Old Fashioned Halloween Party

I worked with a nurse once who had the same birthday as Brandon. October 28th. I remember her telling me that she had a Halloween birthday party every year. Her mom never asked her what kind of party she wanted, it was always just a Halloween party. I have always remembered that and made a resolve that Brandon would grow up having normal kid birthday parties. And he did. We had it all, blues clues, veggie tales, spiderman, pirates, star wars, and of coarse, football parties to name a few. This year, his 12th birthday I decided it was time for a good old fashioned Halloween party. Of coarse, I ran the idea by him, and he gave his consent. So here we go.

We held almost the whole party in our garage, which was fabulous. We started out by guessing the weight of this great warty pumpkin I bought. The winner, determined after we brought down the bathroom scale, won a great gummy brain that I found at Walgreens.

Of coarse we had to carve pumpkins. But these were 12 year old boys, so we did some extreme pumpkin carving. We had an electrocuted pumpkin, scar face, roadkill pumpkin, cannibal pumpkin (he is eating a little pumpkin), vomiting pumpkin and I don't know what that last one was. They loved it.

You can't have a Halloween party without the donuts on a string game.

Bobbing for apples-another favorite!

Most of the boys had never bobbed for apples. Probably because of sanitary reasons, but oh well, what they don't know won't hurt them right? They thought it was great and wanted to do it again and again, and I let them, becasue that's the kind of party thrower I am.

More party--and a little football

Let's continue. (Someday I will learn how to put on more than 5 pictures at a time, Sarah where are you?)

This was a Survivor type team game. Each team had one caller standing on a stool. The rest of the team (tribe) was blindfolded and the caller had to direct them to pick up a skeleton piece and then go lay it down to assemble the full skeleton. Tyler was yelling out encouragement and updates pretending he was Jeff Probst. Pretty funny.

Witches brew. They had to work as a team and suck up all of these creatures with a straw. Once they sucked it up they had to run around a pillar in the garage and then put it into a cauldron. They were out of breath and kind of lightheaded. Now that's a good game.

We served some treats outside. Dipped oreos (which, by the way, kind of went unappreciated by the boys) nachos and drinks.

We then headed into the kitchen for the only inside activity. Brandon didn't want cake (he claims it's tasteless) so we made ice cream cone witches. A little childish for 12 year olds, but they enjoyed it and gobbled their witches right up. We also opened presents inside and then headed right back outside for some........


...FOOTBALL! Not very Halloweenish, but I think that's probably what they wanted to do most of all! We all had a fun time and I was able to squeeze in one Halloween party for my wonderful Halloween boy!

Twelve years!

It has been 12 years, 12 great years. Over the last 12 years I have watched this boy develop his taste for fine foods, namely steak, shrimp and salmon. For 12 years I have watched this boy try out new trends like under armor, converse high tops and black socks. Over the last 12 years I have been to hundreds, it could be thousands, of baseball, basketball, soccer and football games to cheer this athlete on. He has never disappointed.

Over the last 12 years I have received many precious notes from this boy who loves his mama and his family. Over the last 12 years I have rarely had to help with homework, he is a self-starter, very organized and a great student. Over the past 12 years I have received too many compliments to count on what a great boy I have.

It seems like it has taken 12 years for some of his teeth to come out AND come in. It has been for 12 years that I have admired this boys talents and kindness and testimony. In the last year I have seen him reach out to others who truly needed a friend, he has been an answer to another mother's prayer,

I am sure of it.

It has been an amazing 12 years.

Twelve years of Brandon.

Twelve years of having a son that I adore.

Twelve years of watching him grow and develop into a fantastic young man

with so much more yet to come.

Happy Birthday Brandon!

I love you!

(even if you are a hobo!)

When Fall and Winter collide!

We had our first snowstorm of the season. It was October 27th and it was amazing! It started in the middle of the night. I didn't even know it was supposed to snow. At about 6 am Trevor told me to be careful driving today because it had snowed. I said, "It did?" He said yes, can't you see how light it is outside and listen it is so quiet. I love snowstorms. They are quiet and oh so beautiful.

This picture just reminded me that it is still Fall, not Winter. With the leaves still falling off into the white snow. I had to drive my kids to piano lessons in the morning and I just couldn't get over how beautiful everything looked. You would think I have never seen a snowstorm before. But ones this early have a different look because there are still so many trees with leaves, so the snow sticks to all the leaves and the view is breathtaking. I really couldn't get enough. I drove around after dropping the kids off for a while just looking at everything. What an amazing world we live in.

