Halloween 2010

This year's Halloween proved to be my favorite yet. Emma was a happy, rosy-cheeked lady bug and Ben was a cuddly little monkey, which was especially darling because his first word was "Nana" = Banana. Both kids had so much fun with all the season's festivities- especially the two trunk or treats we went to. I still can't believe how much candy they accumulated. Last year we used all the left over Halloween candy to make our Christmas gingerbread house- and I do believe this year we'll be able to build a gingerbread mansion. But it was also especially fun because the weather was warm, little Ian had been born, and Emma was old enough to get truly excited. We celebrated with our annual Halloween party and then Laurie, Tad, and Trenton took the kiddos Trick or Treating.


We enjoyed ghoulish punch, cheddar "eyeballs," "mummified" pigs in a blanket, festive cookies, and "witch toes."


Emma also got to visit with Grandma Julie and Grandpa Mike. She handed out candy with Julie and got so excited each time the doorbell rang.

Emma got to see "Megamind" with her cousins and my mom and dad yesterday. She was so excited to sit in her own "Big girl" chair and kept asking if we could get a TV this big for our house.



Love,
Janet, Trenton, Emma, and Ben

Baby Ian

Shannon was scheduled to be induced on Wednesday, October 27th- the very day after my surgery. It was such a priority for me to be there as she gave birth though, that I dragged myself out of bed, climbed in a wheel chair and went anyway. We figured that since this was Shannon's first baby, her labor would take a while. So my sister and mom and I went to a couple stores before heading to the hospital- we tried on lotions, smelled perfume, sampled cheese- basically took our time. Luckily we showed up when we did though, because as we were entering the hospital (just a few short hours after the induction started) we got a call from Steve saying that we needed to get up to the room as soon as possible. Could it be? Is it really time? Yes! We had to sit out of the room for a few minutes and watch nurses and doctors rush in and out of her room frantically. I could tell my mom was terrified, but thankfully nothing was wrong- her labor was just moving very quickly and Shannon's doctor was in surgery. Finally they let us in the room and all of the sudden I felt really sick. I don't know if it was seeing my sister in pain, or if it was residual from the anesthesia I had the previous day, or if I was having a panic attack, or if all the bodily fluids made me ill-but I had to leave the room. I was so disappointed with myself. During Shannon's entire pregnancy I was so excited to see Ian being born, and here I was in the hallway! Then I heard Dr. Skiles as she was running down the hallway. She stopped for a minute to ask if I was okay (she's the doctor that performed my surgery the day before) and then demanded that I follow her into the room . She actually said, "Get in there!" And she's not the kind of woman you ignore. So, after being forced by a nurse to sit on a couch on the other side of the room because I "looked too pale" I was able to be in attendance of Ian's birth. There was so much blubbering in that room...between Shannon, Steve, my mom, Heather, Carol and myself.  Her labor only lasted about 4 or 5 hours and she handled it all beautifully. Ian is so handsome!

Ian was delivered by the same doctor as my two children in the very same room that Ben was born in. I thought that was kind of cool.

Suddenly my baby looks so big!

Congrats Shannon and Steve! He's beautiful.

Love,

Janet

Enjoying Autumn

Anyone that knows me understands that my favorite time of year begins around the end of September and goes through Christmas. Even when I was a kid, as soon as the stores began displaying pumpkins and apple cider, I was overcome with excitement. I usually feel the need to live it up as much as possible- devouring every magazine and book about the holidays, trying new recipes and carrying my camera with me at all times. One of the happy things I enjoy doing once the leaves start changing is heading down to Old Colorado City for their "Scarecrow Days." Each shop creates and displays a scarecrow which is then entered into a contest- the winner is announced at a street fair on Halloween. This is the autumnal scene outside my favorite, girly shop -"Bernadeen's."

We also kicked off the season by making caramel apples. I've always done this little tradition, even when I was single. But it's so much more fun with a family of my own.

Janet