Here she is...

And she is stinkin' cute...

Are Ladybugs are a Delicacy in Any Foriegn Country?

...doesn't matter.

Either way, I want to eat her up!

Trunk-or-Treat and Momma Scissor-Hands

Here are some pictures from the fated Trunk-or-Treat that consumed our lives for the last couple of weeks.

Morgan in his spider costume walking the runway during the costume fashion showLittle Miss B in her Ladybug costume sitting on the table during dinner, of course. And, yes, those are twinkle lights...and real carved pumpkins on the tables as centerpieces next to the water jugs with eyeballs floating in them...

this activities committee knows how to throw a PARTY!

(seriously, though...those of you on the committee...you totally rock!)

And...since I didn't snap a single picture of Chloe in costume when she wasn't shoving treats in her mouth/all over her costume, I decided to show you her haircut from this week instead. No cookie cutters haircut for this girl...her momma got sick of the mullett and whipped out the scissors! She is finally back to where she was about 18 months ago...with a little bit of residual shortness on her right side. But, hey, it is looking better every day!

The kids are costuming up for Grandma Colleen's Halloween Party today, (after some modifications to each of the costumes from trunk-or-treat wear and tear) so I will make sure I get some good ones of everyone in costume. I know you are in suspense!

And now I will leave you with some random thoughts and observations...

This morning while I am typing this blog post is the first time my kids have turned on the TV (really, they never watch TV, only movies, but we call it TV) since Sunday. I want to remember this moment so I don't feel quite so bad on the weeks where they watch a movie every day.

Made this recipe last night...mmmm! Adoreable and delish!

I know my library books are overdue, but I don't know how overdue they are.

Even though we don't need to be anywhere until 11:00 today, we will still be rushing to get ready and probably late because I am enjoying lounging WAAAY too much!

The new facebook layout is really driving me crazy. And, on a similar note, why can I not convince my hubby to be my friend on facebook.

My puppy-dog faced-request, Please be my facebook friend sweetie...

was met with, I am a face-to-face friend only!

Yesterday I went to make this rice and poured everything into the rice cooker...without the removeable bowl (yes I poured it directly into the heating unit part). The worst part...I didn't realize that the bowl was missing until I had turned the cooker on and closed the lid and found the bowl sitting next to it in a puddle of liquid draining from the cooker. (Apologies if this is confusing...it was one of the blonder things I have done in a very long time) I have always wondered why they would even need the sticker on the cooker that says "to Prevent Shock, cook only in removeable container"...what stupid person would...oh, yeah, me!

Grape juice canning is complete...

if you have grapes and want to give them to someone to can...do NOT call me!

How is one to decide what to wear when the weather changes its mind so frquently throughout the day?

Yesterday I had my kids skip naptime so I could put them to bed early.

I did that so that I could watch the Thursday night NBC lineup, uninterrupted.

It was so worth it!

Jim's costume...always a classic!

Just to keep you wanting more

These pictures were just too cute, so I had to post them ASAP...there are more to come, but hopefully this will entice you to come back and see the rest soon. I really suck at blogging lately (and keeping my house clean, and being nice to my kids, and making dinner, and, and, and...) but our neighborhood trunk-or-treat/Halloween Carnival is tomorrow and then I get my life back, kind of, at least until the next activity we are in charge of (a few weeks later)!

So, despite my feeling rediculously overwhelmed and scattered, here is some proof that we have been enjoying some October fun!

Argh! Pirates don't take baths! (this is indeed his "pirate face" and not just a weird moment)
No words...just amazement at this little stunning beauty!

She is always cute...and such a little thinker!

And this is a preview of what is to come...I made two tutu costumes this year and they are both equally adoreable...just wait 'til you see the accessories and the little sweeties wearing them!

All She Ever Wants To Do Anymore

is stand up.

to play, to eat, to explore, to hang out.

And to be perfectly honest...I am not so sure I am happy about it!

She is supposed to be my baby, but at this rate she will be all grown up in no time!

Good Mommies make their babies take naps

My girls are going to be fabulous mommies!

They know all about the "naptime=mommy sanity" rule...

and the importance of bedtime kisses...

and leading by example...

and they aren't phased by naked bums...

but most of all, they know that

cell-phones and purses

are not optional accessories!

Here's the thing

We have had the flu/cold all week.

