Harry Potter Dinner Party

So my friend, Maren, is extremely good at throwing dinner parties.  She told me she wanted to throw a Harry Potter one but didn't want to do it by herself.  So I thought I'd join the pro and learn a thing or two. :)  She took care of the decor and deciding the menu, and I took care of the Harry Potter Murder Mystery game and we split making the menu.  

I totally forgot to take pictures when the candles were lit - it was the perfect scene!  Maren did such a great job though - floating candles and owls perched just above the table.

The table settings :)

We invited friends from our old ward in Provo, and everyone was a great sport at dressing their part and even trying to be their character.  We even had a guest who would play the theme song randomly throughout the night on his iPhone - hilarious!  
 

Hermione and Ron

Bellatrix and Malfoy (The Dille's)

Rita Skeeter and Gilderoy Lockhart (The Taegars)

Luna Lovegood and Snape (The Allens)

Harry and Ginny (The Thompsons)

We had rock cakes, Bertie Botts Beans, cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs, potato and parsnip soup, salad, pumpkin pasties, and, of course, butterbeer.  All very delicious - the butterbeer was way good - you could feel your arties clogging with each sip.  It was a fun night catching up with everyone and having a great dinner! 

Cauldron Cakes

Rock Cakes

Bertie Bott's Beans - these are so gross!  Steve had to wash his mouth out after a sausage one.  They had vomit, earwax, dirt, booger, earthworm - so gross!

Pumpkin pasties - like pumpkin pie - seriously delicious!

Chocolate frogs - watch out - they jump!

Butter beer - ready for a heart attack of delish? :)

 It really is so nice to stay in touch with friends you make over the years.  These ones are goodies and I laughed so hard that night - it was quite the success I think!

Halloween Festivities!

Well - we have been implementing Halloween more and more over here.  There are Halloween PJ's - compliments of Grammy Joanne, Halloween shirts, Halloween decorations, and Halloween activities. :)  

I love how these two love each other :)

Wickedly Handsome!

Trick or Treat!

Playin' :)

We have been coloring and drawing pumpkins, witches, and ghosts, singing Halloween songs, and, of course, watching Halloween shows.  Ross and Ruby both love the Curious George Halloween movie as well as the Mickey Mouse Villains show.  Ruby is obsessed with a Donald Duck cartoon where his nephews try to trick him by dressing up as a big gorilla, but a real escaped gorilla gets in.  She keeps talking about when the gorilla takes a bite of Donald Duck's sucker "Orilla eat sucker, mom! 'Orilla eat sucker!" - she's obsessed with suckers (AGAIN - sugar problem).  And then at the end when they use tear gas to stop the gorilla and it ends with both the gorilla and Donald Duck crying, she'll say, "They cryin'.  They cryin'."  We watched it once - and she's talked about it for four days.  Here is the cartoon if you're curious ;)  

Ruby also likes pointing out all the decorations.  Even if she's sad going to bed and crying - she'll stop and say "Nigh Night Spider!  Nigh Night Ghost!" and then proceed with her crying.  She's hilarious.  

We had originally put them up in Ross's room - he was very specific where each decoration should go, but he woke up from his nap scared of the spider and ghost in the dark, so we had to move them. :)

Ruby has become more and more sassy - she makes us all laugh - here are a few pictures to clarify. :)
 

No pants, Little Mermaid sunglasses, holding a snowman :)

Ruby wanted Daddy to wear a bucket on his head...but something is missing...

There we go!  Perfect!

Daddy is always fun :)  She adores him!

Grandma Claudia got some fairy wings that Ruby never wanted to take off - also in her obsession with shoes, she put Ross's on all by herself and then proceeded to tromp all over wearing no pants and throwing the metal ball that's supposed to go inside a whisk and chasing it.

