FL Trunk or Treat

Well, today we participated in a few different events. I started out by driving 30 miles just to get dry ice becaus of the shortage that still exists from all the hurricanes.

We started in the neighborhood party and had a great time bobbing for apples, eating suspended donuts and enjoying our neighbors. Our next door neighbor is a retired army O6 and recently was remaried he is the chef.



















Tinkerbell and Buzz Light year were close runners up for the best costume but due to some spilled apple juice and some fruit stained liatard we will have to try again next year. Mom was the cute scarecrow and dad was the fireman with big ears. We had a great time.



















After the neiborhood party we went to the Ward building for a Trunk or Treat and chili cookoff. My chili did well despite the kick. Trevor took pictures with all the ladies and Savannah enjoyed the suckers her brother kept collecting. The best was seeing all the other kids and friends dressed up. Trevor alsofinally realized what trick or treating is all about (sharing your haul wth Mom and Dad. Enjoy

Yard update

I finally figured how to get my pictures from my new digital camera to this blog.

This is the view from my soon to be tennis watching patio.














The large stones are now steps and they are very hard to move.













This is a different view. The wall is starting to take shape. Today we took down the fence that is on the left hand side of this picturel.












This is Mike working in the garden. I cashed in one of my coupons and he happily worked for a few hours











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FL Update

Hello all - I am trying this out with Ashkii's help. It is fun to read everyone's postings. We are doing well. We had a great time with Grandma & Grandpa here. It was such a beautiful day at the beach. Soccer is going well, at least I think it is. Ashkii is a little frustrated with Trevor's lack of competitive spirit on the field. I am just glad he is having fun. What he lacks in soccer he makes up for in Candy Land- that is serious business! He absolutely LOVES preschool, which he is attending three days a week now. He is also learning sign language, so I am sure we will get a few laughs as he and James try to communicate. He is learning Spanish, too, which has been fun for Ashkii. We went on his field trip to Baskin Robbins (thank goodness for sorbet!), and we will go to the park and on a hayride with his school on Friday. Savannah misses him when he is gone, but also enjoys playing with whatever she wants to without the constant instruction from her director-personality brother. She is speaking very well now, and Trevor helps her by telling her what to say to him all day long. Thankfully, she does hold her own with him. For the most part they play very well together, their favorite game being hide and seek. Savannah goes in a corner, counts to three, yells "Come!" and finds him. Trevor has master his two-wheel bike, but refuses to let Ashkii take the training wheels off even though they are bent up so far that he rarely uses them. Ashkii is busy with school, work, and trying to work out the logistics of our hectic life. I have been busy with callings, planning with neighbors for our neighborhood Halloween party, helping with scrapbooks for the preschool kids, and trying to fit some CPE in so I can keep my CPA license. The kids are very excited to see everyone in November, as are Ashkii and I. We have a lot going on with this really being our last few weeks in Pensacola (when we come back in Jan. we will pack up and move). I have mixed feelings and will miss so many wonderful friends, but I really look forward to having our own place and really living there for awhile. For FHE tonight we carved a pumpkin - Trev drew the face & Ashkii carved it. Isn't it lovely! See you all soon - Florida Mom

Just a few summer pictures

Rich and Trevor are up at Strawberrry cleaning things up after girls camp.















The cousins are in the back yard playing during one of the days that Trevor was here this summer.

















Savannah is keeping cool with her hat on at girls camp.

Florida

Rich and I returned from our Florida trip on Saturday night. Our flight was on time and uneventful which was NOT the case for Rich flying in. Rich was scheduled to land at Pensacola at 6:05. He called and said he would be late. When Ashkii, the kids, and I got to the airport we could see lots of people standing around -- not a good sign. Rich called us and said that his plane had started to land at Pensacola - landing gear down and approaching runway -- then they aborted the landing and flew to Fort Walton Beach and landed there. They waited to see what the outcome was going to be and to make a long story short -- Rich shared a rental car with the lady that he was sitting next to on the plane and she drove to Navare and Ashkii drove to Navare to pick him up. Rich finally arrived at the house around 11:00 p.m, which was alot earlier than if he had waited for the busses that Delta was going to rent to bring them to Pensacola. To emphasize what a smalll world we live in the lady that he sat next to was a daughter of one the military people he had briefed on one of his guard trips to Fort Leonardwood.

We walked down to story time and sang about all the animals on Old McDonalds farm.
Trevor is not too fond of cats and when we were playing soccer in the back yard and the neighbors cat was trying to play soccer also we had to convince Trevor that the cat wasn't going to get him. He was still a little leary, but at least stayed out and played with us - one eye on the cat and one eye on the soccer ball.

We went to the beach -- saw dolphins swimming in the ocean. We tried to catch minnows but were very unsuccessful. Rich saw a stingray and was trying to catch it also. Savannah loves the beach and when she would fall down in the water, she would pop up shake off and want to play again. Very amazing for we non water types. Trevor and Rich played football. We also went to Trevor's soccer game. He was afraid of the other coach ( the coaches get to be on the field) and stayed as close to the sideline as he could. Kind of reminded us of our days watching soccer. The under 5 crowd has their own style of "bunch ball" Brooke returned from girls camp in one piece. Their house is very cute and we had a greattttttttt time. I even had a chance to go to a garage sale and was able to pick up some very important items. They are probably going to be in Norfolk for their next job and we look forward to visiting them there.

I just read the website and noticed Josh has been feeding you incorrect statistics. Luke is maybe almost 20 lbs, but certainly not over that number. He isnt fat like his brother Sam was, just very long. Josh may get a basketball player after all. He is growing up way too fast, it seems like with this baby instead of pushing him to do things and wanting him to move on-I just want him to stay where he is. Quiet and immobile. The other day Josh had Luke, James, and Sam all laughing at the dinner table. We got a glimpse into what trouble we are in for and I felt like crying. James and Sam have enough to talk, cry, and laugh about-we arent looking forward to another boy to add to all the caous.

He really has been fun and has such a good nature. The boys just adore him and James is always reminding us that hi is the "cutest baby in the world", and everyday "this is the best Luke has ever been" (although he has never been bad). James started preschool and is loving it. Sam is trying to figure out how to fill up those 2 hours without James. He lasts playing on his own maybe 15 minutes. Luckily he has "my friend Will" we call in James' absence. He had a computer game he loves, and there is always throwing tantrums that take up time. James is learning some sign language in preschool and knows alittle from a dvd we have and has started to sign things (mostly demands) to me when Im not really paying attention to him. I just laugh when he gets mad that Im not giving him what he wants when hes been asking in sign language and I havent even been looking at him. He is reading simple words now, but mostly enjoys spelling outloud. You give him a word, he figures a way to spell it. Its pretty funny, but if phonics works I guess hes doing pretty good.

We have been working on our family eating disorders lately. We make them take a bite of something new if they want a dessert. It is quite the event. Sam is always the brave first and he puts it in his mouth with a grimace and by the time he swallows it he has a sort of suprised smile and says 'it didnt hurt me.' James on the other hand, crys about it for 3 minutes trying again and again to put it in his mouth, then we say do it now or we are taking it away. He cries even before it enters his mouth and during the chew, and especially after and then sobs 'I dont like it.' We are proud of him for trying.

I guess I better roll Josh over to his side of the bed and get some sleep myself. We are hoping Mike moves into our neighborhood! He has been looking at some up for sale in our ward. Any way, hope to see you all soon.