It's the Annual Blog Update!

Blah blah, I never update, blah blah, good intentions, blah blah, I'll do better...blah...here we go.

A quick overview of the past year (or at least since August, since I don't particularly want to relive the time prior to that).

Since Sam missed the kingergarten deadline by a few weeks, she started her second year of preschool, which she loves.  I can't decide if her fashion icon is Cyndi Lauper or Punky Brewster.

September was her 5th birthday, and for her friend party we did a unicorn theme.  Unicorn races with some awesome stick unicorns (like stick ponies) I found online, pin the tail on the unicorn, and of course, horned-pig, I mean, unicorn cupcakes.  Sorry, I claim no great cake-decorating skills.  I think it wouldn't have been so bad if I had used a color other than pink, but that was a realization that came too late.

My sister Jen's birthday is the same day, so later we had a party with my fam and I convinced everyone (even my mom!) that it would be fun to use the extra party tatoos, especially since they wouldn't have worn off before church the next day. 

A few days later was my daddy's b-day, and we decided it would be cool to get a bunch of helium balloons (my mom's awesome friend got her a machine to fill them), write messages to my dad on them, and release them at the same time.

After the post-funeral stuff died down, we took a few trips with my fam to the cabin.  We did geo-caching, which was totally fun for both kiddos and grownups. 

Board games are always involved, and I think this pic of my little brother Jeff perfectly captures the serious mood we always maintain.

On another cabin trip, we noticed that a big tree had fallen over on the outhouse (which we don't actually use during the summer--there's indoor plumbing.  It's just there for the winter when the water isn't on).  Since there were no men folk on that trip, my mom, my aunt Diane and I decided to showcase our lumberjack skills and, with nothing more than a rusty hacksaw (which broke halfway through), we cleared it off. 

And of course catching fishies, which we cleaned ourselves (but I'll spare you the pics).

A trip to the corn maze...

At the Bonneville seminary, planting the tree that the teachers donated in memory of my dad (the half hour we were doing it was the worst torrential downpour I've seen in a long time--it was hilarious.  At least from my vantage point inside)...

and the shelves I made (actually two) to hold DVDs and games in the family room downstairs (I lined the back of a cheapo bookcase with this awesome fabric from IKEA.  There are mountain goats!!  Jim thinks it's hideous.)...

For Halloween, we had our annual witch party with the girls in Jim's family

(we do all of our "spooky" food)...

Ogden Witchstock with the chicas
(we may go back to Witches' Night Out at Gardiner Village next year, we'll see)...

 A sleepover with the nieces where we painted pumpkins
(because if we carved them, I'd be the one doing all the grunt work)...

I went all rebellious and made mine an easter egg

 And Halloween itself.

Helping my mom rake leaves--I LOVE this shot!...

 The arrival of my leg lamp (I didn't get a picture of it out of the box yet, but it was glorious)...

 Sam's Christmas dance recital (I promise she really does show her teeth when she smiles, just not in pictures for some reason)...

And a trip to Ogden's Christmas Village.  FREEZING, but fun.

I haven't actually gotten Christmas itself off the camera yet, so that's all for now.  Phew!