Pumpkin Carving

We took advantage of the nice weather and carved our pumpkins early. Alysha carved a bat, Mike carved a grumpy face, Ashley carved a Star Wars pumpkin and a Death Star, Owen carved a dinosaur and I carved an owl and a cat.

Costume creating at the Hardy's

Owen was the first one to get a jump start on his Halloween costume. Almost a month before Halloween his started making his dinosaur head out of cardboard in the garage. Then he painted it and added some details. We found him some black pants to go with his black fleece pull-over. Then we bought a yard of black scale like material and made is tail. They stuffed his tail with packing peanuts giving it a bumpy texture then attached it to a belt.

Ashley started by creating her guns out of cardboard in the garage and had fun spray painting them with Mike. Then she helped me figure out how to sew her Princess Leia dress out of some white knit material I found on sale at JoAnn's. Then we made her belt out of white vinyl and added details with silver material. Just need to add a little makeup and put her hair up in two buns.

I am going to be Queen Amidala using a collection of belly dance items I have in my huge collection of costumes from over the years. The only thing I needed to make was the fan head piece and will need to add makeup.

My monster murals

Mike finally decided to be Obi-Wan Kenobi and got to work transforming his old motorcycle boots into Jedi boots. While he was busy at work on his boots I made his robe, tunic and tabard out of sheets. Then Mike started making his own custom belt with belt buckle and a pouch for his phone.

Then since we have so much free time I really wanted to make a mini R2D2 for Ashley to collect her candy in. I found a little trash can at Walmart, Mike cut it down, we hot glued bottle caps to the top and then spray painted it. I'm hand painting the details while Mike is working on make legs for it. We are still working on  him and hoping to finish him in time for Halloween.

Now I have not forgotten Alysha... She only wanted me to find her a black sweatshirt and some make up. She is going to make her costume mostly out of makeup and bandages so I do not have a photo of her yet.. It'll be a surprise. :)

Farmstead

We met my sister Molly and her family along with my brother Cody and his fiancee Marisa at the Farmstead for an evening of fun. We had a great time in the corn maze, petting animals, taking a hayride, a ride in the grain train, picking pumpkins and more.

School

With four of us going to school plus three of us working we have a crazy always changing schedule from week to week. Ashley and Owen have been doing awesome keeping on top of their homework and both received character awards already this school year. Owen got the 5th grade Responsibility award and Ashley got the 7th grade Hard Work award. This year has been the first year that I am not home when they get home from school so I have not been able to keep track of what they should be working on. They have both done great so far at being responsible for their own work and have been working hard.

Alysha is wrapping up her second 6 week set of online classes finishing U.S. History and English. She has also been doing great at getting her homework done even with adding in a new job. She only has 12 weeks left of required classes to graduate in the Spring and I can't believe she will be 18 in 12 days.

I just finished my second 5 week class in SQL Server Databases with another A. It was not an easy class and I have spent almost all my free time studying for it. I am planning on enjoying a long four day weekend of Halloween fun with the kids before I start my next class ASP.Net with C# on Monday. Don't ask me what that it because I don't know myself. Counting down until winter break..... I think I can.... I think I can... I think I can... 

Alysha's working at Subway

Alysha decided she wanted to work at Subway. So she applied online and after a few weeks of not hearing back from them she sent them a message on their comments page of their website. She then got a call from the Caldwell store manager who said that no one have ever tried to contact them through the comments page before and she thought it was very unique and creative. Alysha then went in for an interview, had to take a drug test, complete an online survey then they hired her. She has been working 2-3 days a week for the last three weeks and is slowly getting use to her new job as a sandwich artist. Good job Alysha :)

Alysha making me a sandwich. :)

Odds and Ends

Everyone in my house has been busy with school and/or work so we have all been just working on small things here and there. When I am finally home from school and work I am usually working on homework, trying to catch up on chores or getting my art supplies ready for the next day's art class. We did make it to my nephew Mason's birthday BBQ, then we went out of town to watch the sunset and the lunar eclipse over the valley. Owen has been busy working on making his Halloween costume out of cardboard and has a great start to it already. Ashley found the spell book I made a few years ago and has been busy reading all the spells(poems). Alysha has been busy with school and applying for jobs. Mike has been working on motorcycle projects and things outside.

Mason's 12th birthday

Driving out of town to watch the sunset

Lake Lowell

Lunar Eclipse

Owen's cardboard costume

Ashley reading the spell book

Our cutie Talynn, almost 2 years old