It was like a winter wonderland and so cozy. I knew that it would all be gone by the time the kids got home from school, that's how these early storms go. And it was. All gone. But I got some good pictures, enjoyed my little solo drive around my little town, made myself some hot chocolate and find myself looking forward to the next one. I just need my boys to mow one more time before this stuff really sticks! I think they will have time. After all, it is still October!

Tradition Tuesday-We've been shot!

Let's face it. Not all traditions are fun around here. This one in particular is probably my kids least favorite tradition and yet I force them to do it every year in October. We call it Flu shot Family Night and it is anything but fun. We all shuffle into the Health Department Clinic and Trevor and I start to fill out our 9 forms-one for each and every one of us. This takes a little time, time for the kids to get even more nervous than they already were, while sitting in the sterile mediciny smelling office. (They even claim they have seen dead bugs in the corners, this adds to the not so happy feeling they have about being there.) The nurse will then come out and asks us to send the littlest one in first, the one who should be the most scared. We opt to not send the littlest and we send Bryce. Definitely the one the most scared of needles.
He was crying before he even got up out of his chair to walk down to get the shot. He is truly petrified of needles (thank goodness he is not Tyler!). Before he could even blurt out that he wasn't ready yet, she was done and he didn't feel a thing. All of those tears over nothing.

Brandon appears brave in this picture, but if you were there in real life you would have seen his cheek quivering with anticipation and fear. Again, unwarranted, it was over before he knew it.

Ethan is one of my bravest. He didn't get nervous. He has never cried. Just marched right in, pulled up his sleeve and got the job done.

Ashlyn had no idea what was going on. She saw the camera and dutifully smiled at me. And then she got shot. She looked over at her arm, saw the band aid, hopped off daddy's lap and walked down the hall. All her siblings were cheering for her because she didn't cry. When she saw them, heard their praise and then looked at the band aid again.....she started to cry.

All in all it went very smoothly. We did what we had to do. We had sore arms for several days afterwards but we are proud to be and always will be (much to my kids dismay).....

FLU FIGHTERS!

Thoughts on a Sunday

*A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that Ethan hasn't had a tantrum at night for a long time. I think I even called it a miracle. Well, this week he has had two night tantrums. Bad ones, where he is wandering around in the basement, lost, confused, screaming. Trevor thinks it is because I blogged about it. I am forbidden now to blog about Ethan not crying at night. He thinks I cursed it. He may be right. So it will not be mentioned again. I hope that means it will stop....again.

*Ashlyn found a little spider on our porch this week. She told me about it and I went to check it out. It just so happened that it was a huge black widow spider, right there on our porch. The word quickly spread amongst our children. I tried to keep it from our arachnaphobe, but he caught wind of it and ran out to see it. I feared we would have big nightmares that night, but amazingly we didn't. I'm not too afraid of spiders, I mean really, what are the odds of being bit by a black widow? (Ok, don't ask Sarah that question!) Trevor bravely killed the innocent spider and peace was restored to our household.

*We were involved in a hit and run this week. Trevor was getting his haircut and while he was in the back leisurely getting his shampoo, someone came running into the store asking if any one had a Suburban, that it had been hit. Since Trevor was otherwise occupied, he didn't hear this news. When he did emerge from the bowels of the hair salon they asked again and he went out to see. Two people had witnessed the lady back into our car, look anxiously around, and then quickly drive off! Can you believe that? Trevor called the insurance and to have it fixed we have to pay our $500 deductible! It is very frustrating and just plain rude!

*I love having 2 kids in seminary this year. Each Sunday we have them share something they learned that week. What they share is inspiring and uplifting. I am so grateful for their seminary teachers and for the experiences they are having. I love that they can feel the spirit like that at school.

*My kids had a piano recital this week. It was great. I love their new teacher and they are progressing very well. This was Alyssa's very first recital, she had only been taking piano for 4 months. She stood up, announced her pieces and then on the last piece, stated, "And I'm going to sing this one!" And sing she did. My little 8 year old, sang Families can be Together Forever at the top of her lungs as she accompanied herself. It was absolutely precious and something I myself never could have done. She amazes me!

*At the dentist last week, we were told Ashlyn really needed to stop sucking her thumb. A couple of days later I put a band aid on her thumb to see what she would do. Right after I did it, she looked at it for a while and then slowly laid down on the floor. She laid there, curled in a little ball and wouldn't talk or move for a long time. After trying everything to get her to get up and come eat lunch, I finally went over and ripped the dang band aid off. She then snapped out of her depression and came over to eat. What am I going to do with this one!?!