I have been making a lot of applesauce and grape juice.

I have been working on Halloween Costumes

and baby shower invitations

and plans for a Trunk or Treat.

So, blogging has kind of been on the back burner.

I promise to post some pictures of the little dearies soon,

but, truth be told, I haven't taken any pictures of them lately.

(gasp)

In fact, Brynn hasn't had a bow in her "hair" for over a week.

(double gasp)

But, she is standing...

and cruising (walking along the furniture as she holds it for support)...

and going up stairs...

(yikes)

and talking (babbling) incessantly.

(she sounds exactly like Chloe with her tone and inflection and "sentence structure"

and sometimes I get them confused)

Everyone else is pretty much the same...

making me laugh with the funny things they say...

and do...

especially Seth.

6 Years of Happily Ever After

Six years ago today, Seth and I were sealed together in the temple and our Tate Family was established. We loved our little (tiny) apartment downtown and loved being in walking distance to the temple. We were so in love (and pretty darn sappy) and so excited to spend every moment together.

Nine months later, we bought our first house and got a (rambunctious) puppy. We tried obedience training. We loved her like a baby. She was a good dog, but still crazy. I graduated from college. We were so in love and excited to be living our dreams.

In another 8 months, Morgan joined our family! We doted and took pictures and video taped endless footage of him laying on his back looking at stuff. Seth graduated from school and got a great job. We were so in love and so happy to be parents.

Not quite 2 years after that, we got another puppy. This one was less rambunctious, but oh.was.she.a.puppy. She yipped and peed and howled. And we loved her, and cuddled her, and counted our blessings that we had so many little lives to love. We were so in love and excited for the next big step in our lives...

10 days later, our first baby girl was born and we were smitten! Chloe was beautiful and sweet and we couldn't imagine our lives without her. We worried for her safety and well-being with a big brother who was not quite 2...but he loved her, and she loved him, and it was the start of a beautiful friendship. I quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom. We enjoyed watching Chloe learn so much, so fast. We played together as a family every spare moment we had. We were so in love and wondered how we got so lucky to be living in this fairy tale.

Another year later Seth got accepted to the DNP (doctor of nurse practice) program on his first try. So, feeling like we could take on the world, we decided to build a garage before he started. It was hard. It was long. It was stressful. It is (still) not quite finished. We were so in love - even when we were too exhausted to realize it - and impatiently anticipated getting back to our fairy tale.

A few months later, Seth started school. It was busy. There was a lot of homework. Breaks were never long enough. I spent a lot of time by myself (if you can call hanging out with 2 kids and 2 dogs by yourself) and in my pregnant state, felt inadequate to do it all. Between work, school, kids, and sleep, we only saw each other in passing. We were so in love and missing each other so much.

Another few months passed and we had to say goodbye to our sweet puppy #2. We found her a wonderful home. And we cried. and cried. and cried. And we missed her like crazy. But we knew she was happy. And we were happy too. We were so in love and so excited for a new chapter of our lives to start...

Less than a month later, Brynn joined our family. She was tiny and beautiful and amazing! Her big brother and sister were smitten! Her mommy and daddy were smitten! We took thousands of pictures and carved out more family time. We adjusted to 3 babies. We couldn't keep up with it all. We relied on each other and relished our time together. We took some time off to get away...all of us...and it was good. We were so in love and feeling so blessed.

So now, here we are, six years later. We have had ups and downs, blessings and trials, but that is what life is all about. I feel blessed to have held Seth's hand through it all. As I watched conference last weekend, I couldn't help but feel immensely blessed as I listened to the talks. Seth is the epitome of temperance. His highest priority is our family. I have never wondered for a day of my marriage whether he loves me, because he tells me every day and he shows me every day. As I see the good in my children, I know that it is due, in large part, to the father that Seth is. They know he loves them because he tells them and shows them.

Right now, we enjoy our family so much. We count our blessings that three sweet spirits were sent to our family. We have learned so much about love from them and it just gets better as they grow. We find joy in the relationships our children have with each other. We are making more time for each other, despite the busy schedules. We are working on becoming better individuals. We love spending time together: laughing, playing, working, learning, serving, and occasionally relaxing. We are grateful for the gospel. We are happy. Most of all, we are so in love and looking down the road of our life with excitement and anticipation, because it is true what they say...it just gets better with time!