Aja is 5 Months

She's growing up too fast too!

She has the most amazing blue eyes.

She also almost always has a smile on her face, which is why the above picture makes me laugh.

She is really into doing this lately:

Which I know doesn't mean she is going to crawl soon but makes me want to stop her from growing up so fast!

And Ally turns Eleven

Oh, how did this day come? Why can't I keep her frozen at the age of 5 for the rest of her life?

This year has brought a lot of changes in her. She's so much more grown up. She is an amazing babysitter and her brother and sister adore her.

Her favorite look that sums her up about every day: a pair of skinny jeans, an aeropostle shirt covered by an aeropostle hoodie, a pair of converse shoes and her hair in a pony tail... yep, that's what she looks like every day. She's not sparkly or pink or girly... she's Ally. I love that she has her own style and is comfortable in her own skin... even if I do try and convince her to be a little sparkly. :o)

Elder Cameron Pickle

So, as I said our Halloween didn't end there. You see, my nephew Cameron has been waiting for his mission papers... and wouldn't you know it, he got them on Halloween.

He was going to open them that night at 8:30, and there was no way I was going to miss that!

So we packed up the kids and drove 45 minutes to Salt Lake to see where the Lord intended for this brand new missionary to go.

My guess was Chile.
Alex guessed South Africa.
Ally guessed China.
Devin guessed his favorite place on earth... Disneyland.

He immediately opened his packet and announced he would be leaving in January to Resistencia, Argentina. It was a beautiful moment.

He is the oldest and since my sister was at our house all the time with him I have the most memories of him growing up... before I got obsessed with my own life. I still remember taking him for walks in the old, ugly stroller of my parents... and I remember one time the sprinklers came on while we were walking by, he may have got 2 or 3 drops on him but he started crying and I immediately picked him up and pushed the stroller back to the house with him in my arms. He immediately stopped crying when I picked him up, and it was the first time I knew what it was like to provide that kind of comfort.

He's not little any more... infact, he's a lot taller than me. And Cam, if you are reading this I love you... and I can't wait for you to head out to Argentina and provide all those people with the kind of comfort only the Lord can bring them. I am so proud of you!

Halloween 2012

This year, Halloween was a little chaotic... but always fun!

Ally was determined in her costume choice. She wanted to be Catniss from the Hunger Games trilogy.

I have to admit that Alex and I both tried to talk her out of it, but once Ally makes up her mind at anything, it is pretty much impossible to get her to change her mind.

First thing we had to run over to Ally's school to see the Halloween parade. Devin enjoyed running around in his costume until the kids came through.

Then we had to run like crazy to get Devin to preschool on time... we were just a little late, but oh well.

He was determined for a long time to be Mario for Halloween. We waited and waited making sure that is what he wanted. We finally bought the costume and guess what? Of course he changed his mind and wanted to be Lightening McQueen. I'm not one of those moms that let their kids change costumes though... so he could wear Mario or just go in regular clothes.

Aja was the cutest little ladybug there ever was!

Alex and I have never dressed up before, but this year we decided to. We were pirates together.

The kids went trick-or-treating for a couple of hours... but our night wasn't over quite yet. But that deserves a whole new post on it's own...

Failure

This is going to be one of those brutally honest posts where I tell you how much I have failed at everything lately.

I will admit, I don't always suck, but this week... I suck.

Ally's birthday is this weekend... it's a magical, exceptional, fantastic day that I love to celebrate... except when you forget the little details. Right after school today Ally asked me what time I am bringing her birthday treat to school tommorrow... um... "remind me what you wanted again?"... "oh yeah, that's right chocolate cupcakes". And in my mind I am thinking, "Oh crap, I forgot and how am I ever going to get a grocery store to make me 30 chocolate cupcakes by tonight so she can take them to school with her tomorrow morning???" So much for the cool mom that always does something special for her special daughter. Failure.

Both of my youngest are STILL in the pj's they slept in last night at 3 pm and now it's not even worth changing them. Failure.

It's parent/teacher conferences tonight and I forgot, so Alex is coming home early from work to help me out, since I spaced getting a babysitter. Failure.

Threw the ingredients in the bread maker so we would have homemade bread tonight with our dinner... totally spaced turning it on and it won't make it in time for dinner. Failure.

Spaced paying for Devin's preschool this month... but luckily his teacher is sweet and didn't charge the late fee. Failure.

Totally forgot about planning a fun activity for Family Home Evening... actually totally forgot about FHE all together. Failure.

Did I ever mention I am in young women's at church?... totally spaced the activity this week on Tuesday night. Failure.

I still have to find one amazing, incredible birthday present for Ally that is in an incredibly hard stage right now and I haven't got a clue... too old for toys... too young for clothes and make-up. Failure.

Devin had an apple and Halloween candy for lunch today. Failure.

Let's not even mention how messy my 2 upstairs bathrooms are... or the gigantic piles of laundry that I have yet to sort through...

Seriously, the list could go on and on, but let's just notice the reoccuring thing of forgetfullness and FAILURE. I wish I could totally blame it on the fact that I have a new baby, but I can't... she's too easy and good to blame anything on. This one's all on me.

So, time to tackle all of these failures... or call it a complete loss, lock myself in the bedroom and read a book I have been dying to open???... so, wish it was that simple... but nope, time to tackle the failure list...

Anyone know how I can get on top of things!???