Halloween!

Halloween was a fun day! The kids we tend are on track break and we had them all day so we planned enough activities to keep them busy!

We began the day by eating eyeballs for breakfast...

Logan enjoying his eyeball

The three oldest kids playing "mummy bowling" (Morgan is holding the mummy)

We also made these spider candy holders for their trick or treating sweets

For lunch we had pumpkin shaped pizza

We wore Linnea out pretty good in the morning as she fell asleep in her bumbo chair during lunch

After lunch we created haunted forests

And spider cookies

And caramel apples....

Logan got in his mickey costume. These are the pumpkins we created on the Heber Creeper, but he was asleep for that part of the train ride. He LOVED the pumpkins and realized the stickers came off and he could move them...

Cutest Mickey Mouse

Our last craft of the day was letting the kids paint pumpkins (I didn't want to clean up all the guts and worry about them with knives....maybe it will be different when Logan is older since he is my kid...) This is what we ended up with

I didn't get pictures of dinner since it was so rushed, but I made ghost of monte cristo sandwiches, and the kids loved them! A good dinner before their night out of trick or treating. It was a busy day and kept me on my toes all day too! We also played duck duck goose, but called it pumpkin pumpkin ghost and a version of musical chairs with halloween music. The kids had a blast, and so did I

At the end of the day Logan was pretty tired too!

Heber Creeper

Mom and dad came up for Halloween weekend. Mom has been dying to ride the Heber Creeper for a long time so she got us all tickets. We spent most of the day out there, but there really isn't anything to see or do out there lol... We had lunch and played in the freight yard and then got to take out ride. We rode out to Soldiers Hollow (where the 2002 olympics was held) and they had a pumpkin patch set up so we all got to pick out our own pumpkins and then they handed out sticker kits for us to decorate them with. When we all boarded the train again we went a little further out before turning around to go back to the train depot. They had hot cocoa and cookies as snacks for the passengers and the train was all decked out for halloween with spider webs and rats and bones-very festive!

On the train

Logan at the pumpkin patch

cute cousins enjoying the trains

Logan was loving all the leaves. I love this sweet face!

Halloween

Does anyone else have problems deciding on costumes for Halloween? I have never been too big into dressing up until I moved to Utah. We had fun Halloween parties at my office where everyone dressed up and I got into it.

Then when we got married, I loved looking at couples costumes. Our first Halloween we were Princess Leia and Darth Vader.

Last year, Logan was only 2 months, but we wanted to do a family costume so we did star wars again with Logan as Chewbacca.

This year I have had lots of ideas. Mario Bros with Luke and Logan as Mario and Luigi and me as Princess Peach.

We also thought of having Logan be Scooby Doo and Luke be Shaggy and me be Daphne or Wilma.

Or there is always the Flintstones... We would have to be the Rubbles since we have bam bam

Then there was the idea of being Smurfs-- Luke as Papa Smurf, me as Smurfette and Logan as a baby smurf

Another idea we had was toy story... Logan would be Buzz Lightyear, and Luke and I would be Woody and Jesse.

So with all these ideas I got really excited and went shopping... when I saw how expensive costumes are for families, I thought we could make our own costumes. So we went to Savers and DI looking for things to make any of these costumes with and we struck out again. I really hate shoveling out money on things we are only going to wear once or twice so I gave up on the family costume idea this year and I think we will just dress up Logan. And the winning costume idea is... a vampire! It's called "Too cute to spook" and I fell in love with it. I found a great deal on eBay and I cannot wait to see my little man as a little vampire!

WALKING!!

Logan took his first steps about a week ago. We have been working with him for a long time, but he finally did it. We were visiting my friend Shayler and his wife and Shayler LOVES Logan and gets a kick out of everything he does. We went with them to go feed the ducks at a pond near their house and were practicing walking with Logan there and when we got back to their house he took his first steps and walked into the kitchen! Ever since he has been gaining more confidence and can now walk all around our living room! He still gets nervous in our kitchen with the wood floors and socks he usually slips, but he is working on it. It's so much fun to see him toddle around and look like a drunk as he gains his balance! When he falls he looks at me and starts to clap--he is so proud of himself!

