It's party time!

To top off Ella's birthday she invited some friends over for a birthday party. It turned out really fun. She had a blast.When the girls first got to the house we put them to work decorating a pillowcase. They all turned out very cute!After that they played "Don't eat Pete" Which started them on the spiral that most of the mom's call a sugar rush.To continue the sugar high the girls broke open a pinata full of candy and toys.Ella opened her presents. She got the littlest pet shop, a journal, makeup, a princess coloring game, and a whole bunch of gum.Next came the birthday cake.

Then the girls opened all of Ella's presents and broke them in. I was surprised with all of that sugar that they were able to sit down to do it. 2 of the girls had to go home and one of them spent the night. Ella loves having sleepovers.

Ella turnes six!

I can't believe that Ella is 6 years old today! To me it was only yesterday that I was holding her in my arms for the first time (I know so cliche but so true). She is an amazing little girl full of spunk. She tells you how it is. She loves to talk, color and play cooking daughter. She started kindergarten this year and much to my surprise is quite in class. I love this little girl.This is the only picture I have of Ella on her first birthday.These were both taken after we moved to Mountain Home Ella is about 18 months old.Ella at 9 months trying on one of Tyler's birthday presentsElla 15 months old at Grandma and Grandpa Banks houseElla at 9 months oldElla's first HalloweenElla at 7 months old.

Ella got to pick anywhere that she wanted to go and eat with Nate and I. She picked McDonald's for breakfast. I tried to talk her into somewhere else but she had her mind set on it. Happy Birthday Ella I love you sweet girl!

BOO!

We had a great time on Halloween this year! Halloween started early for us with all of the parties that we had to go to. On Halloween night we went to a dinner at the church. And afterwards they had trunk or treating for the kids. There were 2 wards and 1 branch there so there were a ton of cars for the kids to go to and they got a lot of candy. When trunk or treating was over Natalie and Nichole went with one of their friends trick or treating around her friends neighborhood and Nate and I took the Ty and Ella to a few houses. Because what is Halloween without actually going trick or treating to some houses. The kids had a blast.Nichole dressed up as Cleopatra. We bought her this other Cleopatra costume and when she got home to try it on it had a hippie costume inside of it. I had to take it back and this was the only one that would fit her.Natalie went as Smartie Pants. The night of the YW party Tyler also had den meeting for cub scouts. So after that she went into the bathroom to change. When she was done she walked across the gym that was filled with all of the boys that had been to cub scouts and their families. She then came into the bathroom to tell me "Mom it takes forever for boys to notice what you are wearing". I then got to give her my first bit of woman advice. "Get used to it honey that never changes".Tyler went as a spooky skeleton.Ella went as a fairy. I tried so hard to talk her into wonder woman but she refused.Ella was throwing her stash of candy up in the air around her like one might do if they had just won a ton of money.

Tyler dumping out his loot. They all got a bunch of candy for us all to eat this year!

Nichole and Natalie's first temple trip

Yesterday Nichole and Natalie went to the temple for the first time to do Baptisms for the Dead. They really enjoyed doing the work. Together our group did 629 temple ordinance's. After we went to the temple we went to IHOP. They were not prepared for our group of 40 even though we called and got reservations a couple of days before. We arrived at IHOP at 10:30 and did not leave until 12:50. The first table to order got their food last and that was after everyone else was done eating.

Young Women's Halloween Party!

For the activity in YW this week we had a Halloween party! It was a blast. We decided to do games from when the leaders were younger. Would you like eyeballs with that? This is the treat that I made for the party! We even had fingers there to eat too!First the girls went into the kitchen were they got to feel slimy eye balls and monkey brains. Then we played the donut gameWe bobbed for apples and also had a cake walk.Then we played this pudding game where one person would feed you pudding with their eyes closed. The person being fed had to have their eyes closed too! It was a lot of fun but, very messy. And I kept gagging on the pudding.Here are the Leaders all dressed up! I was Medusa. Anna went as an old lady. And Sheryl went as a table.

Here are all of the girls.