Dressing Up

 Lauren and Doug had a Daddy-Daughter costume party to attend.  They went as a Prisoner/Warden duo.  I think they had fun with those roles!

 Olivia the mermaid (this wig on her cracks me up!):

 Hannah the vampire:

Lulu the hippie:

True personalities come shining through the disguises:

We already have more than one large bin of Halloween costumes from past years, but every Halloween it seems we can't escape a few new purchases.  Dressing up is just too much fun!


P.S.

Katelyn and Emily did not Trick-or-Treat this year, but they did dress up for school on Halloween:

Counting By Fives...

...Katelyn would only be three.

But she's really truly fifteen years old today, and she never hardly ever acts like a three-year-old anymore!  Sometimes it's hard to remember her as a little girl, it seems like so long ago; and yet, it's too easy to remember myself as a fifteen-year-old!  Go figure.

I love this teenage version of my sweet, adorable firstborn baby!  I'm so proud of her grace, her wit, her tender heart, her brains, her grateful attitude, her obedient nature, her lovely voice, her sense of self, and.... her dance moves!

Kate and I love to follow the t.v. show "So You Think You Can Dance."  When I realized that the Top Ten from the 2011 cast was performing in Salt Lake City two days before Katelyn's birthday, I started scheming about how to get us both there.   It was the perfect gift for her, and me!   At the last minute, I was able to secure some sweet second-row seats, and surprise Katelyn with 24 hours notice! 

We were both giddy with anticipation.

The show did not disappoint.

I could say the same about Katelyn herself.  I was giddy with anticipation fifteen years ago, to be expecting a baby girl.  I doodled her name, and oogled at pink, ruffly things, and imagined what a beauty she would be, in every way.

And, truth be told, she has probably exceeded my expectations.  She is a rare gem.

Happy Birthday Katelyn!

Fall Festivities

• Cruising through the canyon to see the colors close-up:

 

As we walked around the boardwalks at Cascade Springs, Doug said, "We should do things like this more often. It's fun; the house is not getting messy right now; and everyone is getting along." Less than an hour later, as we came out of the canyon, Doug was pulled over to the side of the road threatening Emily to get out of the car and walk home. But it was fun while it lasted.

• Flags spinning on the football field. Katelyn is spending hours nearly every day practicing with the Color Guard. Last week they performed for friends and family. It's pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

Just think how dull a marching band might be...

without flags, rifles and sabers!

• Picking peaches.

Our second tree gave us a late crop of big beautiful fruit. These peaches are delicious to eat, but there's no way we can eat them all before they start to get mushy, and I really don't feel like bottling them. My freezer is already stuffed full of jam and frozen fruit from the last crop. So it's time to do some "gifting"!