Logan's Latest...

Logan loves trains right now... he pushes his big one around the house and says choo choo! The kids we tend have train tracks that they set up in our living room and he steals the train from off the tracks and says choo!

He is his dad's son for sure--he loves cars! He can say car now and goes beep beep! when he pushes his little trucks around.

He discovered his belly button! We are running out of onsies that fit so I have just been putting big boy shirts on him. He lifts them up and points to it and laughs. Then he says mama and points to it and wants me to tickle him!

Walking is not something that has happened yet, but we are still trying. He will take two steps between mom and dad if one of us is holding his cup of milk or juice (which he can say now!) I guess the bribery has started already!

Logan hates being in stinky diapers. If he has one and I havent changed it right away he snuggles up to me and says uh oh... until I smell it and go change him. This week I taught him to say "stinky" and he does pretty well at knowing how and when to use the word!

We are also learning parts of the body. He can point to his head, ears, eyes, nose and teeth! He can say eye, and tries for teeth and toe. If I say let's go brush your teeth-he points to them and says "teef!" and wants to brush all by his big boy self!

I can hardly believe how fast he is learning and how much he is picking up on already!

Batty Friday

I like to have a fun activity for the kids on Fridays since they get out of school so early. We decided Fridays in October should be centered around Halloween so today was day 1. We made batty cupcakes! Here are the results:

Logan loved the cupcakes...at least the frosting!

Logan Watching Conference

Aunt Leslie came over to watch conference with us Saturday afternoon! So fun to see her and get to hang out for a bit. Logan also enjoyed conference--all he needed was the rocking chair (his wee-wee-wee), his blankie (boo) and his thumb! He also had fun getting to know aunt "Lee"

So Close to Walking...

Logan is now 13 months old and SO close to walking! He will push around his little train all over the house, push folding chairs all around the kitchen floor and cruise along the furniture. He has even discovered the fun of standing. He will look around grin, and then slowly sit back down. Won't be long now until I am posting about the races we are having!

My Handsome Honeys

I found this little suit for Logan at our stake clothing swap and couldn't help myself. Jolene bought him some new shoes and he is just so handsome! He and daddy like to match for church! Whoever said dressing up a little boy is not as fun as dressing up a girl obviously didn't have a little boy!

Logan-isms

My little boy is changing so much so fast! He has learned a few new words and things this week...

Every time we say the words pray, or prayer Logan folds his hands and says be be be be be men!! then claps. He is saying his own little prayers!

Logan discovered cell phones. After seeing him with mine he was a little rough (and I was worried he would call China) so I found my old pink razor to give to him to play with. He will hold the phone up t his ear and say hi-ya and then some babbling...knows exactly what to do!

He got little cars for his birthday that are emergency vehicles he pushes them around and says uh-oh uh oh and then ououou.... like they are rushing off to help someone! He also has a dump truck he will push around and say oumm oummm (vroom vroom)

This morning when Luke was leaving to go run some errands Logan said bye da! His first "sentence!"

At breakfast I was giving the little girl I tend some pieces of bananas and he pointed to it and said "nana! nana! nana!"

Last week we were trying to skype with my parents and they were not online yet so just the picture of my mom showed up and he said Ga-ma--so close baby!

He has also discovered ski goggles that were in a bag of clothes given to us. He puts them on then turns to face me and says boo!!

It's so fun right not to watch him grow and discover new things!

Logan's First Birthday!

Happy birthday my sweet baby boy. I can hardly believe we have had you in our family for one year! Your day was filled with many adventures and lots of fun!

You must have known it was a big day because you woke up at 6 am! Normally you don't get up until 8. I thought if I took you to bed with dad and I that you would go back to sleep, but this was not the case-you were up and ready to go!

