Carving the Pumpkins!

Pumpkin carving is a pretty big deal over at the Bloomfield house! This year was no exception! It started with going on line to figure out what Rylie and Parker wanted their pumpkins to be (Mason is always an original!). Rylie decided to do a cat and Parker decided to do Spongebob! Getting ready to create a masterpiece!

This year Rylie even punched her own holes...she did a great job!
Mason started with the top...he wanted to get all of the "guts" out so I could roast the seeds! (The kids love them with lots of salt!)
Spongebob was quite the challenge!
For the first time EVER, I even got in on all the carving! (I'm usually busy with the seeds, the video camera, and the regular camera!)

Yes...the drill is out...very serious business over here!
Ry and I took a break from cleaning out the "nasty guts"...according to Rylie!
Here's Rylie's cat!

Parker and Spongebob!
Mason did this freehand...he is so good at creating his pumpkin faces!Happy Halloween!!!

Crashin' the Carnival!

Friday night was the Fall Carnival at Valley Elementary...the kids old school. We decided that since the new school didn't have a carnival this year, that we would "crash" this one...and hopefully see some friends in the process! The fun thing about this carnival is that the kids get to dress up in their Halloween costumes! (They aren't allowed to at school...so sad!) So...Rylie is dressed up as Fancy Nancy (from the books), Parker is Harry Potter, and Mason is Peter (from Narnia). I was excited about going because this is the first time I've actually been able to enjoy it! All of the years we were at Valley, I was running the Silent Auction...so I was working while the rest of the family was playing!

Here's Rylie in her "Fancy" Pose!

The first people we saw when we got there were the Marshalls! Aren't Rylie and Sam cute!!!

Here are the boys with Carter...aka John Elway!
Rylie also found her friend Tiffany!

Here's Parker with his best buddy from kindergarten, Devin! They are sad not to be at the same school anymore!
The highlight of the night was when Rylie won the trophy for "cutest costume"! All she could say was, "this is my first trophy...I'm so excited"! In true "Fancy Nancy" form, she took a tumble (that's a fancy word for "fall") from the top of the steps during the costume contest. Her shoes, earrings, glasses, and purse went flying all over the place. She landed face first...but was ok. There was a dad there gathering all of her accessories up...it was so nice of him! She was a trooper...and the trophy made it worth all of the bumps and bruises! We had a great time!

Date Night

Last night was a first...Mason and Parker both had plans...leaving Shane, Rylie, and I home alone. So, we decided to take Rylie out on a date! She has been dying to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua...so we gave in and went! Rylie loved it! I don't think she's stopped saying, "I Chihuahua" yet! It was actually pretty good...for a movie about talking dogs!

A Night Out on the Town!

Saturday night Shane and I went to L.A. to see the musical 9 to 5. We had such a good time! This is the first time we have been on an actual "date" since we got back from Alaska...much over due!

First, we went to Chinatown to eat at my new favorite Chinese Restaurant...The Plumtree Inn...YUMMY!!! Then we went a few blocks over into downtown to see the show. We were next door to the Walt Disney Music Hall...it is so beautiful! I can't believe that we've lived here this long and that was the first time I've been there! Then again...here is where Shane and I are truly opposites...as we're driving West on the I-10...I get more excited the closer we get to L.A....and he gets more tense...especially once we pass the 57! I teased him that I was just going to start going by myself...thinking he'd say no way and decide to go with me...but then he said, "that's what your friends are for"! I guess I'll have to start taking him up on that one!!! I absolutely love it there!

So, the musical was great...very similar to the movie...with some new songs written by Dolly herself! We were with a very diverse crowd...so we got a little nervous with all of our Prop 8 stuff in the backseat of Shane's car (we're YES, by the way)...but we still had tires when we got back to the car after the show...so all is well! We had a great time...thanks for the early Christmas present Kay!!!

This is a GOOD One!!!

Ok my fellow Twilight Junkies...here's the final trailer!!!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Robert isn't my ideal Edward...but he's growing on me!

Be sure to pause my music below!

Yosemite...Finally!

Ok...so I'm finally going to put up pictures from our trip to Yosemite this summer! One of the reasons I've waited is because I don't have any of the group pictures...but then again...I haven't given anyone my pics...so I shouldn't be so impatient!

So...here's a little bit of history before I get started! Every other year, our friend Jaylene...the ultimate party planner...plans our camping trips! The last time we went, we went to Lake Lopez up north. It was our family, the Knolls (Brian and Jaylene) and the Sandbergs (Darren and Monica). So...last February...Jaylene...always on the ball...called and said, it's our summer to go camping...and this year we are all going to Yosemite! I love that she always decides where we are going...it makes it so much easier to just do what we're told!!! And...Jay is very good at picking out awesome spots! This year we had a fun addition to our group...the Keawekanes (Scott and Amy) came with us!!!

