4 Lil Pumpkins

I feel like Halloween was a repeat of last year with one exception.

Our ward held their first trunk or treat!

It was a blast!

I loved seeing the creativity of how people decorated their cars. 

I should have taken a picture of each one!

Casey strung lights and a skeleton that shook and talked when you walk by.

We also bought a fog machine.

It turned out pretty good!

I spent WAY too much money on costumes last year.

So they got to wear the same ones again.

I'm crossing my fingers I can squeeze one more wear out of them!

Nobody is allowed to grow this year, lol!

Eat my heart out, Jane Fonda!

Lane knew I was out front waiting to take his picture, so he made a run for it.

He claimed I took his picture last year so why did I need to take more.

Little stinker.

Action shot it was!

The sweetest SWAT man I know:)

Pretty Princess 

I mightttt just get rid of this dress.

The glitter it barfs all over my house is enough to make it sparkle and shine all year long! 

Setting up for the hundreds of trick or treaters that hit our neighborhood.

This girl.. nothing seems to scare her!

I think we passed out 600 pieces of candy.

It's hard to see, but the crowds that come are unbelievable!

I love, love, love it!

ONE

Della girl had her very first birthday!

She seriously has my heart.

I wuv her like no tomorrow.

She really isn't talking a whole lot.

It's mainly mamma and has the cutest grunt as a way of communication.

"do you want a drink?" grunt.

"lets get your shoes on" grunt.

Maybe it's because she is still obsessed with her paci?

But she sure knows what she wants!

We ask if she is hungry (which is always!), then she walks herself to the high chair.

She picks up her dirty diaper after being changed and walks it to the back door where we 

throw it outside until we take it to the black garbage can.

She can sign more, thank you, all done, waves hi and bye and blows the sweetest kisses.

She LOVES being outside.

Church is a nightmare because she wants to walk up to the front where dad sits!

We walk in (sometimes late) and she squeals at the top of her lungs and points her finger at dad, or bounces up and down.

The second she gets out of my arms she makes a beeline for the pulpit!

Poor Rusty gets his workout running after her and hauling her back to me.

Thank goodness most of our congregation gets a kick out of it.

But it's exhausting!

I have tried sitting up close so she can see him better.

I have tried the very last row.

Nope. It doesn't matter. 

She finds a way to escape.

Her hair is so, so fine and thin.

And still has a big tint of strawberry blonde to it.

I can barely manage a teeny pony on the top. 

She loves nap time.

Will eat just about anything we give her.

Folds her arms for the prayer like a champ.

Can guzzle a sippy cup in 10 seconds flat.

Is much better about not fussing when it's time to get in her car seat, phew!

LOVES dogs and any animal.

She can be a bit dramatic if she or her feelings get hurt.

But luckily its short lived.

She is such a happy girl and gives the best kisses.

She basically is everybody's favorite.

I ordered a pink cake from the Sweet Tooth Fairy.

And found this cute outfit at TJMaxx the day before her birthday.

No big hoopla or party, that's what you get for being #4 in the family:/

Both of her grandparents happened to show up at the same time to give her a birthday squeeze.

So we decided it would be a good time to sing Happy Birthday and LET HER EAT CAKE!

It was a fun, simple day to celebrate this little sweetheart.

A week in beachland

October break rolled around pretty quick!

I love that it felt like Summer vacation in the fall.

My family headed to Oceanside and boy was I glad to be able to join this year!

9 blissful days in one of my FAVORITE places.

We made sure to leave as early as we could to miss CA rush hour.

Our intentions didn't work out as planned. 

Nothing like sitting still in traffic at 3:45.

 I swear they have 24 hr. rush hour!

But we finally made it!

I stole this picture from my sister.

I love this bridge on Cassidy street.

We cross underneath it a handful of times per day to get to the beach house.

My dad outdid himself, AGAIN!

This house was 4 levels with I think 10 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms??

Enough for these girls to have their own room, as well as Lane.

Talk about spoiled!

My dad was able to snag an extra day so instead of traveling all day on Saturday,

they got to wake up and play!

The first jump in.

They don't look excited at all!

The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

This little girl did SO good. 

I was nervous she would hate the sand.

Nope, she thought it was the best thing ever.

I have no order to these pictures.

It's hard to keep track what happened what days.

So here is a rough outline of our week!

thrifty ice cream runs

lots of late game nights

When Grandpa hands out his work shirts you get neon minions.

Matching Sunday braids, courtesy of Aunt Stephanie

after church pictures

Free for all in the kitchen.

For as tiny as Scarlett is, she can sure put down the snacks!

I glanced up to see Rusty enjoying a nice back tickle from Marcie

Just about every morning I would take Della in the stroller for a run.

This time Landon and Marcie came with us.

What's good exercise without bringing home 2 dozen donuts?!

This morning's run was glorious!

It was one of those days where I  didn't get tired and felt like

I could go for miles! I noticed these succulents and fell in love with them.

Then I noticed you could buy some with the honor system pay here box.

Luckily I happened to have my wallet and happened to have 7 dollars! ( I never

have cash)

I picked out 2 pots and threw them in my stroller.

They are sitting on my kitchen island and still alive 4 months later!

Gobstoppers and Dr. Pepper, my beach drug of choice

along with fake cheese!

 One afternoon Stephanie whipped up pina coladas

I hear ya boys, hot tub beach side sure hits the spot

Traditional Harbor Fish N Chips for din din

We spent a day at Knotts Berry Farm!

I hadn't been since I was pregnant with Lane.

We were walking up to the ticket line when I noticed Claire!

Nothing like an impromptu  family reunion.

They were there with Martins family.

We split up and took the girls to camp Snoopy.

These carousel smiles didn't last long.

You can't really see, but they are screaming bloody murder!

We were mean moms and made them tough it out, lol!

Nothing like getting evil eye darts from other parents judging you on being 

abusive moms.

The BEST funnel cake of our lives. No joke.

Casey went and off on his own and bought a funnel cake kit

and berry sauce to take home.

Half of us stayed and ate at the Mrs. Knotts chicken restaurant.
Which was recently remodeled and AMAZING and sooo yummy.

My memories of it 11 years ago weren't that good. 

I can't imagine what a dump it must have been.

But it was fine dining for not that much money and with HUGE portions.

I want to go back just to eat there!

Stephanie left Collin with us to take home because they didn't stay for dinner.

Of course with it being late and a long day all of the kids conked out

the second they got in the car.

I looked back to see Collin nice and cozy on Lane.

And then I saw a nice drool spot on his shirt!

It was hysterical!!

Every day these boys ate their lunch perched up on these rocks,

talking life. I wish I could have heard them.

It really amazes me how they never get sick of each other.

No fighting or bickering.

Same with the girls.

I love how these 2 matched without planning.

The men went golfing so my parents and us girls took a walk to Carlsbad for breakfast.

Saying hi to the train

Half  of us had a hankering for Alyses, and the other half for Swami's.

(not that we hadn't eaten at both places numerous of times that week)

My parents took the big boys to Alyses.

Hot chocolate, because it Lanes favorite.

While Steph and I took the girls to Swami's.

I was itching for their acai bowl.

We split a benedict.

Holy Yum.

pizza on the beach

Goodbyes are always hard.