This is Halloween...Halloween...Halloween

Sorry to all of you who don't love the "Nightmare before Christmas" that was my opening song for this post. LOVE it! That song goes through my head all Halloween day. I've never been what you'd call an "enthusiast" about Halloween, I hate scary movies, don't love scary stories...getting scared is NOT my thing. The only thing I LIKE about Halloween is the Candy...go figure (speaking of figures, thanks to zumba for my bottom half finally starting to shrink!!!) and I like the Nightmare before Christmas movie. The ONLY Halloween Movie I like. I didn't get to watch it this year though because I ran out of time. But I've still been singing the song. I also like the decorations, they are kinda fun.

This year however, I liked it! I had fun with Aspen. She is finally old enough to be excited about dressing up and knocking on doors. I took a lot of photos, which I will post tomorrow.

Our day started out with us rearranging Aspens room and the Office, then we went to lunch with Grandpa Call, came home and put Aspen down for a nap while we finished the rearranging, then Aspen woke up excited to get ready to go trick or treating, so we got her makeup done (she choose to be a $5 kitty instead of the $20 spiderman she originally wanted to be...it only took a little persuading, and she got a spiderman bucket anyway to go with her kitty outfit. - $20 for a costume for one year?? No thanks. I know...I'm cheap)

We went first to the grandparents so she could show off her costume, and practice knocking on doors and saying happy halloween, trick or treat, and thank you. At first when someone would hand her a candy, she'd reach in her bucket and pull one of her other candies out and hand it to them. I guess she thought it was a trading game or something. It was SOOOOOOOO cute!!!!!!!! We let her do that for a few houses, then fearing we'd have no candy for us (ha ha) we told her how it really works, but that it was super sweet of her to share her candy with others.

I enjoyed watching her have fun so much, that I took her around for a whole hour and a half from house to house knocking on doors. I only had to walk up to the door with her at one house. It was very decorated and had sound effects going on, and it scared her a little, so she wanted held to go to that one. For the others I stood on the sidewalk, she'd walk up ALL BY HERSELF, knock on the door, and repeat the phrase "trick or treat, happy halloween, thank you" over and over until they shut the door...then she'd come running to me and say "let's go to lots more houses!" She was so cute I couldn't resist. Then I noticed her bucket was almost full to the top, and I hadn't realized we went to that many houses...so we finally went back to Ashton's brothers house where Ashton was eating and visiting, and we ate and played games until about 9:30. Aspen was so wired from all the excitement, she kept everyone laughing. then we came home and now she is fast asleep, and I'm heading to bed. Just wanted to blog about our day. It was overall, a fantastic fun day I think. Definetely one for the books.

My baby is growing up :0(

Over the Hill to Grandmothers house we go....

I went with my mom and brother Shaun and a few of Shauns kids to visit my Grandma who will be 104 on the 29th!! She is so sweet and it was so good to see her. She is still doing amazingly well. I love her so much.

It's been a really busy month, I have had so much going on, and we all got sick on top of it all. My dad passed away 2 years ago on the 19th of this month. That day last year felt so fresh and painful, this year, the day came and went and I was so busy I didn't think about it till the next day. Life seems to pick up and just move on. It's so busy I wish it would slow down for a little while.

Happy 104 this week Grandma! LOVE you!

another one bites the dust

I should be posting my assignments since they are in digital. But they have given me such a headache that the last thing I want is to look at them after I finish editing. I am so frusterated with photography, and work, and school right now, that I can't even think straight. I have to remind myself that I chose this. And I chose this because I prayed about it and it felt right. Anyway, here are some of my projects. not great, but I hope to improve. I'm tired. That's all I feel lately. My eyes are tired, my head is tired, my body is tired, my hands are tired. I'm tired of not having time to get my church calling done, tired of not having time to get my school work done and being 6 chapters behind, and 2 projects behind, I'm tired of trying to be mommy adn wife and house cleaner, tear wiper, lover, cooker, worker...ugh, I make it to bed at about 1 or 2 in the morning and get back up at 7. honestly, it was easier when Ashton was in Iraq and I was raising Aspen without him, and getting up so often in the night...i just feel so tired. maybe I'm getting old. Anyway. I feel grumpy and stressed, and don't think anyone wants to listen to my complaining and griping, so I'll stop here.

One is a photo we had to add blur in the background, one was a photo we had to take darker and bring back the highlights in photoshop, and the other was one we had to add a texture to. they were fun, but lots of work.