Then and Now

   
     Ever since the Sandy Larrabee's have been back I've wanted to re-create this picture taken the night before they moved.  I love everything about this.  I love that it highlights their closeness and their love for each other.  Although it's been a few years, they all still feel the same.  So happy to have the Larrabee's back home!!

Never too old...

Our yearly Gough Christmas Party.  We gather in Highland at my mom's church.  We have a yummy meal and connect with family we don't see nearly often enough and end the night with a visit from Santa Claus. I love seeing my kids go one by one, sitting on Santa's lap and talking and laughing with him.  Never too old!

Our spider

       I just couldn't resist a post about our spider, so sorry Marci.  I've always been fascinated by these "cat-face" spiders.   They're so big and cool looking!  Well, at the beginning of October this beautiful arachnid made its home in a beautiful orb web just outside our kitchen sink window...just in time for our Halloween decor.
      It was so fun to watch this spider so closely.  We'd wake up and notice she'd re-spun her web.  We would watch when an insect got stuck and she'd rush down to spin here meal up and carry it back up to her corner hide-out.
    I researched how long she would live and she was supposed to die at the first frost, but she lasted so much longer.  I guess she was kept warm by being on our heated home. We kept close watch on her until early January when she and her web were washed away in a rain storm.
    My kids and I loved watching this beautiful creature and think about the many wonderful creations of our Heavenly Father and wonder at them.

   

Happy Halloween!

    My Halloween started with my twins class party.  It's so fun to be their room mom and have them still excited to have me around.

     This was probably the last year when all of my kids will dress up and go trick-or-treating.   They came up with some pretty great costumes.

Mac was a great nerd. Keaton was Alfalfa...notice the cowlick!

Tate came up with his own costume as a dark wizard. 

Avery wanted to be Anna, since she was Elsa last year.  

And Brecken was a vampire. 

Corey & I got in on the dressing up scene, and even coordinated. 

     Then, as we've done for the past few years, hosted the teenage after-party. It's always fun to have the kids gather here and we usually get to have a good visit with Sunny & Ty.  

For the record...

     I know I'll look back at my time with little children and be very sentimental...just so I don't forget that those sweet little kids created a lot of laundry.  This is my Monday folding.  I usually do a slightly smaller batch close to the end of the week as well.  It's a pretty impressive amount of clothes!

Back to School

     What a crazy back to school year!  McKay starts high school this year.  It was totally surreal as I walked through his high school during freshman orientation...."wasn't I just here??"  He's excited and getting taller all the time and as I looked around noticed he looks more like a high-schooler than I realized.

     Keaton is on his second year in middle school.  He feigns a dislike in school but he loves the social aspect of it and deep down inside likes to challenge himself in his schoolwork.  Go Keat!!

     Tate is in 4th grade this year and is fortunate enough to have the best teacher in the school, Mrs. Asay.  This kid works so hard and we're so proud of him and excited for a great new year.  

      And now the twins...in school!!!  Brecken & Avery win for the most excited to start school, but who can blame them, it's kindergarten!  They were more than thrilled to start in Miss Griffiths class and join the big kids on the bus.  I wondered about myself and my reaction to having them gone half a day, but I was so excited for them I couldn't help but be happy.  Love you big kids!

Scout Camp

     McKay and Keaton both attended a week-long scout camp this year.  It was a great experience where they learned a lot and had a week of boy-fun-experiences.  It's a great opportunity for them to be away from home for an extended period of time.  I want them to not be totally out of sorts when they go on their missions or off to college, but I surprised myself by how hard I had to work to hold myself together when I picked them up after that long week.  Boy did I miss those boys!!

     These are "before" pictures.  They weren't nearly this clean when they got home!