye sparkling with excitement! He was a "Fighter-fighter" (Fire fighter) and the girls were baby chicks. We headed to the carnival early because last year the church had over 3,000 kids there. I wasn't too excited about that, but we got there pretty much when the doors opened. :) It was great, they had tons of games for the kids and they even had a jumping castle. Brayden and Ellie both loved it! The ladies couldn't get over how tough Ellie was. She was getting knocked around by all the big kids and she just laughed and kept on jumping. Dani wasn't quite so wild, she didn't even want to walk. Kent or I held her the whole time. A fun time was had by all! We were home by 6:30, just in time to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Brayden LOVED this part too! He thought he was pretty cool opening the door and putting the candy in all the bags. Thanks for helping us Grandma Phillips, and for getting us more candy! At 8:30 he told me, "The last trick-or-treater came, Halloween is over now mom." Mom and Dani.

Daddy and Dani.

B fishing for candy.

The girls watching B catch a fish.

Taking a treat break!

Brayden actually got his face painted! Usually he is too

scared, he thinks it won't ever come off. He chose a pirate ship.

B decided to paint his pumpkin, instead of carve it.

I couldn't have been happier!