These are totally out of order...but that's ok! I'm not putting up a lot of "scenery" pics...since the pics didn't do Yosemite justice! I'm starting with this one...because quite honestly, I thought it was really funny! They had these through out the park...where bears had been hit and killed by cars. I can only imagine how that conversation would go with the insurance company!
Before we went to Yosemite, I had been telling Shane that Scott and Amy were coming. Shane kept saying, "who?" And then he saw "KIWI"! Shane and Scott met our freshman year at BYU, but they went by nicknames...not first names! It was fun to see them catch up after so many years!
Here we are in our "boat"! We took turns floating down the river that surrounded our camp site. It was so beautiful! Brian, Jaylene, and the kids even saw a bear on their way down!
One of the days we were there, we decided to hike Vernal Falls with the Sandbergs. Let me just say that this was quite the hike!!! We had to walk up stone steps that went straight up...and I swear there were at least 1000 of them! Rylie hiked the entire way all by herself! Here we are...and the very top. The falls are going over just behind us!
This is the view on our way back down...the water fall was breath taking! Check out the stairs I was talking about! The hike down was almost straight down! I don't know how we did it with 6 kids!!!
Rylie and Isabella! Unfortunately they only see each other every other year when we all go camping...but they didn't skip a beat...they were inseparable the entire trip...even when they went and played in the boys bathroom! (They came out with blue hands...Brian thinks it was from the cleaner in the urinals...I'm pretending that they found some blue chalk some where...in the forest!)
This is what happens when there isn't any TV for a few days! And to think...this was a barbie movie we put on for the girls while we were packing up! Between the four families, we had 9 boys and 3 girls! The boys had so much fun together!!! (You already heard about all the fun the girls had...next time we go, I'm sure Brinley will have "blue fingers" just like Rylie and Isabella!)
This is at the base of Lower Yosemite Falls...where the pool is...not the viewing area! Brian and his boys, Darren and his boys, and our whole family (Rylie won't be out done by her brothers) climbed the rocks to get up here. The climb was pretty scary...but worth every second! The boys, and Rylie, took off their shoes and played in the water...Darren and Brian jumped in and swam to the foot of the falls! That was some COLD water!
Jaylene thought it would be fun to bring some flavored bugs! She let the kids pick out which ones they wanted their dads to eat! Some how...I ended up with one...YUMMY! (Obviously...I don't fix my hair or wear make up when I'm camping!)
We stayed in the housekeeping units at Yosemite. I would definitely recommend this to anyone planning to go there! We had sides made of block, and a shower curtain type door. I think it looks like a refugee camp...but it was actually pretty cool! We shared our back wall with the Knolls. We each had a double bed and bunk beds in our little areas...very cozy! Rylie slept in the center on a cot! The ground was concrete...so it wasn't like tracking dirt into a tent! I actually loved camping this way! We were really close to the bathrooms too! We had a great spot...there was a huge open area between our housing and the Keawekanes and the Sandbergs, where we moved all of our tables and ez-ups. There was tons of room for the kids to play and ride their bikes. This is the only area at Yosemite where you can build campfires and make your own food...so that was really cool too!

We just had to make sure that we kept everything with a smell in our bear lockers! I thought this was pretty funny...you have to take your child car seats out of your cars because the bears have figured out that kids spill food in their seats. If they see them in your car...they'll break into your car to get to them!!!

Obviously, we had a wonderful time! The pictures go on and on!!! This is a place we will definitely be visiting again! Rylie still asks me when we are going back!

Tagged

Only because this is from Jill:)...

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Husband Tag
1. What is his name? Shane
2. Who eats more? He does...I'm always on a diet...aren't I???
3. Who said, "I love you" first? He did
4. Who is taller? he is...by a foot
5. Who is smarter? I like to think I am...but really, he probably is
6. Who is more sensitive? I am...by far
7. Who does the laundry? Me
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Right now I do...it depends on where we are...I have to sleep on the side that is closest to the door...wierd...I know!
9. Who pays the bills? I do
10. Who cooks more? That might be a 50/50 split
11. Who is more stubborn? He is...by far...but he'll say I am...see...stubborn!
12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Me
13. Who has more siblings? I do
14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? He lets me think I do :)
15. What do you like to do together? I think this is a trick question...because rarely is it just us!!! I had to ask Shane...he said watch football on TV! We like going to college baseball games too! We also like to play Guitar Hero together:)!
16. Who eats more sweets? I do
17. Guilty Pleasures? Oreos
18. How did you meet? In a child development class at BYU our freshman year (the class was required)
19. Who asked whom out first? He aske me out first
20. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first
21. Who proposed? He did...on both knees...I like to remind him of that:)
22. His best features and qualities? I love his eyes and his laugh. I love watching him with our kids...my favorite is watching him play princesses with Rylie and when he paints her toenails! He is very easy going...and keeps me grounded when I'm freaking out about something stupid! (Which of course...is very rare:)!)

NOW...I TAG:
Kari
Kelsey
Aimee
Amber
Jessica

Curly Hair

I have this thing about Rylie's hair and Sundays...she has to have it "fixed" for church...no matter how much she cries and tells me "she just wants it straight"! So...this usually means that it is curled...the only day of the week I make her do this. Usually we do the hot curlers on Sunday morning. She hates those. So...I told her that we could do sponge curlers on Saturday nights...she says she hates those too. Well...this week we came up with a compromise...she would wear the curlers to bed...if Rylie (her My Twin Doll) did too!

Here they are...getting ready to go to bed! (Rylie has decided that she is lonely in her room all by herself, and that the boys are lucky because they get to share. She then decided that she needed a sister...we told her that Rylie can be her sister...it's working so far!)

Just after the curlers came out...

All ready for church...aren't they cute!!! (Don't worry...the doll stayed home...and no...I didn't make the dresses!) This one was taken a few weeks ago...but I wanted to show how nice the boys clean up too...can you believe it...they don't have on baseball caps!!!