Ross has gotten into the bad habit of coming in our bed around 4 or 5 in the morning.  Stephen indulges in this because he thinks it's sweet, but I keep having visions of my sanity leaving when the baby comes.  Retraining will have to commence and I will have to play the bad guy card.  It is hard though - because he looks so stinkin' cute when he's sleeping.  LOVE him.

Ruby wants to always do what Ross is - and REFUSED to eat her breakfast in her high chair.  So we tried out the table - she did pretty good.  Ross is just way too cool. :)

We've been getting ready to move to Colorado as well.  I've been trying to collect all the stuff/toys I want before we leave and have been doing a great job filling up my in-laws garage with stuff - like a sweet $30 entertainment center - super nice! an elliptical, chest of drawers, a trampoline - and I'm still on the lookout for a table, rug, and washer and dryer.  Have I mentioned I've also finally convinced Stephen to get a minivan?  He's finally succumbed.  They have too many nice features not to.  

I also took Steve to see the Odyssey Dance Company's Thriller which was really fun.  I haven't gone in years and it was fun to see some of my favorite dances again.  Steve enjoyed it too and it was a fun date!  

Creepy zombie

Ready for the show!

These zombies totally creeped me out!

Beautiful October

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant, but I have been excited for fall since August.  Maybe it's because I miss Oregon weather too.  I LOVE when it rains now - I never get sick of it.  There's nothing like great rainy days.  We've managed to have a few, but the crisp fall weather has finally been presenting itself which is my favorite.
 

I've been meaning to take a picture of my beautiful Maple Mountain with the colors.  I LOVE this mountain. :)

I think I get excited too, because General Conference is the first weekend in October as well and I get to hear our Prophet and Apostles speak.  I love getting more counsel, encouragement, and insight on what we should be focusing on in our families and lives.  I know we have a Prophet of God on the earth TODAY and that he truly is God's mouthpiece.  I feel so much more safe and secure knowing Christ's Gospel is here on the earth and that we have a purpose and plan here.  I love knowing the importance of family and having all the joy that comes along with having one.  Too many people these days are focused on themselves and what makes them happy in that moment rather than who they can make happy and how they can serve.  Families are central to God's plan.  We need strong families to raise strong generations.  

Conference was wonderful of course.  Ross and Ruby were entertained by blocks, puzzles, coloring, and toys of course - with the help of aunts, uncles, and grandparents. :)  When the Prophet spoke we challenged Ross to listen for any time he said Jesus' name and he'd get a treat.  He finally caught on towards the end.  

We celebrated my nephew's first birthday that weekend as well.  Ross was so excited for Alex to open his presents.  He plopped himself right in front of him and then would yell excitedly every time he'd open another one, "It's a surprise!!"  Haha.  Ruby just wanted to eat chips and cupcakes the whole time (have I mentioned she has a serious sugar problem?).  

On Monday we got to go up to Logan to meet my new nephew, my baby sister, Rachel, had - Jaxton.  I tried out some VERY amateur skills at photographing a newborn and was happy with the results for the most part.  They are a very photogenic family which helps. :)  
 

Cute Jaxton :)

I LOVE baby feet :)

Dain is a very proud Daddy. :)

Such a sweet family!

Ross and Ruby were so excited to meet Jaxton.  Ross insisted we needed to supply Jaxton with the proper tractors so we got him a few as a present.  Ross "helped" by showing Jaxton how to play with them after they were opened.  

They both immediately wanted to hold him, Ruby patted him and poked him, and Ross just grinned and would inform us with a surprised face whenever Jaxton started crying.  They were adorable with him.  It's going to be a circus when our baby bee #3 comes - I'll have a lot of hands to help I'm sure! 

Ruby making sure everything's where it should be - hands - check, feet, check, eyes - check. :)

Cute cousins!

I was so happy to hold Jaxton and be reminded how little these babies come.  He was so precious and sweet.

After taking some pictures we had dinner together and then made the long trek home.  We were excited Steve could be done with work a bit early so he could come with us.  It's always nicer to have Daddy around. :)