Snow Day

Fall turned into Winter over night and the kids were super happy to have a snow day. We made paper snowflakes then put them in the front window. Then we went hunting for all our snow clothes and realized that the kids have all grown a lot since last year and nothing fits anymore. We had to do some handing down of snow clothes so they could go play in the 5 inches of new snow. They had neighbor friends over to play and all the kids were in and out all day long.

Then over the weekend we went out to Pickle Butte to sled. The snow wasn't as deep there but we had fun anyways. While we were there a guy decided to drive over the ice and ended up stuck in the middle. It was interesting to watch them try to figure out how to get it back out. We had to head home for dinner and work on homework so we had to leave before they could get the vehicle out of the ice.

Sledding at Pickle Butte

Some guy thought he could drive across the ice but it wasn't thick enough

Our road is a big sheet of ice and Ashley has been having a blast ice skating on it. 

Scouting for Food

Saturday, all the boy scouts of all ages in the area were out collecting canned food for "Scouting for Food". I ended up with a small group of cub scouts to supervise for a couple hours on Saturday morning while they went door to door asking if people would be able to donate some canned food. Once we were done we headed back to the church to weigh all the cans and help load them all into the truck to be taken to the Idaho Food Bank. The boys all did a great job and we lucked out with nice sunny weather too.

Alysha's 17th Birthday

This weekend was Alysha's 17th birthday. We started off by inviting a couple of her friends over for dinner, opened a few presents, then we ate Alysha's iphone birthday cake with ice cream. Once we were stuffed full of cake I took her and her friends to the movies to see "Maze Runner", which was good and a bit scary at times.

The next morning we got Los Betos yummy breakfast burritos then headed to Wahooz's for an afternoon full of go-carts, laser-tag, mini-golf, games and the XD Dark Ride Zombies. To end the day we stopped at Applebee's for dinner. Here are a few more photos...

close up of iphone cake, completely cake and frosting.

Día de los Muertos

Saturday night I talked Mike and his nephew Jasson into going out with me to a club for a Day of the Dead party. I thought it would be fun to dress up and this is the costume I came up with. Mike did a little face painting too. It was a fun adult dress-up party.

Top of the Boise parking garage overlooking the city

A little melted from the rain and dancing. :)

This is Halloween

This year our Hardy's Haunted House theme was classic storybooks. I spent my free time on the weekends painting a handful of cardboard murals to set up in the garage for Halloween night. There was murals of the three little pigs, little red riding hood and the bid bag wolf in the forest. A candy house with the gingerbread man in the window. Hansel and Gretel in a cage in the candy house. Goldilocks and baby bear in a cage along with a glowing fire. The witch's apothecary, mama and papa bears, the ugly duckling and Peter rabbit.

On Halloween we all dressed up and waited for trick or treater's to show up. When they walked in the front haunted house door, I would say "Nibble nibble like a mouse, who's been nibbling on my house?" Then when they came into the candy house door, I'd ask "Was it you, or was it you? As I pointed at them, while I was all dressed up as an ugly old witch. Then I'd say, "I can't see very well, may I feel your finger?" Some would let me feel their finger and others wouldn't. Then I'd say, "Nope, not plump enough you need to eat more candy" while putting candy in their bags. Then I'd say, "you eat lots of candy then you'll be nice and plump... and very tasty". As they would leave, I'd say "you come back around Thanksgiving, don't forget... You'll be nice and tasty by then." I had way to much fun with it. The kids all had fun trick or treating the neighborhood and playing with their cousins.

Setting up the lighting

The front window

Lights all set up

Nibble nibble like a mouse, who's been nibbling on my house.

Was it you?

Alysha, half skeleton - half pretty girl

The big bad wolf and little dead ridinghood

Death came knocking on my door

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf and the old witch?

My niece Delaney as Dorothy

Ready to fly home

Carving Pumpkins

This last week was a bit of a blur but we did manage to carve pumpkins. Here are a few photos...