So we decided to let you open a gift to start off your day! You were so excited, but couldn't quite figure this one out...

When you finally got to your ball (that you picked out!) you were excited and wanted to play right away!

We even played peek a boo with the wrapping paper

and later peek a boo with the ball... you discovered it was funny to throw it backwards over your head and then roll back and use it as a pillow. You got us laughing pretty hard!

After daddy got off work we went to the zoo for your first time! You were so lucky to have both sets of grandparents and your cousins Asher, Jaman, Desiree and Jayson join us as well as Aunt Melissa and Aunt Leslie!

Mommy wanted lots of pictures to document your day

You loved the dinosaurs hidden throughout the zoo! This one was your favorite because it sprayed water that you thought was so funny! We stood there and watched it for ten minutes and you kept pointing and saying "dat! dat!" when we walked away.

On theme with your party we had to take pictures of you in this monkey hat--dad had to be quick with the camera to get this shot before you pulled the hat off your head!

During the petting show you wanted grandma--she was thrilled when we walked to her!

This is a classic Hogle Zoo picture... Mommy has one from when she was little too!

Daddy wanted to be in some shots too so he put you on this wooden horse

and then suggested we take this picture of our monkey by the waterfall in front of the monkey enclosure

This dinosaur scared you with his loud roar-you jumped so high and clung to mommy! When you heard it the next time you giggled, but cousin Jayson was so scared!

You loved the elephants. Every time one of them stood up to eat you clapped and cheered!

Baby elephant like baby Logan!

This was daddy's favorite dinosaur

And daddy's favorite picture--the tiger posed for him!

Overall everyone had lots of fun!

When we got home it was pouring rain! Grandma and Grandpa ordered us pizza and we had dinner before setting the table for the party! Everything was monkey themed since daddy calls you our little monkey.

Grandma Rasmussen bought this high chair decorating kit so that even your chair was festive! We liked the drop cloth as we anticipated you making a huge mess with your cake!

Grandma Freitag and mommy made this cute monkey cake for you

and monkey cupcakes too!

You loved spending time with Papa!

You crawled to him several times just to snuggle!

Then it was time for more presents! Great Grandma Freitag sent you a dollar in your card and we bought you these mini cars that you loved. Later in the day you pushed them around saying "ooo" "ooo" and since they are emergency vehicles (a police car and fire truck) it was perfect!

You also loved your little dump truck with big legos from mom and dad

and the turtle you picked out! You pick good toys, you sure liked everything :)

I love how much you look like papa here... like mom are you done taking pictures YET??

Grandma knows how much you love books so she and papa got you a few. You were ready to snuggle up for a good story

Cousin Asher loves to play with you so much. She also was quality control on your train scooting around on it before you did to make sure it worked

Grandma Freitag also made you a new quilt! She said you have outgrown your ducky one she made you at birth. Too babyish for our little man she said. The corner that is turned up was embroidered just for you and says "Made with love for Logan's first birthday by Grandma Freitag."

Grandma Rasmussen also came and bought you a teddy bear thats a cowboy just like grandpa!

You were already so tired and we hadn't even done cake yet, so we decided it was time

We sang happy birthday to you and blew the candle out...

and then sang again to Jaman since his birthday was a few days before yours! He was so excited as we signed to him too!

You were a little unsure what would come next. The bib didn't last long as you ripped it off. We thought you would dig into your cake too, but you were almost afraid of it. You were very clean...at first...

Then you realized how tired you were and started rubbing your chocolate covered fingers in your eyes and all over your face resulting in this look...

This was your first time meeting aunt leslie. She just got home from her mission and came to Utah for your birthday!

Jaman was showing off his braces to everyone

and aunt Leslie enjoyed being reunited with family after being away for so long

You loved spending time with both grandpa's

but by the end of the day... you were ready for some rest!

I CAN'T BELIEVE MY BABY IS 1!! I love you so much!