* We had a ward activity this week based on the show Iron Chef. The secret ingredient was rice. I am proud to say that I won first place for my stuffed mushrooms! It was quite an accomplishment because I really don't love to cook, Ive never seen that show (not that it really mattered) and I've never even tried this recipe before. I am now making my family call me Iron chef. Yep, I'm pretty proud and my family is pretty lucky to have me making all of their food!

*We had our Primary Program today. It was wonderful as usual. I felt the spirit and feel so blessed to serve amongst these little angels.

Until next week!

Boo'd

We got BOO'D last week. I was actually really surprised. We usually don't get boo'd until the end of the season. I like to think it is because we have 9 people in our family and it isn't easy to make treats for 9 people! Anyways, we got it early this year, Halloween cupcakes and my kids were thrilled. This is a fun tradition, but it sometimes stresses me out. The note says you have 24 hours to make treats and BOO two other families. First of all, we got Boo'd late Friday night. Second of all our Saturday was so full, I didn't even have time to feed my own family. Third of all I am really not a baker. So, at about 11 pm on Saturday night I found myself at the grocery store searching the aisles for a Halloween treat. I came home with 2 boxes of Booberry cereal and 2 bags of spiderweb cotton candy. I tied them up with a Halloween bow and we were ready to go. When my kids saw these treats they went nuts. They wanted the cereal so bad, but I wouldn't let them near it. They so loved the drop off where they put the treats on the doorstep, rang the bell and then raced for the open car door for a quick get away. They wanted to do it again and again, but will have to wait until next Halloween.

Oh, and on Monday I ran back to the store, picked up some Booberry cereal and for good measure threw in a Count Chocula and Frankenberry. When the kids got home from school these were waiting for them and it was the BEST Family Home Evening treat they had had in a long time!

Tradition Tuesday-The Annual Pumpkin Walk

Every Fall, our elementary school hosts it's annual Pumpkin Walk. And that's what it is... a walk through a bunch of decorated pumpkins. Each class picks a value and then they decorate their pumpkins to represent that value. It is fun and precious and interesting and exhausting (the last one only if you are a room mom!) We look forward to it every year. It screams fall with the hot chocolate, popcorn, bales of hay, scarecrows and of coarse....the pumpkins!

Ethan's value was friendship. They went with a Toy Story theme. They each painted their own portraits on their pumpkins. Ethan was very meticulous about his. I think it looked just like him, cute as can be! (By the way, Kara made the sign for this display, it is so handy to have such a talented daughter!)

Alyssa's class chose helpfulness as their value.
They were groovy 1960's stylin pumpkins each with big outstreched helping hands. Ready to help whenever asked.
Peace out!



I think Bryson's value was wisdom. I think. They made owls and they each had to write something about gaining wisdom by their little owl. Bryce personalized his by handcrafting some great looking spectacles for his pumpkin owl out of paperclips. That's my Brycie!


This is Brandon's last year in the Pumpkin Walk. His value was Honor. They made knights. He thought his was dumb because he just put a helmet and shield on it. But the sword he made out of cardboard and tinfoil was pretty cool, I thought.






I love this tradition. I love the creativity of these kids. I love that they focus on such great values. And I love pumpkins, you kind of gotta for this great annual walk amongst hundreds of them!

More pumpkin walk favorites

These are just some of my favorites this year

(aside from my kids classes which were by far my most favorite!)

The ghosts!


Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads


The cupcakes (you cant' see the sprinkles)

The smores

And finally, the pumpkins of the Caribbean!

Until next year!

Thoughts on a Sunday-written on a Monday

*I really think Fall might be my favorite season. We got out all of our Halloween/fall decorations and I love it. My house looks so cozy with all my decorations out. I lit my pumpkin spice candle and my whole house smells like fall. One of my favorite things are those little battery operated tea light candles; I have them all over in all my little decorations and each night we turn them all on and enjoy the soft flickers in all the decorations. Love it!



*We had parent teacher conferences this past week. I have great kids. I just really do!



*I think Ethan, who has been our most difficult child in the night, has turned a corner. It used to be at least 2-3 times a week that he would wake up- confused, disoriented, and oh so cranky. He would scream and cry; you really couldn't console him. What he needed was to go to the bathroom, but he refused to believe that. It was a nightmare, has been for 3 years, until now. He hasn't had an episode in weeks. And recently, I will wake up because I hear something and it is little Ethan going potty all by himself- without tears, screams, or flailing arms. In my book, this is a small and very welcomed miracle. I hope it lasts.



*Did you know they make dry erase crayons? Well they do, and I bought some. They have been a hit at our house and I have no more worries that the dry erase markers will get all over the carpet or get dried out because someone left the lids off. Yeah!



*We had a huge storm this week. It was a night to remember. My kids and I were watching a Mormon message on youtube (yes, we are very spiritual around here), when we heard a huge crack and the power went out, right from under us. My kids ran around trying all the switches; they couldn't believe the TV didn't work. It was glorious, for many reasons. First, it was cozy. We lit some candles, even though it wasn't totally dark yet, and turned on all of our tea lights (see above entry). It was quiet for once in our house. There was no TV or music. The kids played quietly and it was divine. I didn't have to make dinner. I just couldn't without electricity! We had a busy evening ahead of us, so busy, in fact, that I was triple booked. It was going to be tricky, as it is so many nights, to get and be everywhere we needed to be. Because of the storm, 3 soccer practices were cancelled. Because of the lack of electricity, pack planning meeting and pack meeting were cancelled. It was wonderful. Trevor took the boys to their football games (which never get cancelled), and I was able to attend the Mr. Caveman competition with Kara at the high school. I am hoping for the power to go out at least once a week until Christmas. Is that too much to ask?



*We got an email from Brandon's teacher this week telling us what great boys we have. Apparently, Brandon is in charge of flag duty at the school for the time being. The other boys who were supposed to be helping him didn't show up for a couple of days. Brandon went to get his teacher to help with the ropes (a two man job). She got out there and said she witnessed Bryson helping Brandon fold the flag and little Ethan holding the state flag while they tended to the American flag. She ended her email by saying that the elementary school was a better place today because of the example of the Allred boys. Like I said, I have great kids. Also, I am so thankful for good teachers who take the time to tell me things like this. I probably would never have known this little incident happened if it wasn't for her email. She is a fantastic teacher!



*One of Alyssa's spelling words last week was "dude." Really? Dude? How am I supposed to use that in a sentence for her spelling homework? "Hey, dude, pass me a cig." "Dude, you look tight today!" Anyways, she kept spelling it dood, an honest mistake when you have other words like smooth and food. I wasn't too worried about it, because honestly how many times in the real world will she need to spell it? Dood I have no idea!



Until next week!

Fridays Favorites-Livin in a college town

I love living in (OK, minutes from) a college town. There really isn't anything like it. It is the college where both Trevor and I went to, our beloved Alma Mater. It is the college where we learned the skills we still use today to support and raise our family. It is the college where all the memories and feelings come rushing back every time we go there and walk through the beautiful campus. It is BYU and we all love it! Our kids were practically born loving BYU. And every time the fall football season comes around you can find us decked out in our BYU blues and cheering on our cougars!

We love going to the games. There is excitement in the air. The freeway is packed. The BYU flags are blowing in the wind on all the cars. The faces are painted. The money for stadium treats is ready to be spent. And as we settle into our seats we are ready to "Rise and Shout" for any touchdown.

Sometimes that opportunity comes often....

...sometimes it doesn't. But with the thrill of victory also comes the agony of defeat. It's all part of the game.

The game that we love.

Yes, we are BYU!

We are tried and true cougars.

We bleed blue, everyone of us in good times and in bad.

Tradition.

Spirit.

Honor.

That's who we are, it's where our heart is and always will be.

Rah, rah rah rah rah

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COUGARS!

Baptism Day

Is there anything more precious than a little child's baptism day? I don't think so. Our sweet Alyssa Jane was baptized last month. It was a beautiful day for our beautiful girl. She was so ready to be baptized, ready to receive the Holy Ghost and ready to share this wonderful day with those who love her most.

She was baptized by her dad and the spirit was strong. She was baptized in the same dress her sister and cousin were baptized in. She cried the whole time during the Bishop's talk, she said she knew it was the Holy Ghost.

She made me cry.

Some of her cute little friends came to her baptism to show their love and support. Every night I thank my Heavenly Father that my children have good friends who help them choose the right and be the best that they can be.

These girls are answers to my prayers.


We had a little luncheon after. Alyssa received some special gifts, like the traditional Holy Ghost shadow box from Grandma. It is now sitting on her dresser, a constant reminder of the precious gift she has been given and to help her remember her baptismal covenants.

It was a small gathering of family this time. Many aunts, uncles and cousins have moved away. We missed them, but felt blessed to be surrounded by our fantastic family and Alyssa felt the love of those far away. There was a lot of love on Alyssa's baptism day. We love her for the great daughter and example she is to us. We love the gospel and know she does too. We love being a family. We love the thought that we will all be together someday. We love that Alyssa is making so many good choices in her life!

Alyssa was baptized on September 11th. All of the flags were out in remembrance. Alyssa doesn't really even know the significance of September 11th. And that's OK. We now have a great memory of September 11th. The day our Alyssa became the newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

A day we will never forget.